Category Archives: News

Rescatan a medio centenar de inmigrantes en las aguas de Murcia, España (News)

“Un total de 54 inmigrantes de origen argelino llegaron poco antes de la medianoche a puerto tras ser interceptadas las cuatro pateras en las que viajaban en aguas de Murcia…

Además “Salvamento Marítimo interceptó tres pateras en las que viajaban 39 inmigrantes cuando navegaban a unas 30 millas de las costas de Cartagena.

Y “una patrullera de la Guardia Civil que participaba en las labores de rescate localizó otra embarcación con 15 personas a bordo en la zona entre Portman y Cavanna.”

Click here for El Mundo article.

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Filed under Mediterranean, News, Spain

Italian Chamber of Dep. Speaker Fini Criticises Summary Repatriation Policy (News)

ANSA reports that Gianfranco Fini’s comments made in Madrid at a forum organised by the El Mundo newspaper “appeared to put the speaker, who belongs to Premier Silvio Berlusconi’s People of Freedom party, at odds with the government’s controversial policy of immediately returning immigrants rescued in the Mediterranean to Libya.”

“Fini was praised for his stance by the [Italian] opposition Democratic Party’s Deputy House Whip, Gianclaudio Bressa, who said it was ‘’good to establish that Fini is on (our) side of the debate’.

“… Italy has sent back over 600 would-be migrants since the launch of the policy on May 6 as part of a historic friendship deal with Libya, the main stepping-off point for immigrants.

Click here for the article.

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Filed under Italy, Mediterranean, News

L’Algérie dénonce le traitement sélectif et sécuritaire de l’émigration clandestine par l’UE (News)

“Lors du forum Crans Montana à Bruxelles, Abdelaziz Belkhadem, ministre d’Etat et représentant personnel du président de la République Bouteflika, … déplore la dualité qui caractérise les positions de certains pays européens en la matière.

“« Bien que l’Union européenne préconise une approche qui se veut globale, le socle législatif et réglementaire s’oriente davantage vers une démarche sélective et sécuritaire perceptible à un double niveau »…

“M. Belkhadem, a relevé la dualité qui caractérise l’engagement pris par nombre de pays de la région (euro méditerranéenne) lors des différentes conférences régionales et internationales consacrées à la migration. Il a même assuré qu’à un moment où l’ensemble de ces conférences ont conclu à la nécessité du traitement global et équilibré de la migration, les solutions sécuritaires ont leurs limites. ”

Click here for article.

Click here for the Crans Montana 20th Yearly Forum web site.

Click here for statement on the Portail du PM (Algérie).

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Filed under Algeria, News

Indian Court Begins Criminal Case in Connection with 1996 Incident Near Malta Where Over 170 Drowned (News)

Zee News reports that 2 Indian policemen and 18 others are scheduled to appear in court in Delhi on 30 June for the framing of charges relating to a smuggling operation that ultimately led to the drowning of over 170 Indians from Punjab on 25 December 1996 near Malta when they were being transferred from the ship Yiohan to a smaller vessel.  The charges include human trafficking charges.

Click here for article.

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Significant Reduction in Migrants Reaching Malta (News)

Times of Malta reports that there has been a significant reduction in migrants reaching Malta:

  • “… Malta has so far this year received the smallest number of immigrants since 2003.
  • “Only two boats containing illegal immigrants have landed in Malta in the past four months and not one asylum seeker has arrived on the island this month – compared with 575 in June last year.
  • “… UNHCR spokesperson Laura Boldrini [said]  ‘It’s difficult to say what is going on, especially since the flow of immigrants in winter persisted. According to what was reported, immigration control is part of the Italy/Libya friendship agreement… It is difficult to establish whether this will last,’…
  • “… the promised joint patrols between Italy and Libya have not started, and human trafficking appears to have been stemmed at source.
  • “The numbers are drastically down in Lampedusa and Sicily as well …. The number of fatalities has also dropped – around 340 people are believed to have died in the Sicilian channel in the first four months of the year, down from 640 in the same period last year.
  • “… [Maltese] Armed Forces’ commander Carmel Vassallo also said he could not explain what had happened. ‘We are still going on with the Frontex patrol operations, but there is a drastic reduction. We are meeting no immigrants at sea.’”

Click here for article.

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Filed under Malta, Mediterranean, News

Swedish PM Expresses Doubts Over “Burden Sharing” Plan (News)

Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt - Photo: Pawel Flato

Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt - Photo: Pawel Flato

In a press conference with the Maltese PM, Swedish PM Fredrik Reinfeldt said

‘I know that Malta is pushing for more burden sharing to solve its immigration problems and that the Commission is also pressing on this point but, as you know, there are different views among member states on this. We will do our part and push a bit more. We do recognise that burden sharing can be a way forward. However, we also need to ensure that migrants are also welcomed in Europe. So, although burden sharing is important, there are difficulties and it is easier said than done.’

Maltese PM Lawrence Gonzi said that

‘Malta wants concrete help and we recognise the suggestions put forward by the European Commission and endorsed last week by EU leaders that the new Stockholm programme in the field of justice and home affairs will also include concrete measures on burden sharing among member states.’

According to the Times of Malta, “[i]n EU circles, Sweden is considered to be among the most sceptical member states when it comes to asylum and migration policy and, lately, was among the leading group of Nordic member states trying to water down the Commission’s initiatives to help Malta and other southern EU members facing major influxes of immigrants from sub-Saharan Africa.”

Click here for Times of Malta article.

Click here for Malta Independent article.

