Weekly Report: The most important facts from the Mediterranean.

40 days of war in the Ukraine

The conclusions of 4 days spent in Odessa - over 500.000 people already left the city. The ones that stayed are leading a daily struggle, doing their best to help their fellow Ukranians and soldiers live and continue the fight against the Russian invasion.

Over the last week, we've documented the current situation in Moldova, the country with the highest number of Ukrainian refugees: from the 360.000 that crossed its borders,102.000 people stayed, waiting for the war to end... 

Along with the many organizations active in Chisinau and at the borders with the Ukraine, civil society is helping the best way it can, showing solidarity on a daily basis.

The war in the Ukraine has entered its fourth week now. Over 3 million people have been displaced and more than 500.000 have reached Romania. 

Many Ukranians decided to stay and become the Resistance against the Russian oppressor, but the constant bombings will force others more to seek shelter over the borders... 

We documented the situation on the Romanian-Moldavian for 10 days. Here are some of the conclusions.

Today we're not reporting just news. It's a personal and direct call for action and solidarity. 

Thousands of people from Ukraine have fled to neighboring EU countries since Russia launched its invasion, on Thursday, the 24th of February.

1 mil people have been displaced so far (in and outside the Ukraine) and millions of Ukrainians may be forced to flee abroad...

In the last few days, Sea Watch rescued 129 human lives and the Ocean Viking was assigned a Place of Safety for the 247 rescues on board. But people are still dying in the attempt to cross the Mediterranean and reach Europe… Nonetheless, on the 21st-22nd February the Austrian government is organizing a conference hosting 23 countries to speed up the repatriation of illegal migrants, ensure stricter controls at the EU’s external border and to assist the Balkan countries in operationalizing repatriations and Frontex is promising assistance in Cyprus...

Both the Ocean Viking and Salvamento Maritimo rescued over 200 people in the last week: the first one in the Central Mediterranean and the second on the dangerous Atlantic route. However, there seems to be a new migration route across the Balkans: the one from Serbia to North Macedonia and then into Greece.

It's been 5 years since the Italy-Libya agreement: 5 years of EU-sponsored abuse in Libya and the central Mediterranean based on the Memorandum of Understanding on Migration. A similar Memorandum is expected to be signed in Cyprus, in order to control migrant movements with the assistance of EU bodies like EASO and Frontex. 

However, little is being done to protect the Rights and Lives of migrants around the world: the CommemorAction on the 6th of February was dedicated to the victims of Migration.

The Court of Agrigento shelved the investigation for the rescue of May 9, 2019 and acquitted the Commander of our ship MareJonio and the Head of Mission Beppe Caccia of all charges, found to be fulfilling their rescue duty, provided for by national and international law. 

Once again, it was stated that Libya cannot be considered a "place of safety"; thus, solutions are desperately needed and the voices of the refugees protesting peacefully (for over 3 months now) in front of the UNHCR in Tripoli must be heard.

715 people were saved in the last few days by 3 rescue vessels: our Mare Jonio, Banksy's Louise Michel and the GeoBarents (MSF).

Our ship has completed its 10th mission and will soon be ready to embark on a new one. 

On the other hand, the situation of the refugees at the Belarusian border, in Libya and in the Middle East is worsening day by day, due to the indifference and the externalization policies sustained by Europe.

The EU and UNHCR officials have announced that Latvia, Lithuania and Poland STILL use "pushbacks and other violations of human rights" at the borders to keep migrants out…  "Pushback" has actually been declared the Non-Word of the Year 2021 in Germany, which is trying to improve its migration policies, also by introducing a common European asylum system.

After 100 days of peaceful protests, on the 10th of January, the refugees gathered in front of the UNHCR main office reported brutal beatings and persecution by the Libyan police, meant to prevent them from demanding their own legal rights. Their situation has reached a point of no return and urgent measures are desperately needed!

The year 2021 has witnessed over 5500 deaths along the different migration routes towards Europe, especially on the Atlantic and the Central Mediterranean one. What Europe still fails to understand is that migration is not a crisis, but a natural occurrence - particularly within the current global context.

There is some good news: the investigation against Carola Rackete was finally shelved and the French authorities were accused of manslaughter in the English Channel shipwreck. 

However, the situation in the Central Mediterranean and in Libya remains unstable: the elections have been postponed to the 24th of January. Over 1500 migrants have perished on this route in 2021...

