US President Biden announced what is likely the most stringent border policy by a Democratic president in recent memory on Tuesday when he introduced a new executive action that allows US immigration officers to deport huge numbers of migrants without considering their asylum claims.

Biden claims US will temporarily close Mexico border to asylum seekers

EU lawmakers will vote Wednesday on a vast overhaul of the bloc's asylum policies that would harden border procedures for irregular arrivals and require all member countries to pitch in. Watch in for more details!

EU parliament nears final vote on landmark asylum reform

The European Union was poised Thursday to agree new rules for how it handles asylum-seekers and irregular migrants after Germany said it would go along with the intensely-negotiated package.

EU home affairs commissioner Ylva Johansson said "no main obstacles" remain on the thorny issue after a meeting of the bloc's interior ministers, and formal agreement would come "in a few days".

Once implemented, the new Pact on Migration and Asylum would seek to relieve the pressure on so-called frontline countries such as Italy and Greece by relocating some arrivals to other EU states.

Those countries opposed to hosting asylum-seekers -- Poland and Hungary among them -- would be required to pay the ones that do take migrants in.

At the same time, the European Union will seek to speed up processing of asylum applications so that migrants deemed inadmissible are returned to their country of origin or of transit, and maximum detention times for migrants in border centres would be lengthened from the current 12 weeks.

German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said her country won concessions allowing it to finally back the deal, after initially abstaining on an earlier draft it considered too harsh for some categories of migrants.

Only Poland and Hungary voiced opposition to the compromise text in the Brussels meeting, she said, so "we therefore assume that this political agreement is valid".

Changes made to get German assent included making sure families and children were "prioritised" when they arrived irregularly on EU soil and admission criteria for asylum-seekers were not tightened, she said.

Also, "the concept of instrumentalisation was defined more narrowly," Faeser said.

That appeared to refer to efforts by Italy's right-wing government to treat charity ships conducting migrant rescue operations in the Mediterranean similarly to people-smugglers, &nbsp;or to countries such as Belarus that have pushed migration flows towards Europe as a tactic.

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said in Berlin that his country needed more time to study the latest text.

Speaking after chairing the Brussels meeting, Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska stressed that "a very broad majority of member states" agreed with the compromise approach.

While "nuances" still needed to be hammered out, he vowed that final agreement would be reached "within the next few days".

"We are almost at the finishing line," he said.

Paralysis on the issue had caused growing frustration in the 27-nation bloc as it faces a rise in irregular migration.

The arrival of thousands of asylum-seekers arriving from Africa on the Italian island of Lampedusa notably spurred urgency to get the revised policy in place.

Part of the aim of the revised policy is for European Union countries to act together should they be faced with a sudden large inflow of asylum-seekers, as happened in 2015-2016 when hundreds of thousands of migrants arrived, most of them Syrians fleeing the war in their country.

Agreement among EU member states needs a weighted majority of countries to vote in favour, meaning countries opposing the host-or-pay clause -- Poland, Hungary, Austria and the Czech Republic -- would likely not have enough support to block it.

In Budapest, Gergely Gulyas, chief of staff of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, heaped fresh criticism on the migration pact.

"All they can achieve with this migration pact is to turn the border countries, countries along the Schengen border into Lampedusa," he said.

The European Parliament added its own pressure on the ministers by deciding last week to pause negotiations with EU member states on aspects of the pact that had met little resistance, those dealing with reinforced security along the bloc's outer border.

The goal of the EU is to have the reform made law before European elections next June that will usher in a new European Parliament and commission.

The next cycle in EU politics could see a political shift in the European Parliament, given the rise of right-wing parties in several EU countries, and would see Hungary and Poland take turns holding the rotating EU presidency.

The European Union was poised Thursday to agree new rules for how it handles asylum-seekers and irregular migrants after Germany said it would go along with the intensely-negotiated package.

The European Union was poised Thursday to agree new rules for how it handles asylum-seekers and irregular migrants after Germany said it would go along with the intensely-negotiated package. EU home affairs commissioner Ylva Johansson said "no main obstacles" remain on the thorny issue after a meeting of the bloc's interior ministers, and formal agreement would come "in a few days". Once implemented, the new Pact on Migration and Asylum would seek to relieve the pressure on so-called frontline countries such as Italy and Greece by relocating some arrivals to other EU states. Those countries opposed to hosting asylum-seekers -- Poland and Hungary among them -- would be required to pay the ones that do take migrants in. At the same time, the European Union will seek to speed up processing of asylum applications so that migrants deemed inadmissible are returned to their country of origin or of transit, and maximum detention times for migrants in border centres would be lengthened from the current 12 weeks. German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said her country won concessions allowing it to finally back the deal, after initially abstaining on an earlier draft it considered too harsh for some categories of migrants. Only Poland and Hungary voiced opposition to the compromise text in the Brussels meeting, she said, so "we therefore assume that this political agreement is valid". Changes made to get German assent included making sure families and children were "prioritised" when they arrived irregularly on EU soil and admission criteria for asylum-seekers were not tightened, she said. Also, "the concept of instrumentalisation was defined more narrowly," Faeser said. That appeared to refer to efforts by Italy's right-wing government to treat charity ships conducting migrant rescue operations in the Mediterranean similarly to people-smugglers, or to countries such as Belarus that have pushed migration flows towards Europe as a tactic. Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said in Berlin that his country needed more time to study the latest text. Speaking after chairing the Brussels meeting, Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska stressed that "a very broad majority of member states" agreed with the compromise approach. While "nuances" still needed to be hammered out, he vowed that final agreement would be reached "within the next few days". "We are almost at the finishing line," he said. Paralysis on the issue had caused growing frustration in the 27-nation bloc as it faces a rise in irregular migration. The arrival of thousands of asylum-seekers arriving from Africa on the Italian island of Lampedusa notably spurred urgency to get the revised policy in place. Part of the aim of the revised policy is for European Union countries to act together should they be faced with a sudden large inflow of asylum-seekers, as happened in 2015-2016 when hundreds of thousands of migrants arrived, most of them Syrians fleeing the war in their country. Agreement among EU member states needs a weighted majority of countries to vote in favour, meaning countries opposing the host-or-pay clause -- Poland, Hungary, Austria and the Czech Republic -- would likely not have enough support to block it. In Budapest, Gergely Gulyas, chief of staff of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, heaped fresh criticism on the migration pact. "All they can achieve with this migration pact is to turn the border countries, countries along the Schengen border into Lampedusa," he said. The European Parliament added its own pressure on the ministers by deciding last week to pause negotiations with EU member states on aspects of the pact that had met little resistance, those dealing with reinforced security along the bloc's outer border. The goal of the EU is to have the reform made law before European elections next June that will usher in a new European Parliament and commission. The next cycle in EU politics could see a political shift in the European Parliament, given the rise of right-wing parties in several EU countries, and would see Hungary and Poland take turns holding the rotating EU presidency.

