14 March 2017
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" One year after the EU-Turkey Deal, Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) released a report to expose the human costs of European policy failures in Greece and the Balkans. MSF calls on the EU and member state leaders to radically change their approach to migration and ensure a swift end to the unnecessary suffering of the thousands caught in the consequences of the EU-Turkey deal."
See: One year on from the EU-Turkey deal: Challenging the EU's Alternative facts (pdf)
NGOs urge Greek lawmakers to reject asylum changes (News That Moves, link):
"Thirteen Greek and international NGOs have urged Greece to resist external pressures and reject any legislative changes that could remove the existing safeguards within the Greek Law on Asylum.
In an open letter, the NGOs told Greeces parliament that any amendment to the law, based on the European Commissions Joint Action Plan on the implementation of the EU-Turkey Statement, would further aggravate the situation for people arriving on the Greek islands,"
Greek Ministry statistics: Number of refugees (13.3.17, pdf): 14,204 on the islands and 62,385 in Greece.
Are You Syrious (13.7.17, link)
Red Cross shamelessly prompts raids on refugee-run squats in Athens
"Police have raided and evicted the residents of two squats in Athens, one with more than 120 refugee residents, including children and people with medical conditions. This action prompted massive calls for solidarity and protests all around the city.
The raids were precipitated by the Red Cross, which owns the buildings in question, as they wished to retake control of the properties to rehouse unaccompanied child minors. The move is wildly unethical and even contrary to common sense, as the Red Cross is prompting the eviction of refugees to make room for another group of refugees. This makes little sense given the number of empty properties which can be found in Athens.... "
The Austrian government has deported an unknown number of people to Afghanistan
"Activists staged a demonstration against this decision, which is the result of the EUs official policy that Afghanistan is a safe country of origin. Afghan refugees all across the EU find themselves worried by the increasing number of deportations taking place. Needless to say, Afghanistan is far from a safe country.
The UN reports that a total of 26,089 people in Afghanistan were forced to flee their homes because of the ongoing conflict. A total of 653,000 civilians were forced to flee in 2016, and the UNs prognostications for this year look nearly as grim. They expect that around 450,000 people will become internally displaced."
Calais organization reports on the continued interference of authorities into the affairs of refugees as well as to stifle aid. Donations are needed
"The situation in Calais today is very difficult: Several hundreds of refugees roam around day and night, trying to climb into lorries and trying to run away from the police who is chasing them all the time. It is not rare to see the police running behing refugees to try and catch them.
The Secours Catholique has installed 8 modular showers on their property rue de Moscou, but the police is always there , most often arresting the refugees when they get out of the showers...."
UK
sending Syrians back to countries where they were beaten and
abused (Guardian,
link): "Refugees tell of being held in cages and even
tortured in European countries including Hungary and Romania."
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