EU’s unsustainable and deadly Libyan migration policy
2 Jun 2020

EU’s unsustainable and deadly Libyan migration policy

by | posted in: Africa, Asylum Seekers, Coast guards, COVID-19, Deportation, Detention, EU funding, European Commission, European Parliament, European Politics, European Union, Greece, Human Rights abuses, Human Trafficking, IOM, Libya, Mediterranean Sea, Migration, Refugee Camps, Relocation system, Search and Rescue Operations, Torture, Trafficking, United Nations, United States | 0

Between May 24 and May 27 around 400 migrants and refugees have been picked up by the Libyan coastguard and returned to Libya. Two of them drowned during the operation. An additional 90 migrants and refugees have been stopped by a commercial ship and have been returned to Libya as well. The pushback operations are funded and supported by the European Union (EU) and individual member states like Malta and Italy. While Libya has been an unsafe place from the start of the EU’s so called externalized border policy, COVID-19 brings even more risks as detention camps in Libya are high-risk areas for the spread of the virus and rescue operations on the Mediterranean Sea have been minimized. An additional element of danger is the intense civil war in Libya, which has turned into a geopolitical conflict and a proxy war between Russia and The United Arab Emirates (UAE) on the one hand and Turkey on the other. The war takes its toll on the civilian population; on June 1 another 5 civilians were killed and 11 wounded in a rocket attack near Tripoli.

News highlights: Hundreds intercepted by Libyan coastguard, Greece implicated in illegal pushback of refugees, Eritrea celebrates independence amid criticism
29 May 2020

News highlights: Hundreds intercepted by Libyan coastguard, Greece implicated in illegal pushback of refugees, Eritrea celebrates independence amid criticism

by | posted in: Africa, Asylum Seekers, Coast guards, COVID-19, Detention, Doctors without Borders, Eritrea, Ethiopia, EU funding, European Parliament, European Politics, European Union, Forced labour, Horn of Africa region, IOM, Libya, Médecins Sans Frontières, Mediterranean Sea, Migration, South Sudan, United Nations, Weekly news highlights | 0

This week’s news highlights: Eritrean prisoners defenseless against COVID-19; Eritrea celebrates 29 years of independence amid criticism; Urban refugees face increased struggle for basic needs in East Africa; Ethiopian migrants not aware of risks moving to Saudi Arabia, says IOM; Renewed intercommunal violence South Sudan; Eritrean refugee dies in migrant detention centre in Libya; Hundreds of people intercepted by Libyan coastguard in matter of days; Mercenaries from all over the world keep pouring in Libya despite UN embargo; The story of a boat that left Libya for Europe but disappeared; Greece accused of illegal pushbacks; Malta rescues 140 migrants and refugees in Mediterranean Sea but holds them offshore; France planning to relocate 750 asylum seekers from Greece; Story of how Eritrean child refugee survived shipwreck; EPP launches migration group; Webinar on Sea Rescue; And Oxfam withdraws from 18 countries.

News highlights: NGOs call for change in EU-Libya relations amidst ECA complaint, Migrant returns to Ethiopia continue despite COVID-19, Greece to close Vathy migrant camp on island of Samos
30 Apr 2020

News highlights: NGOs call for change in EU-Libya relations amidst ECA complaint, Migrant returns to Ethiopia continue despite COVID-19, Greece to close Vathy migrant camp on island of Samos

by | posted in: Africa, Asylum Seekers, Coast guards, COVID-19, Eritrea, Ethiopia, EU funding, European Commission, European Parliament, European Politics, European Union, Germany, Greece, Horn of Africa region, IOM, Italy, Libya, Mediterranean Sea, Migration, Refugee Camps, Search and Rescue Operations, Somalia, UNHCR, United Nations, Weekly news highlights | 0

This week’s news highlights: UK withdraws embassy staff from Eritrea; Rumours about the situation in Eritrea; Ethiopia destroying homes leaving hundreds of people homeless; Thousands of migrants returned to Ethiopia amidst COVID-19; Inadequate preparedness slows COVID-19 response in Somalia; Record of internally displaced persons in 2019; NGOs state that EU policies facilitate the abuse of migrants and refugees in Libya as organisations launch ECA complaint; EU to bolster Libya’s coastguard amidst MEP backlash; WFP says 104.793 people assisted in March amidst COVID-19; Migrants and refugees discriminated in Tunisia; Announcement closure Greek migrant camp; German experts advise on migrant working permit scheme; Asylum seeker in Germany wins court case; Bosnian minister proposes migrants and refugees should be deported; Proposal to map undocumented migrants south Italy; Less people granted Asylum in Europe 2019; Migrants and refugees first victims of COVID-19 containment; And refugees and migrants provide support in medical and agricultural sectors to curb labour shortages