AYS Daily Digest 01/04/21: New testimonies of pushbacks from Greece
New case and 166 GB of video footage // HRW warns about lead contamination at Moria 2 // 137 people died in Niger after attack on displaced people // Several distress calls remain unanswered // Tense situation at the Italian-French border // Denmark withdraws residence permits from Syrians
Greece
There is new testimony of a pushback by Greek authorities, according to Aegean Boat Report. Two hours after 37 people left Ayvalik, the boat’s engine stopped and it drifted into Greek waters. There it was stopped by the Hellenic Coast Guard, beaten and brought to another ship. “What little they had, they were forced to leave behind,” ABR reports. After five hours without any basic support, they were send in two life rafts, one punctured and taking in water. After another emergency call, they were rescued by Turkish forces.
At the same time, Erik Marquardt revealed, that he received 166 GB of video footage from the Turkish Coast Guard, documenting several pushbacks by the Hellenic Coast Guard. He announced, that independent experts will analyze the videos.
Human Rights Watch once again shifts the focus to the contaminated soil, the new Moria hotspot is built on. “Testing showed elevated lead levels two months after the Greek government confirmed that the areas were contaminated,” the organization said today. Belkis Wille, senior crisis and conflict researcher at Human Rights Watch stated:
Based on the results of testing by the Greek government’s own experts, it is clear that young children and pregnant women are at serious risk when living on and playing in soil and dust contaminated by lead.
Following the death of a 44-year old man in a camp on Kos without any medical assistance, there will be a protest on 3rd April.
Deutsche Welle published a video analyzing the hotspot system for asylum seekers on the Aegean islands.
Der Spiegel documented the fates of four unaccompanied minors in Moria.
Niger
During an assault near the town of Tillia in Niger’s western region Tahoua on 21st March, 137 people were killed, among them six refugees from Mali, the UNHCR now confirmed: “Most of the victims in this deadly attack by unidentified armed groups were internally displaced people who had already fled horrendous violence.” In a statement it is said, that the attack was intended to target displaced people and their host communities. As the survivors have nothing left, some 1400 people are estimated to leave the villages now to escape the violence.
Sea
A group of 50 people went missing on 24th March, Alarmphone writes. Salvamento Maritimo was looking for them for several days now. Today Proactiva rescued 219 people, including 56 children.
In another incident off Malta, Alarmphone reported some 80 people in distress. However, the Maltese Coast Guard did not react. From another distress call with some 100 people, they did not give an update on the situation.
In only two days, five people died and 500 were pushed back to Libya at the central Mediterranean, InfoMigrants reports. Over last weekend, it was another 1000 people.
Sea Watch 4 is being prepared by volunteers for its next rescue mission.
Italy
The situation at the Italien-French border remains worrying, as Kesha Niya confirms. Despite the still cold temperatures at night, people are trying to walk the footpath or spend the night there. Trains are checked in Ventimiglia, so people cannot use them: “Because so many people are stuck here right now, tensions arise, which we also feel at the Breakfast spot. All the pushed back people coming to our spot have tried to pass by foot.” People also reported being insulted during the pusbacks and the police destroyed documents prooving if they were underaged.
Following TV reports showing a group of Italian police officers beating two people, who hid in the bathroom of a train, on their way from Genoa to Ventimiglia, the prosecutors of Genoa started investigations now. “The video shows police officers kicking the two migrants and hitting them with batons and a crowbar they used to open the door of the bathroom where they were hiding”, InfoMigrants reports.
Lungo la rotta balcanica — Along the Balkan Route announced a caravan rally from Trieste to Maljevac to promote freedom of movement and denounce the border regime at the Croatian-Bosnian border.
Spain
Spanish rescue teams found the corpses of a girl and man after a shipwreck off Mazzarón (Almería). The boat carried 14 people, six dead people are confirmed now. Only thre are known to have survived, according to La Verdad.
Germany
On March 31st, Germany relocated 120 people from Greece, 30 families with 59 adults and 61 minors. Since April 2662 people were transferred, the federal interior ministry announced.
Denmark
Danish authorities withdrew the residence permit of a Syrian woman, who is about to finish her high school
In another case, a 25-year old nursing student, who arrived in 2014, faced the Refugee Board upholding the Immigration Service’s decision to revoke her residence permit and send her back to Syria. Previously, she had been granted family reunion and has no one left in her country of origin — however, she is the only one in danger of being deported.
After the decision of revocation, the women will have to move to an exit center, awaiting deportation that is not possible at the moment. The only other option will be to make a legal appeal to the UN, meaning that the stay will be in an ordinary asylum center with a time perspective of up to 3–4 years before a decision will be made. With no right to education and with no ordinary social life.
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