News from the Borders Archive - Page 31 of 32

News from the Borders 16.02.2024

Erik Marquardt on 16. February 2024

A trial is being held in Trapani against sea rescuers from the Iuventa crew for allegedly aiding and abetting illegal entry. After more than two years of preliminary negotiations, it now emerges thatthat the two main witnesses are not credible and have not observed any cooperation with smugglers. You can find an interview with one of the defendants here.

In light of the announced ground offensive in Rafah in the Gaza Strip, Egypt has begun building a reception camp for Palestinian refugees. The fenced camp in the Sinai desert has space for more than 100,000 people. Click here for the article.

Germany has decidedto extend checks at the internal borders with the Czech Republic by a further six months at the next review in March.

News from the Borders 14.02.2024

Erik Marquardt on February 14, 2024

The crew of the Ocean Viking witnessed numerous violations of maritime and human rights by Libyan patrol vessels. Now the ship has been detained due to questionable information provided by Libyan patrol vessels. To the press release of SOS Mediterranee.

The EU Commission provides Mauritania with 210 million eurosto better "secure" the borders with Mali. People are fleeing the civil war from there.

A district court in Latvia is conducting criminal proceedings against human rights activist Ieva Raubiško after she traveled to the Latvian border with Belarus. There, she wanted to ensure that a group of Syrian asylum seekers were not forcibly returned to Belarus. Ieva had previously obtained a decision from the European Court of Human Rights on interim measures in relation to the group. Click here for the English summary of the case.

News from the Borders 12.02.2024

Erik Marquardt on 12. February 2024

Frontex has sent around 2200 e-mails with position data to the Libyan coastguardalthough it is known that they are dragging people back to torture camps. Now even the agency's human rights commissioner is proposing that private sea rescuers should also be sent the position data in the Libyan sea rescue zone in future. To the paid Spiegel Plus article.

Thousands of Sudanese refugees live in Libya unregistered under critical conditions and are defencelessly exposed to attacks by militias and human traffickers.

After public pressure and a petition Vietnamese student Thanh D. was released from detention pending deportation and allowed to stay in Frankfurt am Main for the time being. He moved in with his mother, who is married to a German, seven years ago when he was a minor.

News from the Borders 09.02.2024

Erik Marquardt on 9. February 2024

By a narrow majority, we have A resolution which clearly criticizes the systematic human rights violations by pushbacks, the restriction of press freedom and the criminalization of humanitarian aid in Greece. The right-wing and the conservatives had tried to prevent the resolution. To my homepage contribution and of my speech.

The ECJ has ruledthat Syrian conscientious objectors can apply for asylum. This shows that the Bamf has wrongly denied thousands of Syrian conscientious objectors in Germany a follow-up application for asylum. To the article in the Süddeutsche Zeitung.

A survivor of the deadly pushbacks of people seeking protection at the Spanish-Moroccan border in Melilla filed a complaint with the UN Committee against Torture last week. Here is the ECCHR press release.

On Tuesday, the Council and Parliament agreed on the followingthat border controls within the EU may be permitted for up to three years in future. A global pandemic, terrorism or irregular migration, for example, would justify this. Der Spiegel reports.

News from the Borders 07.02.2024

Erik Marquardt on February 7, 2024

During my speech in Parliament I explained that the right is also getting stronger because democratic parties themselves too often drive reason out of the debate with populist demands and vile language.

Ten new bus drivers who came to Germany as refugees have been hired in Mainz. The next ones are already being trained. To the SWR article.

Amnesty International warns in a new report against the increasing use of digital technologies for migration control. According to the report, automated monitoring and decision-making systems endanger human rights and increase discrimination and racism. To the report in English.

News from the Borders 05.02.2024

Erik Marquardt on 5. February 2024

Hundreds of asylum seekers have been in a catastrophic situation at Madrid airport for two weeks. The problems include a lack of interpreters, long processing times (10-20 days) and overcrowded, unsanitary accommodation. Voice of Europe reports.

According to Human Rights Watch, authorities in Marseille are forcing unaccompanied children to sleep on the streets for days or weeks at a timewhile they wait for their appeals for age assessment. This also applies to children who are dependent on medical care. To the report in English.

A new immigration law has come into force in France, which provides for a significant tightening of the nationality law. Euractiv reports.

News from the Borders 02.02.2024

Erik Marquardt on February 2, 2024

Yesterday I was in a "duel" on migration policy on Welt-TV with Alexander Throm, the CDU parliamentary group's domestic policy spokesperson. One point: you can't shout "Never again is now!" at demonstrations without fighting against the disenfranchisement of asylum seekers. Because the right to asylum is one of the core components of "Never again". You can find a clip of the duel on my Instagram.

The EU Commission has presented proposals to take stronger action against "people smuggling", but unfortunately this also threatens to increase the criminalization of civil society in solidarity. ND reports.

After six years of proceedings, the Court of Appeal in Greece has acquitted 16 helpers of charges of espionage. However, other charges are still pending. To the statement by „Free Humanitarians“.

News from the Borders 31.01.2024

Erik Marquardt on 31. January 2024

The Albanian Constitutional Court has cleared the way for the ratification of the migration agreement with Italy. Click here for the Deutschlandfunk article.

In the "Osnabrück Rettet" fundraising campaign 65,000 euros for the civilian sea rescue organization Sea-Eye have come together. The joint commitment in the municipalities is a constant demonstration of solidarity with refugees seeking protection.

A forgotten crisis: after nine months of war in Sudan according to the SOS Children's Villages around three million children have been displaced and 13,000 people killed.

News from the Borders 29.01.2024

Erik Marquardt on 29. January 2024

In recent months, several opposition members from Rwanda have been granted asylum in the UK due to persecution. The Conservative British government is thus coming under pressure because it currently wants to declare Rwanda a safe third country by law in order to deport asylum seekers there regardless of their origin. The Guardian reports.

The movie "Green Border" opens this weekwhich provides an insight into the disturbing conditions in the Polish-Belarusian border region. I will be at the premiere in Hamburg on Wednesday and will talk about the current situation after the film.

The Border Violence Monitoring Network documents violence against refugees in Greece. To the report.

News from the Borders 26.01.2024

Erik Marquardt on 26. January 2024

According to IOM data, far more people worldwide were forced to leave their homes by natural disasters in 2022 than by conflict. Deutschlandfunk reports.

The governments in Rome and Tirana want to bring asylum seekers rescued from distress at sea by Italy to Albanian reception camps. The implementation of this plan would according to Amnesty International massively violate the human rights of those affected.

The UNHCR reportsthat more Rohingya refugees drowned or were reported missing last year than at any time since 2014. More and more people are dying because they are not rescued in time and taken to the nearest place of safety.