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- INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENTS
PACIFIC: The Guardian: Pakistani refugee sets himself alight on Nauru –A Pakistani refugee set himself on fire in Australia’s off-shore immigration detention centre on Naura island. The act comes amid the government’s attempts to repeal the medevac bill, which allows critically ill asylum seekers to be evacuated to mainland Australia given the lack of adequate medical support on the islands that host the off-shore centres, where according to Medecins Sans Frontières medical ethics has been breached continuously.
ROHINGYA: The Guardian: Rohingya refugees turn down second Myanmar repatriation effort – After the Myanmar government had approved more than 3,000 Rohingya to be brought back to the country beginning on Thursday, no refugees agreed to voluntarily board the buses to Myanmar. A group ready to return was reportedly dissuaded by fellow refugees who told them they would not be able to return to their original villages or have a pathway to citizenship. According to the UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR, many refugees cited as main reason for their refusal to return the continued lack of accountability for the crimes they witnessed and experienced in Myanmar.
SEARCH & RESCUE: MSF: Ocean Viking rescue survivors finally offered place of safety – After 14 days stranded at sea with 356 people rescued in the Central Mediterranean, the Ocean Viking, a rescue vessel operated by the NGOs Medecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and SOS MEDITERRANEE has been offered a place of safety for disembarkation in Malta. While a coalition of countries have agreed to take in those rescued, MSF demands that European governments stop prolonged delays and ad hoc negotiations, and set up as a matter of urgency a disembarkation mechanism for people rescued at sea.
AGENDA: Politico: EU Commission DGx Proposed Priorities – Politico published a document that outlines the priorities of the EU Commission’s Directorate Generals for the new commissioners. Regarding asylum policy (page 100 – 101), the document stresses that prevention of irregular border crossing and cooperation with third countries should take priority. The document also proposes to withdraw the proposals for the Asylum procedures Directive and the Dublin regulation and merge them in a common proposal to unblock the reform of the Common European Asylum System (CEAS).
CIVIL SOCIETY: DW: German captain of migrant rescue ship turns down Paris award – The German Captain Pia Klemp has rejected Paris' most prestigious civilian award, the Grand Vermeil Medal, awarded to her and Carola Rackete for their efforts in rescuing people in the Mediterranean. Klemp criticized French authorities for their undignified treatment of refugees and migrants and criminalization of those who support them. Klemp faces up to 20 years in prison in Italy for assisting illegal migration after her ship, the Iuventa was impounded in Sicily in August 2017.
GERMANY: PRO ASYL: ACHTUNG: Hau-ab-Gesetz in Kraft – Neuregelungen des »Migrationspakets« im Überblick – The German NGO PRO ASYL summarizes the most important implications of the so-called “Orderly-Return-Law” and a range of further legal measures that restrict the rights of asylum seekers in Germany, all of which took effect this week. The measures are meant to facilitate deportations by making it easier to detain people, and make living conditions for asylum seekers more precarious by cutting social benefits and introducing a new legal status for those rejected.
GREECE: Greek Helsinki Committee: No End in Sight – The Mistreatment of Asylum Seekers in Greece - A collective of 13 civil society groups of international and Greek-based NGOs released a joint report on continued human rights violations against asylum seekers in Greece. The report details the lack of access to the asylum procedure and healthcare, to unjust detention, police violence, and general violence and discrimination against vulnerable people. The authors conclude that refugees and asylum seekers in Greece continue to confront an extremely hostile environment.
TURKEY: Al Monitor: Turkey recalibrates refugee policy as Idlib fighting displaces more Syrians –As Syrian regime forces advance on rebel positions in Idlib province, Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu outlined plans to shelter newly displaced Syrians in humanitarian camps along the border inside Idlib, which is currently home to about three million people. Soylu also extended a deadline for unregistered Syrians to leave Istanbul and return to the provinces where they obtained residence permits to October 30. A researcher says, forcing Syrians to move would not resolve issues stemming from the lack of legal employment opportunities for refugees in Turkey.
See also: Al Jazeera: Deadline extended for unregistered Syrians to leave Istanbul.
NIGERIA: Sahara Reporters: Government To Receive 4,000 Nigerian Refugees From Cameroon – The Nigerian National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons, said necessary arrangement had been put in place to receive 4,000 Nigerian refugees from Cameroon. They had fled form Boko Haram several years ago and will now be hosted in a camp equipped with basic social amenities, including clinic, water and electric supply and adequate security.
Euronews: UNHCR official criticises 'the radicalisation of migratory dreams' – Vincent Cochetel, UNHCR's special envoy for the Central Mediterranean, sparked controversy by expressing concern over the alleged "radicalisation of migratory dreams" when commenting on the refusal of the Spanish rescue vessel Open Arms to go to Spain to disembark. The vessel has been stranded outside the Italian port of Lampedusa for 19 days because Italian authorities refused entry. The tweet initiated a debate on whether asylum seekers are obliged to apply for asylum in the country they are in.
Info Migrants: The Refugee Journalism Project: The Refugee Journalism Project (RJP) was set up in 2016 in London to support migrant, refugee and exiled journalists to gain a foothold in the British media landscape. Participants are offered monthly workshops and seminars on various topics related to Media and writing and are set up with mentor journalists. It targets people who may already have experience working in journalism as well as newcomers who are interested in sharing their stories and perspectives. The projects is currently recruiting new participants.
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With kind regards,
Hannah Berwian
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Hannah Berwian
Communications Assistant
p: +32 2 234 38 22
a: Rue Royale 146, Brussels
e: hberwian@ecre.org
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Disclaimer:
Please note that the information of the press review is taken from publicly available information provided by media companies, organisations and blogs. All the sources are clearly ascribed and ECRE is not claiming any authorship over the content. The Press Review does not necessarily reflect the views of ECRE. This document is just a relay to the original articles and makes it easier to find stories concerning asylum issues. If you are the publisher of some of the information and would like it removed from this document, or if you would like to see a particular story published in the Press Review, please email: hberwian@ecre.org
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