EU poised to agree new rules for asylum-seekers

European Union ministers agreed on how to share out the responsibility for looking after migrants and refugees, after 12 hours of negotiations got Italy and Greece to sign up to a deal that has eluded the bloc for nearly a decade.

European Union ministers agrees on shared responsibility for asylum seekers

The High Court in London has ruled the British government's plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda is legal. Watch this video to know more.

UK plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda is legal, rules high court

A long, arduous four-year legal battle has come to an end for the Nadesalingam family in Australia. Reportedly, the family has been granted permanent residency, ending a community-wide campaign that protested against their deportation. Andrew Giles, the&nbsp;federal immigration minister became their guardian angel by intervening and ensuring that the family received their visas.&nbsp;

"This government made a commitment before the election that, if elected, we would allow the family to return to Biloela and resolve the family's immigration status," said Giles.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, Priya Nadaraja, elated at the decision remarked, "Now I know my daughters will get to grow up safely in Australia. Now my husband and I can live without fear."

The Genesis

Priya Nadaraja, Nades Murugappan and their daughters&nbsp;Kopika and Tharnicaa had been living in an&nbsp;immigration detention centre after Priya's visa expired, back in 2018. The couple's request for being included in the mainstream with the 'refugee' status was turned down by the government, repeatedly.&nbsp;

It is pertinent to note that Priya and her husband arrived in the down under country after fleeing Sri Lanka on refugee boats. This was nearly a decade ago. The couple soon met each other, got married and had two kids.

But soon trouble came their way as the Australian government detained them, citing they did not have any legal rights to stay in Australia. First transferred to an immigration detention centre in Melbourne, the family was later shifted to a detention centre on Christmas Island, where they spent the majority of the last two years, fighting courtroom immigration battles.&nbsp;

However, after the government&nbsp;changed and labour Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his administration came to power, good news came for the&nbsp;Nadesalingam family.

In June, the family was granted a bridging visa and allowed in Biloela, a town in Queensland, from where they were detained four years back by the border force agents in a 5 AM raid.&nbsp;

Illegal immigrants will be turned away:&nbsp;Andrew Giles

The Nadesalingam family has now become the face of fighting Australia's tough asylum-seeking policies. However,&nbsp;Giles made it clear it might have been a one-off case as&nbsp;those entering Australia illegally through unauthorised vessels will be turned away.&nbsp;

"For anyone who attempts to migrate via an unauthorised boat to Australia – you will be caught, returned or sent to a regional processing country.&nbsp;"This has not changed since the last government. We are not considering changing this policy." said Giles.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies) 
 
WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1  width=&quot;100%&quot;"></iframe>

A long, arduous four-year legal battle has come to an end for the Nadesalingam family in Australia. Reportedly, the family has been granted permanent residency, ending a community-wide campaign that protested against their deportation.

A long, arduous four-year legal battle has come to an end for the Nadesalingam family in Australia. Reportedly, the family has been granted permanent residency, ending a community-wide campaign that protested against their deportation. Andrew Giles, the federal immigration minister became their guardian angel by intervening and ensuring that the family received their visas. "This government made a commitment before the election that, if elected, we would allow the family to return to Biloela and resolve the family's immigration status," said Giles. Meanwhile, Priya Nadaraja, elated at the decision remarked, "Now I know my daughters will get to grow up safely in Australia. Now my husband and I can live without fear." The Genesis Priya Nadaraja, Nades Murugappan and their daughters Kopika and Tharnicaa had been living in an immigration detention centre after Priya's visa expired, back in 2018. The couple's request for being included in the mainstream with the 'refugee' status was turned down by the government, repeatedly. It is pertinent to note that Priya and her husband arrived in the down under country after fleeing Sri Lanka on refugee boats. This was nearly a decade ago. The couple soon met each other, got married and had two kids. But soon trouble came their way as the Australian government detained them, citing they did not have any legal rights to stay in Australia. First transferred to an immigration detention centre in Melbourne, the family was later shifted to a detention centre on Christmas Island, where they spent the majority of the last two years, fighting courtroom immigration battles. However, after the government changed and labour Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his administration came to power, good news came for the Nadesalingam family. In June, the family was granted a bridging visa and allowed in Biloela, a town in Queensland, from where they were detained four years back by the border force agents in a 5 AM raid. Illegal immigrants will be turned away: Andrew Giles The Nadesalingam family has now become the face of fighting Australia's tough asylum-seeking policies. However, Giles made it clear it might have been a one-off case as those entering Australia illegally through unauthorised vessels will be turned away. "For anyone who attempts to migrate via an unauthorised boat to Australia – you will be caught, returned or sent to a regional processing country. "This has not changed since the last government. We are not considering changing this policy." said Giles. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Tamil asylum seeker family allowed to stay in Australia after a lengthy legal battle

