News highlights: Border skirmish between Ethiopia and Sudan, 30 migrants and refugees murdered in Libya, NGO health workers in Somalia abducted and executed

In this week’s news highlights: Somalian NGO health workers abducted and murdered; Border skirmish on Ethiopia-Sudan border; Amnesty International urges Ethiopia to prosecute human rights violations of security forces; TPLF calls for elections; Eritrean organisations write to Abiy Ahmed over refugee policy; Reports of deliberate starvation in Eritrea; Dire situation in Eritrea explained 2 years after the peace agreement; Malta and Libya to set up ‘centres’ countering migration; Dutch foreign affairs minister answers parliamentary questions on Eritrea; European Parliament asks the EU to stop forced labour; Local Greeks protest expansion of migrant camp; Asylum seekers in Greece protest eviction; UNHCR concerned over asylum seekers in Greece; ECRE overview of COVID-19 response in Europe; 30 migrants and refugees murdered in Libya by trafficker’s family; UK’s financial support to Libya under judicial review; UNICEF helps displaced families near Tripoli; And Africa needs solidarity amid economic and health consequences of COVID-19

News highlights: Flooding in East Africa brings more health risks, EU to announce new migration pact, COVID-19 restrictions increase human smuggling and trafficking

This week’s news highlights: Reports – Eritrean refugees as political pawns in Ethiopia; Flooding in Horn of Africa may increase hunger and health crisis; Floods in Somalia; Eritrea says all COVID-19 patients recovered; Eritrea used as base to run illegal arms to Libya; Eritrea to celebrate independence day; COVID-19 measures lead to more smuggling and trafficking; IOM urges mental health response for migrants and refugees; New EU migration pact to be revealed in June; Shift in global smuggling routes, says Europol; Germany in favour of halt on cooperation with Eritrea; Residents of refugee home in Germany tested positive for COVID-19; Switzerland and UK accept a small number of unaccompanied refugee minors from Greek camps; Serbia deploys troops to the border with Croatia to ‘secure’ migrant camps; Greece reopens asylum services; Documentary shows hardship of unaccompanied minors in Greek camps; Over quarter of a million children at risk in Libya due to vaccine shortages; Libyan Prime Minister and NATO Secretary General discuss situation in Libya; And shelling in displaced people’s shelter in Tripoli kills two people

European solidarity creeps forward in relocation of unaccompanied children from Greek Islands

At the beginning of March, European Commission (EC) President Ursula von der Leyen spoke with the Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on the situation of unaccompanied migrant children on the Greek islands. They agreed to put in place a process to ensure the protection and care of some of Europe’s most vulnerable people, unaccompanied migrant children. Later in March, the Commission announced a plan to  relocate unaccompanied children and teenagers from Greece to other EU member states. So far, member states have pledged 1.600 places, but the going has been slow. Several relocations took place and key recommendations were established for further relocations.