• Home /
• News /
• 2016 /
• April /
• Refugee crisis: latest news from across Europe 20.4.16

Refugee crisis: latest news from across Europe 20.4.16

01 April 2016

 Syrian children shot dead by Turkish border guards (Times, link):

"Eight Syrians, most of them women and children, have been killed by Turkish border guards while fleeing their war-torn homeland.

The group was trying to cross into Turkey via a mountain smuggling route at the western end of the frontier when they were pushed back by Turkish forces firing live rounds. Mobile phone footage obtained by The Times shows a man carrying his young son, who has been shot in both legs, back down the winding mountain path in the hope of reaching medical help..." and

Turkish border guards shoot DEAD eight Syrians including women and children as they try to flee their war-torn homeland(Daily Mail, link)

 EU: Commission (20.4,16):

- Managing the Refugee Crisis: Commission reports on implementation of EU-Turkey Statement (Press release, pdf)

- First Report on the progress made in the implementation of the EU-Turkey Statement (COM 231-16, pdf)

- Annex to Com 231-16: funding (pdf)

- Implementing the EU-Turkey Agreement – Questions and Answers (pdf)

- Operational implementation of the EU-Turkey Agreement including number of "returns" (pdf)

 EU: Justice and Home Affairs Council, 21 April, Luxembourg: Background Note (pdf)

Includes: European Border Guard, IT systems for Security and Borders, Databases (Ministers will also discuss the systematic feeding and consistent use of European and international databases), Reform of the Common European Asylum System and Migration (Home affairs ministers will hold an exchange of views on several migration-related issues, and in particular the implementation of the 17-18 March 2016 European Council conclusions and the implementation of the EU-Turkey statement of 18 March 2016).

 EU to propose visa-free travel for Turks May 4 if terms met (ekathimerini.com, link):

"The European Union's executive said on Wednesday it will propose on May 4 granting Turks visa-free travel to the bloc from late June in a deal under which it is to stop uncontrolled migration into Europe - provided Ankara meets the remaining conditions....

The Commission did not say how many of the 72 benchmarks for visa liberalisation Turkey has yet to complete but it pointed to several areas where work remains to be done."

Statewatch: State of Play: Commission statistics (dated 18 April 2016): Hotspots, Returns, Pledges and Civil Protection

 EU shirks refugee relocation responsibility (DW, link): "EU member states are failing to live up to their promises to ease pressure on Greece and Italy at the forefront of the refugee crisis, with asylum seekers paying the price. Pavlos Zafiropoulos reports from Athens."

 Greece: Asylum Applicants No Longer Detained in Registration Centers on Greek Islands (Greek Reporter, link):

"As of Monday, the “administrative restriction” process for asylum applicants on Lesvos and Chios is in effect, meaning that they cannot be detained in registration centers after 25 days. The migrants are gradually free to leave the hotspots since their asylum applications take longer than 25 days to process.

The migrants released from the registration centers are given a specific document that says their asylum application is in process and they cannot leave the island until there is a decision on their case."

 Turkey: Open Border to Displaced Syrians Shelled by Government - No Escape for Thousands Fleeing Attacks on Border Camps (HRW, link): "(Istanbul) – Syrian military attacks on armed opposition groups near the Turkish border hit two displaced persons camps on April 13 and 15, 2016, causing at least 3,000 people to flee, although they were unable to cross the border to safety, Human Rights Watch said today."

 Bulgaria tries to restrain its vigilante “migrant hunters” (Economist, link): "Rights groups demand that Bulgaria’s government bring illegal border-policing groups under control."

 News (20.4.16)

Fire in Greek camp burns more than a dozen tents (ekathimerini.com, link): "A fire broke out in a refugee camp in northern Greece Wednesday, burning more than a dozen tents and sparking a protest by refugees. Police said at least two people were taken to a hospital suffering from smoke inhalation."

Turkey and EU hail successes of migrant deal (euobserver, link)

PEGIDA founder dragged before German court (euractiv, link): "Lutz Bachmann, one of the founders of the German xenophobic PEGIDA movement, was put on trial in Dresden yesterday (18 April). The prosecution accuses him of having repeatedly harassed refugees and migrants on social media and inciting hatred. EurActiv Germany reports."

Turkey and EU hail successes of migrant deal (euobserver, link): "The EU commission and Turkey have praised their controversial migrant deal for breaking the business model of the people smugglers and decreasing the number of migrants travelling to Europe. EU commission president Jean-Claude Juncker and Turkish PM Ahmet Davutoglu talked about the deal at the Council of Europe on Tuesday (19 April), a day before the EU’s executive was due to unveil its first assessment of the agreement."

Germany arrests refugee shelter fire suspects (euobserver, link): "German authorities on Tuesday arrested five people suspected of setting refugee shelters on fire. “With today’s operation, the security authorities have dealt a powerful blow to a regional right-wing terrorist group,” said interior minister Thomas de Maiziere. The early morning police raids took place in Saxony."