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- INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENTS
UNITED NATIONS: UNHCR: UN Refugee Agency steps up COVID-19 preparedness, prevention and response measures – The UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR, is seeking an initial US$33 million to boost the preparedness, prevention and response activities to address the immediate public health needs of refugees prompted by COVID-19. UNHCR advocates for refugees and asylum seekers, and internally displaced persons to be included in the national surveillance, preparedness, response plans and activities. In particular, UNHCR calls on States to ensure that their rights are equally respected should restrictions on entry, travel, and freedom of movement be imposed.
EU BORDERS: Aljazeera: Erdogan demands 'concrete support' from EU, NATO over Syria – Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has demanded more support from NATO and the EU over the war in Syria as fighting intensifies in Idlib and numbers of people trying to cross the Turkish-Greek border increase. Following the killing of Turkish troops in Syria's northwestern region of Idlib amid a Russian-backed government offensive Erdogan's government said it was no longer prevent people from crossing the border to the EU. European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen said there was no immediate concrete offer of new funding to revive the EU-Turkey statement, under which the EU provides funding to help Turkey host millions of refugees in exchange for keeping them from reaching the EU. However, she said a dialogue will restart.
See also: EU: EU-Turkey leaders' meeting; EU Parliament: Migrants and refugees at the Greek-Turkish border: debate this afternoon.
EU-AFRICA: EU Law: JOINT COMMUNICATION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL Towards a comprehensive Strategy with Africa – The European Commission’s and the European External Action Service have published their vision of the future EU-Africa partnership in a joint communication with a focus on five key global trends. Under part V “Partners on migration and mobility” they propose to ensure a balanced, coherent and comprehensive approach to migration and mobility by embedding these aspects in their overall partnership with Africa at all levels. This ‘whole-of-route’ approach foresees working with countries of origin, transit and destination.
RELOCATION: EU Observer: EU plans action for minors on Greek islands – The EU observer reports that the European Commission wants to create a programme to help relocate unaccompanied children from the Greek islands. A handful of member states earlier this week agreed to take in some 1,500 unaccompanied minors from Greece. Ylva Johansson, the European commissioner for home affairs, said her proposal on minors foresees relocating them to other EU states, along with housing and medical aid. There are around unaccompanied 5,500 children in and around refugee camps in Greece.
See also: Evangelical Focus: Five EU countries to take in unaccompanied refugee minors.
FRONTEX: Politico: Danish boat in Aegean refused order to push back rescued migrants – Danish Frontex staff refused orders from Operation Poseidon's headquarters to push back 33 rescued people outside of Greece’s territorial waters because it would have endangered their lives. They have also started to document episodes where Greek patrol boats are putting people’s life's at risk.
See also: Euronews: Frontex border operation in Greece 'lacks legal basis' after Greece suspends asylum law.
GREECE: HRW: Greece/EU: Allow New Arrivals to Claim Asylum – Human Rights Watch denounces Greece’s decision to detain more than 450 people on a naval vessel and refuse to allow them to lodge asylum claims as a flagrant violation of international and European law. The action may amount to an arbitrary deprivation of liberty. People interdicted by the Greek Coast Guard since March 1, 2020 have been held on the ship docked in the Mytilene Harbor in Lesbos. HRW was in contact with one of the passengers but has been refused to enter the boat by local authorities.
GREECE: NYT : ‘We Are Like Animals’: Inside Greece’s Secret Site for Migrants – The New York Times reports that the Greek government is detaining people incommunicado at a secret extrajudicial location before expelling them to Turkey without due process. According to experts, as other measures taken to seal the borders to Europe this violates international law. The newspaper has talked to several refugees from Syria reporting of being detained after crossing to Greece and being expelled back to the Turkish side of the Evros river.
SPAIN: El Pais: 600 chavales hacinados en el principal centro de menores inmigrantes de Melilla [600 kids crowded into the main center for immigrant minors in Melilla] – El Pais reports on images that reveal the poor and unsanitary conditions in a centre to accommodate immigrant children in Melilla, Spain. The photos have been taken by volunteers working with the children. Some children report that the conditions in the centre are so bad that they prefer to sleep on the street. Local authorities say they are overwhelmed by the number of arrivals and are building additional facilities.
The New Humanitarian: Briefing: A manufactured refugee crisis at the Greek-Turkish border – Journalist Eric Reidy provides an overview of the political events surrounding the Greek-Turkish border in the last two weeks, the situation on the Greek islands and abuses and human rights violations of people seeking protection and aid workers. The article also summarizes the humanitarian crisis in Syria. While the commission is looking for ways to reinstate the EU-Turkey statement, Aid agencies warn off returning to the status quo.
The Guardian: Good deeds: the mobile library reaching refugee's hearts and minds – The Guardian reports on a library van whose books provide comfort and escape in Greek refugee camps. The Echo library was founded in 2016, and relies on a 15-strong volunteer team that travels form camp to camp. Less than half of young asylum seekers in Greece are in school.
SwissInfo: It’s time for women refugees to have a seat at the table – At the occasion of International Women’s Day, two women with different perspectives explain the challenges of making female refugees seen and heard in the integration process. One of them is Anila Noor who writes about her struggle with the 'refugee' label as a young Pakistani woman who had originally come to the Netherlands to study.
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With kind regards,
Hannah Berwian
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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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