U.S. (Im)migration News

Around the World

Britain's post-Brexit migration plans under fire: Britain’s system for granting legal status to EU citizens — who hadn’t previously needed it — faces increasing criticism. More and more applicants are being granted only temporary, rather than permanent, status, causing alarm among advocacy groups (The Guardian). Lack of support to vulnerable applicants, including thousands of children in government care, could mean many will become undocumented after the deadline for applications passes at the end of 2020 (The Independent). Stories of individuals wrongly being denied status — some despite living in Britain for decades (Sky News) — are increasingly common, and the government has been accused of prioritizing help for famous applicants (The Guardian). Meanwhile, the interior ministry announced plans for immigration in the event of a no-deal Brexit. Europeans would still be able to live in Britain without a visa for 14 months, reversing previous announcements (Free Movement). But the UK would immediately withdraw from the EU mechanism for reuniting refugee children with their families, which charities say could mean more children attempting clandestine crossings of the English Channel (The Independent).

Syrians, Rohingya refugees face more pressure to return: Refugees from Syria and Myanmar face escalating crackdowns in the neighboring countries to which they’ve fled. Bangladeshi authorities have tried for months to arrange mass Rohingya repatriations to Myanmar, but the most recent attempt failed when not a single refugee volunteered to return. The government has blamed that failure on two aid agencies, which it says were ‘instigating’ resistance to repatriation, and banned them from the camps (Arab News). The government also wants to move some refugees from the border camps to an isolated island in the Bay of Bengal and has threatened to expel UN agencies from the country if they don’t support the plan (Deutsche Welle). In another punitive measure, Bangladesh is shutting down mobile phone services in the camps that host nearly a million refugees from Myanmar (Al Jazeera). In Turkey, authorities are increasingly detaining and deporting Syrians who aren’t properly registered (covered in detail in a previous issue of GMYT) — and EU funds are partly behind the efforts (The Atlantic). Turkey’s president has threatened to “open the gates” and let many of the 3.6 million Syrian refugees in Turkey travel to Europe, if Western countries don’t create a “safe zone” inside Syria where refugees can stay (The Guardian).

Anti-immigrant looting in South Africa: At least five people have been killed and more than 90 arrested, after a protest against drug-dealing in Johannesburg escalated into attacks on migrant-owned businesses across several South African cities (The Guardian). The attacks are causing trouble for relations with other African nations, especially Nigeria: reprisal attacks led to the temporary closure of the South African embassy and several South African-owned businesses there (BBC), and the government has pulled out of a World Economic Forum meeting in Cape Town and reportedly recalled its ambassador (Quartz). Other African countries, including Ethiopia and Zambia, have warned their citizens in South Africa to close their businesses and take precautions when leaving their homes (BBC).

Americas: 

• The Guardian: More Cubans seek asylum in Mexico amid clampdown on legal path to U.S.
• CNN: Canada has replaced U.S. as goal for some asylum-seeking migrants. Related: Canada isn’t immune when it comes to mistreating migrants (The Globe and Mail)
• Africa Times: As Mexico’s policy towards African migrants trying to reach the US grows harsher, is Panama becoming the new Libya?
• Mixed Migration Centre: A new report describes the growing challenges for migrants and refugees fleeing Venezuela.

Middle East & North Africa:

• Irish Times: Refugees in Libya, who recently escaped government-run detention centers, say UNHCR ordered them to leave its safe facility and return to the streets of Tripoli. Related: Libyan Coast Guard intercepts and detains 108 migrants (Libyan Express)
• The National: Some of the thousands of Syrians deported from Lebanon in recent months have been arrested by Syrian authorities on arrival, per Human Rights Watch.
• U.S. News & World Report: Lebanon and Jordan face a struggle to treat refugee children with cancer.  

Europe:

• The Guardian: The Greek government has announced emergency measures to deal with what it calls “huge waves” of asylum seekers arriving from Turkey amid mounting fears of the 2015 migrant crisis being replayed.
• Deutsche Welle: Five EU countries have agreed to settle migrants aboard the Eleonore, a German NGO ship impounded by Italian officials. A meeting this fall will renew efforts to establish a regular mechanism for distributing migrants rescued at sea.
• InfoMigrants: Greek police fire tear gas at child migrants protesting conditions in Moria refugee camp
• The Independent: Dozens of areas across the UK would have suffered population decline without immigrants, report finds.

Sub-Saharan Africa:

• Daily Monitor: Uganda will tighten its ‘open door’ policy for refugees from neighboring countries, saying neighboring governments have sent spies and criminals into the country.
• Qantara: As Sudan begins a democratic transition, refugees from the Darfur region are cautious about the prospects of returning home. 
• VOA: More than 800 refugees in Botswana, who fled Namibia over 20 years ago, have vowed to stay put despite a court ruling saying they must return to their country.

Asia-Pacific:

• The Guardian: A Tamil family whose asylum claims were denied after five years in Australia received a late reprieve when a judge halted their deportation flight in mid-air.
• ABC: Malaysia urges its citizens to obey Australian immigration law after report of 33,000 asylum claims by Malaysians.
• Washington Post: India’s crackdown on suspected illegal immigration could leave millions stateless.
• Taiwan News: Hong Kong protesters have demanded the restoration of their rights to live and work in Britain, which they lost when the territory was handed to China in 1997.
• Thomson Reuters Foundation: Small islands and coastal cities in Asia-Pacific need more assistance to help communities decide whether to relocate or stay, in the face of climate change.

Tania Karas is a reporter and editor covering immigration for PRI's The World. She has reported from Greece, Turkey and Lebanon and was previously a staff reporter for the New York Law Journal. Find her on Twitter at @TaniaKaras.

Lolita Brayman is a U.S.-based immigrant rights attorney focusing on refugee and asylum issues and a staff attorney with the Defending Vulnerable Populations Program with CLINIC. Find her on Twitter at @lolzlita.

Moira Lavelle is a freelance reporter focusing on gender, migration, and borders. She has written for Broadly, Rewire, and PRI. Find her on Twitter @alohamoira.

Fergus Peace is a researcher and journalist writing about refugees and migration. He's recently written for the Financial Times and Apolitical, and tweets at @FergusPeace.

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