100 posts
Is it Safe to Go Home Now?
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Belgium’s “safe country of origin” list includes just seven countries, six from the Balkans.
UK 'cannot afford' Bulgarian and Romanian immigrants
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In 2014 there will be an unprecedented crime wave in Britain if we do not stop Romanian and Bulgarian citizens having open door access to British borders, claims Godfrey Bloom...
Refugees on Hunger Strike in Germany against Politics of Deterrence
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On October 24, twenty-five asylum-seekers went on hunger strike in front of Brandenburg Gate in Berlin. The protest in the highly symbolic location, which stands for the once violent division of a people by politics, is the latest in a chain reaction...
A US immigration fairytale: happy ever after?
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Immigration is a key but contradictory topic in the run-up to the US presidential elections on 6 November. Both Mitt Romney and Barack Obama are toeing a careful line, lauding the USA’s origins as a land of immigration whilst promising to secure US...
Blogs review: The economics and politics of migration in the economic crisis
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Authors: David C. Saha, Christoph SkupnikWhat’s at stake: Rising unemployment in rich Western states fundamentally changes the context of migration. High unemployment among immigrants reduces the pull exerted by richer countries on potential immigr...
Mody’s Dilemma: Evicting the Vulnerable As Refugee Centers Run Out of Money
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A few months ago my friend good friend Mody, a Sudanese refugee in Sicily, sent me a photo of an …Continue reading »...
Interview With Lampedusan Activist , Giacomo Sferlazza: “Trying to change the world and realizing that the biggest risk is to be changed by the world.”
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Giacomo Sferlazzo is a most gracious man. He is also a very busy man so I am so grateful that …Continue reading »...
We can do more
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IHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation/TURKEY (c) The fog was dense in Luxembourg when the Council meeting for Justice and Home Affairs was about to start. Several of the ministers could not land because the airport was closed in the morning. Various top...
Refugees in Poland on Hunger Strike
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Over seventy people continue a hunger strike in polish detention centers.Below is a statement from the website supporting the strikersFacebook group herePart of the detainees claim they lack competent legal support or interpreting services, which se...
Swiss view partnerships as a way to curb illegal migration
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video In Switzerland, many problems with illegal migration and asylum seekers from third-world countries are being s...
EASO's October newsletter
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A few days ago we received EASO's October newsletter, giving updated information on the Agency's activities and recruitment opportunities. The newsletter (in .pdf) can be downloaded here.
Askavusa, Lampedusa, and a Meditation on the Condition of the Refugee
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Refugees live in a divided world, between countries in which they cannot live, and countries in which they may not …Continue reading »...
Details On Immigration To Poland
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Immigration to Poland has brought huge modifications in every aspect of the Polish local community. It has changed from simple giving of licenses to some more complex, very tight process of acquiring visas and citizenship.
EASO's 2nd Consultative Forum: where is Civil Society?
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Some days ago the European Asylum Support Office announced the organisation of its 2nd Consultative Forum. A a quick refresher, the founding Regulation requires EASO to engage in dialogue with those members of civil society that are active in t...
Book Review: Migrants and their money: Surviving financial exclusion
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Migrants and their Money highlights how migrants negotiate the complex financial landscape they encounter and the diverse formal and informal ways in which they manage their money in London – a city that is often considered the financial capit...
Along the border
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At the Venna detention centre, talking to Syrian, Pakistani, Palestinian & Eritrean migrants. Photo: Michele Cercone I have had an intense day in Greece, in the border areas near Turkey – Komotini, Venna, Feres and Poros. I am here with Greek m...
Les mineurs non accompagnés dans l’UE
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Les statistiques étant lacunai-res, la dimension exacte du phénomène des mineurs non accompagnés dans l’UE demeure inconnue. D’après les données existantes, le problème semble prendre de l’ampleur. Tous les États membres son...
The most vunerable children
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At Friday's press conference. Photo: European Commission Of the thousands of unaccompanied children who make it to the EU each year, many have endured great hardships to get here, fleeing wars and conflict. Two years ago, I presented an action pl...
Extending non-Europeans the right to vote
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While the UK’s attention is torn between ‘Badger cull’ and ‘Man gets upset at police’, I came...
Agencies with close(r) ties: EASO & Frontex
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As hinted at in an earlier post, EASO and Frontex have just formalised a Working Arrangement. You can read about this arrangement in the joint press statement issued by both Agencies today.
