EU: MED-CRISIS: (21.8.15)
21 August 2015
UNHCR-MACEDONIA:
Concern about developments at border with Greece (pdf):
"UN High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres spoke with FYR Macedonia Foreign Minister Nikola Poposki about the situation, and received assurances that the border will not be closed in the future. "UNHCR is particularly worried about the thousands of vulnerable refugees and migrants, especially women and children, now massed on the Greek side of the border amid deteriorating conditions," UNHCR said in a statement."
Macedonia allows migrants entry from Greece (Channel 4 News, link):
"Macedonia allows a limited number of migrants to enter from Greece, hours after police drove back crowds by firing tear gas.... The United Nations refugee agency has urged Macedonia to allocate more space for migrants in its side of the border"
MACEDONIA: GREECE: AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL:
Macedonia: Thousands trapped and at risk of violence as border sealed (link):
"A witness on the Greek side of the border told Amnesty International that Macedonia’s Rapid Reaction Unit, an anti-terrorist police unit, had been beating refugees and asylum-seekers who were trying to enter Macedonia, and firing over their heads. A local NGO confirmed the use of rubber bullets.... "Every country has the power to patrol its own borders, but this kind of para-military response is an unacceptable push-back in violation of international law. Macedonian authorities are responding as if they were dealing with rioters rather than refugees who have fled conflict and persecution."" And see: AI:
Europe’s Borderlands: Violations against refugees and migrants in Macedonia, Serbia and Hungary (link) and see:
Report: Europe's Borderlands: Violations against refugees and migrants in Macedonia, Serbia and Hungary (pdf)
Macedonian riot police fire teargas to disperse thousands of migrants - video (Guardian, link) and:
Macedonian police fire tear gas to drive back migrants, refugees on border (Reuters, link):
"Riot police behind barbed wire fired tear gas to drive back an angry crowd demanding passage into Macedonia and north to Hungary and the European Union's borderless Schengen zone, the Reuters reporter said." Also:
Macedonian Riot Police Use Teargas to Hold Off Migrants at Border With Greece. (Slate, link) and:
Irish Times Video (link):
"“We expect the involvement of the army will bring two desired effects - it will increase security among our citizens in the two regions and will allow for a more comprehensive approach toward people expressing their interest in applying for asylum,” Interior Ministry spokesman Ivo Kotevski was quoted as saying." and:
Migrants try to charge Macedonian police lines at Greek border - Medical workers race to treat injured amid reports of people fainting as hundreds try to break through to the north (Guardian, link)
And see:
FYROM: Macedonia declares state-of-emergency (euronews, link):
"A state of emergency has been declared in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), as crowds of migrants continue to gather on its southern border. The Army has been brought in to maintain security as thousands wait,hoping to travel on to Serbia and Western Europe."
Update on airlines offering free luggage with items for refugees (Help for refugees in Molyvos, link)
Peter Sutherland critical of Europe on migrant crisis - UN special envoy on migration tells Knock faithful of EU shortcomings on response (Irish Times, link)
GERMANY:
Arsonists attack refugee shelter in southern Germany (Reuters, link)
FRANCE-GERMANY:
Merkel and Hollande to press EU to move faster on asylum policy (euractiv, link):
"Germany and France will press the European Union to move faster and with more unity to deal with the worsening refugee crisis, amid complaints from Germany that it is shouldering too big a burden." and see:
Germany 'can't cope' with 800,000 refugees per year - Germany cannot continue accepting refugees at its current pace of 800,000 per year, its interior minister warns. The country could reinstate border controls if other EU states fail to pull their weight (DW, link)
EU ministers to hold migrant talks: France (The Local.fr, link) and see: Council of the European Union:
Valletta Conference on Migration (Malta, 11-12 November 2015) - Orientation debate (pdf):
CZECH REPUBLIC:
Integration expert says migration issue should not be reduced to security (Radio Praha, link)
GREECE:
Refugees head for the north despite border crackdown (ekathimerini.com, link)
"KTEL intercity bus services linking the capital to the northern port of Thessaloniki were inadequate so additional vehicles were added to the route. Instead of the 11 usual daily connections linking Athens and Thessaloniki, there are now 42, with a bus leaving the capital for the northern port city every half-hour...... Train services linking FYROM and Serbia were also suspended as large numbers of migrants camped out in the no-man’s land between the two countries." And:
Car ferry arrives for second time in Piraeus to disembark Syrian refugees (ANA, link)
HUNGARY:
Socialists criticize border police units (BBJ, link):
"Socialist immigration expert Richárd Barabás told the press that plans to set up border police units to guard the fence being built along the Serbian border show a "complete lack of goodwill" and may go against the Geneva convention, according to reports today, while deputy leader Bertalan."
Fences in Calais protect ministers – not refugees (The Conversation, link) by Heaven Crawley
Refugee Chaos in Macedonia: 'Life-Threateningly Dangerous for Women and Children' (spiegel.de, link):
"A dangerous bottleneck has formed in the Macedonian border town of Gevgelija, an important hub for refugees traveling to Western Europe. Those trying to reach the trains here face extreme heat, dangerous crowds and police bullying."
“To quota” or “not to quota”? The EU facing effective solidarity in its Asylum Policy (EASFJ, link)