The United Kingdom is planning to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda on a second flight, a report by The Guardian said citing sources. In June, the first flight was cancelled when the plan to fly asylum-seekers to Rwanda was blocked dramatically with a last-minute intervention by European judges. The plane was grounded minutes before it was due to depart.&nbsp;

The UK-based media outlet further reported that the second flight could take off before the courts have ruled on whether the scheme is lawful. This comes after the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) blocked the government's move to deport some asylum seekers to Rwanda.&nbsp;

Despite the fact that the full high court hearing to discuss and analyse&nbsp;the government's Rwanda plans does not begin until 19 July, the media outlet has learned that a second flight could take off in a matter of weeks.&nbsp;

London and Rwanda agreed in April that tens of thousands of asylum seekers who arrived illegally in Britain will be sent to the East African country to have their claims processed. Rwanda said it also remained fully committed to the plan.&nbsp;

On June 22, Britain's Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab said that the country will remain under the jurisdiction of the ECHR. Raab told Sky News that "we are staying in the ECHR." However, he added that it was "legitimate to push back" against ECHR rulings. And also noted that the UK parliament should have the last word on the law of the land.&nbsp;

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

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You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.

The United Kingdom is planning to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda on a second flight, a report by The Guardian said citing sources. In June, the first flight was cancelled when the plan to fly asylum-seekers to Rwanda was blocked dramatically with a last-minute intervention by European judges.

The United Kingdom is planning to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda on a second flight, a report by The Guardian said citing sources. In June, the first flight was cancelled when the plan to fly asylum-seekers to Rwanda was blocked dramatically with a last-minute intervention by European judges. The plane was grounded minutes before it was due to depart. The UK-based media outlet further reported that the second flight could take off before the courts have ruled on whether the scheme is lawful. This comes after the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) blocked the government's move to deport some asylum seekers to Rwanda. Despite the fact that the full high court hearing to discuss and analyse the government's Rwanda plans does not begin until 19 July, the media outlet has learned that a second flight could take off in a matter of weeks. London and Rwanda agreed in April that tens of thousands of asylum seekers who arrived illegally in Britain will be sent to the East African country to have their claims processed. Rwanda said it also remained fully committed to the plan. On June 22, Britain's Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab said that the country will remain under the jurisdiction of the ECHR. Raab told Sky News that "we are staying in the ECHR." However, he added that it was "legitimate to push back" against ECHR rulings. And also noted that the UK parliament should have the last word on the law of the land. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

UK planning second flight to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda: Report

Witness border walls looking to curtail asylum seekers’ entry

From old denim fabrics, Afghan refugee Bagher Husseini fashioned a pair of baggy jeans with fringed patches that he hopes will be paraded down a French catwalk later this year. He's involved in a collaboration between French fashion students and migrants from Afghanistan and the Middle East.

Refugees in Paris with an eye on fashion

Two fishing boat carrying a group of Turkish asylum-seekers reached the Greek island of Chios, Greece's coast guard said Sunday.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/lake-turns-into-graveyard-for-migrants-in-turkey-324065" hreflang="en">Lake turns into graveyard for migrants in Turkey</a>

These asylum-seekers were rescued by the Greek coast guard as it approached the shore on Saturday.&nbsp;

According to the local news site politischios.gr, 26 Turkish citizens including children were seeking political asylum from Greece and had claimed that they were being persecuted by the Erdogan government.&nbsp;

Also see:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/now-turkey-stages-military-exercises-in-eastern-mediterranean-amid-tensions-with-greece-323929" hreflang="en">Now, Turkey stages military exercise in eastern Mediterranean</a>

Two passengers had drilled holes in the boat as it approached the shore of the island to prompt a rescue operation. These passengers were later arrested.

The Turkish group was tested for coronavirus and have been sent to a quarantine centre in Lefkonia.

Also see:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/turkey-versus-greece-a-long-history-of-disputes-323392">Turkey versus Greece: A long history of disputes</a>

Three weeks ago, another boat with 23 Turkish citizens seeking asylum had reached Chios.&nbsp;

Such incidents of Turkish people reaching the Greek islands and illegally entering via the land border along the Evros River have been reported since the 2016 failed coup against Erdogan's government. These people are mainly civil servants and military personnel.&nbsp;

Relations between Turkey and Greece have worsened after the deployment of the Turkish research vessel Oruc Reis into Greek waters accompanied by Turkish warships on August 10.&nbsp;

The confrontation has reignited a longstanding rivalry over disputed maritime rights and gas resources between Greece and Turkey and they have begun staging competing naval drills.

(Inputs from AFP)&nbsp;

Two fishing boat carrying a group of Turkish asylum-seekers reached the Greek island of Chios, Greece's coast guard said Sunday. Also read: Lake turns into graveyard for migrants in Turkey These asylum-seekers were rescued by the Greek coast guard as it approached the shore on Saturday.

