Refoulement: France returns an Eritrean woman to Eritrea

The prefecture of the Pyrénées-Orientales (South-West of France) deported an Eritrean national to her country of origin on 6 June 2019. According to RFI Africa, the French prefecture arrested the young woman on 8 May at the Spanish border with a “counterfeit” residence permit. The French newspaper Le Figaro explains that the young Eritrean woman filed an asylum application with the administrative court and appealed to the jurisdiction, unsuccessfully, after being placed in a detention centre in Toulouse by the French authorities. It is the first return from France to Eritrea and can be considered refoulement, due to the fact that the woman is likely to face persecution and human rights abuses in Eritrea.

News Highlights: AU suspends Sudan after deadly protest crackdown, ICC asked to investigate EU migration policy, Frontex funding increased

In this week’s news highlights: Deadly protest crackdown in Sudan; African Union suspends Sudan; EU calls for Sudan negotiations based on existing agreements; Ethiopia criticized for IDP policies; #Enough activists in Eritrea call for meetings; Egyptian rescue ship denied access in Tunisia; NGOs call on Europe to evacuate refugees from Libya; 2 dead and 25 missing in Libyan waters; Biometrics in migration control in Niger; International Criminal Court called to investigate EU responsibility in migration pushback policies; EC allocates €420.6 million for Frontex; EEPA publishes first issue of the newsletter Trends in Human Trafficking.

News Highlights: EU policies contribute to abuse in Libya, Eritrea mining case in Canada, EU-AU meeting in Brussels

In this week’s News Highlights: EU policies contribute to abuse against migrants in Libya: HRW; continuing protests in Sudan; Nevsun case about human rights abuses in Eritrea before Canadian top court; Italy to be engaged in planned Ethiopia-Eritrea railway link; Ethiopian ruling coalition happy about peace deal; UNICEF report on humanitarian situation in Eritrea; Kenyan president visits Eritrea, reportedly considering opening an embassy; EU and AU ministers meet in Brussels; IGAD and EEAS meeting; Italy to evict over 500 migrants from centre; Italy to decide about continuation of Operation Sophia; and WHO report on refugees’ and migrants’ health in Europe.