Refugee Camps Archives - Page 39 of 50

2 Jun 2020

EU’s unsustainable and deadly Libyan migration policy

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.

20 May 2020

European solidarity creeps forward in relocation of unaccompanied children from Greek Islands

by Shelly De Groote | posted in: COVID-19, European Commission, European Union, Germany, Greece, Refugee Camps, Refugees in the EU, Relocation system | 0

At the beginning of March, European Commission (EC) President Ursula von der Leyen spoke with the Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on the situation of unaccompanied migrant children on the Greek islands. They agreed to put in place a process to ensure the protection and care of some of Europe’s most vulnerable people, unaccompanied migrant children. Later in March, the Commission announced a plan to  relocate unaccompanied children and teenagers from Greece to other EU member states. So far, member states have pledged 1.600 places, but the going has been slow. Several relocations took place and key recommendations were established for further relocations.

15 May 2020

News highlights: European Union sued over forced labor in Eritrea in two courts, Election concerns cause political turmoil in Ethiopia, Call for suspension of forced returns

This week’s news highlights: Dutch Foundation sues European Union over forced labor; Lawyers and UK organisation challenge UK funding to EU project in Eritrea; Advisory Committee urges The Netherlands to provide one billion EUR for Africa amid COVID-19; 1.600 unaccompanied minors on Greece to be relocated; Migrants and refugees in Bosnia and Herzegovina threatened; Hungary illegally held asylum seekers in camps; Malta urged to join operation Irini; Italy to introduce special work permits for migrants; UNICEF steps up preparations to curb COVID-19 in Eritrea; Ruling party in Ethiopia states it will remain in power until next election; Flood and conflict threaten internally displaced people in Somalia; Number of internally displaced people in Horn of Africa drops; UN Network on Migration urges to suspend forced returns; UNHCR raises awareness for stateless people worldwide; UNHCR needs $745 million to protect displaced populations against COVID-19; Joint IGO statement on the threats in Libya; And 53% of migrants lost jobs in Tunisia due to COVID-19 lockdown