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☆ Italy’s hard-right government set to send sea migrants to Albania in bid to curb arrivals
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-09 | by ( Barbie Latza Nadeau | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

However, the court’s decision is non-binding and Italy and Albania are not prohibited by the ruling from going forward with the plans. That’s all, very normal variations during construction.”A general view of the reception center for migrants in Shengjin, Albania, on June 4, 2024. If they do not qualify for asylum, they will be deported to “safe” countries, according to the agreement between Italy and Albania. The cost comes to around 7.5% of what Italy currently spends on its migrant reception centers, Meloni said in June, speaking alongside Rama. Other listed “safe countries” include Egypt, Tunisia and the Ivory Coast, citizens of which make up a large portion of arrivals.

Persons: Rome, It’s, Gjader –, Matteo Piantedosi, There’s, Florion Goga, Piantedosi, Giorgia, Keir Starmer, “, ” Meloni, Meloni, Starmer, Rama, ” Rama, Giorgia Meloni, Adnan Beci, ’ ”, Alketa Misja, ”, ” Gianfranco Schiavone, Schiavone Organizations: Rome CNN, European Union, Court, Justice, Reuters, CNN, United Nations, Refugees, UNHCR, Interior Ministry, Meloni, Amnesty, Italy's, Albania's, Edi, Getty, AP, Migration, United Nations ’ International Organization for Migration, Union Locations: Albania, Italy, European, Albanian, Shengjin, Gjader, Agrigento, Sicily, Catania, Malta, Greece, Spain, Libya, Tunisia, Meloni’s, Rome, Europe, AFP, Italian, Bangladesh, Egypt, Ivory Coast, Afghanistan, Syria, Lezhe, Refoulement, North, Denmark

☆ Around 48 migrants missing, nine found dead, after boat sinks off Canary Islands
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-29 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Nine people, one of them a child, have been confirmed as dead after their boat sank in the early hours of Saturday morning, emergency and rescue services said. “After what happened yesterday and if the forecast for the arrival of the migrant boats happens, then it will be the biggest humanitarian crisis to happen to the Canary Islands in 30 years,” Candelaria Delgado of the Canary Islands government, told reporters on Sunday. Three of those rescued suffered from hypothermia and dehydration, rescue services said on Sunday. As hopes of finding more survivors diminished, police installed a morgue on El Hierro, authorities said. Three other boats reached the Canary Islands during the night, carrying 208 migrants.

Persons: El, Frontex, ” Candelaria Delgado Organizations: Spain Reuters — Patrol, Rescuers, Spanish coastguard, Reuters, Channel, Canary Locations: El Hierro, Spain, Africa, Canary, Spanish, Mali, Mauritania, Senegal, West Africa, Turkey, Greece, Britain, Lanzarote

☆ Rishi Sunak: Everything seems to be going wrong for British PM
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-20 | by ( Luke Mcgee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Life must seem bleak for British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak these days. Sunak has said that he will hold a general election this year, but has yet to confirm its date. It was only voted through by MPs because it has the support of the opposition Labour Party. Anderson is a working-class former miner who is from a part of the country that traditionally votes for the opposition Labour Party. However, Anderson was suspended from the Conservative Party after making comments about the Muslim mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, that Sunak clearly believed were beyond the pale.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Sunak, –, Boris Johnson, Winston Churchill, It’s, ” Rishi Sunak, Dan Kitwood, Liz Truss, Lee Anderson, Anderson, Elon Musk, Tesla, Kirsty Wigglesworth, doesn’t, Sadiq Khan, Suella Braverman, Braverman, Johnson, Rishi, ” Sunak Organizations: CNN, British, Conservative Party, Labour Party, ”, Conservatives, Allies, Labour, Sunak's, SpaceX, Reuters, Conservative, “, Adidas Samba Locations: Quebec, London, Rwanda

