EU: MED: CRISIS: (20.8.15)
20 August 2015
UK in talks with Holland and Belgium to close off new migrant routes to Britain (Guardian, link):
"Speaking during a visit to the Eurotunnel terminal at Coquelles – which is now surrounded by two razor-wire fences after a £7m cash injection from the UK – May said other northern French ports such as Dunkirk were being assessed amid fears smugglers could shift their efforts elsewhere."
SLOVAKIA:
Migrants crisis: Slovakia 'will only accept Christians' (BBC News, link):
"Slovakia says it will only accept Christians when it takes in Syrian refugees under a EU relocation scheme. The country is due to receive 200 people from camps in Turkey, Italy and Greece under the EU plan to resettle 40,000 new arrivals. Interior ministry spokesman Ivan Netik said Muslims would not be accepted because they would not feel at home."
Council of Europe:
Without papers but not without rights: the basic social rights of irregular migrants (link):
"Those who think that irregular migrants have no rights because they have no papers are wrong. Everyone is a holder of human rights regardless of their status. It is easy to understand that the prohibition of torture protects all people but we should also be aware of the fact that basic social rights are also universal, because their enjoyment constitutes a prerequisite for human dignity. Therefore, member states of the Council of Europe should stand by their obligations to protect the basic social rights of everyone under their jurisdiction, and this includes irregular migrants."
Calais migrant crisis: Theresa May in Calais as 'command centre' announced (BBC News, link)
Serbia says migrants in Macedonia should go to Bulgaria, Croatia (euractiv,link):
"Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic said that Serbia will not put fences on its border with Macedonia, and that Hungary's new fence along its border with Serbia would redirect refugees to Croatia and Bulgaria, the Belgrade press reported"
GREECE:
More than a third of migrants not fingerprinted, officials say (ekathimerini.com, link):
"As part of efforts to decongest overburdened islands, Greek authorities have been registering the personal details of thousands of migrants arriving on Lesvos, Kos and other islands. But they lack the equipment to fingerprint the migrants, who are issued with documents and instructed to visit the Aliens Bureau in Athens on their arrival.More than a third issued with papers on the islands fail to visit the bureau, however, Greek Police (ELAS) sources told Kathimerini. It is thought the majority continue their journeys further into Europe."
ITALY:
Response to migrants is mercy says pope (ANSA, link)
GERMANY:
Germany refugee riot injures 15 after Koran defaced (DW, link)
"A brawl among asylum seekers in a German town injured 15 after an Afghan tore pages from the Koran. Around 100 refugees took part in the riot at the shelter in Thüringen, which was previously criticised for overcrowding." and
Germany's media blitz to discourage Balkan migrants (DW, link):
"Germany's migration agency is taking out newspaper and online ads warning would-be refugees - especially from the Balkans - against seeking asylum in Germany. Experts say the approach will likely have little effect."
NORWAY:
UN: Norway doing too little to fight racism (The Local, link):
"Norway's authorities are doing too little to combat the threat of racism and far-right extremist violence, a damning new report from the UN has concluded."
UN:
Sweden is bearing brunt of migrant crisis (The Local.se, link):
"Sweden and Germany cannot continue to take in the majority of refugees seeking new lives in the EU, a top UN official has said... Antonio Guterres, the UN's High Commissioner for Refugees called on Tuesday for other EU nations to play a greater role in helping asylum seekers who travel to Europe."
DENMARK:
Danes publish pro-refugee advertisement (The Local.dk, link):
"The initiative, which has over 18,000 followers on Facebook, ends the ad by saying that the group wants refugees to hear “another voice in Denmark - a voice representing peace, solidarity and human decency”. In response to:
Denmark to run anti-refugee advertisements (link)
AUSTRIA:
Ministers pay surprise visit to refugee camp (The Local.at, link):
"he severely overcrowded refugee camp in Traiskirchen, Lower Austria, received a surprise visit ... He [said] that conditions at the camp are “unacceptable” and appealed to Austria’s states “to provide decent accommodation as soon as possible so that conditions like those at Traiskirchen are a thing of the past”"
GERMANY:
Asylum 'could cost Germany €10bn' in 2015 (The Local.de, link):
"Based on new projections for the number of asylum seekers expected to arrive in Germany this year, the country may have to find €10 billion to fund its already creaking system."
CZECH REPUBLIC:
Hysteria over asylum seekers completely exaggerated, says minister (Radio Praha, link):
"The minister for human rights, Jirí Dientsbier, says hysteria surrounding asylum seekers in the Czech Republic is completely exaggerated and not based on any rational risks." and
New parties profit from Islamophobia (Prague Post, link)