AYS News Digest 29/06/23: Rwanda Deportation Plan ruled unlawful in UK Court
Frontex to leave Greece over human rights abuses? // 41 people rescued in the Maltese SAR zone // Protests in Athens in the wake of Pylos shipwreck // Kurdish refugee commits suicide in Germany // A report on asylum conditions in Croatia: stop Dublin deportations from Switzerland // Upcoming events in Brussels at the EU Council Summit & much more
FEATURE — UNITED KINGDOM
UK’s Court of Appeal rules against the UK government: insufficient proof that Rwanda is a safe country
The Court of Appeal has ruled that Rwanda is “not a safe third country”. As such, it has ruled against the UK’s plan to externalise asylum processing to Rwanda. The Court ruled that there were insufficient safeguards in place to ensure the safety of asylum seekers in the African nation.
The Court of Appeal stated that assurances from the Rwandan government — who will profit from the UK’s externalisation policy — were not
“sufficient to ensure that there is no real risk that asylum seekers relocated under the Rwanda policy will be wrongly returned to countries where they face persecution or other inhuman treatment”
The government — led by Rishi Sunak — has promised to appeal against the decision, and will take the case to the Supreme Court.
Both the major opposition parties in the UK — Labour and the Liberal Democrats — object to the Conservative government’s plans, stating that the Rwanda plans were unethical, and would not stop people crossing the channel on small boats.
Here is the ruling:
SEARCH AND RESCUE
41 people rescued in Maltese SAR zone by Mare*Go
GREECE
Frontex to leave Greece?
The New York Times reported on 27th June that Frontex might remove its border guards, aircraft, vessels and vehicles from Greece.
Why? Because of chronic rights abuses.
Following the re-election of a right-wing Greek government, who have stated they will continue to pursue the“strict but fair” migration policy that caused the Pylos shipwreck, the EU has threatened to withdraw Frontex’s help.
Frontex offered the Hellenic Coast Guard aerial assistance shortly before the shipwreck, but received “no response”. Greece has since refused to allow any independent inquiries or investigations into the shipwreck.
Indeed, allegations of human rights abuses in the past years — particularly over violent pushbacks to Turkey — have been practically ignored by the Greek authorities; they refuse to allow any independent investigations.
More here via InfoMigrants.
Protests in Athens against the Greek authorities after Pylos tragedy
Avoiding all responsibility and accountability for their actions — which claimed the lives of hundreds of people — the Greek authorities refuse to acknowledge their complicity in the Pylos tragedy. As Statewatch write, the EU Council is preparing to “shed crocodile tears”. They continue to blame smugglers and traffickers, ignoring the hardening of European borders and the responsibility they bear.
When writing about the Pylos shipwreck, the EU Council has stated that “The European Union remains committed to breaking the business model of traffickers and smuggling networks and to tackling the root cause of irregular migration”.
What about policies of non-intervention, leading directly to deaths? Italy’s criminalisation of civil fleet SAR vessels, assigning distant ports of safety? There is no acceptance of responsibility from the EU Council here, just empty words.
GERMANY
A Kurdish refugee commits suicide in Neu-Ulm
Irfan K., a Kurdish man from Diyarbakir, tragically killed himself yesterday in the Neu-Ulm refugee camp. His wife and child are living in accommodation in Berlin, but it was forbidden for them to be reunited. Journalist Kerem Schmberger asks “Why?” Why were they prevented from sharing housing?
SWITZERLAND
Dublin Returns to Croatia: A Report
Following investigations into the reception conditions for asylum seekers in Croatia, it is clear that they are inadequate. As such, deportations under the Dublin Regulation must be stopped: there is a lack of accommodation, specialised staff, experienced medical professionals and medications. The needs of vulnerable individuals are no longer being met or recognised; the Swiss authorities are not even sharing medical records with Croatia.
See the full report here:
EUROPE
Upcoming events at the EU Council Summit in Brussels
Organised by The Left, there are a series of ‘actions days’ upcoming in Brussels. NGOs and activists have come together to denounce the EU’s deadly migration policies and their impact.
See here for the full agenda between 28th-30th June:
WORTH READING
- “How the EU border regime designed a deadly migration journey” — from the New Arab.
- Digital technologies on Europe’s borders: what will that mean for migrants? — InfoMigrants have written a piece about the proliferation of technology being used to remove asylum backlogs, reduce irregular border crossings and forecast displacement patterns:
- Freedom of Movement: Activists in the Sahara have mobilised to protect the rights of migrants in NorthAfrica. Here’s an interview with some activists, from Forced Migration:
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