News Highlights: Humanitarian crisis worsens in Sudan, Eritrean refugees in dire conditions, Report on Croatian pushbacks

In this week’s news highlights: Humanitarian crisis worsens in Sudan; Seven-day ceasefire set and broken in Sudan; Eritrean refugees in dire conditions; Abiy warns Isaias; More than 100.000 people flee Sudan; UN and USAID pause aid in Tigray; UNSG sends a letter to Eritrea; UN Security Council report on arms embargo in South Sudan; Conflict in Amhara continues; Biden signs Executive Order; EUBAM attends border conference with Libyan delegation; Djibouti announces crackdown on migrants; Tunisian authorities to build new cemeteries for refugees and migrants; Report on Croatian pushbacks; Dutch Court stops returns of asylum seekers to Italy; Sea-Watch accuses Italy of handing over refugees and migrants to Libya; Austria and Italy allied against irregular migration; Pope Francis warns about nationalism in Europe; Kılıçdaroğlu vows to repatriate Syrian refugees; Germany to examine asylum procedures out of the EU.

News Highlights: DPM takes over in Ethiopia as escalation looms, Rights groups ask ICC to investigate Libya, Leaked EU document on arresting smugglers

In this week news highlights: First Humanitarian trucks arrive in Tigray since October; Ethiopia removes Irish diplomats and asks the US to stop spreading fake news; UAE airbridge to Ethiopia; Former NZ PM warns of potential genocide in Ethiopia; UN warns of new wave of displacement in Western Tigray; UN SG calls for immediate ceasefire; Ethiopian government bans reporting on war; Deputy Prime Minister takes over daily tasks in Ethiopia; Protests in Sudan Continue; Normalization between Sudan and Israel raises fear of deportation after coup; 780,000 people in need of humanitarian assistance in South Sudan; Severe drought forces thousands to relocate in Somalia; New law to facilitate refugee integration in Kenya; 75 individuals drowned in the Mediterranean Sea; Rights groups ask the ICC to investigate migrants abuses in Libya as potential crimes against humanity; Europe document detailing strategy for smuggler arrests revealed; More deaths in the English Channel; Four persons suspected of smuggling and torturing migrants in North Macadonia; Over 370 individuals rescued off Canary Islands; Migrants say they were tortured by Polish and Belarusian police; Stop Soros law criminalizing asylum seekers incompatible with EU law; NGOs accuse Greece of detaining migrants illegally; and Asylum seekers rights deteriorated due to COVID-19 lockdown measures.

The EU’s lack of a unified voice leads to scapegoating of migrants in some countries

The European Commission (EC) decided to apply a temporary restriction for non-essential travel from third countries into the European Union or in other words, closed the Schengen external borders. The EU hoped that the decision would enable the lifting of internal border controls. However, such controls have already been applied by several member states in an effort to limit the spread of the virus. Some have criticized the EU’s lack of a unified response and clear message; and some countries, like Hungary and Italy, justify their anti-migration policies by using the uncertainty surrounding the coronavirus.