Two fishing boat carrying a group of Turkish asylum-seekers reached the Greek island of Chios, Greece's coast guard said Sunday. Also read: Lake turns into graveyard for migrants in Turkey These asylum-seekers were rescued by the Greek coast guard as it approached the shore on Saturday. According to the local news site politischios.gr, 26 Turkish citizens including children were seeking political asylum from Greece and had claimed that they were being persecuted by the Erdogan government. Also see: Now, Turkey stages military exercise in eastern Mediterranean Two passengers had drilled holes in the boat as it approached the shore of the island to prompt a rescue operation. These passengers were later arrested. The Turkish group was tested for coronavirus and have been sent to a quarantine centre in Lefkonia. Also see: Turkey versus Greece: A long history of disputes Three weeks ago, another boat with 23 Turkish citizens seeking asylum had reached Chios. Such incidents of Turkish people reaching the Greek islands and illegally entering via the land border along the Evros River have been reported since the 2016 failed coup against Erdogan's government. These people are mainly civil servants and military personnel. Relations between Turkey and Greece have worsened after the deployment of the Turkish research vessel Oruc Reis into Greek waters accompanied by Turkish warships on August 10. The confrontation has reignited a longstanding rivalry over disputed maritime rights and gas resources between Greece and Turkey and they have begun staging competing naval drills. (Inputs from AFP)

Group of Turkish asylum-seekers reach Greek island via boats: Coast guards

Canada is prioritising the deportation of asylum seekers who walked across the border from the United States illegally, federal agency statistics show, as the Liberal government tries to tackle a politically sensitive issue ahead of an election year.

The number of people deported after their refugee applications were rejected was on track to drop 25 per cent so far this year compared to 2017 to its lowest point in a decade, even as the number of deported border-crossers was on track to triple, according to Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) data.

More than 36,000 people have walked into Canada from the United States to file refugee claims since January 2017, many saying they feared US President Donald Trump`s election promise and policy to crack down on illegal immigration.

The influx has thrown the Canadian asylum system into turmoil and caused a political uproar in a country accustomed to picking and choosing its newcomers.

In response, the government gave more money to the independent body adjudicating refugee claims and appointed a minister responsible for border-crossers.

The CBSA, which is responsible for deportations, said in an email to Reuters that it classifies border-crossers with criminals as a top deportation priority. 
Refugee lawyers and border officers said the prioritisation seems to be Prime Minister Justin Trudeau`s way of dealing with those asylum seekers, who have become a hot political issue for his Liberal Party ahead of a general election in 2019.

Border Security Minister Bill Blair declined to comment.

In an email, Blair`s office said the government is committed to a "robust and fair" refugee system and that everyone ordered removed has been given due process.

A CBSA inland enforcement officer said the tradeoff is that deportees who could pose a real public safety risk are not getting deported.&nbsp;

"We have priority cases, people with extensive criminal records that are due to be deported, people with security problems - these cases are not all taken care of because we have to take care of these administrative cases," said the officer, speaking on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to speak to media.

Border-crossers "are not a priority, but they are a priority because of all the media attention around them."

A CBSA spokesman said in an email that the agency prioritises "irregular" failed refugee claimants along with criminals as a top priority, followed by other failed refugee claimants, but would not say why.

Six lawyers told Reuters they were aware of this acceleration of certain cases, some saying they have had border-crosser hearings scheduled in blocs, with a focus on those from Haiti and Nigeria.&nbsp;

Toronto lawyer Lorne Waldman said there were good reasons for accelerating the processing and deportation of people who crossed the border: it deters people with weak claims from making refugee claims in the hopes of living in Canada for years while their case wends through the system.

&nbsp;"The best way of discouraging people from making frivolous claims is by having the claims processed quickly," Waldman said.

Canada is prioritising the deportation of asylum seekers who walked across the border from the United States illegally, federal agency statistics show, as the Liberal government tries to tackle a politically sensitive issue ahead of an election year.

Canada is prioritising the deportation of asylum seekers who walked across the border from the United States illegally, federal agency statistics show, as the Liberal government tries to tackle a politically sensitive issue ahead of an election year. The number of people deported after their refugee applications were rejected was on track to drop 25 per cent so far this year compared to 2017 to its lowest point in a decade, even as the number of deported border-crossers was on track to triple, according to Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) data. More than 36,000 people have walked into Canada from the United States to file refugee claims since January 2017, many saying they feared US President Donald Trump`s election promise and policy to crack down on illegal immigration. The influx has thrown the Canadian asylum system into turmoil and caused a political uproar in a country accustomed to picking and choosing its newcomers. In response, the government gave more money to the independent body adjudicating refugee claims and appointed a minister responsible for border-crossers. The CBSA, which is responsible for deportations, said in an email to Reuters that it classifies border-crossers with criminals as a top deportation priority. Refugee lawyers and border officers said the prioritisation seems to be Prime Minister Justin Trudeau`s way of dealing with those asylum seekers, who have become a hot political issue for his Liberal Party ahead of a general election in 2019. Border Security Minister Bill Blair declined to comment. In an email, Blair`s office said the government is committed to a "robust and fair" refugee system and that everyone ordered removed has been given due process. A CBSA inland enforcement officer said the tradeoff is that deportees who could pose a real public safety risk are not getting deported. "We have priority cases, people with extensive criminal records that are due to be deported, people with security problems - these cases are not all taken care of because we have to take care of these administrative cases," said the officer, speaking on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to speak to media. Border-crossers "are not a priority, but they are a priority because of all the media attention around them." A CBSA spokesman said in an email that the agency prioritises "irregular" failed refugee claimants along with criminals as a top priority, followed by other failed refugee claimants, but would not say why. Six lawyers told Reuters they were aware of this acceleration of certain cases, some saying they have had border-crosser hearings scheduled in blocs, with a focus on those from Haiti and Nigeria. Toronto lawyer Lorne Waldman said there were good reasons for accelerating the processing and deportation of people who crossed the border: it deters people with weak claims from making refugee claims in the hopes of living in Canada for years while their case wends through the system. "The best way of discouraging people from making frivolous claims is by having the claims processed quickly," Waldman said.

