Author: Jakob Hagenberg

News Highlights: Eritreans sent back and mistreated in Libya, Resettlement issues Sudan, UNODC meeting on trafficking

In this week’s news highlights: Refugees publish shocking videos, then are violently forced to disembark in Libya; EU push to manage migration in Morocco could come at cost of human rights; reactions to lifting of Eritrea sanctions; US congressmen push for human rights reform in Eritrea; rising number of refugees to Ethiopia; UNHCR resettlement activities remain suspended in Sudan; Eritrean victims of human trafficking freed in Sudan; Ethiopian rebels return from Eritrea; Italian prosecutor orders seizure of Aquarius and NGO asset freezes; UNODC meeting in Vienna on human trafficking; Hungary grants asylum to fugitive ex-PM of Macedonia; and NGOs warn against rising humanitarian cost of immigration barriers.

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Eritrean refugees violently forced to disembark in unsafe port in Libya

Aljazeera reports that Libyan security forces raided a ship, using rubber bullets and tear gas to force the refugees to disembark in the Libyan city Misrata. A commander of the Libyan coast guard said that some migrants were wounded during the operation, but were better “in good condition” after being brought to the hospital. Reportedly, two underaged Eritreans were among those seriously injured. The group had refused to leave the ship as they feared abuse and being sold to people smugglers.

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UN Security Council removes Eritrea sanctions after nine years: responses

The UN Security Council voted on Wednesday 14 November to lift the 9-year-old sanctions against Eritrea following its peace deal with Ethiopia. According to Karen Pierce, UK’s ambassador to the UN, the peace played a significant role in removing sanctions. In July, Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Eritrea’s President Isaias Afwerki announced that they would restore diplomatic and trade links and officially end a decades-old war.

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