Press Briefing: Ethiopia on the edge of civil war as the international community calls for de-escalation
11 Nov 2020

Press Briefing: Ethiopia on the edge of civil war as the international community calls for de-escalation

by | posted in: Abiy Ahmed, Africa, EEPA news and activities, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Migration, Refugee Camps, Uncategorized | 0

11 November 2020 – It has been one year since the Ethiopian Prime Minister Ahmed Abiy won the Nobel Peace Prize for his peace efforts with Eritrea and reconciliation in Ethiopia. However, the outbreak of conflict in Ethiopia’s Tigray region threatens to tarnish this accomplishment. On the Dutch radio programme Bureau Buitenland, Mirjam van Reisen, Professor in the Universities of Leiden and Tilburg and Secretary-General of EEPA, calls for urgent de-escalation and inclusion of all parties in diplomatic efforts.

News Highlights: Experts call for de-escalation of Tigray conflict, Nearly 1,000 refugees returned to Libya, UN calls for new resettlement system in the UK
6 Nov 2020

News Highlights: Experts call for de-escalation of Tigray conflict, Nearly 1,000 refugees returned to Libya, UN calls for new resettlement system in the UK

by | posted in: Africa, EEPA news and activities, Eritrea, Ethiopia, European Union, Horn of Africa region, Libya, Migration | 0

In this week’s news highlights: Experts call for de-escalation of violence in Ethiopia as military offense starts against Tigray; 54 Amhara people killed in Oromia region of Ethiopia; Renewed relations between Sudan and Israel leaves refugees in fear of deportation; Increase in COVID-19 cases in the East and Horn of Africa; 1,000 refugees returned by Libyan coastguards within days; Statistical analysis on migrant vulnerability on the move in Libya; UN calls for new resettlement system in the UK after tragic family death; Two smugglers taken into custody for piloting boats across the Channel; 1,600 refugees arrive in Lampedusa and 300 await to disembark; Fires burn down tents in refugee centre on the island of Samos; Dutch Government leads a project for digital transition in Africa; Second COVID-19 wave puts women, children, and migrants in danger of human trafficking; 10 countries that receive the most refugees.

Experts state that COVID-19 and mobile money services have changed the modus operandi of criminal networks trafficking and smuggling people
2 Nov 2020

Experts state that COVID-19 and mobile money services have changed the modus operandi of criminal networks trafficking and smuggling people

by | posted in: Africa, COVID-19, Ethiopia, Horn of Africa region, Human Rights abuses, Human Trafficking, INTERPOL, Libya, Migration, mobile money services, Sudan, Trafficking | 0

A panel of experts on migration, human trafficking and smuggling, and the rise of mobile money services came together to discuss the changes they have seen emerging with the rise of COVID-19 and the growth of money mobile services within the criminal networks. However, the experts also agree that the pandemic presents a chance to reflect on the role of technology and the fight against human trafficking. The experts argue that protection should be key and that prosecution, in new and innovative ways, should focus on the quality of arrests, not quantity. Just as criminal groups take advantage of increased interconnectivity, so can the efforts taken to stop their exploitation.