Canada rushes to deport asylum seekers who walked from US: Data

A man called out numbers against the murky darkness of the Libyan night: &ldquo;400, 500, 600, 650.&rdquo; These were bids in Libyan dinars during a slave auction. Video footage of these scenes, aired in mid-November by CNN, thrust concerns about the conditions facing migrants at Europe&rsquo;s borders back into the spotlight.

In response, the EU called for &ldquo;swift action&rdquo;, and the French president, Emmanuel Macron, announced a plan to launch &ldquo;concrete military action&rdquo; against the perpetrators. The Nigerian government also said it had begun to bring home some of its citizens stranded in Libya.

Efforts to enable people to escape from situations of slavery, violence and exploitation in Libya are certainly welcome. But they will need to go beyond the short-term perspective that so often accompanies responses to proclamations of crisis. And these new efforts will reek of hypocrisy if they do not also recognise the relationship between existing migration control policies and the vulnerability of migrants using routes into and through Libya.

The story of young men sold as slaves in Libya was the focus of debates at the UN Security Council and topped the agenda at a major summit of European and African leaders. Slavery and other abuses are an &ldquo;abomination&rdquo; that &ldquo;can no longer be ignored&rdquo;, stated Filippo Grandi, the UN&rsquo;s high commissioner for refugees.

But stories of forced labour, exploitation and the buying and selling of migrants are not particularly new. I heard them myself in 2015 when I was part of a research team which carried out interviews with nearly 200 people who had departed from Libya by boat, towards Italy and Malta.

<blockquote>
<q>I was arrested and imprisoned in southern Libya &hellip; I was sold to a slave trader, along with other Eritreans, Somalis and Nigerians. This person took us to a farm, where we could not leave except to go to work at a construction site and return. We were always guarded by armed people.</q>
</blockquote>

These words, from a young Malian man, were mirrored by many others who spoke of being held captive, put into forced work or bought and sold. Some were set free once they had gathered enough ransom money, wired over to them by family and friends. Others might be released when their labour was no longer required or if they managed, somehow, to escape. But it was also not unusual to hear people being beaten and even see others die at the hands of their &ldquo;owners&rdquo;.

Our project has not been the only one to report such findings. In 2016, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) found that 71% of migrants who crossed the central Mediterranean route from North Africa to Europe had experienced exploitation, particularly kidnapping, forced labour, carrying out work without being paid and being kept at locations against their will. In February 2017, a Sky documentary described Libya as &ldquo;hell&rdquo; for migrants and a study of trafficking and smuggling there referred to &ldquo;the extortion economy and new slave trade&rdquo;.

European complicity

Public figures are right to condemn people being sold as slaves in Libya. But their concern has an air of insincerity when they have known about it for years. The EU&rsquo;s high representative for foreign affairs, Federica Mogherini, expressed her &ldquo;total condemnation of these despicable acts&rdquo; but also stated that &ldquo;this is not something that began one month ago. Everybody has known about it for years&rdquo;.

For officials to say now that violence, exploitation and slavery can &ldquo;no longer be ignored&rdquo; belies the fact that these issues were downplayed and pushed aside as the EU pursued collaboration with the Libyan authorities to control migration.

The primary objective of European approaches has instead been to stem the flow of people departing Libya by boat. Since the declaration of a migrant crisis back in 2015, the EU has given increasing amounts of funding and training to the Libyan coastguard and to detention centres to keep migrants on Libyan soil.

In the summer of 2017, an emboldened Libyan coastguard then made threats of violence to international non-governmental organisations (NGOs) engaged in search and rescue missions at sea. Soon after, an armed militia west of Tripoli with backing from the Libyan authorities &ndash; who are themselves supported by Italian and EU authorities &ndash; stepped in to intercept boats and prevent people leaving towards Italy.

These policies to stop boats arriving on European shores have had significant implications for the conditions of migrants in Libya. Many of the people we interviewed told us that they saw boats to Europe as the only way to flee. Now, once they are pushed back to Libya, they are held in detention centres, many of which have been criticised by international observers as overcrowded, unsanitary places where migrants are exploited.

Research reports point to &ldquo;abundant evidence&rdquo; which shows that &ldquo;detention facilities in Libya are the site of sustained criminal activity, as recruitment grounds for smuggling activity but also processing centres for ransom extraction and slavery.&rdquo; Another report by the NGO Refugees International noted how often &ldquo;in Libya, the policeman is a smuggler, and the smuggler is a policeman&rdquo;. Despite this, just a few months ago Macron claimed that Libya could be an appropriate place to process asylum requests.

The containment of migrants in Libya is therefore likely to be reinforcing the very situation that Europe&rsquo;s leaders appear to be so angry about now. M&eacute;decins Sans Fronti&egrave;res described it as &ldquo;feeding the business of suffering&rdquo;.

Moving beyond a crisis

European approaches to migration across the Mediterranean have repeatedly been shaped by urgent attempts to address sudden crises. But the situation in Libya cannot easily be addressed by such a short-term response. People smuggling has been a thriving economic sector for years. The profits from smuggling, exploitation and now slavery provide important funds for different groups around the country. One report describes migrants as &ldquo;simply another commodity to be exploited&rdquo; by the various armed groups vying to control parts of Libyan territory.

