AYS Daily Digest 24/05/21 — 36 rescued by helicopter south of Gran Canaria
New rules in Lesvos // more on the suicide in Italian CPR // woman and toddler die in reception center fire in Germany // and more…
FEATURE: 36 rescued by helicopter south of Gran Canaria
Borja Suarez Melian
On Sunday night, Salvamento Marítimo rescued 36 people by 2 helicopters south of the island of Gran Canaria. They were transferred to the islands airport. There were 17 men, 13 women (one of them was pregnant), 5 children and 1 baby. El Dia reports:
“After the health assessment, eight people (3 men, 3 women, a minor and a baby) were transferred to a hospital on the island because they presented symptoms of dehydration and hyperemia.”
Reporter Borja Suarez Melian also says that “1 person is missing after falling into the sea.” More here.
SEA
In a final update from Alarm Phone about the 95 people who called in distress rubber boat off Sabratha on Sunday:
AYS stands in solidarity — more children will inevitably die without effective state coordinated search and rescue!!
GREECE
In more news from Lesvos, reporter says:
“Apparently the freedom of movement of the residents in the camp Lesbos is further restricted.” They can leave the camp only once a week for max four hours. No matter if you are a doctor or a lawyer, only once a week. Saturday 2pm to Monday 8am, nobody is allowed out. The warehouse is simply closed.”
Epirus post reports that “21 of the 40 COVID cases reported for the Prefecture of Ioannina on Monday afternoon come from the Katsikas Refugee and Immigrant Hospitality Center.” Then they go on to say this is good for the “general population.” But obviously the health of refugees is just as important as the health of the general population, Greek media. COVID anywhere can spread anywhere.
Racist crimes watch reports: (read in full here)
“The Hellenic Observatory of the Helsinki Accords (GHM) denounces the Greek Government’s refusal to comply with the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) injunctions of 6 April 2021 and to relocate an Afghan family (2 parents, a newborn) a 1.5-year-old infant and a 5-year-old infant) from the repeatedly described as unacceptable to inhumane camp in the Montenegrin KYT (also known as “Molecules 2.0”) in a house or other structure with decent living conditions, but also the approval of the Ombudsman of the Citizen this contempt of the ECHR decision.
The family arrived in Lesvos on March 25, 2021 and despite the fact that the mother was in the 9th month of pregnancy, the authorities installed her in the temporary quarantine structure covid-19 in Megala Therma. On March 28, 2021 she was transferred to the structure of KYT Montenegro, where she lives to this day.
The appeal to the ECtHR was filed on April 6, 2021 and on the same day the ECtHR took precautionary measures requesting to provide the family with living conditions compatible with Article 3 of the ECHR (prohibition of torture). On April 7, 2021, the GHM addressed all the competent authorities requesting the immediate transfer of her family members outside the KYT, to a home. None has responded to date.”
MALTA
The Times of Malta is reporting that:
“Drastically fewer asylum seekers reached Malta this year compared to the same period in 2020, while sea arrivals in Italy shot up and boat interceptions by the Libyan coastguard almost doubled.
A total of 147 migrants have disembarked in Malta between January and May, in contrast to the 1,273 who arrived in the same period last year, according to UNHCR data.
Italy, on the other hand, has seen a 206 per cent increase in asylum-seeker arrivals by sea during the same period, pushing the Italian Prime Minister to push for so-called migrant burden-sharing deals among EU partners.”
More here.
ITALY
As we reported in our Weekend Digest, more are coming out in solidarity after the Baldi Moussa’s tragic case and suicide in an Italian CPR. The 23 year old was a victim of a horrific racist attack that left him severely injured. He wasn’t taken to the hospital but instead put in solitary confinement. According to Statewatch they “denied requests for help and assistance for his pains () despite the prognosis issued by the hospital doctors (and he was) ignored by the operators, guards and medical staff of the detention centre.”
“As reported by no-CPR network, a hunger strike is currently underway by the people detained in the repatriation centre in support of their comrade who was found dead on Sunday, 23 May, and to denounce the critical conditions in the centre. During the night, a group of people in solidarity gathered under the walls of the centre to shout out the anger of the voiceless and to demand justice and truth for young Baldi Moussa.
As a collective, we stand with all our imprisoned comrades and all those who are victims of the discriminatory policies of a criminal and murderous state, and demand truth and justice for young Baldi Moussa!”
SPAIN
Please support No Name Kitchen’s work in Ceuta
“NNK works in Ceuta to provide legal assistance to asylum seekers and people in risk of social exclusion because of the administrative discrimination that many within the migrants´ population suffer in order to access basic services, such as healthcare or the citizenship census registration.
Due to the current crisis, NNK is trying to implement a rapid emergency response distributing water, food (fruits and proteins) and dry clothes (underwear, blankets…) daily to more than 400 people who are fending for themselves in the streets of Ceuta.
We need help to cover these actions, so if you feel the need to denounce what is happening and to fight against the violations of human rights, please support his campaign and spread the voice!
Acting together to transform anger into hope.”
GERMANY
A woman and toddler die in fire
BR 24 reports:
“On Sunday evening, a fire broke out in an accommodation for asylum seekers in Kronach, Upper Franconia. A woman and a two year old child were killed. A 34-year-old man suffered severe burns and was flown to a hospital, as a spokesman for the Upper Franconian Police Headquarters said on a BR request.
Fire in asylum seekers accommodation: cause unclear. The fire broke out around 5.45 p.m. in one of the apartments, the spokesman said. Due to the heavy smoke development, when the first emergency services arrived, it was not clear whether all residents of the asylum seeker accommodation could escape outside in good time. The fire brigade quickly brought the fire under control, but the woman and the toddler could only be rescued dead.”
More here.
UK
DPG Law reports that:
“The High Court has ruled today that the Home Office unjustifiably discriminated DPG client, EH, by refusing to pay her dependents’ trafficking support payments just because she was an asylum seeker.
The current system of support for trafficked people provides for payments for dependent children. However if those people are asylum seekers they are prohibited from accessing such support.
In a detailed judgment Mr. Justice Kerr found that the Home Office’s Modern Slavery Act guidance which excluded asylum seeking victims of trafficking unjustifiably discriminated against this group who are mainly women. The Home office admitted that it treated this group of trafficked women differently but told the court that despite this they should not be entitled to any remedy. The Court disagreed and granted a declaration that the Home Office had breached Article 14 of the ECHR (read with Article 4 ECHR and Article 1, Protocol 1) and should pay compensation to include the amount of back payment due. The judge found that the Home Office’s treatment of the Claimants was ‘egregious’ and that it had not ‘shown a reasonable foundation for the difference in treatment.’”
More here.
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