You will say I do not read anything else and I tend to be biased. Well, aren’t we all a bit biased? To be honest, I usually read various sources of information, but this month has been very busy, which means that I only focused on … presseurope. So let’s see what has been happening in the bubble of migration in the past month!
FRONTEX has been accused of mistreating immigrants
Frontex, the EU agency based in Warsaw, was created 6 years ago as a specialised and independent body tasked to coordinate the operational cooperation between Member States in the field of border security. According to a report published this September by Human Rights Watch, Frontex activities fail to comply with the Charter of Fundamental Rights. The report was based on conditions provided by detention facilities for immigrants in Greece, where unaccompanied children are placed in cells overcrowded with adults.
Comments
A possible solution would be the involvement of charities which advocate for the wellbeing of children? In the UK Bernandos now deals children held in detention by the UKBA.
Bulgaria and Romania have not been admitted in the Schengen Area
On the 22nd of September, following the Netherland’s and Finland’s vetoing, EU minister decided to postpone Romania and Bulgaria’s entry into the Schengen area, which allows for the free movement of people across internal EU borders. Inclusion into the Schengen area has been a priority for both countries since they joined the EU in 2007. Corruption and organised crime, but also fear that the West would be assaulted by cheap labour force are the reasons of the rejection.
New initiative to stop migrant deaths in the Mediterranean region
Following the ‘Arab spring’, many people have died in their attempt to cross the sea to Europe. As a result, a coalition of organisations supporting migrants and refugees has launched an initiative which aims to challenge the conditions which have lead to these deaths. The initiative is called ‘Boats4People’ and is aiming to put together a flotilla of boats which will sail from Rome towards the south of Tunisia.
Comments:
It is a good idea, but it is a pity we had to get here. It is also a shame that it is not supported by international organisations, only by rather small charities and organisations.
French Guiana acts as a door to the European Union
The French overseas department is on the American continent, but it is a EU land.
“Every year, 13,000 people, mainly Surinamese, apply to us residency for permits. About a third of these applications are approved,” explains sub-prefect Hamel-Françis Mekachera. “It is the start of a long process, which eventually leads to the granting of French nationality seven years later.”
However, the EU is making it more difficult for the inhabitants of the French Guyana to go to France and has reduced the number of people allowed to go to mainland France.