An important contribution to finding a longer-term solution could come from a newly announced &ldquo;transit and departure facility&rdquo; in Tripoli providing opportunities for people to escape from Libya. They would be resettled elsewhere, transferred to UNHCR facilities in other countries or returned to their country of origin. But so far there are only 10,500 places available &ndash; far below the number of places required &ndash; and this is little more than the nearly 9,000 returns already carried out by the IOM in 2017.

After a decade of repeatedly declaring migrant crises and emergencies at their borders, it is time the EU took a broader, longer-term approach. This has to recognise the structural relationship between policies of border control, dynamics of migration and patterns of migrant vulnerability and exploitation. Intensifying border controls without addressing the reasons why people move or providing alternatives is likely to reinforce the dangers that they face.

This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com" rel="nofollow" target="blank">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/slave-auctions-in-libya-are-the-latest-evidence-of-a-reality-for-migrants-the-eu-prefers-to-ignore-88589" rel="nofollow" target="blank">original article</a>.

(Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity).

Image Credit: EPA

Insincerity and short-termism rule global responses to Libyan migration

A man called out numbers against the murky darkness of the Libyan night: “400, 500, 600, 650.” These were bids in Libyan dinars during a slave auction. Video footage of these scenes, aired in mid-November by CNN, thrust concerns about the conditions facing migrants at Europe’s borders back into the spotlight. In response, the EU called for “swift action”, and the French president, Emmanuel Macron, announced a plan to launch “concrete military action” against the perpetrators. The Nigerian government also said it had begun to bring home some of its citizens stranded in Libya. Efforts to enable people to escape from situations of slavery, violence and exploitation in Libya are certainly welcome. But they will need to go beyond the short-term perspective that so often accompanies responses to proclamations of crisis. And these new efforts will reek of hypocrisy if they do not also recognise the relationship between existing migration control policies and the vulnerability of migrants using routes into and through Libya. The story of young men sold as slaves in Libya was the focus of debates at the UN Security Council and topped the agenda at a major summit of European and African leaders. Slavery and other abuses are an “abomination” that “can no longer be ignored”, stated Filippo Grandi, the UN’s high commissioner for refugees. But stories of forced labour, exploitation and the buying and selling of migrants are not particularly new. I heard them myself in 2015 when I was part of a research team which carried out interviews with nearly 200 people who had departed from Libya by boat, towards Italy and Malta. I was arrested and imprisoned in southern Libya … I was sold to a slave trader, along with other Eritreans, Somalis and Nigerians. This person took us to a farm, where we could not leave except to go to work at a construction site and return. We were always guarded by armed people. These words, from a young Malian man, were mirrored by many others who spoke of being held captive, put into forced work or bought and sold. Some were set free once they had gathered enough ransom money, wired over to them by family and friends. Others might be released when their labour was no longer required or if they managed, somehow, to escape. But it was also not unusual to hear people being beaten and even see others die at the hands of their “owners”. Our project has not been the only one to report such findings. In 2016, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) found that 71% of migrants who crossed the central Mediterranean route from North Africa to Europe had experienced exploitation, particularly kidnapping, forced labour, carrying out work without being paid and being kept at locations against their will. In February 2017, a Sky documentary described Libya as “hell” for migrants and a study of trafficking and smuggling there referred to “the extortion economy and new slave trade”. European complicity Public figures are right to condemn people being sold as slaves in Libya. But their concern has an air of insincerity when they have known about it for years. The EU’s high representative for foreign affairs, Federica Mogherini, expressed her “total condemnation of these despicable acts” but also stated that “this is not something that began one month ago. Everybody has known about it for years”. For officials to say now that violence, exploitation and slavery can “no longer be ignored” belies the fact that these issues were downplayed and pushed aside as the EU pursued collaboration with the Libyan authorities to control migration. The primary objective of European approaches has instead been to stem the flow of people departing Libya by boat. Since the declaration of a migrant crisis back in 2015, the EU has given increasing amounts of funding and training to the Libyan coastguard and to detention centres to keep migrants on Libyan soil. In the summer of 2017, an emboldened Libyan coastguard then made threats of violence to international non-governmental organisations (NGOs) engaged in search and rescue missions at sea. Soon after, an armed militia west of Tripoli with backing from the Libyan authorities – who are themselves supported by Italian and EU authorities – stepped in to intercept boats and prevent people leaving towards Italy. These policies to stop boats arriving on European shores have had significant implications for the conditions of migrants in Libya. Many of the people we interviewed told us that they saw boats to Europe as the only way to flee. Now, once they are pushed back to Libya, they are held in detention centres, many of which have been criticised by international observers as overcrowded, unsanitary places where migrants are exploited. Research reports point to “abundant evidence” which shows that “detention facilities in Libya are the site of sustained criminal activity, as recruitment grounds for smuggling activity but also processing centres for ransom extraction and slavery.” Another report by the NGO Refugees International noted how often “in Libya, the policeman is a smuggler, and the smuggler is a policeman”. Despite this, just a few months ago Macron claimed that Libya could be an appropriate place to process asylum requests. The containment of migrants in Libya is therefore likely to be reinforcing the very situation that Europe’s leaders appear to be so angry about now. Médecins Sans Frontières described it as “feeding the business of suffering”. Moving beyond a crisis European approaches to migration across the Mediterranean have repeatedly been shaped by urgent attempts to address sudden crises. But the situation in Libya cannot easily be addressed by such a short-term response. People smuggling has been a thriving economic sector for years. The profits from smuggling, exploitation and now slavery provide important funds for different groups around the country. One report describes migrants as “simply another commodity to be exploited” by the various armed groups vying to control parts of Libyan territory. An important contribution to finding a longer-term solution could come from a newly announced “transit and departure facility” in Tripoli providing opportunities for people to escape from Libya. They would be resettled elsewhere, transferred to UNHCR facilities in other countries or returned to their country of origin. But so far there are only 10,500 places available – far below the number of places required – and this is little more than the nearly 9,000 returns already carried out by the IOM in 2017. After a decade of repeatedly declaring migrant crises and emergencies at their borders, it is time the EU took a broader, longer-term approach. This has to recognise the structural relationship between policies of border control, dynamics of migration and patterns of migrant vulnerability and exploitation. Intensifying border controls without addressing the reasons why people move or providing alternatives is likely to reinforce the dangers that they face. This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article. (Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity). Image Credit: EPA

