News highlights: Ethiopia reports arrest of human trafficker Kidane, Coronavirus measures impact refugees and asylum seekers, Schengen external borders closed for 30 days
20 Mar 2020

News highlights: Ethiopia reports arrest of human trafficker Kidane, Coronavirus measures impact refugees and asylum seekers, Schengen external borders closed for 30 days

by | posted in: Africa, Asylum Seekers, Belgium, Detention, Doctors without Borders, Eritrea, Ethiopia, EU funding, European Commission, European Parliament, European Politics, European Union, Forced labour, Greece, Horn of Africa region, Human Rights abuses, Human Trafficking, IOM, Libya, Malta, Médecins Sans Frontières, Mediterranean Sea, Migration, Netherlands, Refugee Camps, Refugees in the EU, Relocation system, Sexual abuse, The Netherlands, Torture, Trafficking, UNHCR, United Nations, Weekly news highlights | 0

In this week’s news highlights: UNHCR and IOM temporarily suspend refugee resettlement; Mixed Migration Centre criticizes ‘root cause’ approach to migration; COVID-19 could “decimate” refugee communities; Ethiopia reports the arrest of notorious human trafficker Kidane Zekarias Haftemariam and five others; 77.6 million dollar aid plan for Ethiopia; Refugees concerned about digital registration; UN Security Council proposes to end UNAMID mission in Darfur, Sudan; Nevsun’s Eritrea-slavery case has legal implications for other Canadian companies, EU closes the external Schengen borders for 30 days, exempting those seeking international protection; Migrants on Greek islands can receive 2.000 euro in new voluntary return initiative; Human traffickers sentenced to 125 years by Turkish court; Child dies in Lesbos refugee camp fire; The Netherlands closes asylum seekers’ centres for new inhabitants amid COVID-19 measures; Registration of asylum applications suspended in Belgium amid COVID-19 measures; Malta accused of ignoring distress calls; UN and IOM decry return of a refugee boat to Libya; And International community calls for a ceasefire in Libya to focus on COVID-19.

News highlights: Hitsats camp shutdown announced in Ethiopia, Attempt to resuscitate EU-Turkey deal, UNHCR bolsters COVID-19 measures
13 Mar 2020

News highlights: Hitsats camp shutdown announced in Ethiopia, Attempt to resuscitate EU-Turkey deal, UNHCR bolsters COVID-19 measures

by | posted in: Abiy Ahmed, Africa, African Union, Asylum Seekers, Detention, ECRE, Eritrea, Ethiopia, EU funding, European Commission, European Politics, European Union, Forced labour, Germany, Greece, Horn of Africa region, Human Rights abuses, Human Trafficking, Libya, Médecins Sans Frontières, Mediterranean Sea, Migration, Netherlands, Refugee Camps, Refugees in the EU, Relocation system, Research, Somalia, The Netherlands, Trafficking, Trauma, Turkey, Unaccompanied Minors, Uncategorized, UNHCR, United Nations, Weekly news highlights | 0

In this week’s news highlights: Hitsats refugee camp closure in the Tigray region of Ethiopia; UN cancels meeting on Eritrea due to Coronavirus; EU-funded road project in Eritrea allegedly uses slave labour; Natasja Bijl’s novel tells the story of an Eritrean refugee; Eritrean persecution of Catholics reinvigorated; the collective trauma of Eritrea’s youth; Somali and Kenyan officials meet to discuss border dispute; EU leaders and Erdogan meet to salvage EU-Turkey deal; UNHCR strengthens COVID-19 measures; Concerns about EU’s new Africa strategy highlighted by aid groups; Greece’s decision to hold migrants on war vessel criticized by HRW; Several EU member states offer to take children in from Greece; Call for better living conditions for asylum seekers in the Netherlands; Suspicions that arms keep pouring into Libya despite embargo; Ramtane Lamamra as possible next UN envoy for Libya; And Sudanese refugees in Niger sentenced for fire in camp.

Closure of Hitsats refugee camp in Ethiopia
13 Mar 2020

Closure of Hitsats refugee camp in Ethiopia

by | posted in: Africa, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Refugee Camps | 0

Anonymous sources confirmed that the federal government of Ethiopia ordered the closure of Hitsats refugee camp in Tigray province of Ethiopia. All camp refugees have been asked to relocate to another camp which is already overpopulated and does not have a functioning infrastructure. The government justifies the closure as a ‘budget constraint’, however UNHCR argues that the budget for 2020 was already approved and allocated to the Administration for Refugee & Returnee Affairs (ARRA), a governmental agency which has the mandate over refugees in Ethiopia. Hitsats, as the youngest camp in Tigray region, is currently home to more than 10,000 Eritrean refugees.