☆ Watchdog Finds E.U. Border Agency Too Weak to Prevent Migrant Disasters at Sea
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-28 | by ( Monika Pronczuk | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Eight months after hundreds of migrants died in a capsizing on the Mediterranean, investigators said Wednesday that the European Union’s border agency lacks the ability to prevent future maritime disasters. watchdog office into the border agency, Frontex, was prompted by the deaths of more than 600 men, women and children who drowned off the coast of Greece last June under the eyes of dozens of officials and coast guard crews. “Frontex includes ‘coast guard’ in its name, but its current mandate and mission clearly fall short of that,” the head of the E.U. watchdog agency, Emily O’Reilly, said on Wednesday. “If Frontex has a duty to help save lives at sea, but the tools for it are lacking, then this is clearly a matter for E.U.

Persons: Emily O’Reilly, Frontex, Adriana Organizations: ”, Hellenic Coast Guard Locations: Greece, ‘

With 23% of the vote, Wilders stands a good chance of leading any future governing coalition. In the Netherlands, forming a majority coalition with Wilders' party was considered unthinkable not long ago. "And Wilders took off in the polls.”In December, a member of Wilders' party became president of parliament, marking a breakthrough in political acceptance. There is now a real prospect of his far-right party joining, or even leading, a majority governing coalition. Rather than far-right parties being pulled to the center, the center may veer to the right.

Persons: SINT, ”, Geert Wilders, Wilders, ’ ”, Rem Korteweg, “, Walter de Jong, De Jong, Mark Rutte, Tom Theuns, ” Wilders, Theuns, ” Theuns, Jean, Marie Le Pen, Le Pen’s, —, North Africa —, Mark Rutte's, Frans Timmermans Organizations: Party, Freedom, European Union, EU, Party for Freedom, Rabobank, “, Leiden University, National, Frontex, ”, Pulitzer Center, Crisis Locations: SINT WILLEBRORD, Netherlands, Willebrord, Europe, Germany, France, Spain, Sweden, Austria, The Hague, Hungary, Serbia, Poland, Rucphen, Sint Willebrord, Ukraine, Soviet, Syria, Turkey, Belgium, Dutch, North Africa, EU

☆ Finland to close last operating checkpoint on Russian border
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Eve Brennan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Finland will close the last operating checkpoint on its Russian border on Thursday, entirely shutting off the NATO country’s eastern border with Russia for two weeks. In Tuesday’s press release, Finland’s interior ministry said entry into Finland at the eastern border has continued despite restrictions. “Since the beginning of August, almost 1,000 third-country nationals have arrived in Finland without a visa via the border crossing points at the eastern border. He welcomed the move by the European Union’s border agency, Frontex, to deploy 50 guards along the Finnish border. Earlier this year, the Finnish Border Guard also began the pilot phase of constructing an eastern border barrier fence along some key parts of the border.

Persons: Petteri Orpo, Mari Rantanen, Alexander Grushko, ”, Grushko, “, Jens Stoltenberg, ” Stoltenberg, Stoltenberg, Vladimir Putin’s “ Organizations: CNN, NATO, Finland’s Ministry, Internal Affairs, Finland’s, Finnish Border Guard, Government Locations: Finland, Russia, Helsinki, Ukraine, ”, Russian, Moscow, “, Finnish, Brussels, European

☆ Finland plans more measures to stop asylum surge from Russia border
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( Anne Kauranen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Finnish Border Guards escort migrants arriving at the Raja-Jooseppi international border crossing station in Inari, Finland, November 25, 2023. Some 900 asylum seekers from nations including Afghanistan, Kenya, Morocco, Pakistan, Somalia, Syria and Yemen have entered Finland from Russia in November, an increase from less than one per day previously, according to the Finnish Border Guard. Finland blames a change in Russian border protocol for the increase and calls this a hybrid attack. Finland infuriated Russia when it joined NATO in April, ending decades of military non-alignment, due to the war in Ukraine. If this continues, more measures will be announced in the near future," Prime Minister Petteri Orpo told a press conference.

