By Juline Beaujouan and Amjed Rasheed

The Syrian province of Idlib, the remaining holdout of rebels fighting the regime of Bashar al-Assad, has experienced fierce fighting in recent months as the Syrian army, supported by Russia, has pushed to reclaim the territory.

Meanwhile, the expansionist impulses of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in north-west Syria brought Turkey into direct confrontation with Assad’s forces in Idlib and exacerbated tensions with Russia. A ceasefire was agreed in early March, but tensions in the region remain high.

Even before the military escalation in Idlib, the Turkish attack on Kurds in north-eastern Syria in October 2019 had added a layer of complexity to the conflict. Now the recent assaults on Syrians in Idlib have led to the exodus of an estimated 1 million civilians. UN officials said it was “the fastest-growing displacement” they had ever seen in Syria.

Many people fled to Turkey, already home to around 3.5 million Syrian refugees. On February 29, Turkey opened its border with Greece, apparently to put pressure on Europe to support its operations in Idlib.

Sadly, this wave of migration is only the latest flashpoint in the worst humanitarian crisis since the horrors of the second world war. But even this crisis, with thousands now stuck in no-man’s land on the Greek-Turkish border, hasn’t triggered a way through the regional and domestic blockages that have prevented an end to the bloodshed in Syria. This is something we’ve written about in a new book on the Syrian refugee crisis.

Regional inertia 
 
Since 2011, the humanitarian consequences of the Syrian crisis have spilled over several Middle Eastern countries. But there has been no collective, regional response – largely because of political fragmentation and competition for power.

One striking illustration of these dynamics is the inertia of the Arab League and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). The two organisations have repeatedly failed to provide effective responses to regional issues such as the turmoil in Yemen and Libya or the rise of extremist groups in Iraq and Syria. The Syrian refugee crisis, and more recently the situation in north-west Syria, are no exceptions.

The Arab League has limited its intervention to support for efforts by the international community to mitigate the impact of the refugee crisis. As for the GCC, its actions were overshadowed by an internal rift and the involvement of Qatar and Saudi Arabia in the Syrian chaos. This means that the humanitarian burden has continued to be borne by countries that host Syrian refugees.

Some may have expected Arab solidarity in the face of a crisis that emerged in the context of wider Arab uprisings. Yet even in the Arab countries that have hosted the bulk of refugees from Syria, such as Jordan and Lebanon, the government and people distanced themselves from their Arab brothers as the crisis became protracted.

The national borders in the Middle East that were drawn up after the first world war still remain contested &nbsp;by pan-Arab, pan-Islamic and pan-Kurdish movements. Nevertheless, the Syrian refugee crisis showed how these borders and national identities are powerful drivers of everyday politics.

A crisis politicised

The stance of the governments in Jordan and Lebanon towards the Syrian conflict shaped the countries’ refugee policy. What started as a policy of open doors evolved from 2014 when restrictions were imposed on Syrians entering and staying in both countries. Jordan and Lebanon then began to cooperate with the international community to mitigate the refugee crisis in early 2016, and eventually began to actively encourage the return of refugees to Syria in 2018.

Lebanon’s ruling elites capitalised on the humanitarian crisis by portraying the Syrian refugees as a security threat. Pro-Assad political parties Hezbollah and the Free Patriotic Movement used this narrative to undermine anti-Assad political forces in Lebanon, namely a party called the Future Movement. This, in turn, created a sense of urgency which encouraged the flow of foreign aid into the country in an attempt to bring stability. But this foreign aid fed corruption.

The media has also played an important role in shaping the perception of Syrian refugees in Jordan and Lebanon by circulating a twofold government-sponsored narrative about the crisis. On one hand, this narrative tried to reassure Lebanese people of a sense of normalcy and fostered patience and societal strength. On the other, the government framed the refugee crisis as an emergency to convince international donors to channel humanitarian aid to the country. But as we found in our research, it was the second narrative that dominated, causing confusion among Lebanese and Jordanians who have started to ask for their share of the foreign aid.

Stuck in the middle

Amid this fragmented regional landscape and the politicisation of the crisis at the regional and national levels, the fate of Syrian refugees remains unclear. Russia has offered to facilitate dialogue between host countries – mainly Lebanon – and the Assad regime regarding the return of Syrian populations. But the ongoing process of their return to their home country might now be hampered by diplomatic tensions between Syria and its neighbours, especially Lebanon and Turkey.

The safe return of Syrian refugees will also be restricted by the demographic changes initiated by the Turkish government in efforts to eliminate the Kurdish presence along its border. The fate of returnees is also jeopardised by the Assad regime’s policies against those who took part in the uprising, those who didn’t answer the conscription call during the war or those who own properties in former rebel-held areas.

The Syrian refugee crisis will remain a major card both in the hands of the countries involved militarily in the conflict, and those hosting refugees. As for the Syrian refugees themselves, their lives, rights and future are precarious. They remain the primary victims of the regional competition for power.

(Juline Beaujouan is Research Associate, Political Settlements Research Programme, University of Edinburgh)

(Amjed Rasheed is Research Fellow, School of Government and International Affairs, Durham University)

(This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-fragmented-politics-of-the-syrian-refugee-crisis-jeopardises-the-future-of-millions-132533"> original article</a>) 
 
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By Juline Beaujouan and Amjed Rasheed The Syrian province of Idlib, the remaining holdout of rebels fighting the regime of Bashar al-Assad, has experienced fierce fighting in recent months as the Syrian army, supported by Russia, has pushed to reclaim the territory.

By Juline Beaujouan and Amjed Rasheed The Syrian province of Idlib, the remaining holdout of rebels fighting the regime of Bashar al-Assad, has experienced fierce fighting in recent months as the Syrian army, supported by Russia, has pushed to reclaim the territory. Meanwhile, the expansionist impulses of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in north-west Syria brought Turkey into direct confrontation with Assad’s forces in Idlib and exacerbated tensions with Russia. A ceasefire was agreed in early March, but tensions in the region remain high. Even before the military escalation in Idlib, the Turkish attack on Kurds in north-eastern Syria in October 2019 had added a layer of complexity to the conflict. Now the recent assaults on Syrians in Idlib have led to the exodus of an estimated 1 million civilians. UN officials said it was “the fastest-growing displacement” they had ever seen in Syria. Many people fled to Turkey, already home to around 3.5 million Syrian refugees. On February 29, Turkey opened its border with Greece, apparently to put pressure on Europe to support its operations in Idlib. Sadly, this wave of migration is only the latest flashpoint in the worst humanitarian crisis since the horrors of the second world war. But even this crisis, with thousands now stuck in no-man’s land on the Greek-Turkish border, hasn’t triggered a way through the regional and domestic blockages that have prevented an end to the bloodshed in Syria. This is something we’ve written about in a new book on the Syrian refugee crisis. Regional inertia Since 2011, the humanitarian consequences of the Syrian crisis have spilled over several Middle Eastern countries. But there has been no collective, regional response – largely because of political fragmentation and competition for power. One striking illustration of these dynamics is the inertia of the Arab League and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). The two organisations have repeatedly failed to provide effective responses to regional issues such as the turmoil in Yemen and Libya or the rise of extremist groups in Iraq and Syria. The Syrian refugee crisis, and more recently the situation in north-west Syria, are no exceptions. The Arab League has limited its intervention to support for efforts by the international community to mitigate the impact of the refugee crisis. As for the GCC, its actions were overshadowed by an internal rift and the involvement of Qatar and Saudi Arabia in the Syrian chaos. This means that the humanitarian burden has continued to be borne by countries that host Syrian refugees. Some may have expected Arab solidarity in the face of a crisis that emerged in the context of wider Arab uprisings. Yet even in the Arab countries that have hosted the bulk of refugees from Syria, such as Jordan and Lebanon, the government and people distanced themselves from their Arab brothers as the crisis became protracted. The national borders in the Middle East that were drawn up after the first world war still remain contested by pan-Arab, pan-Islamic and pan-Kurdish movements. Nevertheless, the Syrian refugee crisis showed how these borders and national identities are powerful drivers of everyday politics. A crisis politicised The stance of the governments in Jordan and Lebanon towards the Syrian conflict shaped the countries’ refugee policy. What started as a policy of open doors evolved from 2014 when restrictions were imposed on Syrians entering and staying in both countries. Jordan and Lebanon then began to cooperate with the international community to mitigate the refugee crisis in early 2016, and eventually began to actively encourage the return of refugees to Syria in 2018. Lebanon’s ruling elites capitalised on the humanitarian crisis by portraying the Syrian refugees as a security threat. Pro-Assad political parties Hezbollah and the Free Patriotic Movement used this narrative to undermine anti-Assad political forces in Lebanon, namely a party called the Future Movement. This, in turn, created a sense of urgency which encouraged the flow of foreign aid into the country in an attempt to bring stability. But this foreign aid fed corruption. The media has also played an important role in shaping the perception of Syrian refugees in Jordan and Lebanon by circulating a twofold government-sponsored narrative about the crisis. On one hand, this narrative tried to reassure Lebanese people of a sense of normalcy and fostered patience and societal strength. On the other, the government framed the refugee crisis as an emergency to convince international donors to channel humanitarian aid to the country. But as we found in our research, it was the second narrative that dominated, causing confusion among Lebanese and Jordanians who have started to ask for their share of the foreign aid. Stuck in the middle Amid this fragmented regional landscape and the politicisation of the crisis at the regional and national levels, the fate of Syrian refugees remains unclear. Russia has offered to facilitate dialogue between host countries – mainly Lebanon – and the Assad regime regarding the return of Syrian populations. But the ongoing process of their return to their home country might now be hampered by diplomatic tensions between Syria and its neighbours, especially Lebanon and Turkey. The safe return of Syrian refugees will also be restricted by the demographic changes initiated by the Turkish government in efforts to eliminate the Kurdish presence along its border. The fate of returnees is also jeopardised by the Assad regime’s policies against those who took part in the uprising, those who didn’t answer the conscription call during the war or those who own properties in former rebel-held areas. The Syrian refugee crisis will remain a major card both in the hands of the countries involved militarily in the conflict, and those hosting refugees. As for the Syrian refugees themselves, their lives, rights and future are precarious. They remain the primary victims of the regional competition for power. (Juline Beaujouan is Research Associate, Political Settlements Research Programme, University of Edinburgh) (Amjed Rasheed is Research Fellow, School of Government and International Affairs, Durham University) (This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article)

Fragmented politics of Syrian refugee crisis jeopardises the future of millions

The situation along the Turkey-Greece border is extremely grave. On the one side, there are desperate people fleeing from the war in Syria.

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/migrants-head-to-greece-as-turkey-opens-floodgates-283547">Migrants head to Greece as Turkey opens floodgates</a>

Presently, given refuge in Turkey, they want to crossover to Greece and into Europe for a better life.

In pics: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/refugees-stream-towards-greece-after-turkey-opens-gates-283696">Refugees stream towards Greece after Turkey opens gates </a>

And on the other side, the greeks and the Europeans want to keep immigrants out as they claim that the influx of the migrants has impacted their life.&nbsp;

The crisis brewing at the border between Turkey and Greece has worsened over the week. The European Union has said that its borders are closed.&nbsp;

But despite this, thousands of Syrian refugees have made a beeline to the greek border. President of the European Union, Ursula von der Leyen has described Greece as the shield of Europe.

Turkey presently plays host to over 3.7 million Syrian refugees, the highest in the world. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has claimed that Turkey will no longer be able to admit any more refugees.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="http://13.235.153.162/videos/80000-syrian-migrants-marching-to-turkey-says-recep-erdogan-269633/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

And those who crossover from Syria fleeing the violence in Idlib will be allowed free passage onto Europe.

It is a cynical gambit by the Turkish president that has got Europe very worried. The idyllic island of lesbos, off the coast of Turkey, is bearing the brunt of the migrant crisis.

The island of 86,000 people already houses more than 21,000 migrants, mostly crammed into facilities meant for fewer than 3,000.

Over the week, the situation has become desperate and violent.

Greece has deployed riot police. There have been clashes between the migrants and the police over the accusation that a migrant trying to cross over was shot dead by the greek police.

Migrants seek to enter into Europe through both land and sea routes.

"You go out at night, and many times we would almost run into them, almost getting ourselves killed, how many times at night? They would come without lights at night, and you would go out, so many times we passed by them so close, 50, 60 people, you cannot see any lights, nothing," said Giorgos Mavroidis, &nbsp;resident, Greece.

Many European political leaders have backed the tactics employed by Greece in stopping the migrants.

They fear a re-run of what happened in 2015. When over a million Syrian refugees fleeing from violence had made their way into Europe.

But human rights activists have slammed Greece for its policies.&nbsp;

They have questioned Greece's decision to suspend asylum applications for a month. Erdogan has been accused of using the migrants as a bargaining chip with the European Union.&nbsp;

So as the violence continues in Idlib. People in lesbos brace themselves for more migrants making a dash for Europe.

The situation along the Turkey-Greece border is extremely grave. On the one side, there are desperate people fleeing from the war in Syria. Also read: Migrants head to Greece as Turkey opens floodgates Presently, given refuge in Turkey, they want to crossover to Greece and into Europe for a better life.

The situation along the Turkey-Greece border is extremely grave. On the one side, there are desperate people fleeing from the war in Syria. Also read: Migrants head to Greece as Turkey opens floodgates Presently, given refuge in Turkey, they want to crossover to Greece and into Europe for a better life. In pics: Refugees stream towards Greece after Turkey opens gates And on the other side, the greeks and the Europeans want to keep immigrants out as they claim that the influx of the migrants has impacted their life. The crisis brewing at the border between Turkey and Greece has worsened over the week. The European Union has said that its borders are closed. But despite this, thousands of Syrian refugees have made a beeline to the greek border. President of the European Union, Ursula von der Leyen has described Greece as the shield of Europe. Turkey presently plays host to over 3.7 million Syrian refugees, the highest in the world. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has claimed that Turkey will no longer be able to admit any more refugees. And those who crossover from Syria fleeing the violence in Idlib will be allowed free passage onto Europe. It is a cynical gambit by the Turkish president that has got Europe very worried. The idyllic island of lesbos, off the coast of Turkey, is bearing the brunt of the migrant crisis. The island of 86,000 people already houses more than 21,000 migrants, mostly crammed into facilities meant for fewer than 3,000. Over the week, the situation has become desperate and violent. Greece has deployed riot police. There have been clashes between the migrants and the police over the accusation that a migrant trying to cross over was shot dead by the greek police. Migrants seek to enter into Europe through both land and sea routes. "You go out at night, and many times we would almost run into them, almost getting ourselves killed, how many times at night? They would come without lights at night, and you would go out, so many times we passed by them so close, 50, 60 people, you cannot see any lights, nothing," said Giorgos Mavroidis, resident, Greece. Many European political leaders have backed the tactics employed by Greece in stopping the migrants. They fear a re-run of what happened in 2015. When over a million Syrian refugees fleeing from violence had made their way into Europe. But human rights activists have slammed Greece for its policies. They have questioned Greece's decision to suspend asylum applications for a month. Erdogan has been accused of using the migrants as a bargaining chip with the European Union. So as the violence continues in Idlib. People in lesbos brace themselves for more migrants making a dash for Europe.

