Human rights violations and Tigray conflict cause EU to withdraw Eritrea funding and reconsider ‘dual-track approach’
26 Apr 2021

Human rights violations and Tigray conflict cause EU to withdraw Eritrea funding and reconsider ‘dual-track approach’

by | posted in: Eritrea, Eritrea Road Project, EU funding, European Commission, European Parliament, European Politics, European Union, Forced labour, Horn of Africa region, Human Rights abuses, Human Trafficking | 0

The use of conscripted labour in EU projects and Eritrea’s engagement in committing human rights violations in the Tigray Region have prompted the European Commission (EC) to “de-commit” more than €100 million from eight upcoming Eritrean development projects. A letter written by Jutta Urpilainen, European Commissioner for International Partnerships, revealed that nine projects worth €141.3 million were initially approved for implementation through the EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa (EUTF) but due to concerns over Eritrea’s stance on human rights, only one project, valued at  €19 million, was disbursed. This recent move has highlighted the friction within the EU’s “dual-track” approach to Eritrea which attempts to mix development assistance and political dialogue.

News Highlights: “No proof of Eritrean withdrawal,” states UN,  Alleged trafficker Bija freed, Italian prosecutors wiretapped journalists 
16 Apr 2021

News Highlights: “No proof of Eritrean withdrawal,” states UN,  Alleged trafficker Bija freed, Italian prosecutors wiretapped journalists 

by | posted in: Africa, EEPA news and activities, Eritrea, Ethiopia, European Union, Horn of Africa region, Human Rights abuses, Human Trafficking, Libya, Médecins Sans Frontières, Mediterranean Sea, Migration, Refugee Camps, Refugees in the EU, Starvation, Trafficking, Trauma, Weekly news highlights | 0

In this week’s news highlights: UN states there is “no proof of Eritrean withdrawal” from Tigray in UNSC meeting; Doctors report rapes of women in Tigray committed by Ethiopian and Eritrean armies; Reporters Without Borders seeks higher review in case of Dawit Isaak; Alex de Waal argues that the World Bank should stop funding Ethiopia; World Food Program halves South Sudan refugee food rations due to funding issues; Kenya’s High Court temporarily suspends the shutting down of refugee camps; Rising violence in Sudan leaves thousands of refugees displaced; Over 40 refugees drowned near Djibouti; Libya releases alleged human trafficker from prison; One dead and two injured in Libyan migrant facility centre shooting; CEAR warns of new ‘containment policy for migrants’ in Canary Islands; Four deaths recorded off Canary Islands; Italian prosecutors wiretapped journalists and human rights organisations in migration-related investigation; Spanish rights activist accuses Spain and Morocco of harassment; International Organization for Migration calls for international support for the families of missing migrants.

News Highlights: UNHCR concern over ‘scattered’ refugees in Tigray, 1000 refugees returned to Libya, EU visa restrictions proposed over returns
1 Apr 2021

News Highlights: UNHCR concern over ‘scattered’ refugees in Tigray, 1000 refugees returned to Libya, EU visa restrictions proposed over returns

by | posted in: Asylum Seekers, Belgium, Coast guards, COVID-19, Detention, Eritrea, Ethiopia, EU funding, European Politics, European Union, Germany, Hitsats camp, Horn of Africa region, Human Rights abuses, Human Trafficking, IGAD, IOM, Libya, Médecins Sans Frontières, Mediterranean Sea, Migration, Refugee Camps, Refugees in the EU, Relocation system, Search and Rescue Operations, UNHCR | 0

In this week’s news highlights: UNHCR confirms destruction of refugee camps in Ethiopia; Reports of forced displacement of Tigrayans in western Tigray region by Amhara troops; Report of meeting between Eritrean and Ethiopian senior officials and foreign experts in Tigray; Kenya aims to close two refugee camps housing Somali refugees; Joint EU-IOM plan for returning migrants from Libya to Horn of Africa and other countries; IOM appeals for $99 million for migrants stranded in Yemen; Around 1000 migrants intercepted and forced to return to Libya; Spanish NGO rescues more than 200 migrants and refugees at sea; IOM report on high number of deaths at sea; EU to consider visa restrictions for 13 African and Middle East countries; EU Commissioner calls on Greece to investigate allegations of illegal pushbacks; Drones used for surveillance on migrants and refugees at EU external borders; Angela Merkel approves the EU-Turkey deal on migration; and IOM analysis on benefits of migration on communities.