AYS Digest 11/8/23: Bibby Stockholm: Another Example of the UK Government’s Incompetence and Cruelty
Concerns over whether Greek authorities will carry out an independent, ethical and thorough investigation into the Pylos shipwreck/A horrific testimony about the treatment of a pregnant Syrian woman with her two children in Bulgaria/#DontForgetAfghanisation/Police shot and severely injured an individual near the Hadzin Potok border, Croatia…
FEATURE:
Legionella Bacteria on the Bibby Stockholm — how the UK government prioritised their own aspirations over the welfare and safety of individuals
39 individuals on the barge have been evacuated and moved to alternative accommodation due to the presence of legionella bacteria. The water supply had been tested, but the results only came back on Monday 7th August ,when the first group of asylum seekers arrived. It then took several days before they evacuated the barge. The government had clearly not carried out the appropriate safety checks before asylum seekers were moved there.
The risks of legionella bacteria are as follows;
- Can cause a serious infection called Legionnaires’ disease, which in many cases can be fatal
- Problems emerge when people breathe in infected water droplets and the bacteria get into the lungs — Showers that create a mist of water carrying the Legionella bacteria would pose a risk
- Once in the lungs, the bacteria lead to pneumonia and symptoms can include a cough, shortness of breath and a fever
- People infected need antibiotics and, in severe cases, oxygen support
It is however easily preventable by frequently flushing through fresh water systems to eliminate the ‘dead legs’ where standing water can allow the bacteria to breed. The barge has just come out of shipyard time, this is both a routine and core activity in a vessel refit project after coming out of a long lay-up. A comprehensive flushing and testing routine should have been completed and certified for before people were placed on the barge. The UK Home Office has a duty of care to displaced persons in its custody.
This all follows previous concerns regarding risk of fire, overcrowding, prison-like conditions, and the fact staying on this barge could trigger previous trauma and cause huge damage to one’s mental health. In addition, last year, 350 asylum seekers were exposed to a Typhoid outbreak on a similar vessel in the Netherlands.
“The Bibby Stockholm is a visual illustration of this government’s hostile environment against refugees, but it has also fast become a symbol for the shambolic incompetence which has broken Britain’s asylum system.” — Care4Calais
GREECE
Strong concerns over whether Greek authorities will carry out an independent, ethical and thorough investigation into the Pylos shipwreck in June
Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch organised their own inquiry into the shipwreck. It was clear from the outset that testimonies from survivors consistently stated that the Hellenic Coastguard tied a rope of the ship and towed it, which resulted in the boat swaying and eventually capsizing.
However, interviews with authorities present a very different story that the passengers only requested food and water, and to be allowed to continue their journey to Italy. They claim the Hellenic Coastguard approached the boat using a rope but after negotiating, the passengers threw the rope back and continued their journey.
The Greek authorities have opened two investigations, one into smugglers involved in the boat’s journey, and the other into the role of the Hellenic Coastguard in the shipwreck.
Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch urge the Greek authorities to conduct transparent, independent investigations “that comply with international human rights standards of impartiality, independence, and effectiveness”. They should welcome the support of international assistance and encourage open forms of communication with the relevant institutions and organisations. There is a long history of Greek authorities evading taking accountability for shipwrecks, pushbacks and other illegal activity towards refugees and asylum seekers. There is a very valid concern that history may repeat itself in this context.
BULGARIA
A horrific testimony about the treatment of a pregnant Syrian woman with her two children in Bulgaria
The article below, written by Collettivo Rotte Balcaniche, recounts a night on the Turkish-Bulgarian border when they try to call for an ambulance for a pregnant woman and her children who have arrived in Bulgaria and are exhausted. Despite being given lots of details, including their exact coordinates, the authorities claim they can’t find the woman. Once Collettivo Rotte Balcaniche reach the woman, the authorities then arrest everyone, provide inadequate medical attention, and then send the woman and her children to a pre-removal centre.
Bulgaria — Let somebody die is killing — Progetto Melting Pot Europa
CROATIA
Police shot and severely injured an individual near the Hadzin Potok border
A group of asylum seekers were travelling through the forest, about 300 metres inland from the border. Once they spotted police officers with balaclavas and dark blue uniforms, they started to run and in turn were shot at. An asylum seeker from Nepal was shot twice in the legs. The group carried him and admitted him to hospital where he informed medical staff of what happened.
Reports show that the green borders and the area within the country in the regions bordering Bosnia and Herzegovina/Serbia are still areas of danger for people on the move, even if they are inland. NGOs working on the ground have reported an increase in the use of firearms by Croatian police.
“Croatian police are still conducting illegal and inhumane pushbacks. One group of people recently told us that they were violently expelled and beaten with truncheons. One boy, a minor, was spotted crossing the border and instead of being taken to a juvenile detention centre in Croatia, he was expelled and left alone in the woods on the Bosnian side of the border in the middle of the night,” — No Name Kitchen
SEA/SAR
Sea-Watch International witnessed the rescue of 4 individuals who had survived a shipwreck
The other 41 individuals are presumed dead.
Sea Punks recruiting!
(11) Sea Punks — In den nächsten Wochen suchen wir eine:n RHIB-Driver…. | Facebook
Update on MARE-GO vessel:
LOUISE MICHEL assisting an overcrowded boat that has been at sea for 10 days
GERMANY
26th August Beyond Borders Streetfestival, Berlin!
Beyond Borders Streetfestival | visitBerlin.de
#DontForgetAfghanistan
WORTH READING/LISTENING TO:
- I’m an immigration lawyer, and now the target of a Braverman smear campaign. It will backfire | Jacqueline McKenzie | The Guardian
- The central Mediterranean Route and the EU-Tunisia Deal in Migration — MOAS
Under this agreement, the EU will be sending millions of euros to help Tunisia strengthen its borders and curb the numbers of individuals trying to reach Europe. This deal follows in the footsteps of the 2016 EU-Turkey deal, as well as the financial agreement with Libya, whereby 57 million euros has been provided to strengthen Libyan border enforcement, including detention and pushbacks.
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