Greece migrant crisis: Tense situation on the Greek-Turkish border

Greece has repulsed nearly 35,000 migrants trying to cross onto its territory illegally since Turkey opened its border nearly a week ago, government sources said on Thursday, as it prepares to deport hundreds of others who made it through.

Thousands of migrants have made for Greece since Ankara said on Feb. 28 that it would let migrants cross its borders into Europe, reneging on a commitment to hold them on its territory under a 2016 deal with the European Union.

Ankara has accused Greek forces of shooting dead four migrants. a charge rejected by Athens, which says Turkish forces are helping the migrants to cross the border. Both sides used tear gas at the Kastanies border post on Wednesday.

<img alt="Migrants, who are part of a group who arrived in the previous days after crossing part of the Aegean Sea from Turkey to Greece, wait for an identification process before being transported to the mainland on a Greek Navy vessel from the port of Mytilene, on the island of Lesbos, Greece" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="e231cc37-f68a-46c7-a271-380474c64c79" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%2834%29.jpg" />

Turkey's interior minister, Suleyman Soylu, visited Edirne province bordering Greece on Thursday and announced the deployment of 1,000 special police to the area to halt the pushback of migrants towards its territory.

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions-blogs/eastern-mediterranean-region-a-microcosm-of-regional-and-global-battles-284505">Eastern Mediterranean region: A microcosm of regional and global battles</a>

Soylu, who said on Wednesday that Turkey was preparing a case at the European Court of Human Rights over Greece's treatment of migrants, accused Greek forces of wounding 164 people and pushing back nearly 5,000 into Turkey.

The situation at the Kastanies border crossing was calm on Thursday. Migrants - many of whom are from Afghanistan and Pakistan as well as Syria and other Arab nations - huddled in tents and makeshift camps on the Turkish side of the border.

<img alt="Two migrants who crossed the border from Turkey to Greece run through a field, near the town of Soufli, in the region of Evros, Greece" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="61481ed0-c3b4-4b90-a58c-3d672e2d8df1" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%2836%29_0.jpg" />

Greek border guards rebuffed nearly 7,000 attempts in the last 24 hours alone, taking the total since Feb. 29 to 34,778 and the number of arrests of those who got through to 244, the Greek government sources said.

Watch: 

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Migrants who arrived in Greece illegally after March 1 will be transferred to the northern city of Serres and deported back to their own countries, Greek Migration Minister Notis Mitarachi said late on Wednesday.

"Our aim is to return them to their countries," he told the Athens News Agency.

<img alt="Greek soldiers walk on the railway tracks as they patrol next the Greek-Turkish border near the village of Marasia, in the region of Evros, Greece" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="5f438018-6855-4b40-9366-7fbb155f62a2" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%2837%29_0.jpg" />

CRITICISM

Mitarachi also said migrants who entered Greece prior to Jan. 1, 2019 and are living on its Aegean islands would be transferred to the mainland in the coming days.

Athens announced on March 1 that it would not accept any new asylum applications for a month following the build-up of migrants at the border. This has triggered criticism from human rights agencies.

The Aegean Sea remained choppy on Thursday and there were no further sightings of dinghies carrying migrants to Lesbos and other Greek islands from the nearby Turkish coast.

Lesbos already hosts more than 20,000 asylum seekers, many of them living in filthy conditions in overcrowded camps.

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/greek-police-fire-tear-gas-at-migrants-on-turkish-border-284256">Greek police fire tear gas at migrants on Turkish border</a>

Greece and the EU accuse Turkey of deliberately goading the migrants to cross the border as a way of pressuring Brussels into offering more money or supporting Ankara's geopolitical aims in the Syrian conflict.

Turkey, which already hosts 3.6 million Syrian refugees and faces another influx from an upsurge in fighting in northwest Syria, says it cannot take in any more and complains that EU aid falls well short of what is needed for the refugees.

President Tayyip Erdogan discussed the migrant issue with senior EU officials in Ankara on Wednesday but his spokesman said the Europeans had made "no concrete proposition" on how to resolve the crisis.

Ankara's change in policy towards the migrants on its soil came after at least 33 Turkish soldiers were killed by Russian-backed Syrian government forces in an air strike in Syria.

Erdogan flew to Moscow on Thursday for talks with Russia's President Vladimir Putin over a potential ceasefire in Syria's Idlib, where their militaries are facing off in a war that has displaced nearly a million people in three months.

Greece has repulsed nearly 35,000 migrants trying to cross onto its territory illegally since Turkey opened its border nearly a week ago, government sources said on Thursday, as it prepares to deport hundreds of others who made it through.

Greece has repulsed nearly 35,000 migrants trying to cross onto its territory illegally since Turkey opened its border nearly a week ago, government sources said on Thursday, as it prepares to deport hundreds of others who made it through. Thousands of migrants have made for Greece since Ankara said on Feb. 28 that it would let migrants cross its borders into Europe, reneging on a commitment to hold them on its territory under a 2016 deal with the European Union. Ankara has accused Greek forces of shooting dead four migrants. a charge rejected by Athens, which says Turkish forces are helping the migrants to cross the border. Both sides used tear gas at the Kastanies border post on Wednesday. Turkey's interior minister, Suleyman Soylu, visited Edirne province bordering Greece on Thursday and announced the deployment of 1,000 special police to the area to halt the pushback of migrants towards its territory. Also read: Eastern Mediterranean region: A microcosm of regional and global battles Soylu, who said on Wednesday that Turkey was preparing a case at the European Court of Human Rights over Greece's treatment of migrants, accused Greek forces of wounding 164 people and pushing back nearly 5,000 into Turkey. The situation at the Kastanies border crossing was calm on Thursday. Migrants - many of whom are from Afghanistan and Pakistan as well as Syria and other Arab nations - huddled in tents and makeshift camps on the Turkish side of the border. Greek border guards rebuffed nearly 7,000 attempts in the last 24 hours alone, taking the total since Feb. 29 to 34,778 and the number of arrests of those who got through to 244, the Greek government sources said. Watch: × Migrants who arrived in Greece illegally after March 1 will be transferred to the northern city of Serres and deported back to their own countries, Greek Migration Minister Notis Mitarachi said late on Wednesday. "Our aim is to return them to their countries," he told the Athens News Agency. CRITICISM Mitarachi also said migrants who entered Greece prior to Jan. 1, 2019 and are living on its Aegean islands would be transferred to the mainland in the coming days. Athens announced on March 1 that it would not accept any new asylum applications for a month following the build-up of migrants at the border. This has triggered criticism from human rights agencies. The Aegean Sea remained choppy on Thursday and there were no further sightings of dinghies carrying migrants to Lesbos and other Greek islands from the nearby Turkish coast. Lesbos already hosts more than 20,000 asylum seekers, many of them living in filthy conditions in overcrowded camps. Also read: Greek police fire tear gas at migrants on Turkish border Greece and the EU accuse Turkey of deliberately goading the migrants to cross the border as a way of pressuring Brussels into offering more money or supporting Ankara's geopolitical aims in the Syrian conflict. Turkey, which already hosts 3.6 million Syrian refugees and faces another influx from an upsurge in fighting in northwest Syria, says it cannot take in any more and complains that EU aid falls well short of what is needed for the refugees. President Tayyip Erdogan discussed the migrant issue with senior EU officials in Ankara on Wednesday but his spokesman said the Europeans had made "no concrete proposition" on how to resolve the crisis. Ankara's change in policy towards the migrants on its soil came after at least 33 Turkish soldiers were killed by Russian-backed Syrian government forces in an air strike in Syria. Erdogan flew to Moscow on Thursday for talks with Russia's President Vladimir Putin over a potential ceasefire in Syria's Idlib, where their militaries are facing off in a war that has displaced nearly a million people in three months.

Greece blocks 35,000 migrants, plans to deport arrivals after March 1

As the war rages on in Northern Syria, Europe is suffering from yet another refugee crisis. The situation at the greek border remains uncertain. Hundreds of Syrian refugees have been attempting to cross over after Turkey announced that it would allow passage into Europe. Greece has denied taking in the migrants and has warned of strong action if people try to cross over illegally.

Greek police fire tear gas at refugees, trying to strop them from entering illegally

Greece has blocked <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/migrants-head-to-greece-as-turkey-opens-floodgates-283547">nearly 10,000 migrants trying to enter from the Turkey border</a> over the past 24 hours, a Greek government source said Sunday.

A massive influx of migrants swelled along the border over the weekend after Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan threatened to open its frontier to Europe.

He is seeking to pressure EU governments over the Syrian conflict after an airstrike in Syria's Idlib province on Thursday killed dozens of Turkish soldiers.

A Greek government source said Sunday its army and police had stopped thousands from entering its territory.&nbsp;Saturday morning to 0600 Sunday morning, 9,972 illegal entrances have been averted in the Evros area," the government source said, referring to the northeastern region along the Turkey border.

Huge crowds tried to cross into Greece via the Kastanies Forest in the early hours of Sunday, the source said.

Also Read:-<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hundreds-head-towards-europe-border-after-reports-claim-that-turkey-opens-gates-283266">Hundreds head towards Europe border after reports claim that Turkey 'opens gates</a>

Greek authorities said 73 migrants had been arrested, but added that they "weren't from Idlib, but from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Somalia".

Some 13,000 migrants have gathered along the Turkish-Greek border, including families with young children, the International Organization for Migration said Saturday.

Greek security forces are patrolling the Evros river shores -- a common crossing point -- and have issued loudspeaker warnings not to enter Greek territory.

On Saturday clashes erupted along the border, where Greek police fired tear gas at migrants who in turn lobbed rocks at officers.

Erdogan threatened to open Turkey's gates for some of the 3.6 million refugees it is harbouring as a way to pressure EU countries over the conflict in Syria.

Turkey and Russia, who back opposing forces in the conflict, have held talks to defuse tensions after the air strike left 34 Turkish troops dead, sparking fears of a broader war and a new migration crisis for Europe.

The UN says nearly a million people -- half of them children -- have been displaced by the fighting in northwest Syria since December, forced to flee in the bitter cold.

In 2015, Greece became the main EU entry point for one million migrants, most of them refugees fleeing the Syrian civil war.

EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen expressed "concern" on the unimpeded flow of migrants from Turkey to the bloc's external borders in Greece and Bulgaria.

"Our top priority at this stage is to ensure that Greece and Bulgaria have our full support," she tweeted Saturday.

Greece has blocked nearly 10,000 migrants trying to enter from the Turkey border over the past 24 hours, a Greek government source said Sunday. A massive influx of migrants swelled along the border over the weekend after Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan threatened to open its frontier to Europe.

Greece has blocked nearly 10,000 migrants trying to enter from the Turkey border over the past 24 hours, a Greek government source said Sunday. A massive influx of migrants swelled along the border over the weekend after Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan threatened to open its frontier to Europe. He is seeking to pressure EU governments over the Syrian conflict after an airstrike in Syria's Idlib province on Thursday killed dozens of Turkish soldiers. A Greek government source said Sunday its army and police had stopped thousands from entering its territory. Saturday morning to 0600 Sunday morning, 9,972 illegal entrances have been averted in the Evros area," the government source said, referring to the northeastern region along the Turkey border. Huge crowds tried to cross into Greece via the Kastanies Forest in the early hours of Sunday, the source said. Also Read:-Hundreds head towards Europe border after reports claim that Turkey 'opens gates Greek authorities said 73 migrants had been arrested, but added that they "weren't from Idlib, but from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Somalia". Some 13,000 migrants have gathered along the Turkish-Greek border, including families with young children, the International Organization for Migration said Saturday. Greek security forces are patrolling the Evros river shores -- a common crossing point -- and have issued loudspeaker warnings not to enter Greek territory. On Saturday clashes erupted along the border, where Greek police fired tear gas at migrants who in turn lobbed rocks at officers. Erdogan threatened to open Turkey's gates for some of the 3.6 million refugees it is harbouring as a way to pressure EU countries over the conflict in Syria. Turkey and Russia, who back opposing forces in the conflict, have held talks to defuse tensions after the air strike left 34 Turkish troops dead, sparking fears of a broader war and a new migration crisis for Europe. The UN says nearly a million people -- half of them children -- have been displaced by the fighting in northwest Syria since December, forced to flee in the bitter cold. In 2015, Greece became the main EU entry point for one million migrants, most of them refugees fleeing the Syrian civil war. EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen expressed "concern" on the unimpeded flow of migrants from Turkey to the bloc's external borders in Greece and Bulgaria. "Our top priority at this stage is to ensure that Greece and Bulgaria have our full support," she tweeted Saturday.

Greece blocks nearly 10,000 migrants at Turkey border

The issue of immigration is a global political hot potato. In America, President Donald Trump is building a wall to keep Mexicans and Central Americans out.

Europe is troubled by the influx of African migrants. Britain has wrapped up its exit from the European Union. Even there, the free movement of people was perhaps the biggest sticking point.

And here in India, we are in the middle of a national debate on illegal immigrants triggered by a new Citizenship Law.&nbsp;

Talking about the United States, a 30-foot high portion of Trump's wall along the US-Mexico border blew over in high winds yesterday.

In more ways than one, this incident personifies what's wrong with Trump's agreements on immigration, high on rhetoric and low on substance. 
 
WATCH:&nbsp;Detention camps: Inhumane, but inevitable 
&nbsp;

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While America might have tightened its border checks, Trump has failed to keep the numbers in check. American borders still remain porous in some areas.

In fact, the tougher rules are leading to more deaths at the borders. Last year in August, more than 500 deaths were reported from America and almost half of them were recorded at the US-Mexico border.

Poor execution aside, the argument has merit - illegal immigration is a legitimate concern. Trump rose to power by giving his voice to an issue that most politicians were silent about.

Native Americans were concerned about illegal immigrants, but nobody except Trump was willing to say it.

It's a pitch that India's Prime minister Narendra Modi has been able to successfully replicate. The BJP's pitch to battle illegal migration has found a connect.

But, has the government exaggerated the crisis? The numbers from the census throw up some trends. In America and other major countries of Western Europe, the immigration rate, the share of the immigrant population is around 10-15 per cent.

Reportedly, in India, the immigration rate is less than one per cent. Irrespective of what the numbers suggest, India is expected to escalate its crackdown on illegal immigrants.

Reports say that last year, the Centre asked the states to build at least one detention centre to house illegals. But, as the recent anti-CAA protests have shown, such moves have triggered anxieties.

About a year,&nbsp;the idea of detention centres and pictures from the US- Mexico border triggered major outrage. Prison like facilities, where children were separated from their families.

Detention centres around the world are not much different - Canada, Germany and Australia too have been criticised for keeping detainees in inhumane conditions. Reportedly, the Indian government already has 10 detention centres.

India must tread cautiously on this issue because any step that we&nbsp;take,&nbsp;will face the scrutiny of the world. 
 
(Disclaimer: WION Edit is the channel's take on the big events of the world) 
&nbsp;

The issue of immigration is a global political hot potato. In America, President Donald Trump is building a wall to keep Mexicans and Central Americans out. Europe is troubled by the influx of African migrants.