Opinion: Libya is selling slaves. Why EU is ignoring

Muddy bootprints along the corridors marked the tell-tale signs of a massive police raid at an asylum seeker shelter in Hamburg, where the suspect who killed one and wounded six in a knife attack lived.

Shell shocked women and children peeked out of rooms lining the first floor of block 4D, as neighbours of the 26-year-old suspect recounted his sudden transformation from a helpful man to a religious fanatic.

&quot;He was always helping other asylum seekers with their paperwork,&quot; his neighbour, who gave his name only as Mohamed, told AFP.

&quot;He was a really good guy, never aggressive,&quot; said the neighbour.

But in recent weeks, he &quot;had a crisis, he bought Islamist clothes and read the Koran very loudly in his room,&quot; added the 31-year-old Syrian refugee.

&quot;And three weeks after Ramadan, he had another crisis. He started to drink heavily and smoke joints... he was sad that his mother was ill and that his asylum request was rejected,&quot; recounted Mohamed.

A day after the suspect stormed into a supermarket on a busy high street in the north-east of the port city, and launched an attack using a knife he took from the shop&#39;s shelves, a picture is starting to emerge of his background.

Named by Spiegel magazine as Ahmad A., he had arrived in Germany in March 2015, after having already spent some time in Norway, Sweden and Spain.

Having lived for several years in Scandinavia, he spoke fluent Norwegian, said Hamburg prosecutors.

He filed for asylum in May 2015, and according to his birth certificate, was born in the United Arab Emirates.

He was eventually sent to the Hamburg asylum shelter, a container village with some 600 residents in the leafy northern suburb of Hamburg.

The container village totalled seven blocks, with two single beds on either side of each 15 square metre room.

In late 2016, his asylum application was rejected although he could not be deported immediately because he lacked identity papers.

Officials said he appeared to accept that he would have to leave Germany, and even helped in the process to obtain documents to facilitate his departure.

On the day of the attack, he had even gone to the authorities to ask if the identify papers had arrived. Police chief Ralf Meyer said the suspect was &quot;almost exemplary&quot; in this aspect.

But police had also noted that the man had been radicalised and deemed him an &quot;Islamist&quot;.

He was also psychologically unstable, said authorities.

Those living close to him at the shelter also noted that his behaviour had become more erratic in recent weeks.

He often took drugs, and then he shouted Islamist slogans, one of the fellow residents at the shelter told Bild daily.

For Mohamed, the entire saga was a tragedy.

&quot;I find this whole story very sad. He is 26 years old and... he has not achieved anything. And now we don&#39;t know why he did this,&quot; he said.

A day after the suspect stormed into a supermarket on a busy high street in the north-east of the port city, and launched an attack using a knife he took from the shop's shelves, a picture is starting to emerge of his background

Muddy bootprints along the corridors marked the tell-tale signs of a massive police raid at an asylum seeker shelter in Hamburg, where the suspect who killed one and wounded six in a knife attack lived. Shell shocked women and children peeked out of rooms lining the first floor of block 4D, as neighbours of the 26-year-old suspect recounted his sudden transformation from a helpful man to a religious fanatic. "He was always helping other asylum seekers with their paperwork," his neighbour, who gave his name only as Mohamed, told AFP. "He was a really good guy, never aggressive," said the neighbour. But in recent weeks, he "had a crisis, he bought Islamist clothes and read the Koran very loudly in his room," added the 31-year-old Syrian refugee. "And three weeks after Ramadan, he had another crisis. He started to drink heavily and smoke joints... he was sad that his mother was ill and that his asylum request was rejected," recounted Mohamed. A day after the suspect stormed into a supermarket on a busy high street in the north-east of the port city, and launched an attack using a knife he took from the shop's shelves, a picture is starting to emerge of his background. Named by Spiegel magazine as Ahmad A., he had arrived in Germany in March 2015, after having already spent some time in Norway, Sweden and Spain. Having lived for several years in Scandinavia, he spoke fluent Norwegian, said Hamburg prosecutors. He filed for asylum in May 2015, and according to his birth certificate, was born in the United Arab Emirates. He was eventually sent to the Hamburg asylum shelter, a container village with some 600 residents in the leafy northern suburb of Hamburg. The container village totalled seven blocks, with two single beds on either side of each 15 square metre room. In late 2016, his asylum application was rejected although he could not be deported immediately because he lacked identity papers. Officials said he appeared to accept that he would have to leave Germany, and even helped in the process to obtain documents to facilitate his departure. On the day of the attack, he had even gone to the authorities to ask if the identify papers had arrived. Police chief Ralf Meyer said the suspect was "almost exemplary" in this aspect. But police had also noted that the man had been radicalised and deemed him an "Islamist". He was also psychologically unstable, said authorities. Those living close to him at the shelter also noted that his behaviour had become more erratic in recent weeks. He often took drugs, and then he shouted Islamist slogans, one of the fellow residents at the shelter told Bild daily. For Mohamed, the entire saga was a tragedy. "I find this whole story very sad. He is 26 years old and... he has not achieved anything. And now we don't know why he did this," he said.

