Refugee crisis: latest news from across Europe 2.8.16
Topic
01 August 2016
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Hungary uses ‘excessive’ violence against migrants, says MSF (euractiv, link)
"The situation on the Balkan migration route is getting increasingly worrying, according to Doctors Without Borders (MSF). The organisation blames Hungary for using “excessive” violence against migrants stranded in the area....
Doctors Without Borders (MSF) blamed EU leaders for the shortsightedness of their “closed-borders” policy, saying that the refugee problem was not solved and that thousands of vulnerable people were stranded in the Balkans."
Bar Human Rights Committee publishes report on police violence and access to justice in Calais migrant camps: Report: Camps at Calais and Grande-Synthe (France): Policing and Access to Justice (pdf):
" highlighting allegations of police violence, police failure to protect residents within the camps, and a lack of access to justice.
BHRC representatives visited the Jungle and Grande-Synthe camps in March 2016, meeting with residents and NGOs working within the camps, including Médicins San Frontières, the UN and Help Refugees UK.
The report highlights specific allegations of police violence documented by the Legal Advice Centre in Calais...
Speaking on behalf of BHRC, Chairwoman Kirsty Brimelow QC said:
“The lack of effective legal protections in the Jungle and Grand Synthe for vulnerable refugees, including women and children, should be of huge concern.
The UK and French governments must jointly ensure accountability for all human rights violations inflicted on camp residents. The treatment of refugees is one of the historic wrongs of our time. It is happening on the shores of Europe. Urgent action is required.”
Greece: Migrants on mainland Greece pre-registered (ekathimerini.com, link):
"The pre-registration of thousands of migrants stranded on the Greek mainland, a process that gives them access to the country’s asylum procedure, has been completed, authorities said Monday....
A total of 20,100 migrants registered between June 9, when the European Union-funded scheme was established, and July 9, according to official data. A 56 percent majority of them were men. The number includes 690 unaccompanied minors, most of them from Afghanistan....
A total of 57,115 migrants and asylum seekers are currently in Greece, according to fresh data provided by the government Monday. Of these, an estimated 9,399 are on the eastern Aegean islands."
Italy says 6,000 migrants saved and two drowned since Thursday (Middle East Eye, link):
"The Italian navy on Sunday said it had recovered the bodies of two people in an operation that, along with aid agencies, had helped pick up 6,000 people since Thursday.
Navy ships patrolling off Libya intervened to help four rubber dinghies and an overcrowded fishing boat, it said....
According to the latest figures from the UN's High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) - issued on 28 July before the latest migratory wave - 89,217 people, most from sub-Saharan Africa, have arrived in Italy by sea since the start of the year.
The tally is comparable with the total of 93,000 recorded for the January-July period last year."
Italy: AYS SPECIAL: Situation of refugees in northern Italy (link):
AYS team gathered information about situation of refugees in Italy, northern part. We looked into situation in Como and Milano. Help is needed in both areas and volunteers are urged to contact team in the field.
Are You Syrious (1.8.16, link):
Libya: 120 bodies found at the shores of Libya
"More than 120 bodies of people who were trying to cross the sea and reach freedom, were found in July at the shores of Sabratha city, western Libya. Bodies are found on a daily basis, and the victims are mainly sub-Saharan Africans. The bodies are buried in a cemetery for unidentified remains in Sabratha."
Water needed in Agios Andreas camp (Lesvos)
"We received the alarming call for help from the camp of Agios Andreas. According to volunteers, there is a possibility of waterborne diseases as several children fall ill. Refugees reported the change in taste and color of water that is available in this camp. The residents of the camp have no more drinking water.... Contact person on site is Fatima Hammeed."
Lesvos: Greece: Eric Kempson (link): "Second boat this morning picked up of north east coast of Lesvos 32 people on board". (2.8.16)
Greece: Lesvos: Aid workers accused of trying to convert Muslim refugees at Greek camp - Asylum seekers held at detention centre on Lesbos describe Christianity conversion forms seen by the Guardian as insensitive (Guardian, link): "Christians working in Greece’s most notorious asylum detention centre have tried to convert some of the Muslim detainees, who have been held under the terms of the EU-Turkey migration deal. On at least two occasions in recent months, aid workers have distributed conversion forms inside copies of Arabic versions of the St John’s gospel to people held at the Moria detention camp on Lesbos.
The forms, seen by the Guardian, invite asylum seekers to sign a statement declaring the following: “I know I’m a sinner ... I ask Jesus to forgive my sins and grant me eternal life. My desire is to love and obey his word.” Muslim asylum seekers who received the booklet said they found the aid workers’ intervention insensitive."
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