The issue of immigration is a global political hot potato. In America, President Donald Trump is building a wall to keep Mexicans and Central Americans out. Europe is troubled by the influx of African migrants. Britain has wrapped up its exit from the European Union. Even there, the free movement of people was perhaps the biggest sticking point. And here in India, we are in the middle of a national debate on illegal immigrants triggered by a new Citizenship Law. Talking about the United States, a 30-foot high portion of Trump's wall along the US-Mexico border blew over in high winds yesterday. In more ways than one, this incident personifies what's wrong with Trump's agreements on immigration, high on rhetoric and low on substance. WATCH: Detention camps: Inhumane, but inevitable × While America might have tightened its border checks, Trump has failed to keep the numbers in check. American borders still remain porous in some areas. In fact, the tougher rules are leading to more deaths at the borders. Last year in August, more than 500 deaths were reported from America and almost half of them were recorded at the US-Mexico border. Poor execution aside, the argument has merit - illegal immigration is a legitimate concern. Trump rose to power by giving his voice to an issue that most politicians were silent about. Native Americans were concerned about illegal immigrants, but nobody except Trump was willing to say it. It's a pitch that India's Prime minister Narendra Modi has been able to successfully replicate. The BJP's pitch to battle illegal migration has found a connect. But, has the government exaggerated the crisis? The numbers from the census throw up some trends. In America and other major countries of Western Europe, the immigration rate, the share of the immigrant population is around 10-15 per cent. Reportedly, in India, the immigration rate is less than one per cent. Irrespective of what the numbers suggest, India is expected to escalate its crackdown on illegal immigrants. Reports say that last year, the Centre asked the states to build at least one detention centre to house illegals. But, as the recent anti-CAA protests have shown, such moves have triggered anxieties. About a year, the idea of detention centres and pictures from the US- Mexico border triggered major outrage. Prison like facilities, where children were separated from their families. Detention centres around the world are not much different - Canada, Germany and Australia too have been criticised for keeping detainees in inhumane conditions. Reportedly, the Indian government already has 10 detention centres. India must tread cautiously on this issue because any step that we take, will face the scrutiny of the world. (Disclaimer: WION Edit is the channel's take on the big events of the world)

WION Edit: Detention of illegal immigrants a political hot potato

Five Indians - locked inside a detention centre in the state of Louisiana, United States are on a hunger strike. According to reports, they have been detained despite the fact they have formal sponsors for their stay.&nbsp;

These Indians are at the La Salle detention centre and have been on a hunger strike for 90 days now. Those under detention include four Hindus and one Sikh who seek asylum.&nbsp;

Reports suggest that these Indian under detention are being force-fed by the officials. The United Nations says that force-feeding amounts to torture and is a medically unethical practice.

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions-blogs/wion-edit-detention-of-illegal-immigrants-a-political-hot-potato-277854">Detention of illegal immigrants a political hot potato</a>

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This is not the first time that Indians have resorted to a hunger strike under detention.

Under Trump administration, border officials have begun implementing a policy of mandatory detention for asylum seekers - but they have the authority to release them.

According to US government data, more Indians are now trying to enter America illegally. The Trump administration, however, is determined to keep the immigration numbers down. The rejections have shot up.&nbsp;

Between 2015 and 2017, more than seven thousand Indians were sent back from the US to India.&nbsp;

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-has-the-highest-rate-of-children-in-detention-centres-un-study-263214">US has the highest rate of children in detention centres - UN study</a>

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Under Donald Trump, American detention centres are quicky gaining a notorious reputation for their inhumane conditions.&nbsp;

Last year, the United Nations Human Rights chief said that she was appalled by the conditions in which America detained people. &nbsp;

Under Trump, over 24 immigrants have died in custody. At least four others died shortly after they were released.

Five Indians - locked inside a detention centre in the state of Louisiana, United States are on a hunger strike. According to reports, they have been detained despite the fact they have formal sponsors for their stay.

Five Indians - locked inside a detention centre in the state of Louisiana, United States are on a hunger strike. According to reports, they have been detained despite the fact they have formal sponsors for their stay. These Indians are at the La Salle detention centre and have been on a hunger strike for 90 days now. Those under detention include four Hindus and one Sikh who seek asylum. Reports suggest that these Indian under detention are being force-fed by the officials. The United Nations says that force-feeding amounts to torture and is a medically unethical practice. Also read: Detention of illegal immigrants a political hot potato × This is not the first time that Indians have resorted to a hunger strike under detention. Under Trump administration, border officials have begun implementing a policy of mandatory detention for asylum seekers - but they have the authority to release them. According to US government data, more Indians are now trying to enter America illegally. The Trump administration, however, is determined to keep the immigration numbers down. The rejections have shot up. Between 2015 and 2017, more than seven thousand Indians were sent back from the US to India. Also read: US has the highest rate of children in detention centres - UN study × Under Donald Trump, American detention centres are quicky gaining a notorious reputation for their inhumane conditions. Last year, the United Nations Human Rights chief said that she was appalled by the conditions in which America detained people. Under Trump, over 24 immigrants have died in custody. At least four others died shortly after they were released.

Five Indians in American detention camps on hunger strike for over 2 months: Report 

Immigration officials and National Guard officers on January 20 rounded up dozens of migrants who crossed the border from Guatemala to Mexico, in a new challenge for President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador's efforts to contain migration at the bidding of the United States. The mostly Honduran migrants appeared to grow impatient on the bridge over the Suchiate River that connects the two countries after some were denied permission to cross by assembled Mexican migration officials.

Migrants scuffle with Mexican troops while trying to cross river into Mexico

President Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday (January 2) that up to 250,000 migrants were fleeing from the northwestern Syrian region of Idlib towards Turkey, adding that Ankara was trying to prevent them from crossing its border.

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/erdogan-says-2-3-million-syrian-refugees-in-turkey-europe-can-be-resettled-in-safe-zone-250434">Erdogan says 2-3 million Syrian refugees in Turkey, Europe can be resettled in 'safe zone'</a>

Turkey hosts some 3.7 million Syrian refugees, the largest refugee population in the world. It fears a new wave from Idlib, where up to 3 million Syrians live in the last rebel-held swathe of territory after Russian and Syrian government forces last month intensified their bombardment of targets in the region.

Watch:&nbsp;

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"Right now, 200,000 to 250,000 migrants are moving towards our borders. We are trying to prevent them with some measures, but it's not easy," Erdogan told a conference in Ankara.

The United Nations last week said 235,000 civilians had fled their homes in just two weeks between Dec 12 and 25.&nbsp;

The Russian-led campaign that started in April 2019 had already forced at least 500,000 people to leave for areas closer to the border with Turkey, which Russian jets rarely hit.

President Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday (January 2) that up to 250,000 migrants were fleeing from the northwestern Syrian region of Idlib towards Turkey, adding that Ankara was trying to prevent them from crossing its border.

President Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday (January 2) that up to 250,000 migrants were fleeing from the northwestern Syrian region of Idlib towards Turkey, adding that Ankara was trying to prevent them from crossing its border. Also read: Erdogan says 2-3 million Syrian refugees in Turkey, Europe can be resettled in 'safe zone' Turkey hosts some 3.7 million Syrian refugees, the largest refugee population in the world. It fears a new wave from Idlib, where up to 3 million Syrians live in the last rebel-held swathe of territory after Russian and Syrian government forces last month intensified their bombardment of targets in the region. Watch: "Right now, 200,000 to 250,000 migrants are moving towards our borders. We are trying to prevent them with some measures, but it's not easy," Erdogan told a conference in Ankara. The United Nations last week said 235,000 civilians had fled their homes in just two weeks between Dec 12 and 25. The Russian-led campaign that started in April 2019 had already forced at least 500,000 people to leave for areas closer to the border with Turkey, which Russian jets rarely hit.

250,000 migrants fleeing from Syria's Idlib towards Turkey: Tayyip Erdogan

Some 162 migrants rescued off the Libyan coast have disembarked in the southern Italian port of Taranto, the NGO SOS Mediterranee said Tuesday.

The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/italian-authorities-have-agreed-to-grant-the-open-arms-ship-264436">migrants</a>, including 50 minors and five pregnant women, "were rescued by the SOS Mediterranee Search and Rescue team in two critical rescues in international waters off the coast of Libya on Friday, December 20th," said the NGO, which charters the Ocean Viking rescue ship along with medical charity Doctors Without Borders.

The first operation involved a rubber dinghy that had deflated and was carrying 112 "terrified" people on board, it said.

Fifty others were plucked from a wooden boat shortly before midnight the same day "in dangerous meteorological and maritime conditions," the NGO added.

The 50 could not be transported to Malta due to adverse weather conditions.

Italian authorities then gave permission for all the rescued migrants to land in Taranto and the operation was carried out on Monday, SOS Mediterranee said.

It described both rescue operations as "extremely difficult."

"As the weather was rapidly and severely deteriorating, both cases would almost certainly have resulted in tragedies if help had arrived only a little later,"&nbsp;said Nicola Stalla, the NGO's search and rescue coordinator onboard the Ocean Viking.

Italy renewed a widely criticised 2017 agreement in October&nbsp;with the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/malta-has-deal-with-libya-coastguard-over-migrant-interceptions-report-261202">Libyan coastguard</a> to block migrants from trying to leave for Europe.

Rights groups say <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/at-least-150-people-feared-dead-in-shipwreck-off-libya-unhcr-238504">Libya</a> routinely picks up migrants in the Mediterranean and brings them back to overcrowded detention centers, where many have been victims of abuse and forced labour.

Libya, wracked by conflict since the 2011 uprising against Moamer Kadhafi, has become a major transit route for migrants from sub-Saharan Africa and elsewhere hoping to reach Europe.

Some 162 migrants rescued off the Libyan coast have disembarked in the southern Italian port of Taranto, the NGO SOS Mediterranee said Tuesday. The migrants, including 50 minors and five pregnant women, "were rescued by the SOS Mediterranee Search and Rescue team in two critical rescues in international waters off the coast of Libya on Friday, December 20th," said the NGO, which charters the Ocean Viking rescue ship along with medical charity Doctors Without Borders.

Some 162 migrants rescued off the Libyan coast have disembarked in the southern Italian port of Taranto, the NGO SOS Mediterranee said Tuesday. The migrants, including 50 minors and five pregnant women, "were rescued by the SOS Mediterranee Search and Rescue team in two critical rescues in international waters off the coast of Libya on Friday, December 20th," said the NGO, which charters the Ocean Viking rescue ship along with medical charity Doctors Without Borders. The first operation involved a rubber dinghy that had deflated and was carrying 112 "terrified" people on board, it said. Fifty others were plucked from a wooden boat shortly before midnight the same day "in dangerous meteorological and maritime conditions," the NGO added. The 50 could not be transported to Malta due to adverse weather conditions. Italian authorities then gave permission for all the rescued migrants to land in Taranto and the operation was carried out on Monday, SOS Mediterranee said. It described both rescue operations as "extremely difficult." "As the weather was rapidly and severely deteriorating, both cases would almost certainly have resulted in tragedies if help had arrived only a little later," said Nicola Stalla, the NGO's search and rescue coordinator onboard the Ocean Viking. Italy renewed a widely criticised 2017 agreement in October with the Libyan coastguard to block migrants from trying to leave for Europe. Rights groups say Libya routinely picks up migrants in the Mediterranean and brings them back to overcrowded detention centers, where many have been victims of abuse and forced labour. Libya, wracked by conflict since the 2011 uprising against Moamer Kadhafi, has become a major transit route for migrants from sub-Saharan Africa and elsewhere hoping to reach Europe.

Italy rescued 162 migrants from the Libyan coast: Sources

A delegation of Rohingya refugees on Thursday (December 19) refused to accept a proposal made by Myanmar officials to repatriate them to Myanmar, citing that their demands have not been met.

Rohingya refugees reject Myanmar officials' proposal to return home

A group of mostly Central American migrants gathered next to the border wall dividing the U.S. and Mexico in Tijuana on Saturday (December 14) for a traditional Mexican "posada" or holiday party.

Migrants gather at U.S.-Mexico border for Christmas party

With the passing of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAB), 2019 from both houses of Parliament and with the assent of the President yesterday, the much-politicised bill has now become a law. The marathon debates in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, had seen some passionate flow of emotions both in favour and against the bill.

Before opening up the case for further analysis, it’s important to understand who is a refugee and an illegal migrant?

The United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) defines a refugee as someone, “Who has been forced to flee his or her country because of persecution, war or violence. A refugee has a well-founded fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership in a particular social group.” Such a refugee has a right to seek asylum in another country in order to get lawful recognition, shelter, legal protection and material assistance.

The main framework document to deal with international refugees is the 1951 UN Refugee Convention and its 1967 protocol, ratified by 145 countries, of which India is not a signatory. However, India respects the mandates of these protocols and grants asylums to a large number of neighbouring and non-neighbouring refugees as per ‘non-refoulment’ principle of the UNHCR, meaning, India doesn’t force the refugees or asylum seekers to go back to their respective countries from where they have emigrated and where they’re liable to face persecution again.

India has been a centre of a consistent flow of migration of mixed nature that has often created complexities of various natures. At the one side, there are various minority groups coming from the neighbouring Muslim countries after escaping religious persecution while at the other side are ‘economic migrants’ who infiltrate into India simply in search of better life opportunities.

While the first groups of refugees are the ones who come to India to save their lives and honour, the second groups of migrants are nothing but opportunist infiltrators who emigrate from their countries of nationalities looking for better opportunities that, at times, also jeopardises the security interests of the host nation. The first group consists mainly of those religious communities who consider India as their natural home.

The growing security concerns have forced India to shrink its asylum space and adopt mixed policies to deal with different refugee groups, than to have one universal policy paradigm as per the UNHCR framework. In accordance with this, the central government decided to bring the Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB) - first in 2016 and again in 2019 – aimed to grant citizenship to the six specific communities, Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jains, Parsis and Christian migrating in India from three countries - Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan.

These group of migrants settled mainly in the North-east and in other different parts of the country, as per clause (c) of sub-section (2) of section 3 of the passport (Entry into India) Act, 1920 and also of the provisions of the Foreigners Act 1946, were declared ‘illegal migrants. As per the provisions of the two Acts, anyone who: (i) enters the country without valid travel documents, like a passport and visa, or (ii) enters with valid documents, but stays beyond the permitted time period, is a foreigner and an illegal migrant.&nbsp;

In normal conditions, such illegal migrants are liable to be imprisoned or deported. However, the Central Government, through two separate notifications in 2015 and 2016, had exempted these six specific religious migrants from provisions of the 1946 and the 1920 Acts, thus, allowing them to continue in India on long-term visas even without valid documents. However, still they were not eligible to get Indian citizenship under the Citizenship Act, 1955. But, now, with the passing of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, all such illegal migrants from the six religious groups will become eligible to get Indian citizenship. &nbsp;

The opponents of the CAB can be broadly divided into two groups - the first having existential, while the other having ideological concerns.

Those with existential concerns are the residents of the North-East, who have a genuine concern of loss of their identity as well as of various opportunities for them in the new order. They, naturally, fear being overwhelmed by the new immigrants - mostly settled around Assam, Tripura and nearby areas - who will vie with them for the available resources and opportunities. The ones, with ideological concerns, are people and groups - including most of the political parties opposing it - who believe that the law would violate the basic principles of the constitution and would run against the idea of India.

While the concerns of the first group are genuine, requiring some deft political handling on the ground, the concerns of the ideological camp are more phantasmagorical and motivated than having any real substantive value.

With the bill becoming legislation, the same is all set to be challenged in the courts. Badruddin Ajmal, the chief of All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF), has already expressed his intention to move to the Supreme Court against the proposed Act. Similarly, the Congress Party is also studying options to challenge the Act in the Supreme Court, and so are many other small-big organizations across the country. However, despite all their zealous intentions, the Supreme Court is unlikely to quash the bill and reverse the position. Let’s examine how.

