Refugee crisis: latest news from across Europe 10-11.9.16

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 UNCHR (10.9.16): 292,113 Arrivals in the Med: 164,730 in Greece and 124,449 in Italy. 3,196 dead/missing.

 

And: GREECE: Hotspots on Aegean islands still massively overcrowded

Latest Greek government figueres on hosting capacity for refugees. 5,545 "guests" are being held on Lesvos, where there is capacity for 3,500 people. On Chios, 3,528 "guests" are being held in a camp intended to hold 1,100; on Samos there are 1,353 people in a centre designed to hold 850; and on Kos 1,517 in a 1,000-person centre. Leros is the only island not suffering from overcrowding, with 717 "guests" being held in a space able to accomodate 1,000.

See: Summary statement of refugee flows at 08.00 09.09.2016 (pdf) and:

UNHCR Weekly Report (7.9.16):

Update on Relocation

"From Italy, nine Eritrean nationals were relocated to Malta on 29 August and six Eritrean nationals were transferred to Romania on 02 September, bringing the total number of departures from Italy since the adoption of the relocation scheme to 1,026 -only 2.6% of the 39,600 target of those to be relocated by September 2017.

From Greece, there were 82 asylum-seekers relocated to Finland including 11 unaccompanied children during the reporting period. Thus far, a total of 3,493 (5.2%) asylum-seekers against the targeted 66,400, have been relocated from Greece to other EU countries since the beginning of the relocation programme in November 2015."

 Are You Syrious (10.9.16)

GREECE: Closing of camps on Chios announced

"Refugees staying at the Greek island of Chios, one of the prominent Greek islands that only today counted together 52 new arrivals, those who had submitted their papers for asylum would very soon be moved to the mainland, Greek Migration Policy Minister Yiannis Mouzalas said this Friday, after the meeting with the officials on Chios. The expected result of that is closing of the two camps on the island and a reduction of numbers at the notorious VIAL facility, Ekathimerini reports."

HUNGARY: Indignation

"As the situation concerning the refugees in Hungary is getting more and more serious, dangerous and uncertain for many, the members of the Migrant Solidarity Group of Hungary are extending their invitation to join a protest that will be held this month in solidarity with the Roszke11, but also as a gesture to call for a boycott of the upcoming referendum imposed by the government. The event will take place on September 22 in Budapest and also the following day, September 23, in Szeged, in front of the court where Ahmed H. of the Roszke11 will have a trial.

As the situation concerning the refugees in Hungary is getting more and more serious, dangerous and uncertain for many, the members of the Migrant Solidarity Group of Hungary are extending their invitation to join a protest that will be held this month in solidarity with the Roszke11, but also as a gesture to call for a boycott of the upcoming referendum imposed by the government. The event will take place on September 22 in Budapest and also the following day, September 23, in Szeged, in front of the court where Ahmed H. of the Roszke11 will have a trial."

 ECRE-AIDA: New report (link)

"A report launched this week by the Asylum Information Database (AIDA), managed by ECRE, documents the limited and fragmented application of admissibility and safe country concepts in 20 European countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Germany, Spain, France, Greece, Croatia, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, United Kingdom, Switzerland, Serbia and Turkey."

See: Report: Admissibility, responsibility and safety in European asylum procedures (pdf)

 Irish Refugee Council: One year on, Government needs to act fast to keep its promise on refugees (link):

"A year since Ireland pledged to take in 4,000 refugees, the Refugee and Migrant Coalition has called on the Government to ensure it keeps its promise."

 Libyan coast guard detains German charity rescue boat (DW, link):

"The Libyan coast guard has detained two people from the German rescue charity Sea-Eye after they entered the North African country's territorial waters. Sea-Eye has rescued nearly 4,000 migrants at sea in four months."

 Forgotten inside Greece’s notorious camp for child refugees (The Observer, link):

"Many of the 3,000 refugee children in Greece are housed in ‘deplorable’ conditions with poor food and few facilities. They are the lucky ones."

 Five Syrians Returned To Turkey (News That Moves, link)

"The Greek authorities returned five Syrian nationals from the islands of Lesvos to Turkey on September 7. The returns were carried out under the EU-Turkey deal.

The five Syrians, one woman and four men, did not apply for asylum in Greece and requested to be transferred to Turkey, according to the Hellenic Ministry of Citizen Protection (link in Greek only). They were transferred by plane from Mytilene to Adana, Turkey. Since March 20, 489 persons have been returned to Turkey under the EU-Turkey deal." "

 No security in Austria for migrants as many consider leaving (Daily Sabah, link):

"In the face of growing anti-Muslim rhetoric and rising far-right parties in Austria, over half of the migrants are considering leaving the country as they have been gradually feeling insecure in Europe."

 EU ups Greece refugee aid after damning report (ekathimerini.com, link):

"The European Commission announced 115 million euros in extra funding Saturday to help Greece deal with migrants, a day after a damning report into conditions migrants face.

The new EU money aims “to improve conditions for refugees in Greece, and make a difference ahead of the upcoming winter,” said EU aid and crisis management commissioner Christos Stylianides.

The extra funding will focus on improving existing shelters, building new ones but also on helping refugees get access to schooling and providing for unaccompanied minors.

The EU announcement came after Human Rights Watch published a report Friday slamming the “prolonged arbitrary detention” of child asylum seekers in Greece."

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