The 18th December was the international Migrants Day - that didn't bring much hope this year either: European heads of state and government just agreed to increase pressure on countries to take back rejected asylum seekers.

The EU has deals with more than 20 countries, including Pakistan, Tunisia, Turkey, Afghanistan, Nigeria, Bangladesh, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia and Gambia, to send back migrants.

15 EU countries have pledged to offer protection to nearly 40,000 people from Afghanistan. Germany alone has agreed to take in 25.000 of the evacuees.

On the other hand though, over the last 10 years, the EU and its member states spent hundreds of millions of euros on technologies to track down and keep refugees away. Poland alone approved spending €350 million on its wall with Belarus...

The ordeals of the refugees peacefully protesting in front of UNHCR Tripoli continue... For 66 days now... As the ones faced by migrants at the Belarusian borders - all that while Europe is watching. A neglect called by Pope Francis himself the "shipwreck of civilization"...

The tragedy of the almost 2000 migrants at the Polish-Belarusian border continues: rights groups have appealed to the German government, immediate reception is required! Meanwhile, the humanitarian corridors initiative in Italy has brought to safety another 70 people and the Sea Watch 4 was finally granted a safe port (Augusta) for 460 lives.

Close to 30,000 people have been intercepted and forcibly returned to Libya since the beginning of the year. And on top of that, Libya's coast guard has threatened to hijack the Sea-Watch 4 rescue vessel, if it didn't comply with the orders. 

The human rights abuses must stop and the Refugees protesting un front of UNHCR in Tripoli must be evacuated!

The protests of the refugees in Tripoli, in front of the UNHCR headquarters, continue: for more than 45 days now! What they ask for is to be evacuated and sent back to their own country.

Meanwhile, migrants are still being pushed back to Libya by the so-called coast guard: last week, there were 70.

800 people were rescued by the SEA EYE 4 and 400 by the French maritime authorities. However, the crisis in Ethiopia is continuing, as well as the anti-migrant policies in Turkey - more and more Afghans are being detained at the border with the Iran.

Syria has been again declared an unsafe country for refugees to be sent back to and Libya has been faced with new sanctions. Nevertheless, Europe is still building fences and consolidating borders: Poland has just approved the construction of a 100km long wall along the country's border with Belarus to stem migration...

There is some wonderful news this week: The case against our Mare Jonio will be dropped, Salvini's anti-migrant stance and deeds are on trial. Spain is also easing up regulations for minor migrants, but the obsession with walls and borders have not yet left Europe...

Thousands of people protested in Warsaw on Sunday against pushbacks of migrants and asylum seekers at the Polish-Belarusian border. Smaller rallies were held in other Polish cities as well.

Turkey has also started to regularly push migrants back to Iran. A 243-kilometer concrete wall, topped with barbed wire and surrounded by trenches, is currently being built along Turkey's 534-kilometer border with Iran.

An investigative project by various media organizations reveals that Croatia, Romania, and Greece have been using EU funds to push migrants back across their borders, through violent and illegal tactics. There have been strong reactions, but noone is taking responsibility. Moreover, 12 EU member states have asked the European Commission and Council for new tools to protect the EU's external borders in the face of migratory flows, also with the European funding of fences and walls...

More than 600 migrants arrived in 18 boats on the Italian island of Lampedusa at the weekend, as the island marked the anniversary of the tragic shipwreck which claimed the lives of over 360 migrants eight years ago...

The German Youth Hostel Federation has offered up some of its properties to help house those who are fleeing Afghanistan. This is not the first time the federation has opened its doors to those fleeing war and insecurity.

In a communication released on September 23, the DJH said that it stands ready to work with the German government and help welcome those coming from crisis situations. It added that it had already made some of its properties available in 2015 when one more than a million migrants arrived in Germany, many fleeing the war in Syria.

There's also good news from the Mediterranean: nearly 190 migrants were saved by private rescue ships in the last few days. Plus, a group of 37 refugees arrived in Italy last week as part of the UNICORE - University Corridors for Refugees project. Thanks to sholarships, they will continue their studies at 23 universities in the country.

The UN hosted a donor conference in Geneva on Monday in a bid to raise $606 million needed by December to keep aid programs in Afghanistan afloat. The UN says humanitarian aid money would go to maintain medical services, the water supply and sanitation for millions of Afghans. Additionally, funding would support women and children and set up educational projects.