The opponents of the bill, the Congress, Trinamool Congress, CPI(M) and a few other political parties, have based their arguments on the basic premise that CAB is violative of Article 14 of the Constitution, asserting that India's constitution "insists on the fundamentals of equality, regardless of gender, caste, religion, class, community or language" - as elaborated by a group of 600 intellectuals from different fields. They believe that the bill, now the Act, violates one’s constitutional Right to Equality as it intends to differentiate among the refugees and that, it proposes to give citizenship on the basis of religion.&nbsp;

Apparently, the argument looks sound and plausible, though in reality, it is hardly so.&nbsp;

Despite all claims of the naysayers, who have been shouting from the rooftop that the new Act violates basic frameworks of the Indian constitution, the fact of the matter is that CAB is sound in constitutional legality, both in its letter and spirit.

Article 14 of the Indian constitution says that State shall ensure equality before the law for all citizens within the territory of India and each of them shall have equal protection of the law. The article means that no one is above the law of the land and thus, it goes to establishes the concept of 'Rule of the Law'.

However, one should not infer that under Article 14, all laws must be general in character; it never means that the same laws should invariably apply to all persons in all circumstances or that every law must have universal application

The concept of “Equal protection of the law”, enshrined in Article 14 of the Indian constitution, has been taken from the constitution of the United States from section 1 of the 14th amendment act, which elaborates the meaning of equal protection of the law. It says that 'Equal Protection of law' means that each person within the territory of the nation will get equal protection without discrimination of age, sex, caste, religious status, ethnicity, language or opinions. Equal law should be applied to all in the same situation and that, there should be no discrimination between one person and another in a similar circumstance, as equality can't be “cribbed, cabined or confined”. In plain words, equals should be treated equally.

However, the concept of equals presupposes the existence of 'unequals' where some may have distinct attributes from the rest, hence such people need to be 'classified' accordingly as distinct from the others.

The supreme court of India, over years of interpretation of Article 14, have evolved a doctrine of 'classification' where citizens demonstrating distinct attributes can be classified among the population on the basis of which the State can make different laws for such classified groups of people. However, the classification needs to be 'reasonable classification' where the test of reasonableness will be to see (a) whether the classification so made is 'intelligible', meaning whether it is based on an objective and transparent criteria, and (b) whether the law so applied on such classified group has a rational relation with the objectives sought to be achieved by the legislation or the executive action. If the above conditions are met, the courts are satisfied with the reasonableness of the classification, else the classification is treated as 'arbitrary', breaching the premises of Art 14 and resulting into 'negation of equality'.

In the historical case of Indra Sawhney (Indra Sawhney &amp; Others Vs Union of India, 1992), the Supreme Court recognized the right to equality as one of the basic features of the Indian constitution. Article 14 applies to all persons and is not limited to citizens only. Hence, Article 14 is applicable also to the refugees and illegal migrants living within the territory of India, as recognized by the government.

However, the six religious groups, namely, Hindu, Sikhs, Buddhist, Jains, Parsis and Christians, have been classified by the Government of India in 2015 and 2016 as 'persecuted minorities' from the three neighbouring countries - Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, and on the same classification, such groups were allowed to stay within India through exemptions underclause (c) of sub-section (2) of section 3 of the passport (Entry into India) Act, 1920 and also of the provisions of the Foreigners Act 1946. Hence, the Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019 will be treated as a logical extension of that classification, thus meeting the criteria of 'reasonableness' evolved under Article 14. 
 
The opponents of the Act emphasise that the Act intends to award citizenship on the basis of religion, thus violating the provisions of Art 14. However, each country may devise its own methodology for the classification of refugees and for according reasonable treatment to them. 
 
In the current Act, the basis of the classification of the 6 religious groups is not religion per se, but 'religious persecution' in the three countries as explained in the 'objects and reasons' of the original Bill - “Since the Constitutions of Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh provide for a specific State religion, many persons belonging to Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities have faced persecution on the grounds of religion.” 
 
Thus, by the above statement, religion alone becomes a basis of persecution for the 6 minority communities in the said three countries, hence their classification and resultant naturalization in India on the basis of religion meets the essential test of 'reasonableness', as sought under Article 14 of the constitution. Therefore, exceptions for religious groups in the matter of granting citizenships can certainly be made without violating the provisions of Article 14, as the same meets the criteria of 'reasonable classification' evolved by the SC. A sound analogy can be inferred from the famous Indra Sawhney case (1992), where 'caste' was accepted as basis of social backwardness during the Mandal Commision hearing by the Supreme Court, and thus, despite the equality criteria under Article 14, exception was made in favour of castes in the matter of giving them reservation in government jobs and employments. 
 
Going by the above, the Act giving citizenship to the refugees from the six religious groups wouldn't be an outlandish proposition, impinging on the secular credentials of India. 
 
Further, as per the defined parameters, the Muslim settlers migrating in India from any of those three countries will always remain 'illegal migrants', as legally speaking they don't qualify to become a refugee by any global standards that define the term. 
 
In 2011, the UNHCR itself expanded the definition of the term 'refugee' as mentioned in the 1951 UN Convention, by categorizing those as refugees, "Who are outside their country of nationality or habitual residence and unable to return there owing to serious and indiscriminate threats to life, physical integrity or freedom resulting from generalized violence or events seriously disturbing public order." Further, the minimum standards definition of refugee by the European Union also reproduces the same definition of refugee offered by the 1951 UN Convention.

Therefore, the Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, sadly, don't qualify to be recognized as a “refugee” as they're not migrating into India as a result of any of the said conditions. Hence, they can't hope to be eligible for any international protection, much less for citizenship. The Supreme Court, going strictly by the legality and technicality of the entanglement, wouldn't miss these essential facts.

The central government has made a sound case for implementation of the Act by introduction of historical elements into the debate. The Home Minister Amit Shah mentioned the 'Nehru-Liaquat Pact' of 1950, signed after the partition of the subcontinent in 1947, and invoked the commitments given by the two Prime Ministers in the pact to protect the rights, interests and lives of the minorities in the respective countries.

As it's well known, the pact wasn't honoured in either of East or West Pakistan, leading to continued exodus of the six minorities from Pakistan, and later, Bangladesh. Hence, the Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019 positions itself as India's sincere response to the complex historical legacy borne on account of failures of its neighbours to protect the life and honour of their minorities. It also gives India the moral high ground to own up those minorities who once lived in the one undivided country prior to the partition.

Because of this very angle (Nehru-Liaquat Pact), the case of refugees from other countries, such as that of Tamil refugees from Sri Lanka, can't be clubbed in the present Act, as its specifically designed to set right a historical wrong, i.e. partition of India, that was done on religious lines.

Further, the Indian constitution recognises the religious minorities as one single religious group, without categorising them into sects, sub-sects and other denomination, and extends all benefits and protections to them accordingly. For this specific reason, the Ahmadiya community, as invoked by some people, won't qualify for getting any kind of international protection as refugees in India, as the constitution recognises all Muslims as one religious community, 'Umma'.

Hence, in view of the above, one can understand that the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 has, both on the substantive and procedural grounds, a water-tight case in its favour and that's why the Supreme Court, even if the matter is taken to its doorsteps, is unlikely to reverse the position. 
&nbsp;

(Views expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

With the passing of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAB), 2019 from both houses of Parliament and with the assent of the President yesterday, the much-politicised bill has now become a law.

With the passing of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAB), 2019 from both houses of Parliament and with the assent of the President yesterday, the much-politicised bill has now become a law. The marathon debates in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, had seen some passionate flow of emotions both in favour and against the bill. Before opening up the case for further analysis, it’s important to understand who is a refugee and an illegal migrant? The United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) defines a refugee as someone, “Who has been forced to flee his or her country because of persecution, war or violence. A refugee has a well-founded fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership in a particular social group.” Such a refugee has a right to seek asylum in another country in order to get lawful recognition, shelter, legal protection and material assistance. The main framework document to deal with international refugees is the 1951 UN Refugee Convention and its 1967 protocol, ratified by 145 countries, of which India is not a signatory. However, India respects the mandates of these protocols and grants asylums to a large number of neighbouring and non-neighbouring refugees as per ‘non-refoulment’ principle of the UNHCR, meaning, India doesn’t force the refugees or asylum seekers to go back to their respective countries from where they have emigrated and where they’re liable to face persecution again. India has been a centre of a consistent flow of migration of mixed nature that has often created complexities of various natures. At the one side, there are various minority groups coming from the neighbouring Muslim countries after escaping religious persecution while at the other side are ‘economic migrants’ who infiltrate into India simply in search of better life opportunities. While the first groups of refugees are the ones who come to India to save their lives and honour, the second groups of migrants are nothing but opportunist infiltrators who emigrate from their countries of nationalities looking for better opportunities that, at times, also jeopardises the security interests of the host nation. The first group consists mainly of those religious communities who consider India as their natural home. The growing security concerns have forced India to shrink its asylum space and adopt mixed policies to deal with different refugee groups, than to have one universal policy paradigm as per the UNHCR framework. In accordance with this, the central government decided to bring the Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB) - first in 2016 and again in 2019 – aimed to grant citizenship to the six specific communities, Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jains, Parsis and Christian migrating in India from three countries - Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. These group of migrants settled mainly in the North-east and in other different parts of the country, as per clause (c) of sub-section (2) of section 3 of the passport (Entry into India) Act, 1920 and also of the provisions of the Foreigners Act 1946, were declared ‘illegal migrants. As per the provisions of the two Acts, anyone who: (i) enters the country without valid travel documents, like a passport and visa, or (ii) enters with valid documents, but stays beyond the permitted time period, is a foreigner and an illegal migrant. In normal conditions, such illegal migrants are liable to be imprisoned or deported. However, the Central Government, through two separate notifications in 2015 and 2016, had exempted these six specific religious migrants from provisions of the 1946 and the 1920 Acts, thus, allowing them to continue in India on long-term visas even without valid documents. However, still they were not eligible to get Indian citizenship under the Citizenship Act, 1955. But, now, with the passing of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, all such illegal migrants from the six religious groups will become eligible to get Indian citizenship. The opponents of the CAB can be broadly divided into two groups - the first having existential, while the other having ideological concerns. Those with existential concerns are the residents of the North-East, who have a genuine concern of loss of their identity as well as of various opportunities for them in the new order. They, naturally, fear being overwhelmed by the new immigrants - mostly settled around Assam, Tripura and nearby areas - who will vie with them for the available resources and opportunities. The ones, with ideological concerns, are people and groups - including most of the political parties opposing it - who believe that the law would violate the basic principles of the constitution and would run against the idea of India. While the concerns of the first group are genuine, requiring some deft political handling on the ground, the concerns of the ideological camp are more phantasmagorical and motivated than having any real substantive value. With the bill becoming legislation, the same is all set to be challenged in the courts. Badruddin Ajmal, the chief of All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF), has already expressed his intention to move to the Supreme Court against the proposed Act. Similarly, the Congress Party is also studying options to challenge the Act in the Supreme Court, and so are many other small-big organizations across the country. However, despite all their zealous intentions, the Supreme Court is unlikely to quash the bill and reverse the position. Let’s examine how. The opponents of the bill, the Congress, Trinamool Congress, CPI(M) and a few other political parties, have based their arguments on the basic premise that CAB is violative of Article 14 of the Constitution, asserting that India's constitution "insists on the fundamentals of equality, regardless of gender, caste, religion, class, community or language" - as elaborated by a group of 600 intellectuals from different fields. They believe that the bill, now the Act, violates one’s constitutional Right to Equality as it intends to differentiate among the refugees and that, it proposes to give citizenship on the basis of religion. Apparently, the argument looks sound and plausible, though in reality, it is hardly so. Despite all claims of the naysayers, who have been shouting from the rooftop that the new Act violates basic frameworks of the Indian constitution, the fact of the matter is that CAB is sound in constitutional legality, both in its letter and spirit. Article 14 of the Indian constitution says that State shall ensure equality before the law for all citizens within the territory of India and each of them shall have equal protection of the law. The article means that no one is above the law of the land and thus, it goes to establishes the concept of 'Rule of the Law'. However, one should not infer that under Article 14, all laws must be general in character; it never means that the same laws should invariably apply to all persons in all circumstances or that every law must have universal application The concept of “Equal protection of the law”, enshrined in Article 14 of the Indian constitution, has been taken from the constitution of the United States from section 1 of the 14th amendment act, which elaborates the meaning of equal protection of the law. It says that 'Equal Protection of law' means that each person within the territory of the nation will get equal protection without discrimination of age, sex, caste, religious status, ethnicity, language or opinions. Equal law should be applied to all in the same situation and that, there should be no discrimination between one person and another in a similar circumstance, as equality can't be “cribbed, cabined or confined”. In plain words, equals should be treated equally. However, the concept of equals presupposes the existence of 'unequals' where some may have distinct attributes from the rest, hence such people need to be 'classified' accordingly as distinct from the others. The supreme court of India, over years of interpretation of Article 14, have evolved a doctrine of 'classification' where citizens demonstrating distinct attributes can be classified among the population on the basis of which the State can make different laws for such classified groups of people. However, the classification needs to be 'reasonable classification' where the test of reasonableness will be to see (a) whether the classification so made is 'intelligible', meaning whether it is based on an objective and transparent criteria, and (b) whether the law so applied on such classified group has a rational relation with the objectives sought to be achieved by the legislation or the executive action. If the above conditions are met, the courts are satisfied with the reasonableness of the classification, else the classification is treated as 'arbitrary', breaching the premises of Art 14 and resulting into 'negation of equality'. In the historical case of Indra Sawhney (Indra Sawhney & Others Vs Union of India, 1992), the Supreme Court recognized the right to equality as one of the basic features of the Indian constitution. Article 14 applies to all persons and is not limited to citizens only. Hence, Article 14 is applicable also to the refugees and illegal migrants living within the territory of India, as recognized by the government. However, the six religious groups, namely, Hindu, Sikhs, Buddhist, Jains, Parsis and Christians, have been classified by the Government of India in 2015 and 2016 as 'persecuted minorities' from the three neighbouring countries - Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, and on the same classification, such groups were allowed to stay within India through exemptions underclause (c) of sub-section (2) of section 3 of the passport (Entry into India) Act, 1920 and also of the provisions of the Foreigners Act 1946. Hence, the Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019 will be treated as a logical extension of that classification, thus meeting the criteria of 'reasonableness' evolved under Article 14. The opponents of the Act emphasise that the Act intends to award citizenship on the basis of religion, thus violating the provisions of Art 14. However, each country may devise its own methodology for the classification of refugees and for according reasonable treatment to them. In the current Act, the basis of the classification of the 6 religious groups is not religion per se, but 'religious persecution' in the three countries as explained in the 'objects and reasons' of the original Bill - “Since the Constitutions of Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh provide for a specific State religion, many persons belonging to Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities have faced persecution on the grounds of religion.” Thus, by the above statement, religion alone becomes a basis of persecution for the 6 minority communities in the said three countries, hence their classification and resultant naturalization in India on the basis of religion meets the essential test of 'reasonableness', as sought under Article 14 of the constitution. Therefore, exceptions for religious groups in the matter of granting citizenships can certainly be made without violating the provisions of Article 14, as the same meets the criteria of 'reasonable classification' evolved by the SC. A sound analogy can be inferred from the famous Indra Sawhney case (1992), where 'caste' was accepted as basis of social backwardness during the Mandal Commision hearing by the Supreme Court, and thus, despite the equality criteria under Article 14, exception was made in favour of castes in the matter of giving them reservation in government jobs and employments. Going by the above, the Act giving citizenship to the refugees from the six religious groups wouldn't be an outlandish proposition, impinging on the secular credentials of India. Further, as per the defined parameters, the Muslim settlers migrating in India from any of those three countries will always remain 'illegal migrants', as legally speaking they don't qualify to become a refugee by any global standards that define the term. In 2011, the UNHCR itself expanded the definition of the term 'refugee' as mentioned in the 1951 UN Convention, by categorizing those as refugees, "Who are outside their country of nationality or habitual residence and unable to return there owing to serious and indiscriminate threats to life, physical integrity or freedom resulting from generalized violence or events seriously disturbing public order." Further, the minimum standards definition of refugee by the European Union also reproduces the same definition of refugee offered by the 1951 UN Convention. Therefore, the Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, sadly, don't qualify to be recognized as a “refugee” as they're not migrating into India as a result of any of the said conditions. Hence, they can't hope to be eligible for any international protection, much less for citizenship. The Supreme Court, going strictly by the legality and technicality of the entanglement, wouldn't miss these essential facts. The central government has made a sound case for implementation of the Act by introduction of historical elements into the debate. The Home Minister Amit Shah mentioned the 'Nehru-Liaquat Pact' of 1950, signed after the partition of the subcontinent in 1947, and invoked the commitments given by the two Prime Ministers in the pact to protect the rights, interests and lives of the minorities in the respective countries. As it's well known, the pact wasn't honoured in either of East or West Pakistan, leading to continued exodus of the six minorities from Pakistan, and later, Bangladesh. Hence, the Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019 positions itself as India's sincere response to the complex historical legacy borne on account of failures of its neighbours to protect the life and honour of their minorities. It also gives India the moral high ground to own up those minorities who once lived in the one undivided country prior to the partition. Because of this very angle (Nehru-Liaquat Pact), the case of refugees from other countries, such as that of Tamil refugees from Sri Lanka, can't be clubbed in the present Act, as its specifically designed to set right a historical wrong, i.e. partition of India, that was done on religious lines. Further, the Indian constitution recognises the religious minorities as one single religious group, without categorising them into sects, sub-sects and other denomination, and extends all benefits and protections to them accordingly. For this specific reason, the Ahmadiya community, as invoked by some people, won't qualify for getting any kind of international protection as refugees in India, as the constitution recognises all Muslims as one religious community, 'Umma'. Hence, in view of the above, one can understand that the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 has, both on the substantive and procedural grounds, a water-tight case in its favour and that's why the Supreme Court, even if the matter is taken to its doorsteps, is unlikely to reverse the position. (Views expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Here's why Supreme Court is not likely to quash Citizenship Amendment Act

