‘The Walls of Europe’

On Saturday November 9, Europe celebrated the 30-year anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall that marked the end of a separated Europe from two different, controlling ideologies. However, 30 years later Europe is building walls again, only this time to keep refugees and migrants from entering Europe. A report recently published by the Dutch organisation Stop Wapenhandel argues that “Europe is divided not so much by ideology as by perceived fear of refugees and migrants, some of the world’s most vulnerable people”. The report finds that Europe is spending a lot of money and technology on protecting its borders in a time where new migration policies permeate interior policies in Europe.

News highlights: Sudan and Libya join UN Human Rights Council, Floods affect South Sudan refugees, EU Summit outcomes on migration

In this week’s news highlights: Floods in South Sudan; UNSC pushes for peace deal in South Sudan; Ethiopia drafts new law to combat human trafficking including proposal of death penalty; First IOM international charter flight to resettle refugees from Ethiopia to Germany; Eritrean opposition group changes its name; Additional EU funds for humantarian assitance in Libya; Migrants left without food and water in Hungary; Unrest at reception center in Malta; UNDP report on motivations for migration to Europe; European Council supports Eastern Meditterean countries on migration management; Libya and Sudan new members of the UN Human Rights Council; Worsening conditions in Libya; and African refugee women face increased sexual violence in Egypt.

Only three additional member states join the new relocation system after Justice and Home Affairs Meeting

On October 8, European Justice and Home Affairs ministers met to discuss the new relocation framework set up by Finland, France, Germany, Italy, and Malta, which is based on voluntary collaborations amongst member states. The new deal holds that within four weeks, migrants and refugees will be either relocated amongst participating member states or returned if they are not in need of asylum. The arrangement is expected to run until the new college of commissioners takes over in November 2019. Only three additional member states pledged to join the deal after the meeting.