Also, about 90 Afghan nationals who had been evacuated by the US Army and taken to the Ramstein US air base have applied for asylum in Germany. The number of Afghan asylum applicants in Germany continues to rise sharply.

In a closing statement following a meeting in Brussels, the ministers said the EU and its 27 nations “stand determined to act jointly to prevent the recurrence of uncontrolled large-scale illegal migration movements faced in the past, by preparing a coordinated and orderly response.”

European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson said “the best way to prevent a migratory crisis is to prevent a humanitarian crisis.”

As the number of Afghans making their way into Turkey across the border from Iran rises steadily, the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has issued a stark warning to European nations, saying in a televised address that Turkey will not become Europe’s 'refugee warehouse'.

Several European leaders have suggested that refugees from Afghanistan should remain in Turkey and other countries in the region rather than being given asylum in Europe.

As the Taliban advance, even the European countries with the most hard-line deportation policies have been forced to put a hold on involuntary returns of failed asylum seekers. Germany, France, Denmark and the Netherlands have decided to allow failed Afghan asylum seekers to stay temporarily amid the growing conflict in their home country.

4,000+ migrants and refugees have arrived in Lithuania so far this year. Poland and Lithuania appealed to the European Commission, Frontex, the European Asylum Support Office (EASO), other EU member states, and partners outside the EU for political and practical support and called to strengthen EU migration and asylum policy... But there is also good news: Humanitarian corridors will be created - 1,000 refugees from Lebanon will arrive in Italy over the next 2 years.

On the 70th anniversary of the Geneva Refugee Convention, various European countries and other nations are increasingly trying to evade their obligations in accordance with the convention: not only the UK or Denmark, but also Greece, that has just requested the immediate return to Turkey of almost 2.000 migrants living in camps on the Greek Aegean Islands.

The UK is to hand over a further €62.7m to French border patrols to fund another crackdown on small-boat migrant crossings of the Channel - Frontex was also called upon to intervene. While the crisis in Afghanistan continues, forcing Afghans to enter Turkey in seek of refuge.

European and Mediterranean states are more intolerant towards migrants:

The Italian Chamber of Deputies has approved renewed funding to train Libya's coast guard; 

The Lithuanian Parliament now approves the arrests of refugees, following the British example… and Turkey has already detained 133 Afghans of the hundreds that have been crossing from Iran every day, fleeing the violence and fighting that’s come in the wake of the withdrawal of American troops in early July.

26 years have gone by since the Srebrenica genocide and Serbia still fails to acknowledge the existence of the massacre. As for the EU: it's not doing any better when it comes to tolerance and border policies - now Lithuania is considering building a fence to stem the migrant flow coming from Belarus.

Recorded and elaborated by Dorina A.

The migration policies are getting stricter across the European states. After Denmark, now British ministers are to reveal proposals for new laws paving the way for offshore centres for asylum seekers and criminal charges for migrants “knowingly” arriving in the UK without permission.

The European Union plans to spend more than €5 billion to help Turkey, Jordan and Lebanon to host Syrian refugees, thus "updating" the highly criticized migration pact signed in 2016.

The EU bloc is also seeking similar deals with Tunisia and Libya.

Elaborated and recorded by Dorina A.

Elections in Algeria, Iran and Ethiopia aren't likely to bring about change… there is, however, good news coming from Italy, that is to sign a protocol to bring 500 migrants from Libya via a humanitarian corridor run by religious charities.

Recorded and elaborated by Dorina Achelaritei

The European Court of Justice decided that Germany must reevaluate its criteria for granting subsidiary protection and not calculate the risk according to the death toll of the region of origin. All of that while asylum seekers are still being kept away from the European borders: Greece declares Turkey a safe country for refugees and Cyprus regularly deports Syrian refugees fleeing Lebanon.

Recorded and elaborated vy Dorina Achelaritei

One of the most alarming events of last week: Denmark has passed legislation allowing it to relocate asylum seekers to third countries outside the European Union while their cases are reviewed.

The project, proposed by the Social Democrat-led government, would seek partner countries to run camps and fund agencies along migration routes

Recorded and elaborated by Dorina Achelaritei

A decade of war in Syria claimed over 500.000 lives - and still, Assad was "reelected" with 95% of the votes... Erdoğan continues his crusade against the Gülen movement, this time in Kenya. Libya announces the second peace conference to be held at the end of June, in Berlin, which has finally recognized the genocide in Namibia.

