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Refugee crisis: latest news from across Europe (11.1.17)

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11 January 2017

Greek Navy Battleship to Host Refugees From Lesvos (Greek Reporter, link):

"Greek Navy battleship “Lesvos” is to sail to Lesvos island on Tuesday night to host refugees and migrants from the overflowing camps that are suffering from the heavy snowfall.

The ship is to arrive on Lesvos on Wednesday and will accommodate about 500 of the 1,000 refugees who currently live in tents in the Moria camp. The warship will dock in the port of Mytilene.

In the past five days, 1,000 refugees and migrants of the Moria camp are living under harsh conditions in tents covered with snow."

And see: Moria: Gov’t sends Navy Ship to host refugees (shocking videos) (Keep Talking Greece, link)

MSF: Bounties not Bodies: Smugglers Profit from Sea Rescues - Though No Clear Alternative Available (MSF Analysis, link):

"The Financial Times reported that the European Union accuses MSF and other humanitarian organisations running search and rescue operations in the Central Mediterranean of working in collusion with smugglers or at least helping them to carry out their deadly trade. These allegations were made based on an internal report from the European border agency, Frontex. MSF requested Frontex to share this report with us, which they declined. Instead, they refute they accuse humanitarian agencies of collusion, but raise a number of concerns with our search and rescue operations.....

MSF did not create smugglers, just like MSF did not create the conflicts and deep inequality many of those we rescue flee. Until politicians reverse this absurd situation in which we find ourselves, MSF will continue to try and save the maximum number of lives as possible, both on land and on sea. Because the alternative implied by Frontex’s concerns about our rescue operations is to let people drown as a strategy to deter the smugglers."

The Refugee Crisis Is Humanity’s Crisis (New York Times, link): Brad Evans and Zygmunt Bauman:

"This is the third in a series of dialogues with philosophers and critical theorists on the question of violence. This conversation is with Zygmunt Bauman, emeritus professor of sociology at the University of Leeds, Britain. His latest book, “Strangers at Our Door” is published with Polity Press."

Germany and North Africa split over illegal migrants (DW, link):

"The deportation of illegal North African migrants has sparked a public debate in Germany. Maghreb countries, however, have not seen the movement of their citizens to Europe as a main concern. ...

As European countries such as Germany continue to debate deportation and the influx of migrants, North African countries have put the issue on the backburner while they address political and economic problems domestically."

German ministers agree on tougher rules for migrants posing security risk (euractiv, link):

"Germany’s interior and justice ministers, representing the two blocs in Chancellor Angela Merkel’s ruling coalition, agreed on Tuesday (10 January) on tougher measures for asylum seekers whose documents are not in order or who are deemed to pose a security threat."

Frontex creates a new pool of return experts (link):

"Frontex, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, has launched a pool of experts who will support the return of migrants across the EU. The experts drawn from member states and Schengen associated countries will be at the disposal of Frontex. The creation of the pool is part of agency’s expanded mandate.

The return pool will ultimately consist of 690 return monitors, return escorts and return specialists. Its size was based on past return operations, risk analysis and return activities foreseen for this year. "