AYS Daily Digest 19/03/2021: How Many More Deaths at Sea?
Report on situation for Afghans in Turkey//What happened in the Aegean last night//& other stories
FEATURE
Deadly shipwreck off the coast of Libya
In yesterday’s digest, we shared AlarmPhone’s report that they were contacted by passengers in a boat off the coast of Libya that caught fire. Today, they shared a tragic update. Although about 45 people were rescued by fishermen in the area, several dozen more are still missing, probably dead. The total number of victims is estimated to be around 60.
To paint this as if it were only a senseless tragedy would be inaccurate. Although such an immense loss of life is certainly tragic, this was no senseless accident but a deliberate consequence of European border policy. National authorities deliberately chose not to intervene in the tragedy, knowing that people were dying, even though they were alerted by AlarmPhone. Instead of helping people, the Libyan authorities immediately arrested survivors, taking them into who knows what kinds of conditions. They also deliberately underreported the number of missing people, claiming that there were only five missing when there were dozens more.
AlarmPhone is still working on a detailed report about this tragic wreck. All we know for now is that 60 families have lost their loved ones, who might still be alive today if EU border policies had not made the Mediterranean one of the world’s deadliest borders.
TURKEY
The situation for Afghan people in Turkey
Pro Asyl commissioned a report by an anonymous lawyer highlighting the experience of Afghan people on the move in Turkey and the obstacles that they face in accessing protection. You can read the report here.
GREECE
What happened in the Aegean last night?
On Friday morning, the Turkish Coast Guard shared that seven people had allegedly been thrown into the Aegean by the Greek Coast Guard, handcuffed, without life jackets or a boat. The people had landed on Chios before they were pushed back. At least three are dead and authorities are still searching for one more, while the other three are attempting to recover from the ordeal. A video shared by the Turkish Minister of the Interior showed the dramatic rescue.
The Greek Coast Guard has denied these allegations and called them “fake news.”
It is important to note that the Turkish authorities have a history of falsifying information regarding pushbacks at sea. For example, a video clip that circulated widely over the summer claiming to prove that Frontex was involved in an illegal pushback was in reality multiple clips edited together. However, this story shows the violent nature of borders whether it is true or not. If true, then the Greek Coast Guard has sunk to new lows in terms of their disregard for human life. If it has been falsified, then the Turkish authorities’ attempt to leverage the very real deaths of people pushed back at sea for cheap political points is despicable.
We will update if we learn more information.
Not content with shutting down Pikpa, robbing people on the move of one of the only safer spaces to live on the island, the powers that be such as the Mytilene mayor are attempting to slander Lesvos Solidarity in the media by saying that they left the camp in horrible condition. Lesvos Solidarity responded with a press release detailing the conditions that Pikpa was in before it was handed over to Lesvos Solidarity, the arbitrary nature of the eviction, and more. Sadly, the media did not publish this press release despite a legal obligation to respect the right to respond.
The European Court of Human Rights ruled that the Greek government must move two people, an elderly woman and a disabled war survivor, from Lesvos because the conditions in the camps there are not safe for them. While this will hopefully mean a more dignified life for these people, and this is a victory for Legal Centre Lesvos, the conditions in Kara Tepe camp are not fit for anyone.
Meanwhile, the government is forging ahead with its plans to build a new, closed structure in Vastria, where rent alone will cost the national government three million euros for four years.
On Chios, a group of new arrivals are slowly making themselves known to authorities after arriving yesterday. The people, about 22 in total, arrived on Chios but were afraid to approach authorities and request asylum, as is their right by international law, because of pushbacks. Now that there is photographic and video evidence of their presence on the island, will the authorities respect their right to asylum?
SERBIA
Vaccinations open for people on the move
The Serbian government opened vaccination appointments for people regardless of residency at Sajam. Hopefully more and more people on the move will be able to be vaccinated, as countries are only safe from the pandemic if everybody is vaccinated regardless of citizenship.
MALTA
Reports of poor conditions in detention centres
For months, information has been coming out about miserable conditions in detention centres in Malta. The Council of Europe even issued a strong critique. Instead of moving to improve the conditions, the Maltese government is focusing on improving their relationship with the Libyan coast guard. This article summarizes the investigation into conditions as well as the attempts by the Maltese government to suppress or discredit the reports.
ITALY
Mediterranea Saving Humans needs our solidarity!
Mediterranea Saving Humans is under investigation by the Public Prosecutor of Ragusa. Along with several other rescue organizations, it is accused of “aiding illegal immigration.” Learn more about their situation and how to donate to support them here.
SPAIN
Spain one of the worst countries in Europe for asylum acceptance rates
In 2020, Spain granted asylum to only 5% of asylum seekers out of 114,919 applicants. This makes Spain one of the worst countries in the European Union in terms of accepting asylum applications, despite being one of the countries that receives the most applications.
Salvamento Maritimo rescued a patera with 25 people on board near Lanzarote. The people were brought to safety and none were seriously hurt.
GERMANY
Planned deportation to Afghanistan
Activists predict that there will probably be a collective deportation to Afghanistan from Berlin-Schonefeld Airport on April 7th. More information, including about any potential legal defense, can be found here (in German and in Dari).
DENMARK
Report on Danish externalization
The Centre for Advanced Migration Studies has published a report on the Danish government’s plans for externalization of asylum processing, which you can read here.
UK
Day of Action to close Napier Barracks
After the announcement that Penally Barracks will be closed, organizers held a (virtual) Day of Action to call for the closure of Napier Barracks. Over 550 people joined the action, including MPs and people on the move, to call for an end to the prison-like living conditions at Napier.
EU/FRONTEX
Reflections on the EU-Turkey Deal
Reflections on the EU-Turkey deal are continuing a day after its fifth anniversary, which we covered in yesterday’s digest. The deal created the “Reception and Identification Centers” that have become the crowded camps trapping people on the Aegean islands. This blog from The Civil Fleet summarizes the response from activists, who have widely condemned the deal. This video, by Ahmad Ebrahimi, shows how the deal has trapped countless people, including the director himself, in a state of uncertainty.
Frontex, the European Maritime Safety Agency, and the European Fisheries Control Agency have signed a deal to increase cooperation, especially when it comes to monitoring mechanisms such as unmanned drone flights that the EMSA has access to.
Meanwhile, Mediterranean countries are looking to form a different kind of cooperative alliance. The Med5, Greece, Italy, Spain, Malta, and Cyprus, are meeting this weekend to discuss the new migration pact.
Europe needs to reckon with its vaccine policy for many reasons. Many national governments exclude people on the move from their vaccine plans, even though they often work at frontline jobs or live in the most crowded conditions. The EU has failed to push for the inclusion of all people in vaccination plans.
Europe also needs to reckon with its Afrophobia.
WORTH READING
The ECRE weekly bulletin is out! You can read it here.
ELENA also shared their Weekly Legal Update.
This article highlights the situation for Syrian people in Lebanon, 10 years after the uprising and the beginning of the war.
Worth Attending:
“Music in the Lives of Refugees” will be happening virtually this Sunday. Join for a bilingual event of music and discussion, including the journalists Franziska Grillmeier and Mortaza Behboudi.
Find daily updates and special reports on our Medium page.
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