Recorded and elaborated by Dorina Achelaritei

Last week, Carola Rackete, the captain of the Sea-Watch SAR vessel that defied an Italian naval blockade when she brought asylum seekers rescued in the Mediterranean sea to safety in June 2019, saw charges against her being dropped by a court in Agrigento. 

This week though, Syria is facing a sham election meant to consolidate Assad's regime.

Recorded and elaborated by Dorina Achelaritei

10 years after the "Movimiento 15-M", Spain sums up the legacy of the protest movement that caused a strong socio-political shock: the once radical leftist Podemos has become mainstream, mostly playing by the EU-rules, even when it comes to migration policies.

Simultaneously, the international community remains powerless in the Israel-Gaza violence, which shows few signs of slowing… 

Recorded and elaborated by Dorina Achelaritei

There have been appeals for calm after days of unrest in Jerusalem spiralled into retaliatory attacks by Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza.

Israel has launched air strikes against militant targets in the Gaza Strip, after rockets were fired from the territory towards Jerusalem. As the Israeli officials announced, the conflict is likely to last...

Recorded and elaborated by Dorina Achelaritei

The Ocean Viking rescued 236 and the SeaWatch4 455 human lives in the past week. Some Mediterranean countries have or will be facing elections, thus political changes with deep implications for the regional climate: in Syria, they will take place on the 26th of May.

Elaborated and recorded by Dorina Achelaritei

The entire continent is decrying the 130 lives lost in the shipwreck off the Libyan coasts. However, human and civil rights are infringed upon on a daily basis in Turkey, where HDP party members and Kurdish activists are put on trial this week for having participated in the Kobane protests in 2014.

(For the period April 20-27)

Recorded and Elaborated by Dorina Achelaritei

Libya has not only strengthened its alliance with Turkey against Greece and Cyprus, but has released a man described as one of the world’s most wanted human traffickers, the coastguard commander Abd al-Rahman Milad, known as Bija. However, justice seems to take its course as Matteo Salvini is to stand trial on migrant kidnapping charges and Patrick Zaki will likely be granted Italian citizenship.

Recorded and elaborated by Dorina Achelaritei

According to the latest Amnesty International report governments in Central and Eastern Europe used the pandemic to tighten controls over justice systems, curtail freedoms and further discriminate against marginalised communities: Germany continues its deportation flights to Afghanistan and Turkey keeps on ignoring basic human rights policies.

Recorded and elaborated by Dorina Achelaritei

The attacks on human rights do go on all across the Mediterranean: not only sea rescue NGOs are targeted, but also the civic rights of women are constantly being limited. After Turkey and its (EU-tolerated) withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention, Egypt has recently decided to further curb women's autonomy and make them dependent on a male guardian.

Edited and recorded by Dorina Achelaritei

Last week the entire world was shaken by tragic attacks: from Boulder and Vancouver to Mozambique and Indonesia - while Europe is struggling to come to terms with its own tormented past: 22 years since the Kosovo war and still no acknowledgement of the crimes by Serbia. However, France has publicly admitted to having been 'blind' to the Rwanda genocide, thus bearing "heavy and overwhelming responsibilities" over the 1994 genocide.

Recorded and elaborated by Dorina Achelaritei

Turkey continues to try to dominate EU politics this week:  5 years after the EU-Turkey deal on migration, it has asked for a renegotiation of the pact, as well the retaking the procedure on becoming a EU member, while the government in Ankara quits the Convention of Istanbul, the world first binding treaty in violence against women.

Recorded and elaborated by Dorina Achelaritei

Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights took a strong stance on Europe's handling of immigration, speaking of "Fail to protect refugees and migrants"; new deaths in front of Tunisian coasts and further reports of migrants tortured in Libyan camps, among the themes of this week's podcast.

Podcast recorded and edited by Dorina Achelaritei

Thousands of refugees in Bosnia still waiting in the cold to enter the EU, 317 people rescued by the SeaWatch 3 in the Mediterranean, and 5000 people in Greece have been relocated from the island of Lesbos among the themes of this week's podcast.

Sea Watch set sail again; other reports of boats in distress in the Mediterranean and new illegal pushbacks among the themes of this week's podcast.