Italy&nbsp;authorised the&nbsp;arrival&nbsp;of&nbsp;two&nbsp;charity&nbsp;ships&nbsp;carrying&nbsp;more than 100&nbsp;migrants&nbsp;rescued&nbsp;in the Mediterranean, under the terms of an agreement with other EU countries, the interior ministry said late Tuesday.

"The European Commission has started the procedure of distributing the 61&nbsp;migrants&nbsp;on the Alan Kurdi and the 60 aboard the Ocean Viking," the ministry said in a statement.&nbsp;

"Some European countries, including Germany and France, have offered to accommodate some of these&nbsp;migrants," it said.

German charity Sea-Eye's Alan Kurdi,&nbsp;named after a Syrian child whose drowning in the Mediterranean in 2015 brought global attention to the migrant crisis,&nbsp;will dock in the Sicilian port of Messina while the Ocean Viking of SOS Mediterranean will put in at Pozzallo, also in Sicily.

Rome gave the green light thanks to a temporary system agreed in September with France, Germany,&nbsp;Italy&nbsp;and Malta.&nbsp;

The deal was meant to end the long, drawn-out negotiations that have seen vulnerable asylum-seekers including babies stranded at sea, sometimes for weeks.

Since it was commissioned in summer 2018, the Alan Kurdi has saved nearly 500 people shipwrecked in the Mediterranean, including more than 80 picked up in the recent days, according to Sea-Eye.&nbsp;

On November 28, the Ocean Viking&nbsp;rescued&nbsp;60&nbsp;migrants, including 19 minors, who were on a flimsy wooden boat.

Italy authorised the arrival of two charity ships carrying more than 100 migrants rescued in the Mediterranean, under the terms of an agreement with other EU countries, the interior ministry said late Tuesday.

Italy authorised the arrival of two charity ships carrying more than 100 migrants rescued in the Mediterranean, under the terms of an agreement with other EU countries, the interior ministry said late Tuesday. "The European Commission has started the procedure of distributing the 61 migrants on the Alan Kurdi and the 60 aboard the Ocean Viking," the ministry said in a statement. "Some European countries, including Germany and France, have offered to accommodate some of these migrants," it said. German charity Sea-Eye's Alan Kurdi, named after a Syrian child whose drowning in the Mediterranean in 2015 brought global attention to the migrant crisis, will dock in the Sicilian port of Messina while the Ocean Viking of SOS Mediterranean will put in at Pozzallo, also in Sicily. Rome gave the green light thanks to a temporary system agreed in September with France, Germany, Italy and Malta. The deal was meant to end the long, drawn-out negotiations that have seen vulnerable asylum-seekers including babies stranded at sea, sometimes for weeks. Since it was commissioned in summer 2018, the Alan Kurdi has saved nearly 500 people shipwrecked in the Mediterranean, including more than 80 picked up in the recent days, according to Sea-Eye. On November 28, the Ocean Viking rescued 60 migrants, including 19 minors, who were on a flimsy wooden boat.

Italy: Arrival of two ships carrying rescued migrants authorised

By Raluca Bejan

Irregular migrant entries within the European Union increased by 546 per cent in 2015. The instability in the Middle East, particularly the Syrian war, led to 1,015,078 sea arrivals on the Italian and Greek coasts.

This influx prompted the European Commission to adopt two decisions intended to transfer 120,000 people to the least affected EU member states from the countries struggling to provide timely assistance with asylum claims: 15,600 people from Italy, 50,400 from Greece, and 54,000 from Hungary.

The relocations were meant to be distributed over the following two years, 2016 and 2017, on a mandatory basis and through an equalizing formula based on four national indicators: GDP (40 per cent), population size (40 per cent), unemployment rate (10 per cent) and past numbers of asylum applications (10 per cent).

It’s important to note that relocation is different from resettlement. Resettlement refers to the transfer to an EU state of non-EU/stateless people in need of international protection, whereas relocation refers to the transfer of persons already in Europe to another member state.

Spain and Germany initially contested the quota agreements. Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden and the U.K. were in favour of resettlement efforts. Most of the Eastern Bloc countries refused by invoking a lack of consensus among member states and by emphasising the need for voluntary participation in the relocation scheme.

Challenged in court

The matter ended up in court by December 2015, with Hungary and Slovakia launching two separate claims at the EU Court of Justice contesting the validity of the decisions.

The claims were dismissed by the Court of Justice in July 2017. Subsequently, in October 2019, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland were found to have breached EU law by refusing to participate in the relocation scheme.

The question of relocation fell out of the public eye throughout most of 2018 and 2019, as sea arrivals diminished significantly after the signing of the EU-Turkey deal in March 2016. For six billion euros and the promise of EU integration, Turkey was now accepting irregular migrants who had made it to Greece

The relocation matter returned to public attention this September, when Germany, France, Italy and Malta called for the implementation of a new system (known as the Malta Declaration) to automatically distribute migrants across the EU.

The EU’s interior ministers met in Luxembourg in October to discuss the “state of play on migration” and the newly proposed agreement.

The Malta proposal showed low uptake. Only three additional countries signed onto it: Ireland, Portugal and Luxembourg, totalling seven countries out of 28 EU member states to endorse the new mechanism.

The plan intended to fast-track screening and redistribution processes but remained vague in essence.

Expedited streamlining procedures (for example, allotting a maximum of four weeks to pledge relocation commitments) will have an insignificant impact. That’s because the countries’ reluctance to participate in the scheme has little to do with the speed of the process and everything to do with varied national interpretations of what constitutes fair responsibility-sharing.

A philosophical problem 
 
I conducted a qualitative study in Romania in the spring of 2019, examining how Romanian elected representatives interpret the idea of shared responsibility among EU member states in relation to the union’s relocation system.

Preliminary findings show that the relocation scheme was generally seen as inefficient in measuring whether member states had the economic capacity to welcome asylum-seekers.

Participants argued that different qualitative and quantitative indicators needed to be included to better capture national idiosyncrasies. Those included a state’s system of service provisions and its administrative structure for managing migration. They also argued that refugees’ preferences needed to be taken into account when choosing their respective countries, and that there needed to be greater consideration of the economic capacity of a member state.

The relocation scheme was drafted on the basis of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), according to the principle of solidarity and fair sharing of responsibility, which stated in its provisions that, "“In the event of one or more member states being confronted by an emergency situation characterized by a sudden inflow of nationals of third countries, the Council … may adopt provisional measures for the benefit of the member states concerned.”

Implicit here is the idea that member states are expected to show solidarity in emergency situations and that solidarity efforts should be equally shared by all.

The ideological debate, however, is about commonly agreeing on what constitutes an equal share of responsibility and what type of indicators are best suited to reflect a fair and equitable distributive scheme.

Why some indicators and not others?

The GDP per capita measurement was most likely chosen to reflect national wealth. Yet the GDP can be high because the rich are so rich that they pull up the average measurement, statistically speaking. It mostly accounts for marketed economic activity and not economic quality.

The GDP purchasing power parity, which divides national income per population while considering living costs, or GDP per hours worked, which divides national income by the number of countrywide working hours, might be better fitted measures to gauge a country’s economic performance.

The national unemployment rate was the second economic indicator selected in the scheme. Yet unemployment inaccurately reflects the living standard in a society.

Romania, for example, has a low unemployment rate, if compared with other EU member states. At 3.9 per cent, it’s four times lower than Greece’s unemployment rate, which sits at 16.9 per cent. However, half of the population in Romania works for minimum wage. A minimum wage indicator would therefore be better suited to account for the economic capacity of the poorer member states.

What’s population got to do with it? 
 
As for the demographic measure, it is unclear why states with larger populations are seen as better equipped to settle refugees. Is it because newcomers would mingle among nationals and become less visible in high-density places?

The incentive indicator, which considers a state’s past number of asylum applications, does little in the equation besides dividing the “good” versus the “bad” nations among the EU member states. It fails to take into account the difficulties in settling migrants, such as the lack of national migrant integration schemes.

Member states aren’t equal at the EU table. To achieve fairness, any efforts to transfer people in need of international protection must proportionally rather than equally distribute responsibility.

No workable policy has truly addressed the ongoing humanitarian crisis at the EU borders. That’s mostly because of the EU’s deep ideological divisions over what constitutes, and what should constitute, a fair method of sharing responsibility for migrants.

Consensus on solidarity efforts and on how responsibility should be shared and implemented might lead to less political friction and more fruitful co-operation in the EU.

(Raluca Bejan is Assistant Professor, Social Policy, St. Thomas University (Canada))

(This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-some-eu-countries-are-struggling-to-relocate-migrants-124827"> original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL) &nbsp;

By Raluca Bejan Irregular migrant entries within the European Union increased by 546 per cent in 2015. The instability in the Middle East, particularly the Syrian war, led to 1,015,078 sea arrivals on the Italian and Greek coasts.

By Raluca Bejan Irregular migrant entries within the European Union increased by 546 per cent in 2015. The instability in the Middle East, particularly the Syrian war, led to 1,015,078 sea arrivals on the Italian and Greek coasts. This influx prompted the European Commission to adopt two decisions intended to transfer 120,000 people to the least affected EU member states from the countries struggling to provide timely assistance with asylum claims: 15,600 people from Italy, 50,400 from Greece, and 54,000 from Hungary. The relocations were meant to be distributed over the following two years, 2016 and 2017, on a mandatory basis and through an equalizing formula based on four national indicators: GDP (40 per cent), population size (40 per cent), unemployment rate (10 per cent) and past numbers of asylum applications (10 per cent). It’s important to note that relocation is different from resettlement. Resettlement refers to the transfer to an EU state of non-EU/stateless people in need of international protection, whereas relocation refers to the transfer of persons already in Europe to another member state. Spain and Germany initially contested the quota agreements. Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden and the U.K. were in favour of resettlement efforts. Most of the Eastern Bloc countries refused by invoking a lack of consensus among member states and by emphasising the need for voluntary participation in the relocation scheme. Challenged in court The matter ended up in court by December 2015, with Hungary and Slovakia launching two separate claims at the EU Court of Justice contesting the validity of the decisions. The claims were dismissed by the Court of Justice in July 2017. Subsequently, in October 2019, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland were found to have breached EU law by refusing to participate in the relocation scheme. The question of relocation fell out of the public eye throughout most of 2018 and 2019, as sea arrivals diminished significantly after the signing of the EU-Turkey deal in March 2016. For six billion euros and the promise of EU integration, Turkey was now accepting irregular migrants who had made it to Greece The relocation matter returned to public attention this September, when Germany, France, Italy and Malta called for the implementation of a new system (known as the Malta Declaration) to automatically distribute migrants across the EU. The EU’s interior ministers met in Luxembourg in October to discuss the “state of play on migration” and the newly proposed agreement. The Malta proposal showed low uptake. Only three additional countries signed onto it: Ireland, Portugal and Luxembourg, totalling seven countries out of 28 EU member states to endorse the new mechanism. The plan intended to fast-track screening and redistribution processes but remained vague in essence. Expedited streamlining procedures (for example, allotting a maximum of four weeks to pledge relocation commitments) will have an insignificant impact. That’s because the countries’ reluctance to participate in the scheme has little to do with the speed of the process and everything to do with varied national interpretations of what constitutes fair responsibility-sharing. A philosophical problem I conducted a qualitative study in Romania in the spring of 2019, examining how Romanian elected representatives interpret the idea of shared responsibility among EU member states in relation to the union’s relocation system. Preliminary findings show that the relocation scheme was generally seen as inefficient in measuring whether member states had the economic capacity to welcome asylum-seekers. Participants argued that different qualitative and quantitative indicators needed to be included to better capture national idiosyncrasies. Those included a state’s system of service provisions and its administrative structure for managing migration. They also argued that refugees’ preferences needed to be taken into account when choosing their respective countries, and that there needed to be greater consideration of the economic capacity of a member state. The relocation scheme was drafted on the basis of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), according to the principle of solidarity and fair sharing of responsibility, which stated in its provisions that, "“In the event of one or more member states being confronted by an emergency situation characterized by a sudden inflow of nationals of third countries, the Council … may adopt provisional measures for the benefit of the member states concerned.” Implicit here is the idea that member states are expected to show solidarity in emergency situations and that solidarity efforts should be equally shared by all. The ideological debate, however, is about commonly agreeing on what constitutes an equal share of responsibility and what type of indicators are best suited to reflect a fair and equitable distributive scheme. Why some indicators and not others? The GDP per capita measurement was most likely chosen to reflect national wealth. Yet the GDP can be high because the rich are so rich that they pull up the average measurement, statistically speaking. It mostly accounts for marketed economic activity and not economic quality. The GDP purchasing power parity, which divides national income per population while considering living costs, or GDP per hours worked, which divides national income by the number of countrywide working hours, might be better fitted measures to gauge a country’s economic performance. The national unemployment rate was the second economic indicator selected in the scheme. Yet unemployment inaccurately reflects the living standard in a society. Romania, for example, has a low unemployment rate, if compared with other EU member states. At 3.9 per cent, it’s four times lower than Greece’s unemployment rate, which sits at 16.9 per cent. However, half of the population in Romania works for minimum wage. A minimum wage indicator would therefore be better suited to account for the economic capacity of the poorer member states. What’s population got to do with it? As for the demographic measure, it is unclear why states with larger populations are seen as better equipped to settle refugees. Is it because newcomers would mingle among nationals and become less visible in high-density places? The incentive indicator, which considers a state’s past number of asylum applications, does little in the equation besides dividing the “good” versus the “bad” nations among the EU member states. It fails to take into account the difficulties in settling migrants, such as the lack of national migrant integration schemes. Member states aren’t equal at the EU table. To achieve fairness, any efforts to transfer people in need of international protection must proportionally rather than equally distribute responsibility. No workable policy has truly addressed the ongoing humanitarian crisis at the EU borders. That’s mostly because of the EU’s deep ideological divisions over what constitutes, and what should constitute, a fair method of sharing responsibility for migrants. Consensus on solidarity efforts and on how responsibility should be shared and implemented might lead to less political friction and more fruitful co-operation in the EU. (Raluca Bejan is Assistant Professor, Social Policy, St. Thomas University (Canada)) (This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Why some EU countries are struggling to relocate migrants

The struggles of African migrants in search of better life in Italy

A ferry crew found 25 migrants in a refrigerated container on a boat sailing from the Netherlands to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/britain-detains-22-migrants-in-english-channel-261224">Britain</a> on Tuesday, emergency services said.

