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EU: Refugee crisis: latest news from across Europe: 15-16.8.17

01 August 2017

EU  
Refugee crisis: latest news from across Europe
15-16.8.17
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Keep in touch: Statewatch Observatory: Refugee crisis in the Med and inside the EU: Daily news (updated through the day), commentaries and official documents

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EU-AFRICA: Three EU Countries Deport 29 Nigerians, Togolese in Leg Chains (This Day, link):

"Three European nations – Sweden, Norway and Spain – in the wee hours of Tuesday deported 29 Nigerians and two Togolese male nationals to the country in dehumanising leg chains.

The flight, which landed at the Murtala Muhammad Airport, Lagos, at 6.45 a.m., was operated by Privilege Style aircraft with registration number EC-IZO.

The passengers onboard the flight included 27 Nigerian males, two females and two Togolese males who were deposited in Nigeria, just as the flight took off at 8.30 a.m. to Ghana from Nigeria."

Italy-EU search and rescue code could increase Mediterranean deaths, UN expert warns(UN Human Rights):

"“Through this new code of conduct, Italy and the European Commission are imposing procedures that could reduce the ability of NGOs to carry out life-saving activities. This could lead to more deaths at sea, and the resulting loss of lives, being foreseeable and preventable, would constitute a violation of Italy’s human rights obligations,” the expert [Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, Agnes Callamard] said.

“This code of conduct and the overall action plan suggest that Italy, the European Commission and EU Member States deem the risks and reality of deaths at sea a price worth paying in order to deter migrants and refugees.”

The European Commission is also seeking enhanced cooperation with Libya, investing 46 million euro in support of the Libyan border- and coast guards, including their search and rescue operations.

Ms. Callamard warned that, given the situation in Libya, this funding to retrieve refugees and migrants from the Mediterranean and return them to Libya could mean they were subjected to further “appalling violence”."

EU: Ongoing deaths at the French-Swiss-Italian borders

"After travelling to Ventimiglia where 12 border deaths were recorded in just a few months, we head back to Como where migrants keep trying to cross the inaccessible border with Switzerland, injuring themselves, or losing their lives on trains, and where both attempts and refoulements have reached substantial numbers."

See: The border crossing deaths in Como (Open Migration, link) by Andrea Quadroni and Michelle Luppi

And: The border crossing deaths in Ventimiglia (link): "Only a few months have passed since the closure of the French border at Ventimiglia, but the decision has already caused 12 fatal accidents. Drowned, run over, fallen, and electrocuted, migrants keep dying in their attempts to cross the border or get lost and hurt themselves in dangerous places. This is the first of three reportages by Michele Luppi and Andrea Quadroni about border deaths and includes an interactive map of the places where they have been killed."

SPAIN: Madrid Offers Alternatives to the Detention of Migrants (Liberties, link):

"The Madrid City Council has drawn up a road map to prevent the deprivation of liberty of migrants in an irregular administrative situation in the Identification and Expulsion Center (CIE) of the city.

The working paper in which the road map is included, entitled "Madrid and Human Rights: The responsibility of cities regarding migrant detention centers," contains the conclusions of a working group in which various institutions and civil society organizations have participated, including Rights International Spain."

Spain: Migrants Held in Poor Conditions (Human Rights Watch, link):

"Asylum seekers and other migrants arriving by sea to Spanish shores are held in poor conditions and face obstacles in applying for asylum. They are held for days in dark, dank cells in police stations and almost certainly will then automatically be placed in longer-term immigration detention facilities pending deportation that may never happen.

“Dark, cage-like police cells are no place to hold asylum seekers and migrants who reach Spain,” said Judith Sunderland, associate Europe and Central Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “Spain is violating migrants’ rights, and there is no evidence it serves as a deterrent to others.”"

Are You Syrious (14.8.17, link)

Lybia / Sea: Rescue workers fear many lives will be lost after their missions in the Mediterranean are suspended

"Following a recent announcement by the Libyan authorities, who have decided to expand their search and rescue (SAR) area, thereby restricting access to all foreign vessels, including humanitarian vessels, more rescue boats are being docked quoting “safety concerns” in the Mediterranean. Only hours after MSF and Sea Eye said they were pulling out of Lybian waters, Save The Children also announced the docking of their ship Vos Hestia.

It has been reported that the Libyan authorities have now increased their SAR zone from 12NM to 70NM from their shoreline, a distance many would argue is international waters...."

114 new arrivals in two boats have been reported on Chios today

"According to long-term volunteers on the island, most tents have been cleared from Souda camp. Around 380 refugees from Souda, as well as the new arrivals, are being directed towards the already packed Vial hotspot that currently hosts at least 1000 people. As authorities are discouraging distribution of food and other necessities to refugees in Vial, volunteers are distributing donations illicitly, outside the camp premises."

69 people, including 15 children and 2 pregnant women, have been dropped off to Zakynthos Island in Greece by smugglers who reportedly told them they had arrived in Italy, according to the local press. They have been transferred to safety, where they were given first aid, food and clothing, while many locals were still fighting wildfires in the area.

75 people (approximately) have arrived on Lesvos today in two boats, while one boat with broken engine and 49 people on board was found by Frontex and ERCI south of Lesvos this morning.

57 refugees, including 20 children, arrived safely on Samos. This day has marked an obvious increase from the average of 91 daily arrivals in Greece, as counted by UNHCR in August."

France: Over thousand refugees sleeping rough in Paris

"The number of refugees sleeping rough on the streets of Paris is well over a thousand, and local volunteers say their living conditions are getting worse every day. Again, many tents can be seen by the road. Paris Refugee Ground Support will now be setting up again to cover the winter and they will be ready to start receiving donations in a week."

What is the current status of migrant rescues in the Mediterranean? (DW, link):

"Thousands of migrants have been embarking on a perilous journey to the Mediterranean - their fate is determined by refugee rescue ships and government policy in Europe. Who are the major players involved?"

The Jungle Goes Underground (Refugees Deeply, link)

"As people trickle back to Calais after the demolition of the Jungle camp, authorities are doing all they can to prevent another camp from forming. In this photo essay, Julien Pitinome meets some of the refugees hiding out in forests and running from authorities."

Jordan Issues New Work Permits to Syrian Refugees(Voice of America, link):

"Jordan on Wednesday became the first Arab country to issue Syrian refugees with a new type of work permit that opens up the growing construction sector, the U.N. labor agency said.

The International Labor Organization said work permits for refugees used to be tied to specific employers, who applied on behalf of workers to fill specific positions. Now, refugees can apply themselves, then take available roles in the industry."

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