Persons: Korhonen, Petteri Orpo, Ulf Kristersson, Orpo, Jens Stoltenberg, " Stoltenberg, Anne Kauranen, Anna Ringstrom, Andrew Gray, Louise Rasmussen, Terje Solsvik, Alison Williams Organizations: Finnish Border Guards, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Finnish Border Guard, Kremlin, NATO, Border Guard, Swedish, Frontex, Monday, European Union, Thomson Locations: Inari, Finland, Russia, Moscow, Afghanistan, Kenya, Morocco, Pakistan, Somalia, Syria, Yemen, United States, Ukraine, Sweden, EU, Brussels, Finland's, NATO, East, Africa, Belarus, Poland, Minsk, Helsinki, Stockholm

Now, hundreds of migrants from the Middle East and Africa have appeared at Finland's border from Russia, seeking entry into the Nordic country. They accuse Russia of driving the migrants to the border to sow discord as payback for Finland's membership in NATO. Finnish authorities quickly closed four checkpoints and then three more, leaving just one Arctic crossing point open for asylum-seekers. Finland also asked for help from EU border agency Frontex, which said it would send dozens of officers and equipment as reinforcements to the Finnish border. The Kremlin denies encouraging the migrants, and says it regrets the Finnish border closures.

Persons: Elina Valtonen, Petteri Orpo, Maria Zakharova, Valtonen, Russia’s, ”, Klaus Dodds, ” Dodds, Ylva Johansson, Sauli Niinistö, Alexander Lukashenko, Evika Siliņa, Siliņa, Lukashenko, Vladimir Putin, “, Geert Wilders, Orpo’s, Vanessa Gera Organizations: HELSINKI, —, NATO, Nordic, Associated Press, HOW, EU, Frontex, Russian Foreign Ministry, Royal Holloway, University of London, VU EU Home Affairs, Belarus —, Latvian, AP, Poland’s, Guard Locations: Finland, Russia, East, Africa, Syria, Yemen, Somalia, Iraq, Afghanistan, Finnish, FINLAND, Helsinki, Belarus, Europe, Moscow, Ukraine, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Baltic, Netherlands, Finns, Lapland, Murmansk, Warsaw

☆ EU Helps Finland Secure Its Borders Amid Migrant Influx From Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( Ann M. Simmons | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Migrants arrived at a border crossing between Finland and Russia on Thursday. Photo: Jussi Nukari/Lehtikuva/Associated PressThe European Union will help Finland bolster its borders following a recent surge of migrants trying to enter the country from Russia, whom Helsinki has accused of facilitating their passage. Frontex, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, said Thursday it would send 50 border-guard officers and other staff, along with equipment such as patrol cars, to bolster Finland’s border-control activities. The reinforcement, including surveillance officers, support for registering migrants, document experts and interpreters, was expected to be on the ground as soon as next week, the agency said. Frontex currently has 10 officers working at the Finnish borders, it said.

Persons: Jussi Nukari, Frontex Organizations: Associated Press, Union, Border, Coast Guard Agency Locations: Finland, Russia, Helsinki, Finland’s

☆ Finland shuts all passenger border crossings with Russia but one
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/4] Finnish Border Guards escort the migrants at the international border crossing at Salla, northern Finland, November 23, 2023. Having last week closed four border stations, Finland overnight closed all remaining passenger crossings except its northernmost one, Raja-Jooseppi located in the northern Arctic region, for a month. Separately, the Finnish Border Guard said on Friday it expects dozens of officers from the European Union's Frontex border agency to help patrol the 1,340 km (833 mile) border with Russia from next week. "Their task will primarily be to patrol the land border under the supervision of the Finnish Border Guards and to support them," Border Security Expert Arttu Maaranen told Reuters. Estonia, like Finland, has accused Moscow of sending migrants to its border with Russia in what its interior minister called "a hybrid attack operation".