The cargo vessel bound for Felixstowe returned to the Dutch port of Vlaardingen, near Rotterdam, as soon as the stowaways were found, they said in a statement.

The people found in the container received medical attention at the port and two were taken to hospital for further treatment for possible hypothermia.&nbsp;

The discovery comes the month after 39 Vietnamese people were found dead in a refrigerated truck in Britain, again laying bare the risks of illegal migrant routes to Europe.&nbsp;

"Onboard a ship it turned out that several people were found in a cooling container. The ship returned to the harbour," said the Rotterdam region emergency services on Twitter.

"The 25 people were taken off the ship and given the medical care they need. Earlier the message came from the ship that no people died.

"Two people were transported to the hospital for extra medical care. Twenty-three people were transferred to a police location after a medical check-up."

Watch: Dutch authorities found 25 migrants stowed away on a UK bound ferry

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/dutch-authorities-found-25-migrants-stowed-away-on-a-uk-bound-ferry-263251/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

DFDS Seaways, which operates the cargo ferry, said that the migrants had come on board on a lorry trailer, De Telegraaf newspaper said.

The driver of the truck had been arrested, it added.

A bus took away the mainly male group, some of whom were wrapped in silver thermal blankets.

Their nationalities were not immediately known.

The mayor of Vlaardingen, Annemiek Jetten, said "more and more" people were trying to cross the Channel and had not been put off by the deaths of the Vietnamese migrants.

"I think people are so desperate that they keep trying, despite the tragic events in the UK not so long ago," Jetten told broadcaster NOS.

She added that it was not clear if more people&nbsp;were trying to get to Britain before immigration laws become tougher after its scheduled exit from the EU next year.

Separately on Tuesday Dutch border police intercepted a bus carrying 65 Moldovan nationals including children who were planning to claim asylum, Dutch media reported.

A ferry crew found 25 migrants in a refrigerated container on a boat sailing from the Netherlands to Britain on Tuesday, emergency services said. The cargo vessel bound for Felixstowe returned to the Dutch port of Vlaardingen, near Rotterdam, as soon as the stowaways were found, they said in a statement.

A ferry crew found 25 migrants in a refrigerated container on a boat sailing from the Netherlands to Britain on Tuesday, emergency services said. The cargo vessel bound for Felixstowe returned to the Dutch port of Vlaardingen, near Rotterdam, as soon as the stowaways were found, they said in a statement. The people found in the container received medical attention at the port and two were taken to hospital for further treatment for possible hypothermia. The discovery comes the month after 39 Vietnamese people were found dead in a refrigerated truck in Britain, again laying bare the risks of illegal migrant routes to Europe. "Onboard a ship it turned out that several people were found in a cooling container. The ship returned to the harbour," said the Rotterdam region emergency services on Twitter. "The 25 people were taken off the ship and given the medical care they need. Earlier the message came from the ship that no people died. "Two people were transported to the hospital for extra medical care. Twenty-three people were transferred to a police location after a medical check-up." Watch: Dutch authorities found 25 migrants stowed away on a UK bound ferry DFDS Seaways, which operates the cargo ferry, said that the migrants had come on board on a lorry trailer, De Telegraaf newspaper said. The driver of the truck had been arrested, it added. A bus took away the mainly male group, some of whom were wrapped in silver thermal blankets. Their nationalities were not immediately known. The mayor of Vlaardingen, Annemiek Jetten, said "more and more" people were trying to cross the Channel and had not been put off by the deaths of the Vietnamese migrants. "I think people are so desperate that they keep trying, despite the tragic events in the UK not so long ago," Jetten told broadcaster NOS. She added that it was not clear if more people were trying to get to Britain before immigration laws become tougher after its scheduled exit from the EU next year. Separately on Tuesday Dutch border police intercepted a bus carrying 65 Moldovan nationals including children who were planning to claim asylum, Dutch media reported.

Migrants found alive in refrigerated lorry on Dutch-UK ferry

Dutch authorities found 25 migrants stowed away on a cargo ferry bound for Britain shortly after it left the Netherlands on Tuesday and the vessel quickly returned to the Dutch port of Vlaardingen, emergency services said.

Dutch authorities found 25 migrants stowed away on a UK bound ferry

Turkey's Interior Minister said on Wednesday that around 100,000 Syrians living without approval in Istanbul had left it since early July, when the government set a deadline for Syrians not registered in the city to leave for other provinces.

As sentiment towards Syrian refugees among Turks began to sour in recent years, authorities said Syrians not registered in Turkey's largest city should return to the provinces in which they are registered by Oct. 30, or face forced removal.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/.../turkey-threatens-new-syria-operations-directs-us -russia-to-fulfill-agreement-263046">Turkey </a>hosts some 3.6 million refugees who fled the eight-year-old civil war, more than any other country. The Syrian population in Istanbul, home to some 15 million people, had swollen to more than half a million, more than those in any other Turkish city.

Syrians registered in other cities came to Istanbul, leading to an acculumation in the city, Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu told parliament.

"Around 100,000 Syrian have returned to provinces in which they are registered since July 12," he said, adding that a total of 200,000 migrants had left the city.

Turkey also houses migrants from other Middle Eastern and African nations.

On Friday, the Istanbul governor's office said more than 6,000 Syrian migrants in Istanbul were sent to temporary housing centres in other provinces since early July.

Ankara wants to settle some Syrian refugees in a swathe of land it now controls in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/.../erdogan-says-he-told-trump-turkey-will-not- give-up-russian-s-400s-263168">Northeast Syria</a>, after it launched an offensive last month against the Kurdish YPG militia.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/.../amnesty-international-says-turkey-deporting- syrians-to-planned-safe-zone-region-258214">Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch</a> last month published reports saying Turkey is forcibly sending Syrian refugees to northern Syria. Turkey's Foreign Ministry called the claims in the reports "false and imaginary."

Turkey has deported 86,625 illegal migrants so far this year, compared to 56,000 in all of 2018, Soylu said.

Turkey's Interior Minister said on Wednesday that around 100,000 Syrians living without approval in Istanbul had left it since early July, when the government set a deadline for Syrians not registered in the city to leave for other provinces.

Turkey's Interior Minister said on Wednesday that around 100,000 Syrians living without approval in Istanbul had left it since early July, when the government set a deadline for Syrians not registered in the city to leave for other provinces. As sentiment towards Syrian refugees among Turks began to sour in recent years, authorities said Syrians not registered in Turkey's largest city should return to the provinces in which they are registered by Oct. 30, or face forced removal. Turkey hosts some 3.6 million refugees who fled the eight-year-old civil war, more than any other country. The Syrian population in Istanbul, home to some 15 million people, had swollen to more than half a million, more than those in any other Turkish city. Syrians registered in other cities came to Istanbul, leading to an acculumation in the city, Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu told parliament. "Around 100,000 Syrian have returned to provinces in which they are registered since July 12," he said, adding that a total of 200,000 migrants had left the city. Turkey also houses migrants from other Middle Eastern and African nations. On Friday, the Istanbul governor's office said more than 6,000 Syrian migrants in Istanbul were sent to temporary housing centres in other provinces since early July. Ankara wants to settle some Syrian refugees in a swathe of land it now controls in Northeast Syria, after it launched an offensive last month against the Kurdish YPG militia. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch last month published reports saying Turkey is forcibly sending Syrian refugees to northern Syria. Turkey's Foreign Ministry called the claims in the reports "false and imaginary." Turkey has deported 86,625 illegal migrants so far this year, compared to 56,000 in all of 2018, Soylu said.

Turkey says about 100,000 Syrians left Istanbul since early July

Turkish President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/tayyip-erdogan-says-united-states-not-fulfilling-syria-deal-ahead-of-doanld-trump-talks-260531">Recep Tayyip Erdogan</a> on Thursday repeated his threat to "open the gates" for migrants to enter Europe unless more international support was provided, during a visit to Hungary on Thursday.&nbsp;

"Whether or not support comes, we will continue to host our guests, but only up to a point," Erdogan said at a news conference alongside Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

"If we see that this does not work, just like I said before, we will have no option left but to open the gates. If we open the gates, it is obvious where they will go," Erdogan added.

Erdogan has called on EU countries to provide more financial support for his plan to create a "safe zone" in Syria where refugees can be repatriated.

Orban has been one of Europe's most outspoken opponents of accepting refugees and migrants, particularly from Muslim countries, and has backed Erdogan's efforts to repatriate them.&nbsp;

"There are four million migrants in our country," Erdogan said. "It is possible that a serious number of those migrants will migrate to Europe.&nbsp;

"The safe zone we want to create aims to ensure the migrants that are in our country go back to their homes, their lands."

The EU strongly criticised Turkey's offensive last month in northern Syria, which was designed to create the "safe zone".&nbsp;

Erdogan said the EU's approach was "far from being constructive lately.... With that attitude, they only harm their own interests."&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday repeated his threat to "open the gates" for migrants to enter Europe unless more international support was provided, during a visit to Hungary on Thursday.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday repeated his threat to "open the gates" for migrants to enter Europe unless more international support was provided, during a visit to Hungary on Thursday. "Whether or not support comes, we will continue to host our guests, but only up to a point," Erdogan said at a news conference alongside Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. "If we see that this does not work, just like I said before, we will have no option left but to open the gates. If we open the gates, it is obvious where they will go," Erdogan added. Erdogan has called on EU countries to provide more financial support for his plan to create a "safe zone" in Syria where refugees can be repatriated. Orban has been one of Europe's most outspoken opponents of accepting refugees and migrants, particularly from Muslim countries, and has backed Erdogan's efforts to repatriate them. "There are four million migrants in our country," Erdogan said. "It is possible that a serious number of those migrants will migrate to Europe. "The safe zone we want to create aims to ensure the migrants that are in our country go back to their homes, their lands." The EU strongly criticised Turkey's offensive last month in northern Syria, which was designed to create the "safe zone". Erdogan said the EU's approach was "far from being constructive lately.... With that attitude, they only harm their own interests."

Erdogan repeats threat to 'open the gates' for migrants to enter Europe

Police in Greece said 41 migrants were found alive in a refrigerated truck.

The driver of the bus was arrested after the truck was impounded as&nbsp;the migrants were moved to a police station for identification.&nbsp;

The migrants were reportedly of Afghan origin, the police added, while informing that they were in good health with some provided first aid.

Reports said the police had stopped the truck on a highway near the northern Greek city of Xanthi.

The latest incident comes after <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/migrant-lorry-victims-believed-to-be-vietnamese-uk-police-259383">39 people had died in a similar truck</a> in an industrial estate near London last month. The driver of the bus Maurice Robinson, 25, from Northern Ireland was charged with manslaughter and people trafficking.

The London police had said earlier that those dead were Chinese nationals but later claimed they were believed to be Vietnamese. The victims included eight women and 31 men.

The bodies in the truck were discovered at Purfleet on the River Thames estuary, after arriving on a ferry from the Belgian port of Zeebrugge

In another incident, 30 migrants from Pakistan have been found hidden in a lorry in southern France. The driver of the lorry also from Pakistan was detained, French prosecutors said as illegal migrant routes in Europe continued to be the focus of authorities.

Post-mortem examinations are being carried out and no formal cause of death has been released.

 
&nbsp;

Police in Greece said 41 migrants were found alive in a refrigerated truck. The driver of the bus was arrested after the truck was impounded as the migrants were moved to a police station for identification.

Police in Greece said 41 migrants were found alive in a refrigerated truck. The driver of the bus was arrested after the truck was impounded as the migrants were moved to a police station for identification. The migrants were reportedly of Afghan origin, the police added, while informing that they were in good health with some provided first aid. Reports said the police had stopped the truck on a highway near the northern Greek city of Xanthi. The latest incident comes after 39 people had died in a similar truck in an industrial estate near London last month. The driver of the bus Maurice Robinson, 25, from Northern Ireland was charged with manslaughter and people trafficking. The London police had said earlier that those dead were Chinese nationals but later claimed they were believed to be Vietnamese. The victims included eight women and 31 men. The bodies in the truck were discovered at Purfleet on the River Thames estuary, after arriving on a ferry from the Belgian port of Zeebrugge In another incident, 30 migrants from Pakistan have been found hidden in a lorry in southern France. The driver of the lorry also from Pakistan was detained, French prosecutors said as illegal migrant routes in Europe continued to be the focus of authorities. Post-mortem examinations are being carried out and no formal cause of death has been released.

Greek police find 41 migrants in refrigerated truck; driver arrested

Forty-one migrants were found alive in a refrigerated truck in northern Greece on Monday, said police, who arrested the driver.

The migrants, of apparent Afghan origin, were mostly in good condition but seven received first aid in hospital, the police said.

"The truck contained men and boys. Identifying their nationality will require a couple of days," a police source told AFP.

The truck was stopped by police on the Egnatia motorway between the towns of Xanthi and Komotini.

The driver, a man from Georgia, was arrested.

Local media reported that police were also seeking a second man from Turkey in connection with the incident.

The discovery came after 39 people, all believed to be Vietnamese nationals, were found dead in a refrigerated truck in Britain last month, highlighting the risks of illegal migrant routes to Europe, even for those avoiding perilous travel by sea.

Greece is experiencing its highest asylum-seeker arrival figures since 2016 when a controversial deal between the EU and Turkey stemmed previous flows of nearly a million people.