Hamburg knife attacker: A 'never aggressive' asylum seeker

Pope Francis urged young people yesterday to welcome migrants and refugees, putting himself in direct contrast with the government of Poland on the second day of his visit there. 
 
Francis addressed more than 600,000 young people gathered in the city of Krakow for World Youth Day, a jamboree that actually lasts six days and has been dubbed the &quot;Catholic Woodstock&quot;. 
 
After watching performances from around the world, he urged them in an address to leave their comfort zones and be ready to embrace those in need.&nbsp;&quot;A merciful heart is able to be a place of refuge for those who are without a home or have lost their home; a merciful heart is able to build a home and a family for those forced to emigrate; it knows the meaning of tenderness and compassion,&quot; he said. 
 
&quot;A merciful heart opens up to welcome refugees and migrants,&quot; he told the youths gathered in a large field near the city centre. Despite being rooted in Christian values, Poland&#39;s conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party government disagrees with Francis on refugees and opposes mandatory European Union quotas for accepting asylum seekers. 
 
Some of the country&#39;s conservative church leaders have also been hesitant over migrants, particularly those from Islamic countries, fearing that they will dilute Poland&#39;s Christian identity. 
 
Yesterday morning at the shrine city of Czestochowa, Francis prayed before Poland`s holiest icon - the Black Madonna of Jasna Gora - and said outdoor Mass for a congregation of tens of thousands, thanking Poles for holding on to their faith in difficult times. 
 
Francis praised what he called &quot;the contagious power of a genuine faith, passed down from family to family&quot; in Poland, which is about 98 per cent Catholic. He said their faith had stayed strong in many situations throughout history. Poland is renowned for keep its Catholic flame burning during decades of Communist rule. 
 
As the 79-year-old pope was blessing the altar at the start of the Mass, he tripped on a step but was helped up by aides and did not appear to be hurt. He continued the Mass and read his homily normally. Francis suffers from sciatica, a medical condition in which pain sometimes shoots down the leg from the lower back. 
 
The shrine is home to the Black Madonna, a Byzantine icon from sometime between the sixth and ninth centuries and brought to Poland some 600 years ago. The icon is painted on wood and covered with silver and jewels. The shrine has been a focal point in difficult periods of Polish history. 
 
Poles flocked there to pray when martial law was declared by the communist government in the early 1980s. The late Pope John Paul II, who reigned for nearly three decades until his death in 2005, visited the shrine often during his trips to his homeland and donated the blood-stained white sash he was wearing on May 13, 1981, when he was shot in St. Peter&#39;s Square at the Vatican by Turkish gunman Mehmet Ali Agca.&nbsp; 
 
(Reuters)

'A merciful heart opens up to welcome refugees and migrants,' Pope told the youths. Poland's government opposes acceptation of asylum seekers

Pope Francis urged young people yesterday to welcome migrants and refugees, putting himself in direct contrast with the government of Poland on the second day of his visit there. Francis addressed more than 600,000 young people gathered in the city of Krakow for World Youth Day, a jamboree that actually lasts six days and has been dubbed the "Catholic Woodstock". After watching performances from around the world, he urged them in an address to leave their comfort zones and be ready to embrace those in need. "A merciful heart is able to be a place of refuge for those who are without a home or have lost their home; a merciful heart is able to build a home and a family for those forced to emigrate; it knows the meaning of tenderness and compassion," he said. "A merciful heart opens up to welcome refugees and migrants," he told the youths gathered in a large field near the city centre. Despite being rooted in Christian values, Poland's conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party government disagrees with Francis on refugees and opposes mandatory European Union quotas for accepting asylum seekers. Some of the country's conservative church leaders have also been hesitant over migrants, particularly those from Islamic countries, fearing that they will dilute Poland's Christian identity. Yesterday morning at the shrine city of Czestochowa, Francis prayed before Poland`s holiest icon - the Black Madonna of Jasna Gora - and said outdoor Mass for a congregation of tens of thousands, thanking Poles for holding on to their faith in difficult times. Francis praised what he called "the contagious power of a genuine faith, passed down from family to family" in Poland, which is about 98 per cent Catholic. He said their faith had stayed strong in many situations throughout history. Poland is renowned for keep its Catholic flame burning during decades of Communist rule. As the 79-year-old pope was blessing the altar at the start of the Mass, he tripped on a step but was helped up by aides and did not appear to be hurt. He continued the Mass and read his homily normally. Francis suffers from sciatica, a medical condition in which pain sometimes shoots down the leg from the lower back. The shrine is home to the Black Madonna, a Byzantine icon from sometime between the sixth and ninth centuries and brought to Poland some 600 years ago. The icon is painted on wood and covered with silver and jewels. The shrine has been a focal point in difficult periods of Polish history. Poles flocked there to pray when martial law was declared by the communist government in the early 1980s. The late Pope John Paul II, who reigned for nearly three decades until his death in 2005, visited the shrine often during his trips to his homeland and donated the blood-stained white sash he was wearing on May 13, 1981, when he was shot in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican by Turkish gunman Mehmet Ali Agca. (Reuters)

In a country wary of migrants, Pope tells Poles to welcome refugees

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