Resettlement, a transatlantic meeting, Frontex, GENSEN...
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In May the European Asylum Support Office participated in a skills share day organised by the EU Resettlement Network, indicating it's clear role in ensuring that solidarity does not remain an intra-EU term and principle but that it is understood in...
Dr. Visser meets MEP Kyriacos Triantaphyllides
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...and just following our earlier post on MEP Triantaphyllides' report on intra-EU solidarity, we're also sharing with you EASO's press release on the meeting between the MEP and EASO's Executive Director, Dr. Robert K. Visser.
EASO & intra-EU relocation of protection beneficiaries
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Yesterday afternoon, the European Parliament Office in Malta organised a Citizens' Forum on Burden-sharing and Asylum. The main aim of the event was to present the recent EP report "Report on enhanced intra-EU solidarity in the field of asy...
The Inclusive European?
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I am reading Lena Sundström’s book Världens lyckligaste folk (Eng: The world’s happiest people). It gives a brilliant insight into the development of xeno- and islamophobia (with a big focus on Denmark) for anyone who reads Swedish. Sundström...
LIBE committee, Frontex, Greece, EMN...
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We've gathered a number of information items for your attention: Plenty of press coverage relating to the recent adoption (19th September) by the Parliament's LIBE committee of its position on the proposals to amend the Dublin II Regulation. &nb...
Migration, Immigration, Asylum, trafficking, readmissions and all those frameworks to deal with unwanted movement of people in and through Ukraine
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This post has the potential to be something of a mish-mash. In fact it could appear to be bolted together with the crudeness of a 1970′s Lada compared to a smooth finish of a modern day Bentley. That is the way of things sometimes. As it happ...
The Mediterranean as Liquid Coffin: One Man’s Desperation is Another Man’s Golden Opportunity
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Though in the traditional sense, we equate water with life, the past few years, with seemingly no let up in …Continue reading »...
Greece: Petition for Neo-Nazi ‘Golden Dawn' Group Investigation
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Twitter users are promoting an international petition to urge a full criminal investigation into the Golden Dawn party in Greece. This video, uploaded to YouTube on September 9, 2012, by user aVeNGgeERR appears to show supporters from Greece's...
Cengiz Aktar: El yordamıyla iltica politikası
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El yordamıyla iltica politikası Mülteci konusu sayıları 90.000’e dayanan Suriyelilerle yeniden gündemde. Hükümet başından itibaren sorunu siyasî varsayımlar ve ye...
Visser in Portugal, increased solidarity, Greece
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We're happy to bring you some news items that have been sitting in out Inbox for some time now...more to follow as we clear out the info backlog: Dr. Visser (second from left) in Portugal. Visit by EASO's Executive Director to the Portugues...
Judy Asks: Why Doesn't Immigration Work in Europe?
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Every week leading experts answer a new question from Judy Dempsey on the international challenges shaping Europe's role in the world.
European Migration Network Report
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The European Commission recently published its report on the development of the European Migration Network (EMN), a Commission-led network with national contact points in each Member States, as well as Norway. The purpose of the EMN is to provide up-...
Riace, Calabria, where immigrants are welcome
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Until ten years ago Riace was one of the many Calabrian villages destined to disappear due to high emigration rates. Today it is one of the most famous towns in Europe, repopulated by immigrants. A closer look into this huge scale, real life social e...
PACE Rapporteur Strik and HRW Respond to Recent Migrant Boat Tragedies
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Tineke Strik (Netherlands, SOC), rapporteur of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) on “Lives lost in the Mediterranean Sea: who is responsible?”, issued a statement on Friday in response to the deaths of 61 persons from Syr...
Question Raised Whether Migrant Boat Sank Off Lampedusa Last Week
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Italian authorities are questioning survivor reports that the boat on which they were sailing from Tunisia actually sank or capsized near Lampedusa on 7 September. Authorities have raised the possibility that the survivors were intentionally landed...
Parere: Percepire che pensiamo l’immigrato è — la percezione di un lettore di Diana Mirea
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Perception is a tricky thing. Perhaps, to be misunderstood or misperceived is one of the worst feelings. And dislodging preconceived …Continue reading »...
High Death Toll in Turkish Migrant Boat Sinking Likely Caused by Persons Trapped Below Deck
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Last week’s sinking of a migrant boat off the Turkish coast took place about 50 metres from shore. The high death toll of 61 persons, including 31 children and infants, seems to have occurred in part because many of the … Continue reading &...
