By Morgane Wirtz. At the end of August, at least 500 migrants and asylum seekers from Tunisia landed on the island of Lampedusa. Tunisians represent nearly 40% of all illegal arrivals in Italy this year. Lampedusa is overwhelmed.
In this week’s news highlights: Libyan authorities kill 3 migrants; 200 children intercepted and detained in Libya; Widespread human rights violations on route to Mediteranean; COVID-19 a significant threat to Ethiopia; Millions at risk in South Sudan; Human rights abuses and trafficking in South Sudan; Appeal against Eritrea’s conflict preparations; Malta waits 30 hours to rescue migrants and refugees; 100 vulnerable asylum seekers relocated from Greece; Hundreds try to flee Italian overcrowded asylum centers; And Migrants and refugees to be transferred from Lampedusa.
As many European countries continue to struggle with the unprecedented COVID-19 crisis, the Council of Europe and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) encourage member states to benefit from the support refugee and migrant health professionals can provide to national health systems at this critical juncture. In addition, the lack of agricultural workforce due to the closure of borders to seasonal workers remains a potential threat to the entire European food supply chain, according to the European Commission. As a solution, countries like Germany, Italy, UK, Belgium and Ireland are exploring the opportunities for granted working permits. This article gives a brief look into the different solutions and remaining challenges.