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.

Refugees as Pawns, a short history of the 2016 EU-Turkey deal until now
12 Mar 2020

Refugees as Pawns, a short history of the 2016 EU-Turkey deal until now

by | posted in: Asylum Seekers, Deportation, Detention, Doctors without Borders, EU funding, European Commission, European Politics, European Union, Greece, Human Rights abuses, Human Trafficking, Libya, Médecins Sans Frontières, Migration, Refugee Camps, Refugees in the EU, Relocation system, Syria, Torture, Trafficking, Turkey, United Nations | 0

On February 28, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that Turkey “opened the doors” to Europe, warning that “millions” of immigrants would soon be flocking towards the European Union (EU). Over 35.000 refugees gathered at the Greek border only to be stuck there without shelter in the rain and cold upon arrival. Multiple European leaders have expressed their criticism of Turkey using refugees as a bargaining chip. EU foreign policy chief Joseph Borrell said that “Turkey has a big burden … and we have to understand that […] but at the same time, we cannot accept that migrants are being used as a source of pressure”. Nevertheless, the EU is willing to provide more money to Turkey, financially rewarding the behavior they condemn. A short history of the EU’s external deals shows how this situation evolved.

Difficulties within the EU-Africa relationship
12 Mar 2020

Difficulties within the EU-Africa relationship

by | posted in: African Union, Cotonou agreement, ECRE, European Union | 0

The recent developments between the EU and Turkey have highlighted how easily migration partnerships, or ‘deals’, can lead to breakdown which can have far-reaching consequences. The decision to extend the post-cotonou agreement to allow extra time for negotiations and the recent working paper released by the European Council on Refugees and Exiles (ECRE) show the difficulties – especially on the issue of migration – in the relationship between two other partners, namely the European Union (EU) and the African Union.