NEWS HIGHLIGHTS: humanitarian visas, human trafficking business, testimonies of Eritrean refugees
9 Mar 2017

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS: humanitarian visas, human trafficking business, testimonies of Eritrean refugees

by | posted in: Eritrea, Ethiopia, Horn of Africa region, Human Trafficking, Sudan, Weekly news highlights | 0

In this week’s news highlights we would like to inform you about the upcoming side-event on the UN Commission of Inquiry on Eritrea (COI) follow-up at the UN Human Rights Council, the European Court of Justice decision on humanitarian visas and Hungary’s new measures against refugees. News highlights at the Horn of Africa are: new testimonies from Eritrean refugees, peace efforts in Sudan and war crimes South Sudan.

European Court of Justice decision: no humanitarian visas – a loss for refugees, a win for traffickers
8 Mar 2017

European Court of Justice decision: no humanitarian visas – a loss for refugees, a win for traffickers

by | posted in: European Politics, European Union, Human Trafficking, Refugees in the EU | 0

Yesterday, 07 March 2017, the European Court of Justice ruled its decision on humanitarian visas in the European Union and came to the conclusion that member states cannot be obliged to admit asylum seekers on humanitarian grounds, even if they are at risk of torture or inhuman treatment. The court ruled on a on the case of a Syrian family of five from Aleppo. The family initially applied for a visa to Belgium at the Belgian Embassy in Beirut, Lebanon but the Belgian Immigration Office refused the visa because it was clear that the family intended to overstay it.

Two reports call for protection of refugees and migrants along Central Mediterranean Route
3 Mar 2017

Two reports call for protection of refugees and migrants along Central Mediterranean Route

by | posted in: Eritrea, European Politics, European Union, Horn of Africa region, Human Trafficking, Libya, Mediterranean Sea, Migration | 0

In the past week, two reports have highlighted the dangers faced by refugees and migrants on their route to Europe. A report by UNICEF highlights the dangers faced by women and children on the route from North Africa to Italy. A report by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) highlights the desperate situation of many Eritrean refugees, criticising the EU for creating policies to keep them out, along with other migrants and refugees.