Migration News and Policy Review

6.4.20 - 12.4.20

Week In Summary

This week a laxer border regime for Czechia was announced, while the European Commission recommended an extension to the restrictions on non-essential travel to the EU until 15 May. Meanwhile, the pressures of migration at the EU external borders continue to grow. The situation of people in distress at sea in the central Mediterranean has become more uncertain after Italy, Malta and Libya declared their ports unsafe for the disembarkation of migrants. Furthermore, over the weekend, Greek authorities declared that Turkey was moving refugees from its inland to its western coast, which triggered concerns about a possible resumption of sea crossings.

❯ TOP STORIES

• Germany and Luxembourg to accept unaccompanied children from Greek refugee camps
• Italy, Malta and Libya refuse to allow disembarkation of migrants rescued in the Mediterranean sea
• Tukey might be pushing migrants towards its western shores

❯ SOME BORDER RESTRICTION UPDATES

Czechia

EU external borders likely to remain closed until 15 May
 

❯ PRESSURE AT THE EU'S EXTERNAL BORDERS

Turkey might be pushing migrants towards its coast near Greek islands

News emerged over the weekend of refugees in Turkey traveling towards the country's western shore. While Greek and international media fed into the idea that Turkey was deliberately trying to send COVID-19-infected people into the EU, the Greek migration minister denied that there was any evidence to claim that those concentrating at the borders were indeed infected.

An investigative piece by Euractiv, cites high-ranking Greek government officials claiming that migrants had completed their quarantines in Turkey and moved by bus to the seaside towns by Turkish authorities. An NGO operating in the region confirmed this practice and, furthermore, that migrants were being pushed to cross the border against their will. However, IOM Greece claimed not to have any proof of a Turkish-government-enforced movement. 

COVID-19 restrictions used to deny assistance in the Central Mediterranean by Italian, Maltese and Libyan authorities

From 5 to 11 April, over 1,000 people attempted to cross from Libya into Malta or Italy by boat, according to Alarm Phone. Half of those were returned to Libya, 150 rescued by an NGO vessel, 64 by Maltese armed forces and many of them arrived to Italy autonomously. The restrictions connected to COVID-19 have dilated the rescue gap in the Central Mediterranean over this week as the governments of Italy, Malta and Libya declared their ports unsafe for the disembarkation of migrants.

As reported in the Consortium's last week review, the NGO Sea-Eye had just launched a new maritime rescue mission to the Central Mediterranean called Alan Kurdi. On 6 April, after less than a day in the Libyan Search and Rescue (SAR) zone, the German-flagged vessel conducted two tense operations that rescued about 150 people who were fleeing Libya. During the first rescue, arriving Libyan coast guards fired shots into the air, infusing panic among some of those being rescued by the NGO. During the second rescue, an Italian vessel refused to conduct the operation, leaving it to the NGO instead. Italy and Malta had previously stated that they would not be allowing disembarkation under the present COVID-19 restrictions. After the second rescue took place, the German Ministry of Interior asked Sea-Eye to stop conducting further rescue missions.

The Alan Kurdi solicited food, medicine and fuel from the Italian Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre. Italian authorities tried to push the responsibility for responding to that call to their Maltese counterparts, who, in turn, refused to take charge of the situation. Later, the Italian coast guard would evacuate one person from the Alan Kurdi. Malta also refused to attend to a distress call from a boat fleeing Libya on 6 April, which had been at sea for over 40 hours and had been left without fuel. Eventually, the boat managed to reach the island of Lampedusa without assistance.

Immediately after these events, on 7 April, Italy declared its ports unsafe for disembarkation of "people rescued from boats flying a foreign flag" (e.g. the Alan Kurdi). Despite the announcement, some boats kept on arriving autonomously at Southern Italy's coasts, which put pressure on the capacities of existing facilities to quarantine the new arrivals, as well as sparkling resentment among the local populations. On 9 April, Malta followed Italy's suit by stating that it would not guarantee the further disembarkation of migrants rescued at sea. Both governments' measures have been framed within the context of the present health crisis triggered by COVID-19 and, therefore, expected to be enforced until border restrictions ease. Also on 9 April, Libya declared its ports unsafe for the disembarkation of migrants. The announcement came as a Libyan coast guard vessel, with 280 rescued people on board, was denied disembarkation at Tripoli's main port and had to remain docked. On 10 April, the migrants escaped the coast guard's vessel as the port was being shelled, with Libyan authorities reportedly capturing 200 escapees.

The present status quo creates a tremendous uncertainty around the fate of people in distress at the Mediterranean sea. By Sunday 12, Frontex believed a boat with 85 people to have capsized, after its position had been repeatedly reported to Italian and Maltese authorities.

❯ EU MIGRATION NEWS

Germany and Luxembourg to take in unaccompanied children refugees from Greece

After the first cases of coronavirus were detected in Greek refugee camps and pressure from NGOs mounted, Germany confirmed on 8 April that it will be taking 50 unaccompanied children from the centres by the end of the current week. Equally, Luxembourg is expected to welcome 12 of the minors by 15 April. Responses from other EU countries remain to be seen. The UK's Home Office seems to be, until now, refusing to respond to pleas from NGOs to accept a share of the minors.

EU governments are asking health-trained migrants to help during the pandemic

In a recent story for The Guardian, Karen McVeigh and Sam Jones report how different governments across the world are allowing refugees and migrants with a background in health services to help during the pandemic. Following the article's reported stories, here are a few interesting initiatives taken within the EU:

• The Regional Medical Board in Saxony asked foreign workers without a license to practice medicine in the country for help with care. After a few days, 300 foreigners responded to the call. In addition, the regional authorities decided to support economically the estimated 400 Czech cross-border health workers commuting into Saxony. The benefit includes a daily 40€ payment for workers and a daily 20€ one for their family members. The main idea behind the measure was to support these families to temporarily move into Saxony while the Czech border restrictions are in place.

• The Spanish government launched a call to recruit 200 foreign health workers with a 'regular status'. The measure allowed for hiring asylum seekers with appropriate qualifications who had been in the country for less than six months and, consequently, had not received their work permits yet.

• The UK Government agreed to automatically extend working visas for around 3000 foreign workers in health services involved in the fight against the coronavirus, as well as their family members. The decision extends for a year those visas that were due to expire before 1 October.

• France also allowed for refugees, who had exercised health professions back home but whose diplomas had not been recognised yet, to be recruited by French public health centres.

The new coronavirus is spreading in Calais' makeshift refugee camps

The NGO Care4Calais, reported this week that the number of cases of COVID-19 among the 1000 people sheltered in informal camps in Calais is increasing. The camps lack sanitation, water and food. Already last week, local authorities in Calais and Dunkirk started to relocate people from these makeshift camps into accommodation centres, with some of the camped refugees preferring to continue attempting the cross into the UK rather than staying at a potentially infectious centre. Furthermore, Care4Calais reports that the currently identified centres might be able to host only a third of the existing rough sleeping refugees in Northern France.