Persons: Lehtikuva, Jussi Nukari, Jooseppi, Maaranen, Frontex, Jonas Gahr Stoere, Gahr Stoere, Anne Kauranen, Victoria Klesty, Anna Ringstrom, Gareth Jones Organizations: Finnish Border Guards, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Nordic, Kremlin, Finnish Border Guard, Reuters, Estonian, NATO, Thomson Locations: Salla, Finland, Russia, Moscow, Afghanistan, Kenya, Morocco, Pakistan, Somalia, Syria, Yemen, Helsinki, Norway, Finland's, Norwegian, Tallinn, Estonia, Oslo

Abandoned bicycles lie at the international border crossing, as migrants arrive to the northern border stations between Finland and Russia, in Salla, Lapland, Finland November 23, 2023. Finland on Wednesday said it will close all but the northernmost crossing point on its 1,340 km (830 miles) border with Russia, leaving open only a remote Arctic route from Friday morning onwards. Frontex in a statement said it would deploy 50 border guard officers and other staff to Finland along with equipment such as patrol cars, to bolster control activities. Frontex said it would send a first group of staff on Nov. 29, including border surveillance officers, support for registering migrants, document experts and interpreters. Reporting by Anna Ringstrom in Stockholm and Essi Lehto in Helsinki, editing by Terje Solsvik and Christina FincherOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Lehtikuva, Jussi Nukari, Coast Guard Agency Frontex, Mari Rantanen, Rantanen, Frontex, Anna Ringstrom, Essi, Terje Solsvik, Christina Fincher Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Coast Guard Agency, Nordic, Kremlin, Finland, Thomson Locations: Finland, Russia, Salla, Lapland, Rights STOCKHOLM, Helsinki, Moscow, funnelling, Yemen, Afghanistan, Kenya, Morocco, Pakistan, Somalia, Syria, Stockholm

☆ EU to deploy more staff on Finnish-Russian border amid asylum crisis
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Abandoned bicycles lie at the international border crossing, as migrants arrive to the northern border stations between Finland and Russia, in Salla, Lapland, Finland November 23, 2023. Helsinki has accused Moscow of funnelling migrants to the border from nations such as Yemen, Afghanistan, Kenya, Morocco, Pakistan, Somalia and Syria, a charge the Kremlin has denied. Frontex in a statement on Thursday said it would deploy 50 border guard officers and other staff to Finland along with equipment such as patrol cars, to bolster control activities. Finland earlier this week said it had asked for 60 Frontex officers on top of 10 already stationed in the country. Frontex said it would send a first group of staff on Nov. 29, including border surveillance officers, support for registering migrants, document experts and interpreters.

Persons: Lehtikuva, Jussi Nukari, Coast Guard Agency Frontex, Frontex, Anna Ringstrom, Essi Lehto, Terje Solsvik Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Coast Guard Agency, Nordic, Kremlin, Finland, Thomson Locations: Finland, Russia, Salla, Lapland, Rights STOCKHOLM, Helsinki, Moscow, Yemen, Afghanistan, Kenya, Morocco, Pakistan, Somalia, Syria

☆ Finland May Shut Entire Russian Border, Foreign Minister Says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

"We have already taken measures to close border crossing points, and if need be, we will be doing further closings," Valtonen said in an interview, adding that closing the entire border was one option the government was currently discussing. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Wednesday that Russia will "of course" respond if Finland closes the remaining border posts between the two countries. Valtonen confirmed observations by the Finnish border guards and said Finnish decision-makers had additional evidence that the Russian border service was transporting the migrants to the border but declined to reveal her sources. Valtonen said Finland had tried discussing the matter with Russia but Moscow had so far declined to engage in dialogue. On Wednesday, 51 migrants arrived from Russia to apply for asylum at the Salla border crossing and at least 11 at Vartius in Northern Finland, the Border Guard said.

