Reactions to the European Commission’s proposal to upgrade Frontex
19 Sep 2018

Reactions to the European Commission’s proposal to upgrade Frontex

by | posted in: Africa, Asylum Seekers, Austria, Deportation, Detention, EEPA news and activities, Eritrea, European Commission, European Parliament, European Politics, European Union, France, Frontex, Germany, Human Trafficking, Italy, Mediterranean Sea, Migration, Netherlands, Refugees in the EU, The Netherlands, Torture, Turkey | 0

The European Commission’s plan to upgrade Frontex from a European agency with 1 500 employees into a complimentary European border and coast guard with 10 000 armed guards by 2020 has caused mixed reactions in the European Union. Under the proposal, €12.6 bn would be allocated to Frontex between 2019 and 2027, with the agency supporting national border patrols as well as coast guards and operating at the command of national authorities.

Berhane Abrehe arrested in Eritrea
18 Sep 2018

Berhane Abrehe arrested in Eritrea

by | posted in: Africa, Detention, EEPA news and activities, Eritrea, Horn of Africa region | 0

Former Eritrean minister of finance Berhane Abrehe, prominent critic of Eritrean president Isaias Afwerki, has reportedly been arrested in Asmara on Sunday morning, 16 September. Observers had expected the Eritrean regime to take action against Berhane after the publication of his two-volume book “Eritrea Hagerey” (Eritrea, my Country) in which he called for prompt elections and the replacement of Isaias Afwerki.

Eritreans protest in The Hague to draw attention to refugees in Libya
14 Sep 2018

Eritreans protest in The Hague to draw attention to refugees in Libya

by | posted in: Detention, Eritrea, Eritrean Women, Libya, UNHCR | 0

The Hague – Around 200 Eritreans gathered in the political capital of the Netherlands to ask for help for Eritrean refugees in Libya. As violence has broken out in Libya, the refugees have increasingly become trapped. The Eritreans protesting in the Netherlands report that Eritrean refugees have been, among other things, tortured, shot, raped and starved. Pictures of trapped groups of people, including of young children and women, are circulating on social media. The protesters ask for help from the UNHCR, the European Union and in particular the Netherlands to provide an emergency solution.