Fortress Europe
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IN THE RADICAL PRESS / IL MANIFESTO Welcome to the European Union: migrant marine cemeteries and concentration camps By Tommaso Di Francesco You can’t get into Fortress Europe. Less than 24 hours after the shipwreck in the Aegean of a boat of...
Docs & photos on the opening of EASO's premises
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Malta Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi (left) & EASO Executive Director Dr. Robert K. Visser (right) We've received a number of documents related to the opening of EASO's premises, just a few days ago. There are a couple of photos, in case...
So where is EASO now?
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...a few days ago we told you EASO's moved into its originally-intended premises. If you want to see the official inaugaration of the premises by the Malta Prime-Minister, you can go to the Times of Malta's article here. There's also a short...
Welcome to Belgistan — The most common baby name in Brussels for 4 years has been Mohammed
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A showdown over sharia is coming in Belgium because the high Muslim birth rate is changing the political landscape writes CBN (shookhran to Fausta) in its 5- to 6-minute video reportThe most common baby name in Brussels for four years running has...
Greek Anarchists' Anti-Racism Demonstration in Photos
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On Saturday, September 1, an anti-racism demonstration took place in central Athens. Hundreds of demonstrators, mainly anarchists, gathered to protest recent events such as violent, even lethal, attacks against immigrants.
HRW Briefing Paper: Hidden Emergency-Migrant deaths in the Mediterranean
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Human Rights Watch released a briefing paper on 16 August entitled “Hidden Emergency-Migrant deaths in the Mediterranean.” The briefing paper, written by Judith Sunderland, a senior researcher with HRW, reviews recent events in the Mediterranea...
EASO moves into its (new) office
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We've been wondering all day whether the Commission, the Malta Government of EASO itself will issue a press statement breaking the news that the Office has finally moved into its originally intended premises! Sources tell us that the move is plann...
An immigration conundrum – A Brit in Ukraine and the UKBA
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Immigration is a very touchy subject in the UK. Well it is everywhere, but as the subject of this entry is the UK, UKBA website, UK immigration rules et al, that seemed like a solid starting sentence. On 9th July 2012, the immigration rules got much...
Perhaps it is time to have a "Golden Dusk"...?
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For the past 4-5 years, since the crisis in Greece has intensified and gripped the nation, one of the phenomena and social changes that we have witnessed is the rise of the far right. The Golden Dawn "political" party has won 7% of the seats in the G...
“La vita per chi come noi è molto difficile”: job rate for immigrants in Italy drops
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My friend Mody, a Sudanese immigrant in Sicily, is looking for a job. In fact, for Mody, looking for a …Continue reading »...
London Met Univserity, the UKBA and foreign students
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This has absolutely nothing to do with Ukraine, unless you happen to be a now hapless Ukrainian student who thought they were going to study at London Metropolitan University. The UKBA has revoked the London Metropolitan University license to educate...
140+ Feared Dead After Migrant Boat Sinks Off Indonesia
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Six persons have been rescued after a boat believed to be carrying 150 asylum seekers attempting to reach Australia sank in the Sunda Strait between Java and Christmas Island. The six survivors had been in the water for about 24 … Continue re...
Armed Forces of Malta and Libyan Navy Engage in Joint Training Operation – Migrant Patrols a Focus of Training
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An Armed Forces of Malta (AFM) maritime squadron conducted its first joint training exercise this week with the Libyan Navy since the overthrow of the previous Libyan government. An AFM offshore patrol vessel and 46 AFM personnel engaged in trainin...
6 Syrians Dead in Waters Off Northern Cyprus
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A boat carrying Syrians sank off the coast of the Karpas Peninsula in Northern Cyprus earlier this week. Six people are reported dead, including two children. Two survivors were reportedly arrested on human smuggling charges. The boat is re...
Greece: Anti-Nationalists Demand Diversity
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From the Facebook group Europeans against the political system, this image has circulated around Facebook and other social media sites, gathering retweets, shares and many comments. Written by Veroniki Krikoni · comments (0) Share: Donate ·...
Ramzi Harrabi: Immigrato Tunisio : mediare per la cultura per il cambiamento e per la pace.
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Ramzi Harrabi is a musician, a poet , cultural mediator and an immigrant from Tunisia, living in Italy. While I …Continue reading »...