Persons: Elina Valtonen, Valtonen, Maria Zakharova, Ylva Johansson, Essi Lehto, Anne Kauranen, Terje Solsvik, Frances Kerry Organizations: Essi Lehto, Reuters, European Union, Kremlin, Foreign, Valtonen, NATO, Frontex, Border Guard Locations: Essi Lehto HELSINKI, Finland, Russia, Helsinki, Moscow, Yemen, Afghanistan, Kenya, Morocco, Pakistan, Somalia, Syria, Ukraine, Russian, EU's, Finnish, Vartius, Northern Finland

☆ Finland to close all but northernmost border crossing with Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Essi Lehto | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"The government has today decided to close more border stations," Orpo told a press conference. Finland said Russia was letting migrants through those two crossing points by foot despite an agreement that they could only be crossed by car. "There are growing signs that the situation is worsening on the eastern border," Orpo said. Finland will shut three of the four remaining border crossing points from midnight on Friday, leaving only the Raja-Jooseppi crossing in the Arctic open. "Raja-Jooseppi is the northernmost (border crossing) and it requires a real effort to get there," Orpo said.

Persons: Petteri Orpo, Orpo, Ylva Johansson, Sauli Niinisto, Moscow's, Essi Lehto, Jacob Gronholt, Pedersen, Alexandra Hudson, Christina Fincher, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: Nordic, European Union, Kremlin, Finland, Russia, Thomson Locations: HELSINKI, Finland, Russia, Helsinki, Moscow, Yemen, Afghanistan, Kenya, Morocco, Pakistan, Somalia, Syria, EU, Estonia, Baltic, Finnish, Vartius, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Belarus, East, Africa

☆ Finland may shut entire Russian border, foreign minister says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Essi Lehto | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A car is seen at the border between Russia and Finland at the Nuijamaa border checkpoint in Lappeenranta, Finland, November 16, 2023. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Wednesday that Russia will "of course" respond if Finland closes the remaining border posts between the two countries. Valtonen confirmed observations by the Finnish border guards and said Finnish decision-makers had additional evidence that the Russian border service was transporting the migrants to the border but declined to reveal her sources. Valtonen said Finland had tried discussing the matter with Russia but Moscow had so far declined to engage in dialogue. On Wednesday, 51 migrants arrived from Russia to apply for asylum at the Salla border crossing and at least 11 at Vartius in Northern Finland, the Border Guard said.

Persons: Moilanen, Elina Valtonen, Valtonen, Maria Zakharova, Ylva Johansson, Essi, Anne Kauranen, Terje Solsvik, Frances Kerry Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, European Union, Kremlin, Foreign, Valtonen, NATO, Frontex, Border Guard, Thomson Locations: Russia, Finland, Lappeenranta, Helsinki, Moscow, Yemen, Afghanistan, Kenya, Morocco, Pakistan, Somalia, Syria, Ukraine, Russian, EU's, Finnish, Vartius, Northern Finland

☆ Dozens of migrants wait at Finland-Russia border after Helsinki blocks crossings
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Anne Kauranen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

HELSINKI, Nov 18 (Reuters) - Dozens of migrants stood behind barriers at two crossings on Finland's border with Russia on Saturday, the Finnish Border Guard said, after Helsinki erected barricades to halt a flow of asylum seekers it says was instigated by Moscow. Despite the closure, dozens of migrants arrived on Saturday afternoon at the Nuijamaa and Vaalimaa crossings, and lit a campfire in sub-zero temperatures behind razor-wire barriers mounted by border guards, Finnish Border Guard told reporters. Four regular border crossings remain open for the time being, but asylum can now only be sought at two of those, in Salla and Vartius, further north, the Border Guard said. On Saturday, 67 people arrived to seek asylum at the Vartius post, the local border guard unit said on X, formerly known as Twitter. The Kremlin on Friday said Finland was making a "big mistake" by closing down border crossings and that Helsinki's move was destroying bilateral relations.