Scores arrive daily, overwhelming camps on Greek islands facing Turkey where over 34,000 people are staying, most of them in deplorable living conditions.

A two-year-old girl from Iraq died Monday when she was hit by a car on the island of Chios, state agency ANA said.

Forty-one migrants were found alive in a refrigerated truck in northern Greece on Monday, said police, who arrested the driver. The migrants, of apparent Afghan origin, were mostly in good condition but seven received first aid in hospital, the police said.

Forty-one migrants were found alive in a refrigerated truck in northern Greece on Monday, said police, who arrested the driver. The migrants, of apparent Afghan origin, were mostly in good condition but seven received first aid in hospital, the police said. "The truck contained men and boys. Identifying their nationality will require a couple of days," a police source told AFP. The truck was stopped by police on the Egnatia motorway between the towns of Xanthi and Komotini. The driver, a man from Georgia, was arrested. Local media reported that police were also seeking a second man from Turkey in connection with the incident. The discovery came after 39 people, all believed to be Vietnamese nationals, were found dead in a refrigerated truck in Britain last month, highlighting the risks of illegal migrant routes to Europe, even for those avoiding perilous travel by sea. Greece is experiencing its highest asylum-seeker arrival figures since 2016 when a controversial deal between the EU and Turkey stemmed previous flows of nearly a million people. Scores arrive daily, overwhelming camps on Greek islands facing Turkey where over 34,000 people are staying, most of them in deplorable living conditions. A two-year-old girl from Iraq died Monday when she was hit by a car on the island of Chios, state agency ANA said.

41 migrants found alive in refrigerated truck in Greece

Protesters in two towns in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/greece-approves-controversial-migration-law-259324">northern Greece</a> took to the streets Sunday to rally against the transfer of migrants from the Greek islands to sites on the mainland.

"They should leave. We have had enough," an inhabitant of Yannitsa told the Skai broadcasting group as several dozen people tried to prevent the dawn arrival of 60 asylum-seekers from the islands of Lesbos and Samos.

Around 60 other migrants have already been relocated to Yannitsa and "we have had many problems," the local resident said.

The migrants finally managed to leave their bus as police looked on, and occupy rooms at hotels in the town.

To the east in Serres, another protest was held against the arrival of around 20 migrants.

Over the weekend, roughly 900 people were transferred from Greek islands to sites on the mainland, and the government has said it wants to relocate 20,000 by the end of the year.

Ten days ago, inhabitants of Nea Vrasna prevented 380 asylum-seekers from reaching hotels by stoning their buses, which turned around and headed to another relocation site in central Greece.

The country has again become a key point of entry for migrants to Europe, possibly owing to a new policy from neighbouring Turkey, which threatened in September to ease border controls if it did not receive more international aid.

In the past four months "40,000 migrants and refugees have arrived," junior minister Georges Koumoutsakos told Skai in an interview.

"We have to show solidarity with border regions that have borne the brunt" of the influx he added.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/greek-camps-near-capacity-as-refugees-face-long-wait-for-asylum-259734">Greek figures</a> show that more than 34,000 people now live in miserable conditions on five islands that in theory can host 6,300 while they register as asylum-seekers.

On Friday, lawmakers approved a law that tightens asylum procedures and is aimed at easing "a state of prolonged paralysis," according to conservative Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who said the country was trying to clear nearly 70,000 pending requests.

He accused Turkey and the previous centre-left Greek government for the spike in migrant arrivals.

Protesters in two towns in northern Greece took to the streets Sunday to rally against the transfer of migrants from the Greek islands to sites on the mainland. "They should leave.

Protesters in two towns in northern Greece took to the streets Sunday to rally against the transfer of migrants from the Greek islands to sites on the mainland. "They should leave. We have had enough," an inhabitant of Yannitsa told the Skai broadcasting group as several dozen people tried to prevent the dawn arrival of 60 asylum-seekers from the islands of Lesbos and Samos. Around 60 other migrants have already been relocated to Yannitsa and "we have had many problems," the local resident said. The migrants finally managed to leave their bus as police looked on, and occupy rooms at hotels in the town. To the east in Serres, another protest was held against the arrival of around 20 migrants. Over the weekend, roughly 900 people were transferred from Greek islands to sites on the mainland, and the government has said it wants to relocate 20,000 by the end of the year. Ten days ago, inhabitants of Nea Vrasna prevented 380 asylum-seekers from reaching hotels by stoning their buses, which turned around and headed to another relocation site in central Greece. The country has again become a key point of entry for migrants to Europe, possibly owing to a new policy from neighbouring Turkey, which threatened in September to ease border controls if it did not receive more international aid. In the past four months "40,000 migrants and refugees have arrived," junior minister Georges Koumoutsakos told Skai in an interview. "We have to show solidarity with border regions that have borne the brunt" of the influx he added. Greek figures show that more than 34,000 people now live in miserable conditions on five islands that in theory can host 6,300 while they register as asylum-seekers. On Friday, lawmakers approved a law that tightens asylum procedures and is aimed at easing "a state of prolonged paralysis," according to conservative Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who said the country was trying to clear nearly 70,000 pending requests. He accused Turkey and the previous centre-left Greek government for the spike in migrant arrivals.

Two Greek towns protest migrant transfers

A former military camp on the outskirts of Athens is now reaching full capacity as it serves as a temporary home to almost 1,000 asylum seekers, with many facing an <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/greece-approves-controversial-migration-law-259324">uncertain and prolonged wait</a> while their asylum status is determined.

As numbers at the camp have swelled in recent months, dozens of new containers have been added to accommodate the new additions, the majority of whom are families hailing from Afghanistan.

Camps like this provide a stop-gap where asylum seekers are transferred from Greek islands and wait for months for a decision on their application.

Gazal Tajik arrived here with her husband and three children in 2018, but will be stuck until May 2021 for a final outcome on their status.

"I want to leave, [and with] my child go to another country and I [hope to] have one house, my child could go to school and university and I find a good job and my husband finds one. I just want a normal life. I don't want to live in a camp," said Tajik.

Most of the asylum seekers arrive in Greece in an attempt to move onwards to a northern European country.

The Greek government says the asylum system has been strained by a backlog of some 68,000 requests, and as the country slowly recovers from a devastating economic crisis, unemployment figures remain high.

With asylum seekers spending months or even years in camps, integration for many remains a distant option.

"The more we develop the possibility for them to access the labour market, to learn Greek, the more we create the conditions for them to really have a choice. If we don't provide these basic tools, then it's very difficult to make a choice. You don't have much of a choice." said Gianluca Rocco, International Organization for Migration (IOM) Chief of Mission in Greece.

The government says accelerating asylum procedures is the main aim of legislation that was approved on Thursday, which would expedite the return of people whose asylum claims are rejected.

The new bill also sets stricter criteria for <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/greece-steps-up-migrant-transfers-after-lesbos-clashes-252825">asylum seekers</a>, a move the government hopes will deter those who are not entitled to asylum from trying to reach Greece.

According to the U.N. Refugee Agency, over 25,000 migrants and refugees have reached the Greek islands since August, with this number accounting for over half of the total sea arrivals in Greece since the beginning of the year.

Europe's Human Rights Watch (HRW) warned that camps on the Greek islands are on the edge of catastrophe as numbers continue to increase.

Several Greek and international humanitarian groups, including the U.N. Refugee Agency, have criticized the new law, warning it could lift some of the protections which are in place for asylum seekers.

A former military camp on the outskirts of Athens is now reaching full capacity as it serves as a temporary home to almost 1,000 asylum seekers, with many facing an uncertain and prolonged wait while their asylum status is determined.

A former military camp on the outskirts of Athens is now reaching full capacity as it serves as a temporary home to almost 1,000 asylum seekers, with many facing an uncertain and prolonged wait while their asylum status is determined. As numbers at the camp have swelled in recent months, dozens of new containers have been added to accommodate the new additions, the majority of whom are families hailing from Afghanistan. Camps like this provide a stop-gap where asylum seekers are transferred from Greek islands and wait for months for a decision on their application. Gazal Tajik arrived here with her husband and three children in 2018, but will be stuck until May 2021 for a final outcome on their status. "I want to leave, [and with] my child go to another country and I [hope to] have one house, my child could go to school and university and I find a good job and my husband finds one. I just want a normal life. I don't want to live in a camp," said Tajik. Most of the asylum seekers arrive in Greece in an attempt to move onwards to a northern European country. The Greek government says the asylum system has been strained by a backlog of some 68,000 requests, and as the country slowly recovers from a devastating economic crisis, unemployment figures remain high. With asylum seekers spending months or even years in camps, integration for many remains a distant option. "The more we develop the possibility for them to access the labour market, to learn Greek, the more we create the conditions for them to really have a choice. If we don't provide these basic tools, then it's very difficult to make a choice. You don't have much of a choice." said Gianluca Rocco, International Organization for Migration (IOM) Chief of Mission in Greece. The government says accelerating asylum procedures is the main aim of legislation that was approved on Thursday, which would expedite the return of people whose asylum claims are rejected. The new bill also sets stricter criteria for asylum seekers, a move the government hopes will deter those who are not entitled to asylum from trying to reach Greece. According to the U.N. Refugee Agency, over 25,000 migrants and refugees have reached the Greek islands since August, with this number accounting for over half of the total sea arrivals in Greece since the beginning of the year. Europe's Human Rights Watch (HRW) warned that camps on the Greek islands are on the edge of catastrophe as numbers continue to increase. Several Greek and international humanitarian groups, including the U.N. Refugee Agency, have criticized the new law, warning it could lift some of the protections which are in place for asylum seekers.

Greek camps near capacity as refugees face long wait for asylum

More than 30 migrants from Pakistan have been found hidden in a lorry in southern France, prosecutors said Saturday.

They said the driver, who was also from Pakistan, was detained.

The discovery came after 39 people, all believed to be Vietnamese nationals, were found dead in a refrigerated truck in Britain last month, laying bare again the risks of illegal migrant routes to Europe.

The group of 31 Pakistani migrants was discovered during a routine check on a motorway near the Italian border on Friday, French prosecutors said.

The migrants, who included three teenagers, were handed over to the Italian authorities in accordance with immigration procedures.

"We will try and establish if we can trace it back to a network and backers as we always do in this type of case," the prosecutors' office in the southeastern city of Nice said.

More than 30 migrants from Pakistan have been found hidden in a lorry in southern France, prosecutors said Saturday. They said the driver, who was also from Pakistan, was detained.

More than 30 migrants from Pakistan have been found hidden in a lorry in southern France, prosecutors said Saturday. They said the driver, who was also from Pakistan, was detained. The discovery came after 39 people, all believed to be Vietnamese nationals, were found dead in a refrigerated truck in Britain last month, laying bare again the risks of illegal migrant routes to Europe. The group of 31 Pakistani migrants was discovered during a routine check on a motorway near the Italian border on Friday, French prosecutors said. The migrants, who included three teenagers, were handed over to the Italian authorities in accordance with immigration procedures. "We will try and establish if we can trace it back to a network and backers as we always do in this type of case," the prosecutors' office in the southeastern city of Nice said.

Over 30 Pakistani migrants found in lorry in France

Twelve migrants,&nbsp;11 Syrians and a Sudanese, all men,&nbsp;have been found alive in a refrigerated truck in Belgium transporting fruit and vegetables, police said Wednesday.

The discovery came as British police investigate the deaths of 39 people whose bodies were found a week ago in another refrigerated truck parked east of London.

The Belgium human cargo was discovered on a road linking the city of Antwerp to the capital Brussels on Tuesday, a police spokeswoman told AFP.&nbsp;

All 12 were "in good health," she said.

The driver of the truck contacted the police after suspecting he had stowaways in the back, and he was directed to pull over into a highway parking area.

A police investigation has been launched, notably to find out how the migrants got on board and whether they were seeking to get to Britain.

Several Vietnamese families fear their relatives were among the eight women and 31 men who died in the London case. The trailer they were in was in-transit through Belgium.

Migrants and people-smugglers often use Belgium to try to reach Britain. In many cases, migrants try to sneak aboard trucks stopped in parking areas.

Last weekend, Belgian authorities said they had found two more trucks carrying 20 migrants, all alive.

Twelve migrants, 11 Syrians and a Sudanese, all men, have been found alive in a refrigerated truck in Belgium transporting fruit and vegetables, police said Wednesday.

Twelve migrants, 11 Syrians and a Sudanese, all men, have been found alive in a refrigerated truck in Belgium transporting fruit and vegetables, police said Wednesday. The discovery came as British police investigate the deaths of 39 people whose bodies were found a week ago in another refrigerated truck parked east of London. The Belgium human cargo was discovered on a road linking the city of Antwerp to the capital Brussels on Tuesday, a police spokeswoman told AFP. All 12 were "in good health," she said. The driver of the truck contacted the police after suspecting he had stowaways in the back, and he was directed to pull over into a highway parking area. A police investigation has been launched, notably to find out how the migrants got on board and whether they were seeking to get to Britain. Several Vietnamese families fear their relatives were among the eight women and 31 men who died in the London case. The trailer they were in was in-transit through Belgium. Migrants and people-smugglers often use Belgium to try to reach Britain. In many cases, migrants try to sneak aboard trucks stopped in parking areas. Last weekend, Belgian authorities said they had found two more trucks carrying 20 migrants, all alive.

Migrants found alive in refrigerated truck in Belgium

Chinese have migrated for various reasons. China is the fourth-Largest country of origin for Migrants.

Know about the reasons for Chinese Migration

Migrants often smuggled in wooden crates, trucks. Bodies discovered at an industrial park in grays, Essex.

Essex Deaths: 39 Trailer victims were Chinese: Police

By Deina Abdelkader

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan isn’t limiting his assault on neighbouring Syria to attacking Kurdish troops that run the country’s northern region. He says the 3.6 million Syrians now living as war refugees in Turkey may also be returned “to their own homes” once northern Syria is wrenched from Kurdish control.

This could be an empty threat. After eight years of welcoming people fleeing Syria’s civil war, the Turkish public is beginning to turn against Syrian refugees. Erdogan may see anti-refugee rhetoric as a way to boost his popularity, which is slumping due to recession in Turkey and years of controversial power grabs.

But if the Turkish president does deport Syrian refugees, he won’t be sending them to a “safe zone,” as promised. These extremely vulnerable people would be deported into the lines of combat in this contested, oil-rich zone.

The forgotten half: Women Syrian refugees 
 
In my experience researching minorities at risk in the Middle East, governments dealing with mass migration often overlook the particular challenges facing the most vulnerable refugees: women, children and LGBTQ people.

The Syrian refugees in Turkey are majorly Sunni Muslim – the same faith that predominates in both Turkey and Syria. However, Syrians are ethnically and linguistically different than Turks.

Syrian refugees differ from the broader Turkish and Syrian public in another way, too: 75 per cent&nbsp;of them are women and children, according to the global nonprofit Migration Policy Institute. Between 2011 and 2017, more than 224,000 babies were born in Turkey to Syrian refugee families. Those children are now stateless, granted neither Turkish nor Syrian citizenship at birth.

Syrian women refugees suffer more discrimination and racism in Turkey than their male counterparts, research shows.

This is partially due to a big gap in Turkish language acquisition: 20 per cent of Syrian refugee women complained that lack of language causes exclusion and discrimination, UN&nbsp;survey data from 2016 shows, compared to 13 per cent&nbsp;of men.

