On 11 March 2019, Human Rights Council held an enhanced interactive dialogue on the situation of human rights in Eritrea following the Council’s resolution 38/15. The dialogue was organized with the participation of Daniela Kravetz, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Eritrea, Kate Gilmore, United Nations Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, civil society and other stakeholders.
Human rights lawyer Giulia Tranchina posted a plea on social media to immediately gain access to and evacuate refugees that were severely abused in the Libyan Triq al Sikka detention centre. According to the post, hundreds of Eritrean and Ethiopian refugees were severely beaten by Libyan police. A small group is still being held in the centre and is told that the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) will no longer be allowed access to them.
Twenty days after entering the port of Catania in Italy, the Sea Watch 3 rescue ship remains in one of the Sicily’s ports, as the inspection of the Dutch authorities requested further maintenance of the ship in order to ensure “the ship’s conformity to regulations in force”. The ship has been kept in the port by the Italian Coast Guard since the first inspection on 31 January 2019. Kim Heaton-Heather, who is responsible for the search-and-rescue operations of the Sea Watch 3, says that by blocking the vessel, the Dutch authorities fuel the anti-migrant sentiment that has been spreading among EU’s political powers, which intensifies the anxiety of refugees aiming to reach a safe country.