Persons: Mika Rytkonen, Jouko Kinnunen, Moscow's, Riikka Purra, Anne Kauranen, Attila Cser, Kevin Liffey, Terje Solsvik, Ros Russell Organizations: Finnish Border Guard, Kremlin, YLE, Finland, Border Guard, Twitter, MTV, Union, Frontex, Friday, Reuters, Finance, Finns Party, Thomson Locations: HELSINKI, Russia, Helsinki, Moscow, United States, Finland, Iraq, Yemen, Somalia, Syria, Salla, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Belarus, East, Africa, Nuijamaa, London

☆ Nordic Countries to Cooperate More on Returning Migrants to Countries of Origin
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Oct. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Johannes BirkebaekCOPENHAGEN (Reuters) - The Nordic governments intend to step up their cooperation to return immigrants without legal residence in the region to their countries of origin, ministers from the five countries said in a joint press conference in Copenhagen on Tuesday. However, the Danish model has become more popular as anti-immigration voices have gained traction across the Nordic region. The ministers of Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Norway and Iceland have agreed to strengthen cooperation between diplomatic personnel in charge of returning migrants from the respective Nordic countries to their country of origin. The five countries also have agreed to arrange joint flights to take illegal residents to a third country through the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, Frontex. Lastly, the ministers agreed to "assist stranded irregular migrants in North Africa," who they say will be offered assisted voluntary return to their home countries and assistance in re-establishing themselves in the third country.

Persons: Johannes Birkebaek COPENHAGEN, Ulf Kristersson, Maria Malmer Stenergard, Mari Rantanen, Johannes Birkebaek, Louise Rasmussen, David Gregorio Organizations: Nordic, United Nations, of, European Border, Coast Guard Agency, Frontex, Agency, International Organisation for Migration Locations: Copenhagen, Denmark, Danish, Nordic, Swedish, Finland, Finnish, Sweden, Norway, Iceland, North Africa, Europe, Africa

He lost his case in October 2020 and, the following March, was issued an order to leave Belgium. With at least three EU countries involved, the case points up the challenges the EU faces tracking people across the bloc's Schengen open-travel zone that is mostly free of border checks. Proponents of the EU's new migration pact - which has been tentatively agreed by most EU countries and is now being further negotiated with the European Parliament - say it would support returns by shortening time for migration and asylum procedures. "Those who are not allowed to stay in the EU must leave Europe. "This is a wake-up call for those who are not ready to accept ... the migration pact."

Persons: Alexander de Croo, Vincent Van Quickenborne, Manfred Weber, Marine Strauss, Bart Meijer, Angelo Amante, Gabriela Baczynska, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: Belgium Case, EU, Immigration, Belgian, Frontex, Eurostat, Reuters, European People's Party, Thomson Locations: Italy, Sweden, Belgium, BRUSSELS, ROME, Tunisia, Europe, Israel, Germany, Brussels, Tunis, ITALY, SWEDEN, BELGIUM, Lampedusa, Poland, Hungary, East, Africa, Rome

☆ Over 8,500 migrants reach Spain's Canary Islands in two weeks -ministry data
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MADRID, Oct 16 (Reuters) - At least 8,561 migrants have reached the Canary Islands over the past two weeks, representing more than a third of this year's total arrivals, data from Spain's interior ministry showed on Monday. Between Jan. 1 and Oct. 15 of this year, the islands in the Atlantic received 23,537 migrants, an 80% increase from the same period last year, the data showed. The archipelago's seven islands have become the main destination for migrants from Senegal and other African countries trying to reach Spain. One aircraft will patrol the waters off Senegal and Mauritania and a second will monitor the waters around the Canary Islands. The Atlantic migration route to the Canary Islands, typically used by sub-Saharan African migrants trying to reach Spain, is one of the world's deadliest.