Even so, 73 pere cent of Syrian refugee women told the UN&nbsp;that they feel safe in Turkey. That may be related to their resettlement in cities and towns across Turkey, primarily in Istanbul, where they usually live in poor neighbourhoods.

Those areas surely feel secure compared to war-torn Syria. They are safer, too, than refugee camps along the Turkish-Syrian border, where rape, human trafficking, prostitution and child marriages have all been reported, according to OBC Transeuropa, a think tank.

Half of all Syrian female refugees were under the age of 18 when they were displaced by war to the Turkish border area.

LGBTQ Syrian refugees: An untold story 
 
Turkey’s Syrian refugee community includes other marginalised groups that would face unique dangers back home, including gay, lesbian and trans people.

The exact number of LGBTQ Syrian refugees displaced across the region is unknown, human rights groups say. But Syria – like much of the Middle East and North Africa region – is a dangerous place to be gay.

Homosexuality is illegal in Syria, and both the government and terror groups like the Islamic State persecute sexual minorities. Being gay is culturally unacceptable according to traditional Islamic mores.

Though Turkey does not criminalize homosexuality, it is not always safe for LGBTQ Syrian refugees, either. Gay Syrians have suffered physical and verbal attacks, often with little response from law enforcement or the government.

In August 2016, Muhammed Wisam Sankari was found mutilated and killed in Istanbul, two days after he went missing. Sankari had told police he feared for his life after having previously been abducted, tortured and raped by unknown attackers, according to reports.

Recent crackdowns by the Turkish police in Syrian refugee communities have been detaining and deporting thousands of Syrian refugees, including LGBTQ people.

The Turkish government denies that it is forcibly returning refugees to a war zone, which would be illegal under Turkish and international law.

For LGBTQ Syrians, going home may be a death sentence.

In August 2019 a transgender Syrian woman named Ward told The Guardian newspaper that she feared being deported to the Turkey-Syria border because the al-Nusra terrorist group, a branch of al-Qaida with 5,000 to 10,000 fighters in western Syria, would kill her.

Ward was deported days later. She was last seen in late August being forced into the trunk of a car by militants in Syria, according to the Guardian report.

Collateral damage 
 
Erdogan’s stated purpose in invading Syria is to rid its northern region of the Kurdish Worker’s Party – an armed militia and political party known as the PKK – and create a “buffer zone” between the two countries.

The PKK has been a thorn in Turkey’s side for the past 41 years.

With Syrian government support, PKK leader Abdallah Ocallan has been threatening the Turkish government with a Kurdish separatist insurgency long before Erdogan’s presidency.

The United States, like Turkey, considers the PKK to be a terrorist organisation.

But in Syria the US&nbsp;had, until its recent military withdrawal, allied itself with other secular and progressive Syrian groups, namely the Syrian Democratic Forces.

The Kurdish minority in northern Syria, as in nearby Iraq, has long been stuck between Ocallan’s armed militia, the Turkish government and their own authoritarian leaders – used and abused, my research finds, by politicians seeking to further their own regional agenda in the Mideast.

Returning Syrian refugees to this battleground would make them the “buffer” between these warring forces, turning more vulnerable people into collateral damage of a greater geopolitical war.

 
(Deina Abdelkader is Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Massachusetts Lowell) 
 
(This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the<a href="https://theconversation.com/deportation-to-syria-could-mean-death-for-women-children-and-lgbtq-refugees-in-turkey-125195"> original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL) &nbsp;

By Deina Abdelkader Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan isn’t limiting his assault on neighbouring Syria to attacking Kurdish troops that run the country’s northern region.

By Deina Abdelkader Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan isn’t limiting his assault on neighbouring Syria to attacking Kurdish troops that run the country’s northern region. He says the 3.6 million Syrians now living as war refugees in Turkey may also be returned “to their own homes” once northern Syria is wrenched from Kurdish control. This could be an empty threat. After eight years of welcoming people fleeing Syria’s civil war, the Turkish public is beginning to turn against Syrian refugees. Erdogan may see anti-refugee rhetoric as a way to boost his popularity, which is slumping due to recession in Turkey and years of controversial power grabs. But if the Turkish president does deport Syrian refugees, he won’t be sending them to a “safe zone,” as promised. These extremely vulnerable people would be deported into the lines of combat in this contested, oil-rich zone. The forgotten half: Women Syrian refugees In my experience researching minorities at risk in the Middle East, governments dealing with mass migration often overlook the particular challenges facing the most vulnerable refugees: women, children and LGBTQ people. The Syrian refugees in Turkey are majorly Sunni Muslim – the same faith that predominates in both Turkey and Syria. However, Syrians are ethnically and linguistically different than Turks. Syrian refugees differ from the broader Turkish and Syrian public in another way, too: 75 per cent of them are women and children, according to the global nonprofit Migration Policy Institute. Between 2011 and 2017, more than 224,000 babies were born in Turkey to Syrian refugee families. Those children are now stateless, granted neither Turkish nor Syrian citizenship at birth. Syrian women refugees suffer more discrimination and racism in Turkey than their male counterparts, research shows. This is partially due to a big gap in Turkish language acquisition: 20 per cent of Syrian refugee women complained that lack of language causes exclusion and discrimination, UN survey data from 2016 shows, compared to 13 per cent of men. Even so, 73 pere cent of Syrian refugee women told the UN that they feel safe in Turkey. That may be related to their resettlement in cities and towns across Turkey, primarily in Istanbul, where they usually live in poor neighbourhoods. Those areas surely feel secure compared to war-torn Syria. They are safer, too, than refugee camps along the Turkish-Syrian border, where rape, human trafficking, prostitution and child marriages have all been reported, according to OBC Transeuropa, a think tank. Half of all Syrian female refugees were under the age of 18 when they were displaced by war to the Turkish border area. LGBTQ Syrian refugees: An untold story Turkey’s Syrian refugee community includes other marginalised groups that would face unique dangers back home, including gay, lesbian and trans people. The exact number of LGBTQ Syrian refugees displaced across the region is unknown, human rights groups say. But Syria – like much of the Middle East and North Africa region – is a dangerous place to be gay. Homosexuality is illegal in Syria, and both the government and terror groups like the Islamic State persecute sexual minorities. Being gay is culturally unacceptable according to traditional Islamic mores. Though Turkey does not criminalize homosexuality, it is not always safe for LGBTQ Syrian refugees, either. Gay Syrians have suffered physical and verbal attacks, often with little response from law enforcement or the government. In August 2016, Muhammed Wisam Sankari was found mutilated and killed in Istanbul, two days after he went missing. Sankari had told police he feared for his life after having previously been abducted, tortured and raped by unknown attackers, according to reports. Recent crackdowns by the Turkish police in Syrian refugee communities have been detaining and deporting thousands of Syrian refugees, including LGBTQ people. The Turkish government denies that it is forcibly returning refugees to a war zone, which would be illegal under Turkish and international law. For LGBTQ Syrians, going home may be a death sentence. In August 2019 a transgender Syrian woman named Ward told The Guardian newspaper that she feared being deported to the Turkey-Syria border because the al-Nusra terrorist group, a branch of al-Qaida with 5,000 to 10,000 fighters in western Syria, would kill her. Ward was deported days later. She was last seen in late August being forced into the trunk of a car by militants in Syria, according to the Guardian report. Collateral damage Erdogan’s stated purpose in invading Syria is to rid its northern region of the Kurdish Worker’s Party – an armed militia and political party known as the PKK – and create a “buffer zone” between the two countries. The PKK has been a thorn in Turkey’s side for the past 41 years. With Syrian government support, PKK leader Abdallah Ocallan has been threatening the Turkish government with a Kurdish separatist insurgency long before Erdogan’s presidency. The United States, like Turkey, considers the PKK to be a terrorist organisation. But in Syria the US had, until its recent military withdrawal, allied itself with other secular and progressive Syrian groups, namely the Syrian Democratic Forces. The Kurdish minority in northern Syria, as in nearby Iraq, has long been stuck between Ocallan’s armed militia, the Turkish government and their own authoritarian leaders – used and abused, my research finds, by politicians seeking to further their own regional agenda in the Mideast. Returning Syrian refugees to this battleground would make them the “buffer” between these warring forces, turning more vulnerable people into collateral damage of a greater geopolitical war. (Deina Abdelkader is Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Massachusetts Lowell) (This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Deportation to Syria could mean death for women, children and LGBTQ refugees in Turkey

Thousands of Rohingya living in Bangladesh refugee camps have agreed to move to an island in the Bay of Bengal, officials said Sunday, despite fears the site is prone to flooding.

Dhaka has long wanted to move 100,000 refugees to the muddy silt islet, saying it would take the pressure off the overcrowded border camps where almost a million Rohingya live.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/600000-rohingyas-in-myanmar-still-at-serious-risk-of-genocide-united-nations-249971">Some 740,000 Rohingya fled Myanmar in August 2017</a> in the face of a military crackdown, joining 200,000 refugees already in makeshift tent settlements at Cox's Bazar.

Bangladesh's refugee commissioner, Mahbub Alam, said officials overseeing the relocation would be posted to Bhashan Char island in the next few days.

"Approximately 6,000-7,000 refugees have already expressed their willingness to be relocated to Bhashan Char," Alam told AFP from Cox's Bazar, adding that "the number is rising".

He did not say when the refugees would be moved, but a senior Navy officer involved in building facilities on the island said it could start by December, with some 500 refugees sent daily.

Bangladesh had been planning since last year to relocate Rohingya to the desolate flood-prone site, which is an hour by boat from the mainland.

Rights groups have warned the island, which emerged from the sea only about two decades ago, might not be able to withstand violent storms during the annual monsoon season.&nbsp;

In the past half a century, powerful cyclones have killed hundreds of thousands of people in the Meghna river estuary where the island is located.

Rohingya leaders would be taken to Bhashan Char to view the facilities and living conditions, Alam said.

Safety facilities built on the island include a three-metre-high&nbsp;embankment along its perimeter to&nbsp;keep out tidal surges during cyclones, and a warehouse to store months-worth of rations, he added.

Rohingya father-of-four Nur Hossain, 50, said he and his family agreed to relocate to Bhashan Char after they were shown video footage of the shelters.

"I have agreed to go. The camp here (at Leda) is very overcrowded. There are food and housing problems," the 50-year-old told AFP.

There was no immediate comment from the UN, although Bangladeshi officials said they expect a delegation would visit the island in the next few weeks.&nbsp;

Thousands of Rohingya living in Bangladesh refugee camps have agreed to move to an island in the Bay of Bengal, officials said Sunday, despite fears the site is prone to flooding.

Thousands of Rohingya living in Bangladesh refugee camps have agreed to move to an island in the Bay of Bengal, officials said Sunday, despite fears the site is prone to flooding. Dhaka has long wanted to move 100,000 refugees to the muddy silt islet, saying it would take the pressure off the overcrowded border camps where almost a million Rohingya live. Some 740,000 Rohingya fled Myanmar in August 2017 in the face of a military crackdown, joining 200,000 refugees already in makeshift tent settlements at Cox's Bazar. Bangladesh's refugee commissioner, Mahbub Alam, said officials overseeing the relocation would be posted to Bhashan Char island in the next few days. "Approximately 6,000-7,000 refugees have already expressed their willingness to be relocated to Bhashan Char," Alam told AFP from Cox's Bazar, adding that "the number is rising". He did not say when the refugees would be moved, but a senior Navy officer involved in building facilities on the island said it could start by December, with some 500 refugees sent daily. Bangladesh had been planning since last year to relocate Rohingya to the desolate flood-prone site, which is an hour by boat from the mainland. Rights groups have warned the island, which emerged from the sea only about two decades ago, might not be able to withstand violent storms during the annual monsoon season. In the past half a century, powerful cyclones have killed hundreds of thousands of people in the Meghna river estuary where the island is located. Rohingya leaders would be taken to Bhashan Char to view the facilities and living conditions, Alam said. Safety facilities built on the island include a three-metre-high embankment along its perimeter to keep out tidal surges during cyclones, and a warehouse to store months-worth of rations, he added. Rohingya father-of-four Nur Hossain, 50, said he and his family agreed to relocate to Bhashan Char after they were shown video footage of the shelters. "I have agreed to go. The camp here (at Leda) is very overcrowded. There are food and housing problems," the 50-year-old told AFP. There was no immediate comment from the UN, although Bangladeshi officials said they expect a delegation would visit the island in the next few weeks.

Rohingya refugees agree to move to Bangladesh island: Official

The Italian authorities have given permission to 176 migrants aboard a rescue ship to disembark in the port of Taranto in the south of the country, the NGO SOS Mediterranee said on Monday.

"We are relieved that the 176 survivors can disembark in a safe place without unnecessary waiting," the organisation said in a tweet.&nbsp;

"We are currently heading north," towards Taranto, it added.&nbsp;

The Ocean Viking ship, operated by the NGOs SOS Mediterranee and Doctors Without Borders, picked up the migrants from inflatable boats in two operations off the coast of Libya. They include four pregnant women and at least nine people aged under 16.

Earlier on Monday, it had asked EU member countries to assign it a port where the migrants could disembark.

"No site in Libya can currently be considered safe" for migrants, SOS Mediterranee it had said in a statement.

The Ocean Viking's appeal for help comes as European leaders struggle to agree on how to jointly handle the thousands of people trying to reach the continent from Africa.

SOS Mediterranee said it was the fourth time it had asked for access to an EU port since August, shortly after relaunching rescue operations following a seven-month hiatus it blamed on obstruction by European nations.

Last month Italy, France, Germany, and Malta proposed a system for automatically distributing asylum seekers across the EU, but so far only a handful of other nations have backed the plan.

"Ad hoc accords cannot be the solution. We are calling on governments to put an end to an unacceptable situation," said Fabienne Lassalle, a deputy director at SOS Mediterranee France.

The Italian authorities have given permission to 176 migrants aboard a rescue ship to disembark in the port of Taranto in the south of the country, the NGO SOS Mediterranee said on Monday.

The Italian authorities have given permission to 176 migrants aboard a rescue ship to disembark in the port of Taranto in the south of the country, the NGO SOS Mediterranee said on Monday. "We are relieved that the 176 survivors can disembark in a safe place without unnecessary waiting," the organisation said in a tweet. "We are currently heading north," towards Taranto, it added. The Ocean Viking ship, operated by the NGOs SOS Mediterranee and Doctors Without Borders, picked up the migrants from inflatable boats in two operations off the coast of Libya. They include four pregnant women and at least nine people aged under 16. Earlier on Monday, it had asked EU member countries to assign it a port where the migrants could disembark. "No site in Libya can currently be considered safe" for migrants, SOS Mediterranee it had said in a statement. The Ocean Viking's appeal for help comes as European leaders struggle to agree on how to jointly handle the thousands of people trying to reach the continent from Africa. SOS Mediterranee said it was the fourth time it had asked for access to an EU port since August, shortly after relaunching rescue operations following a seven-month hiatus it blamed on obstruction by European nations. Last month Italy, France, Germany, and Malta proposed a system for automatically distributing asylum seekers across the EU, but so far only a handful of other nations have backed the plan. "Ad hoc accords cannot be the solution. We are calling on governments to put an end to an unacceptable situation," said Fabienne Lassalle, a deputy director at SOS Mediterranee France.

Italy allows migrants to disembark from rescue ship

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