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Filed under European Union, Malta, News, Sweden

L’Algérie ne veut plus jouer le gendarme de l’Europe (News)

“[L]e ministre chargé des Affaires maghrébines et africaines, Abdelkader Messahel … [d]ans un point de presse … avec le directeur général de l’Organisation internationale pour les migrations (OIM), William Lacy Swing, en visite en Algérie, … a appuyé l’approche « globale » basée sur le développement telle qu’elle a été adoptée par l’Union africaine.  Ce sera, d’après lui, la seule plateforme de discussions entre le continent africain et les partenaires européens et internationaux.

“« Désormais, notre priorité est que la question du développement soit au centre du règlement et de la solution des problèmes migratoires. »

“Ainsi, après avoir privilégié l’approche strictement sécuritaire telle que dictée par l’Union européenne à travers notamment les centres d’accueil et les lois répressives contre les candidats à l’immigration clandestine, l’Algérie et les pays du Maghreb surtout renvoient la balle aux Occidentaux pour apporter leur contribution.

Click here for El Watan article.

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Swedish and Maltese PMs Meet to Discuss Stockholm Plan (News)

Maltese PM Lawrence Gonzi is meeting with Swedish PM Fredrik Reinfeldt in Sweden in advance of Sweden’s 1st July assumption of the EU presidency.  Irregular immigration and the Stockholm programme, the new 5 year plan for EC Justice and Home Affairs replacing the Hague Programme, are being discussed.

Click here for Times of Malta article.

Click here for additional information from Statewatch about the Stockholm Programme’s process and contents.

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Filed under European Union, Malta, News, Sweden

Nouvelles mesures en cours de négociation entre l’Algérie et l’Italie: organisation de patrouilles maritimes (News)

“Ces mesures devront compléter et renforcer celles déjà prévues dans l’accord de réadmission signé entre les deux pays le 24 février 2000, entré en application sept années plus tard. Parmi elles, il est notamment question de l’organisation de patrouilles maritimes communes des deux côtés de la méditerranée.”

Click here for El Watan article.

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Filed under Algeria, Mediterranean, News

Greek Dep. Foreign Minister’s ‘Six Point Plan for Illegal Migration in Agean’ (News)

Greek Deputy Foreign Minister Yannis G. Valinakis has written an article in an Athens daily paper proposing a “Six-point plan on illegal migration in the Aegean.”

The most troubling of the six points is a call for the use of “a ship of sufficient tonnage to be used as a first reception and transport centre [which would] sail near the islands of the Aegean where illegal migrants have been arrested, it will take them on board and carry them to the reception centres already in, or due to be put into, operation.”

Such a proposal is reminiscent of a similar practice used by the US Government in late 1991 when the US intercepted at sea thousands of Haitians fleeing a bloody military coup d’état.  In an effort to prevent the Haitians from reaching shore, US Coast Guard and US Naval ships detained Haitians on board large naval vessels in steadily worsening conditions.  Ultimately most of the Haitians were transferred to migrant detention camps at the US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Other points proposed by the Deputy Foreign Minister include:

  • “Immediate relaunching of EU-Turkey negotiations on the conclusion of a readmission agreement and an immediate implementation of the existing Greek-Turkish Readmission Protocol.
  • “Use of a specific port on the Turkish coast for the return of illegal migrants who have reached [Greece] through Turkey.
  • “Intensification of joint operations on a permanent basis under FRONTEX … on the way towards the creation of a European Coastguard.
  • “Proposal for the creation of a specialised FRONTEX branch in Greece.”

Click here for the full text of the article on the Ministry’s web site.

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Filed under Aegean Sea, Frontex, Greece, News, Turkey

Maltese Patrol Boats Funded by EU External Borders Fund (News)

blog - Austal shipFour new patrol boats for the Armed Forces of Malta are scheduled to be delivered in six months.  The boats cost €9.6 million.  75% of the cost is coming from the EU External Borders Fund.

Click here for Times of Malta article.

Click here for EC Justice and Home Affairs External Borders Fund site.

Click here for the 2008 “Annual Work Programme for Community actions and Specific Actions within the framework of the External Borders Fund”.

Click here for Austal ship builder Media Release.

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Filed under European Union, Malta, Mediterranean, News

Swedish Migration Minister in Malta for Migration Talks (News)

Blog - swedish Min for Migration and Asylum BillstromSwedish Migration Minister Tobias Billström completed a two day visit to Malta ahead of Sweden’s 1st July assumption of the EU Presidency.  The recently approved EU pilot project where refugees are to be transferred from Malta to other EU member states on a voluntary basis was reviewed.

 Click here for Times of Malta article.   Click here for www.di-ve.com article.

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Filed under European Union, Mediterranean, News, Sweden

First Summit Meeting Between Spanish PM and ECOWAS (News)

West African ECOWAS leaders met with Spanish PM on 22 June.  Spain pledged 262 million euros for projects in ECOWAS nations.  Increasing ties with west African countries is a priority for Spain due in part to efforts to reduce illegal migration from the area.

“Stepped-up surveillance and cooperation with African nations has meant the number of migrants reaching the Canaries dropped to 9,181 last year from to 12,478 in 2007 and 31,678 in 2006, Spain said in January.”

Click here for full article.

Click here for brief Spanish Foreign Ministry media release.

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Filed under Eastern Atlantic, ECOWAS, News, Spain

1,200 Died in Mediterranean in 2008 (News)

ANSA reports that Mehdi Mabrouk (Maître assistant en sociologie, Faculté des Sciences Humaines et Sociales de Tunis) a Tunisian sociologist, speaking at a conference in Tunis (‘Illegal migration: reality and solutions’) estimates that more than 1200 African migrants drowned in the Mediterranean while trying to reach Europe.

 Click here for ANSA article.

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Creation of Joint European Coast Guard Premature (News)

The Greek PM’s request at the recent European Council Summit to create a joint European coast guard was regarded as “premature”.

Click here for Kathimerini article.

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Filed under European Union, Greece, Mediterranean, News