Persons: Borja Suarez, Fernando Grande, Marlaska, Emma Pinedo, David Latona, Christina Fincher Organizations: Atlantic, Gran Canaria, REUTERS, EU, Acting, Thomson Locations: MADRID, Senegal, Spain, Spanish, West Africa, Arguineguin, Gran, Mauritania, Africa's, Europe, Canary

☆ EU chief pledges migrant action plan in Italy's Lampedusa
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-17 | by ( Yara Nardi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Yara Nardi Acquire Licensing RightsLAMPEDUSA, Italy Sept 17 (Reuters) - European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Sunday visited the Italian island of Lampedusa, which is struggling with a surge in migrant arrivals, and promised a 10-point EU action plan to help Italy deal with the situation. Nearly 126,000 migrants have arrived in Italy so far this year, almost double the figure by the same date in 2022. Von der Leyen was accompanied by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and the car carrying them to Lampedusa's migrant reception centre was briefly blocked by locals protesting over the burden facing the island. The plan includes using the EU's external borders agency Frontex to identify migrants arriving in Italy and repatriate those not eligible for asylum. Frontex would also step up sea and aerial surveillance of migrant boats and help crack down on people-smugglers, von der Leyen said, adding that she had already spoken to several EU leaders about the plan and was confident of their support.

Persons: Ursula von der Leyen, Giorgia Meloni's, Yara, Von der Leyen, Giorgia Meloni, Meloni, von der Leyen, Frontex, Tony Colapinto, Gavin Jones, Louise Heavens Organizations: Italian, REUTERS, Sunday, Meloni, coastguard, Thomson Locations: Lampedusa, Italy, European, Tunisia, Tunis, Europe

More than 120 small boats arrived in Lampedusa in the span of roughly 24 hours, bringing the number of people at the local reception center to 7,000 people at one point. But consecutive arrivals on the small island in a short period of time made things difficult to manage, Di Giacomo said. Most of those boarding smugglers' boats for Europe are young men and unaccompanied minors, though women and children are seen but in smaller numbers. As soon as the weather improved, they launched more than 100 small iron boats from Tunisian beaches carrying between 30 to 40 people. Migrants pay smugglers between 1,500 and 5,000 Tunisian dinars (roughly $500-$1,600) for a spot on the dangerous boats.

Persons: Giorgia Meloni, Kais Saied, Flavio Di Giacomo, Di Giacomo, Daniel, “ It's, ”, Chris Borowski, Saied's, Giacomo, Ursula von der Leyen, It's, ” Abderrahim, Saied, doesn’t, “, ___ Frances D'Emilio Organizations: Union, Italy's Interior Ministry, International Organization for, WHO, IOM, Border, Coast Guard Agency, Global, Transnational, EU Locations: BARCELONA, Spain, Lampedusa, Tunisia, Italy, North Africa, Italian, Europe, Ukraine, Ivory Coast, Guinea, Cameroon, Burkina Faso, Mali, Libya, Egypt, Eritrea, Sudan, Sfax, Tunisian, African, Greece, Rome

☆ Cape Verde: Authorities 'left people to die' despite warnings about migrant boat weeks before tragedy, rights group alleges
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( Benjamin Brown Zahid Mahmood Stephanie Busari Mostafa Salem | Benjamin Brown | Zahid Mahmood | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

At least 60 people are presumed dead after the boat was rescued off the coast of Cape Verde, the International Organization on Migration (IOM) told CNN on Thursday. Non-governmental organization Caminando Fronteras (Walking Borders) put the death toll at 92, adding it believed 130 people were on board the boat when it left Senegal. Garzón told CNN that Caminando Fronteras informed the authorities of Spain, Senegal, Mauritania and Morocco of the situation on July 20. Garzón further alleged that the European Union’s border patrol agency Frontex is active in the region, cooperating with the Senegalese and Mauritanian navies. She claimed that while the patrol ships look for boats in the area and monitor migrant routes, they do not provide assistance when required.

