News Highlights: Eritrea wants to join UN Human Rights Council, Plea to aid Libya refugees, Displacement in Ethiopia

In this week’s news highlights: Opposition to Eritrea’s bid for membership in UN Human Rights Council; ethnic violence in Ethiopia causes internal displacement; South Sudan joins 1951 Refugee Convention; suicide attack in Mogadishu on Italian military vehicle; media freedom threatened in Africa, says article; Hungary opposes UN Migration Compact; Human Rights Organisations want Aquarius to continue rescue mission; Human Rights Organisations urge international community to aid refugees trapped in Libya.

Reactions to the European Commission’s proposal to upgrade Frontex

The European Commission’s plan to upgrade Frontex from a European agency with 1 500 employees into a complimentary European border and coast guard with 10 000 armed guards by 2020 has caused mixed reactions in the European Union. Under the proposal, €12.6 bn would be allocated to Frontex between 2019 and 2027, with the agency supporting national border patrols as well as coast guards and operating at the command of national authorities.