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• Refugee crisis: latest news from across Europe (26 news stories and a lot of key documents, 6.11.15)

Refugee crisis: latest news from across Europe (26 news stories and a lot of key documents, 6.11.15)

06 November 2015

- EU: European Commission: Refugee crisis statistics

- State of Play: Measures to Address the Refugee Crisis (6-11.15, pdf) contains for first time data on:

- Joint Frontex return flights (pdf) Main countries are Pakistan and Nigeria

- State of Play of Hotspot capacity (Greece and Italy, pdf): "Total Reception Capacity: Lesvos: 700 (Moria) 780 (Kara Tepe) with Frontex: 54 Officers (Debriefing, screening, fingerprinters and registration teams. Border Surveillance Officers, Advance Level Document Officer)"

- Member States' Support to Emergency Relocation Mechanism (Communicated as of 29 October 2015) (pdf): "14 Member States 3,546 places (of 160,000)"

- Member States' Support to Civil Protection Mechanism for Serbia, Slovenia and Croatia (Communicated as of 6 November 2015) (pdf)

- Joint African and European recommendations for the Valletta Summit (madenetwork.org, link): With this statement, African and European civil society set out priorities for the upcoming discussions and outcomes of the Valetta Summit:

"The African and European Civil Society Joint Statement is based on consultations conducted by the International Catholic Migration Commission (ICMC) Europe, the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) and Caritas Senegal in its role as MADE Africa Coordinator with several African and European civil society platforms and organisations during September and October 2015. The statement comes ahead and in preparation of the Africa-Europe Valletta Summit on Migration on 11-12 November 2015, focused on reinforcing existing cooperation processes between Europe and Africa, particularly the Rabat and Khartoum processes on migration, and the EU-Africa Dialogue on Migration and Mobility. The Valletta Summit will result in a political declaration and an action plan."

African and European Civil Society Joint Statement (pdf)

- EU-AFRICA: List of invited delegations: Valletta Summit, 11-12 November 2015 Mediterranean Conference Centre, Valletta - Malta (pdf)

- News (6.11.15)

Greeks struggle to give dead refugees a dignified burial (CBCNews, link): "Activist tries to organize proper burials 'just to make us a little bit more human'"

Mediterranean Migrants and Refugees: Latest Arrivals and Fatalities (IOM, link): Total arrivals in EU: 772,979 and 3,423 deaths/misssing (6.11.15): 627,527 in Greece (Main countries of origin: Syria and Afghanistan) and 141,501 in Italy (Main countries of origin: Eritrea, Nigeria, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Gambia, Mali, Senegal, Bangladesh, Ghana). See Infographic (IOM) inclusing countires of origin

Moscovici: 3 million migrants won’t harm EU economy (euractiv, link)

Agence Europe reports that Frontex currently has 35 agents in Greek "hotspots", and by the end of January it will have 143 "agents" there.

"Hotspots" in Germany? Migrant crisis:
Germany to fast-track asylum returns (BBC News, link): "Chancellor Angela Merkel said five special centres would handle the applications of asylum-seekers deemed to have little chance of staying. Her Christian Democrats and their junior partners, the Social Democrats, have argued for weeks over the plan."

EU wants actions, deadlines from Valletta summit (euobserver, link): "The EU’s lead negotiator at next week’s Africa summit on migration, Pierre Vimont, wants actions backed by deadlines and oversight. Speaking in Brussels at a conference on Thursday (5 November), the former top official of the EU diplomatic service, said Valletta needs to mark a departure from previous dialogues. “For us, Valletta is not about repeating what has been done, it is not about reinventing what already exists,” he said."

Germany's opposition slams Berlin refugee deal (DW, link): "Germany's opposition parties have criticized a deal forged by coalition partners to control migration flows in Germany, saying it produces "little concrete action." Germany has struggled to cope with the influx."

EU Commission refugee announcement riles right-wing MEPs (Parliament magzine, link): "The EU Commission predicts three million migrants will arrive by end of next year."

Tsipras to hold emergency meeting on refugees (.ekathimerini.com, link): "Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has invited mayors of eastern Aegean islands bearing the brunt of the current refugee influx to Athens for an emergency meeting on how to deal with the crisis. The meeting, scheduled for midday Friday, was also to be attended by the north and south Aegean regional governors as well as mayors and religious officials from the islands of Lesvos, Samos, Kos, Leros and Chios, and government officials."

No transit zones on German borders for now (euobserver, link): "Germany’s governing coalition parties diffused tensions over the refugee crisis on Thursday (5 November) in a deal to set up five migrant reception centres inside the country and to speed up asylum procedures and deportations.The Social Democrats (SPD), the junior coalition partners to German chancellor Angela Merkel’s government, rejected the idea of transit zones on the Austrian border, claiming they would amount to detention camps. Instead, the coalition agreed to set up five reception centers within Germany, which would hold migrants from countries deemed safe, mainly from the Balkans, and those refusing to co-operate with asylum laws. Migrants would not be detained, in a concession won by the SPD from Merkel, but if they leave the region where the centre is located, they would lose welfare benefits."

Geopolitical and power games with the refugees (X-Pressed, link): "Frontex cynically admits double-counting those entering from the Greek border and then again from the Hungarian or Croatian. Later, they will add a relevant note at the end of the text. All this, however, is not of concern for the Commission. So one wonders: Does the Commission know how many people have entered this year in the EU? The correct answer is: Maybe they know, maybe they don’t – but that does not really matter."

Bulgaria Border Security System 'Out of Service over Unpaid Electricity Bills' (Balkan Insight, link): "State-of-the art border monitoring equipment has been installed at the Bulgarian-Turkish border but it is "out of service. Police have no money for electricity," German magazine Der Spiegel's website notes."Citing official documents, it also suggests the number of people crossing Bulgaria's border without being caught might be "enormous"."

CZECH REPUBLIC: Government approves sending troops to Slovenia (Prague Post, link): "The Czech government approved today the sending of up to 50 soldiers, including engineering and health officers, to help Slovenia with border protection, Defense Minister Martin Stropnický (ANO) said after the Cabinet meeting today."

Greek PM Tsipras and EU Parliament Chief Schulz Visit Lesvos Amid Protests (Greek Reporter, link)

Tsipras to hold emergency meeting on refugees (ekathimerini, link)

Unmarked baby graves a harrowing reminder the refugee crisis is far from over (Irish Mirror, link)

Germany to speed up asylum deportations
(The Local, link)

Refugee beds running out in Sweden (New Europe, link)