Persons: Frontex, Caminando, Caminando Fronteras, Helena Maleno Garzón, Garzón, “, ” Garzón, ” Organizations: CNN, Four, International Organization, Migration, Senegalese, ” CNN Locations: West Africa, Spanish, Cape Verde, Senegal, Spain, Mauritania, Morocco, Mauritanian, Europe

☆ Rights groups seek 'credible' probe into Greece migrant shipwreck that killed hundreds
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A undated handout photo provided by the Hellenic Coast Guard shows migrants onboard a boat during a rescue operation, before their boat capsized on the open sea, off Greece, June 14, 2023. Hellenic Coast Guard/Handout via REUTERSATHENS, Aug 3 (Reuters) - Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch on Thursday called for a "credible" probe into a migrant shipwreck off Greece in June in which hundreds died, saying that contrasting accounts by the Greek coastguard and survivors "were extremely concerning". Survivors have recounted a doomed attempt by the Greek coast guard to tow the trawler that caused the vessel to capsize, according to interviews and evidence seen by Reuters. The Greek coastguard and government have said no attempt was made to tow the boat and that it overturned when the coastguard was about 70 metres away. The acts of the coast guard are also under investigation.

Persons: Adriana, Judith Sunderland, Karolina Tagaris, Nick Macfie Organizations: Hellenic Coast Guard, REUTERS, Amnesty, Human Rights, Greek coastguard, Reuters, coastguard, HRW, UN, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Europe, Central Asia, EU, Thomson Locations: Greece, REUTERS ATHENS, Pakistan, Syria, Egypt, Italy, Libya

☆ EU probes border agency's rescue role after migrant shipwreck killed hundreds
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( Gabriela Baczynska | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SummaryCompanies Rights watchdog probes Europe's deadliest shipwreck in yearsO'Reilly to also look into EU's migration deal with TunisiaMigration politically sensitive in EU ahead of 2024 electionBRUSSELS, July 26 (Reuters) - The EU rights watchdog on Wednesday announced a probe into Europe's deadliest shipwreck in years and whether the bloc's Frontex border agency fulfilled its rescue duties when the boat sank off Greece last month killing hundreds of migrants. Islamabad said the boat was carrying over 700 people, including at least 350 Pakistanis. The Greek coastguard rescued 104 people but hundreds drowned in one of Europe's deadliest shipwrecks in recent years. Fewer than 160,000 people made it across the sea last year, according to U.N. data. O'Reilly also said she would look into a recent EU deal with Tunisia to stem migration to Europe.

Persons: O'Reilly, Emily O'Reilly, Adriana, Frontex, Gabriela Baczynska, Nick Macfie Organizations: Companies, EU, Wednesday, Greek coastguard, Thomson Locations: Tunisia, BRUSSELS, Greece, Europe, Islamabad, East, Africa, Syria, Italy, Netherlands, Poland

☆ Pakistan's economic meltdown spurs more people to risk lives to reach Europe
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( Gibran Naiyyar Peshimam | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +9 min

He is missing and presumed dead, according to his brother, highlighting the perils faced by people who seek to enter Europe illegally. Cash-strapped Pakistan's $350 billion economy is in a meltdown, with inflation at a record 38%. Pakistan's information ministry did not respond to questions from Reuters about economic factors fuelling migration. 3 nationality registered in Italy coming from Libya, after Egyptians and Bangladeshis, a Frontex spokesperson told Reuters in an email. At least 209 Pakistanis were believed to be on board, according to official data based on information provided by relatives.

Persons: Muhammad Sarwar Bhatti, Hameed Iqbal Bhatti, Salahuddin, Bhatti, Hafeez Pasha, Muhammad Nadeem, Nadeem, Kosar Bibi, Bibi, Sarwar Warraich, Muhammad Zubair, Muhammad Nazim, Nazim, Muhammad Ali, Anish Raza, Haji Ilyas, Ilyas, puffing, Israr Mirza, Mirza, Gibran Peshimam, Ariba Shahid, David Crawshaw Organizations: Reuters, REUTERS, Cash, Federal Investigation Agency, FIA, OF, International Monetary Fund, Migrant Resource Centre, College, Thomson Locations: Greece, Khuiratta, Pakistan, Kashmir, Saudi Arabia, Europe, Libya, Italy, Gujrat, Italian, Ferrara, Turkey, Bhojpur, Gujrat district, Spain, EU, Lahore, Islamabad

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