Nov 10, 2022
AYS News Digest 9/11/2022: Rescue ships finally permitted to disembark passengers
Polish border guards speak out // Spain demanded to investigate Melilla deaths // Investigation called for: UK Heathrow Detention Camps // Missing EU money in Libya // More asylum seekers than ever, EU Agency claims
FEATURE
Rescue ships finally permitted to disembark passengers
As reported in the last News Digest, Italy had been blocking the landing of rescue ships in the Mediterranean from docking in any Italian port.
Approximately 500 people, who had already faced significant trauma, were waiting on three different vessels. Those with severe medical conditions were evacuated but others had to wait a further four days to set foot on land.
The captains of two of the vessels, Geo Barrants and Humanity 1, refused to leave the port of Catania, Sicily when ordered by the Italian authorities to do so. After pressure from international groups and activists, as well as hunger strikes from those who were rescued, the Italian authorities backed down.
Tensions with France
On 27th October, the rescue ship Ocean Viking first requested a port of safety in Italy. Without response from Italy, the ship travelled towards Corsica. This was used by Italy’s new, far-right Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni as a way to provoke France whilst both he and President Macron were both at the COP27 Summit. Reports that Marseille was assigned as a port of safety were first announced by Italy without confirmation from France. This led to a French government minister saying:
“…unacceptable, contrary to the law of the sea and to the spirit of European solidarity.”
Whilst politicians play games with each other, lives are at risk. People continue to leave Libya and continue to need assistance, and the hardworking crews of the rescue vessels are getting back to sea as quickly as possible.
POLAND
Polish Border Guards have written a letter accusing their commander of passing the blame for pushbacks on to lower ranking officers.
This comes as court rulings judge pushbacks from Poland to Belarus to be illegal, and there seems to be a possibility of legal action against those who conducted the pushbacks.
SPAIN
Spanish authorities must investigate Melilla deaths
Five months ago, 23 people died at the border of the EU in Morocco. This week, a feature by the BBC has prompted calls for authorities to investigate. As reported in the Guardian:
“Morocco and Spain say their border guards did not use excessive force to repel the incursion. But the BBC investigation and Spanish MPs have cast doubt on the official version of events.” Guardian
Whilst politicians attempt to project blame onto each other, activists point out that the fault doesn’t lie with Spain and Morocco, but with those of the EU at large.
UNITED KINGDOM
Investigation called for: Heathrow Detention Camps
Following unrest over the weekend, groups are calling on an investigation into a Heathrow immigration removal centre. On Friday a power outage caused problems with electricity, heating, running water and toilet facilities. This led to people refusing to return to the cells on Friday, resulting in a ‘disturbance’.
Groups Bail For Immigration Detainees and Medical Justice have written a letter to Home Secretary Suevlla Braverman, urging an immediate investigation.
Public interest in places where people claiming asylum are held (as reported in the last News Digest) has remained high. Calls to close Manston Detention Camp continue as more and more details are revealed.
Conditions for people seeking safety in the UK remain extremely difficult. The threat of deportation to Rwanda has not disappeared, and here is an emotional and full account of someone who faced being placed on the failed flight earlier this year.
SEA and SAR
The EU has been funding the “Libyan Coast Guard” with a sum of at least €57 million since 2017. That’s the year that Italian authorities were entrusted with the task of creating a Libyan Search and Rescue Zone as well as a maritime coordination centre in the Libyan capital of Tripoli. It has been revealed that the centre is “not operations”. More details about where this funding could have gone here.
Elsewhere at sea, five boats landed on the Spanish Balearic islands on Wednesday. Seventy-two people are reported to have made the crossing from Northern Africa, a route that is not commonly used due to the great distance involved.
Additionally, 24 people arrived on Lesvos, Greece, including 10 children.
GENERAL AND EU
More asylum seekers than ever
The number of people seeking asylum in the EU has reached a ‘new high’. According to the EU’s asylum agency, asylum cases are at the same level they were seven years ago, when more than one million people moved to Europe, escaping the war in Syria. The monthly figures show a trend that would take numbers even higher.
People from Ukraine account for many of these people, with Afghanistan and Syria remaining the most common country of origin for asylum seekers.
The agency also warns of pressure on the resources of host countries, who seem to have learnt no lessons from 2015 — western nations remain unprepared to support people in a sufficient manner.
WORTH READING
An opinion article ‘New deregulation will see EU states cherry-picking asylum law’
Also from Forced Migration Current Awareness, the latest edition of the Journal of Refugee Studies.
The ECRE Press Review covers the new France-UK deal on Channel migrants, use of tear gas in Melilla and other topics.
Find daily updates and special reports on our Medium page.
If you wish to contribute, either by writing a report or a story, or by joining the Info Gathering team, please let us know!
We strive to echo correct news from the ground through collaboration and fairness. Every effort has been made to credit organisations and individuals with regard to the supply of information, video, and photo material (in cases where the source wanted to be accredited). Please notify us regarding corrections.
If there’s anything you want to share or comment, contact us through Facebook, Twitter or write to: areyousyrious@gmail.com
