News from the Borders Archive - Page 14 of 18

News from the Borders 22.04.2024

Erik Marquardt on April 22, 2024

The EU Commission is working on a new migration agreement with Lebanon so that fewer Syrian refugees from there make their way to the EU. The Cypriot president even called for certain areas in war-torn Syria to be declared safe. Der Spiegel reports.

The planned introduction of restrictive payment cards for refugees will have a negative impact on their integration, warns migration researcher Brücker. To the article.

The appeal trial against Homayoun Sabetara began today in Thessaloniki. Because he drove a car with several people across the Turkish-Greek border while fleeing Iran, Homayoun has been in prison for "people smuggling" since 2021, although he only wanted to apply for asylum himself and did not receive any money for the transportation. To the website „Free Homayoun“.

Erik Marquardt on 19. April 2024

After more than five years, the court in Trapani has dropped the charges against the sea rescue crew of the Iuventa. This marks the end of years of unlawful criminalization of sea rescuers. taz reports.

The European Court of Human Rights has ruled that the conditions in the Greek „hotspot “camps of Chios, Kos and Samos constitute inhuman or degrading treatment for three applicants. The ruling is also important with regard to the CEAS reform: it underlines the inalienability of human rights. To the tweet from Equal Rights Beyond Borders.

After almost three years of legal proceedings, Berlin's Mitte District Court ruled that a police officer's question as to where the plaintiff "actually" came from constituted direct discrimination on the basis of ethnic origin and a racist ascription. This is the first time that the Berlin police have been convicted under the state anti-discrimination law. To the press release of the German Anti-Discrimination Association.

Erik Marquardt on April 15, 2024

Journalist Lujain Alsedeg had to flee Khartoum a year ago and writes about her experiences over the past few years. To the taz.

Due to increased arrivals of Syrian asylum seekers, Cyprus has temporarily suspended the processing of asylum applications from Syrians. Syrians must remain in the overcrowded local registration camps until further notice. The SZ reports.

Pro Asyl uses a fictitious example to illustrate what the agreed reform of the common European asylum system could mean for refugees. To the tweet.

Erik Marquardt on 12. April 2024

As Greens in the European Parliament, we voted against the EU asylum pact today. The new CEAS will create more bureaucracy, a patchwork asylum system and more suffering. It is not a solution to lock up even children and families in camps. Phoenix interviewed me on the subject.

Poland and Hungary are already showing that the recently adopted tightening of European asylum law does not necessarily lead to more solidarity among the member states. They neither want to take in people nor provide money to support other countries. To the article.

The populism that is spreading precisely because of the so-called crime statistics is already having frightening effects. For example, a Berlin subway train driver Passengers insulted as "criminal migrants" by loudspeaker announcement have. What's really behind the crime statistics.

Erik Marquardt on April 10, 2024

Today, the European Parliament is voting on the biggest tightening of asylum laws in the history of the EU. In an interview with Deutschlandfunk radio, I explained that we Greens do not support these deteriorations in asylum law. To the interview.

The 2023 crime statistics had not even been published when right-wing media and the CDU already started a debate on migration. Yet the figures give no reason to do so. The taz explains.

In 2023, at least 117 people in the EU were criminalized for helping refugees. To the study by PICUM.

Erik Marquardt on 8. April 2024

Frontex awarded contracts to a company suspected of fraud. Politico reports (in English).

In the past, Albania has taken in thousands of refugees – most recently from Afghanistan. Now the right-wing Italian government wants to bring tens of thousands of people seeking protection to Albania every year so that they no longer arrive in Italy. To the radio report by Deutschlandfunk Kultur (30 min).

Finland wants to turn back people seeking protection at the border with Russia, even though this contradicts current law. FAZ reports (Paywall).

Erik Marquardt on April 5, 2024

According to British Prime Minister Sunak, border protection is more important than membership of international courts. Many now fear that the UK could withdraw from the European Convention on Human Rights in order to enforce its radical deportation policy. To the Handelsblatt article.

In order to "optimize" deportations, the CDU-led Ministry of the Interior in Brandenburg wants to lure people to immigration authorities and social welfare offices under false pretences in order to arrest them there, according to a draft. We Greens think this is inhumane. Read more in the Süddeutsche Zeitung.

Worried that the mental state of a Gambian man could be a danger to himself, his girlfriend called the emergency services last weekend. A short time later, the police killed 46-year-old Lamin Touray with eight shots. The taz spoke to several eyewitnesses.

Erik Marquardt on 3. April 2024

In Morocco, more and more people are being stopped on their way to Europe with EU funds. According to the Moroccan military, around 87,000 people were stopped from fleeing in 2023 alone, and the trend is rising. To the article.

We Greens in the Bundestag are calling for the immediate release of the sea rescue ship Sea Eye 4, which was detained by Italian authorities in March because the crew did not want to hand over people seeking protection to the Libyan coastguard. To the press release.

On Wednesday night, the Cypriot coastguard rescued more than 260 people who were trying to reach the east coast of Cyprus in two overcrowded boats. More and more people have been arriving there in recent days, including many children from Syria. Stern reports.

Erik Marquardt on 27. March 2024

Making waves, ramming, stabbing rubber dinghies at sea with a knife. French security forces are increasingly using force to intercept people on the English Channel. Der Spiegel reports (paywall). A summary can be found at Lightouse.
Ehsan M. is being held in custody pending deportation in Bavaria and is due to be deported to Iran this week. Daniela Sepheri calls on Insta to write to the CSU and Free Voters MPs to prevent the deportation. Your video on Insta.
Ireland's classification of the United Kingdom as a „safe third country“ to which asylum seekers can be returned is in breach of EU law, according to a recent ruling. The Irish Times reports.

Erik Marquardt on 25. March 2024

I spoke to Welt TV on Friday about the EU summit in Brussels and the current situation in the Gaza Strip. You can find the entire interview (6 min.) here.

According to a statement from the IOM, a mass grave containing the bodies of 65 refugees was found in southwest Libya. Der Spiegel reports.

After a quiet year so far, around 1700 refugees reached Lampedusa this weekend. A 15-month-old toddler is missing. RND reports.