Considering that Frontex continues its pushback policies, the EU Commission proposed a €7 billion plan to "stimulate the economies of the EU's partner nations" and "curb irregular migration" - the funds will go to Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Syria and Tunisia between 2021 and 2027, through the new Neighbourhood Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI) of the European Union.

It is appalling when the migrants' unimaginable struggle for a better life is met with locals' racist and aggressive behavior, openly encouraged by political right-wing parties such as Vox - that is increasingly the case on the Spanish Canary Islands.

Although so many migrants are stranded in different parts of Europe and are constant struggling to survive, the only resolution made by Europe with regard to migration policies was to suspend Frontex operations with Hungary...

It's been another week of tragic events in the Mediterranean and in the so called camps in Southeast Europe, where migrants are currently suffering due to the cold weather and worsening living conditions. Besides,
Frontex is currently under investigation by the EU's anti-fraud watchdog (OLAF) over allegations of harassment, misconduct and unlawful operations aimed at stopping migrants from reaching EU shores.

The weather conditions in Southeast Europe are worsening and so is the situation of the migrants currently found in Bosnia, at the Lipa camp, as well as in Greece, at Moria 2 camp. Urgent measures need to be taken.

Among constant crises involving migrants in the Balkans and the Mediterranean, in Italy steps were taken in the name of justice: Sea-Eye filed a lawsuit against the detention of its ship, Alan Kurdi and the judge presiding over the preliminary investigations for Palermo's court in the case against the ex-minister of internal affairs, Matteo Salvini (accused of illegal confinement and misuse of authority), has accepted the request to establish Mediterranea Saving Humans as a civil party in the case.

The situation of the refugees at the former Lipa tent camp in Bosnia is still desperate: up to 500 people remained stranded and suffered the severe winter conditions. Much of the camp was destroyed by fire on the day it was officially closed down.
Migrants are facing adversities all over the Mediterranean and North African region. Open Arms rescued hundreds of people in distress at sea.

The most important facts from the Mediterranean: Week 51

The IOM is requiring further funding for protection and critical assistance to vulnerable migrants from West and Central Africa along the Central and Western Mediterranean routes.Analysts have warned that the EU should actually be focusing on creating safe routes to seek protection, not on increasing pressure on African countries to take back migrants in exchange for development aid...

The most important facts from the Mediterranean: Week 50

Italy is desperately trying to regain importance in Libya, but fails to comprehend the power Turkey has gained over the North-African country. On the same note, Europe has not been able to impose any economic sanctions or weapons embargo on Turkey and continues to do nothing about the general refugee situation: the new Moria camp is, unfortunately, a tragic example of that...

The crisis in the Eastern Mediterranean continues: An email from the EU's border agency, Frontex, shows that the Hellenic Coast Guard (HCG) received orders to push migrants back into Turkish territorial waters.
Such pushbacks are illegal under international law given that people have the right to enter Greece to claim asylum.All that while the Canary Islands fail to improve the situation of the recently arrived migrants: "This lack of humanity from the government can't go on", says one of the mayors.

The most important facts from the Mediterranean: week 48

The most important facts from the Mediterranean: week 47

The Canary Islands are to set up emergency camps for 7000 migrants within weeks, while every day, thousands of people, mainly from south Asia, the Middle East and north Africa, attempt to cross the Atlantic or the Balkans to reach Europe. These are long and arduous routes, full of imminent dangers for the migrants.

The most important facts from the Mediterranean - Week 46

The most important facts from Mediterranean sea. Week 34 / 17 Aug - 23 Aug 2020

The most important facts from Mediterranean sea. Week 33 / 10 Aug - 17 Aug 2020

The most important facts from Mediterranean sea. Week 32 /  3 Aug - 9 Aug 2020

The most important facts from Mediterranean sea. Week 31 / 27 Jul - 2 Aug 2020

The most important facts from Mediterranean sea. Week 30 / 20 Jul - 26 Jul 2020

The most important facts from Mediterranean sea. Week 29 / 13 Jul - 19 Jul 2020 

The most important facts from Mediterranean sea. Week 28 / 06 Jul - 12 Jul 2020

The most important facts from Mediterranean sea collected by Mediterranea Berlin.

For more information about the news, follow the link:

https://www.facebook.com/mediterraneaberlin/posts/359586882100673