Tag Archives: North Africa

UN OCHA Situation Report 2 on Libya

From the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Situation Report No. 2, 1 March 2011:

Libya – thousands of migrants stranded at Benghazi port;

Tunisia – 10,000 to 15,000 people arrived in Tunisia on 1 March, creating a huge bottleneck on the border due to a lack of onward transportation to their home countries. Thousands of people (including over 15,000 Bangladeshis) are stuck on the Libyan side of the border and are not allowed to cross. They are stranded and without access to food, health, water and sanitation;

Egypt – 5,000 to 7,000 migrants stranded in the border area at Saloum, in “no man’s land”. The Egyptian authorities are not allowing those without valid tickets and documentation to leave. According to IOM, these stranded migrants need food, water, blankets, shelter and proper sanitation facilities. IOM has established a registration process for migrants from African and Asian countries who cannot continue their journey into Egypt because of lack of travel documents or entry visas;

Niger – IOM is preparing for the arrival later this week of an estimated 2,000 Nigerians and other African nationals who have recently managed to cross Libya’s southern border at Gatrone.

Click here for full document.

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Filed under Egypt, Libya, Mediterranean, News, Niger, OCHA, Tunisia

UNHCR: Crisis at Libya-Tunisia Border; 140,000 Have Fled to Egypt and Tunisia; Tunisia May Be Barring Sub-Saharan Africans from Entering Tunisia

1 March 2011 update from UNHCR:

“UNHCR staff at the Libya-Tunisia border have this morning told us that the situation is reaching crisis point. According to the Tunisian authorities, 70-75,000 people have fled Libya to Tunisia since 20 February. Fourteen thousand people crossed yesterday, the highest number to date, with tens of thousands of people now in urgent need of onwards transportation to their home countries. With 10,000-15,000 people expected to arrive today…

[T]housands of people have been waiting on the Libyan side to enter for as long as three days, obliged to spend the night outside in the bitter cold without shelter. We are very concerned that a large number of sub-Saharan Africans are not being allowed entry into Tunisia…

Meanwhile at the Egyptian border, the Government reported that some 69,000 people had crossed from Libya since 19 February. The majority of those who have crossed are Egyptians…”

Click here for UNHCR update.

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Filed under Egypt, Libya, Mediterranean, News, Tunisia, UNHCR

Van Rompuy to Convene Extraordinary Meeting of European Council on 11 March

EC President Van Rompuy has called an extraordinary meeting of the European Council: “In light of the developments in our Southern Neighbourhood, and Libya in particular, I decided to convene an extraordinary meeting of the European Council. The meeting will take place on 11 March 2011 in Brussels at 11.30 am.”

Click here for full statement.

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Update from Today’s LIBE Committee’s Discussions re Central Mediterranean

The Hungarian Presidency and LIBE have released summaries regarding today’s LIBE Committee meeting.  Here are some points from the two summaries:

  • Commissioner Malmström emphasized that, so far, migrants had not started coming to Europe from Libya, but the EU had to prepare for this possibility;
  • Frontex Director Laitinen made it clear that the region should not be seen as a whole, but as separate countries with separate problems;
  • Laitinen underlined that from Tunisia only economic migration could be seen so far, but for the moment, as Tunisian authorities have regained control of the migration flow, this had stopped, as well. Since 26 February, no migrants had arrived to Lampedusa.
  • Laitinen also stressed that Italy was not the only entry point for migrants from North-Africa. Greece should not be forgotten in this context.  Low-cost flights from North-Africa to Istanbul were operating, bringing many migrants who then were trying to enter the Schengen area through the Greek-Turkish border;
  • Laitinen said that the possibility of extending Hermes to address Malta’s needs was being examined. More money and staff might be needed if the current emergency persists;
  • MEPs urged Member States to accelerate work on the “asylum package” and stressed the need for solidarity as regards relocating migrants;
  • Malmström said that most of the current migration from Tunisia to Lampedusa appears to be for economic reasons;
  • Malmström said that “Frontex and Member States may not push away people in need of international protection”;
  • MEP Simon Busuttil (EPP, MT) said the three main priorities in Libya are halting violence, sending humanitarian aid and planning for a possible immigration emergency. “What if a mass influx turns into Europe, is there a plan in the drawer to be pull out if this happens?” “Member States show no appetite for relocation.”

Click here and here for the two articles.

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Filed under European Union, Frontex, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Libya, Malta, Mediterranean, News, Tunisia, Turkey

Laitinen in Malta for Discussions

Frontex Director Ilkka Laitinen is in Malta today for discussions with Maltese officials about the situation in Libya and the possibility of a new migrant flow from Libya.  It seems that the discussions concern the expansion of Joint Operation Hermes Extension or the creation of a new joint operation based in Malta.  Before leaving Brussels earlier today, Laitinen said that “although the situation is fluid and until now no flows of asylum seekers to Europe has resulted, Frontex was preparing for such an eventuality.”

Click here (EN), here (IT) and here (IT) for articles.

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Live Coverage, 1 March, 09:00, LIBE Meeting re Situation in the Central Mediterranean

LIBE will reconvene today, 1 March, 09:00-10:30, to discuss “the situation in the central Mediterranean…. They will consider the democratisation process in the region and its impact on migration flows and EU immigration and asylum policy. In attendance: Hungarian Presidency representative, H.E. Peter Györkös, Cecilia Malmström, Commissioner for Home Affairs and Ilkka Laitinen, Executive Director of Frontex, the EU border security agency.”

Click here for live coverage.

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LIBE Meets 28 Feb-1 March with Full Agenda

LIBE will meet on Monday and Tuesday with a full and timely agenda.  I’ll try to post summaries of several of the meeting documents which are now posted on the EP LIBE Meeting Document page later today or Sunday.

Here are some of the agenda items to be voted on or considered:

28 Feb. 2011, 15.00  (room PHS, Hemicycle)

Item 4. Adoption of Draft Opinion – Migration Flows arising from Instability: Scope and Role of the EU Foreign Policy

[Frenzen’s note – the draft opinion on which the vote will be taken is dated 14 January 2011 and was prepared before the current situation in North Africa became apparent].

Click here for Draft Opinion and here for Amendments 1-53.

Item 12. Consideration of Amendments – Minimum standards on procedures in Member States for granting and withdrawing international protection (recast)

Click here for Draft Report  and here for Amendments 54 – 286.

Click here for “Proposal for a DIRECTIVE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL on minimum standards on procedures in Member States for granting and withdrawing international protection.”

Item 15. Consideration of Working Document – European Union’s Internal Security Strategy

Click here for Part 1 of the Working Document on the European Union’s internal security strategy and here for Part 2.

1 March 2011, 9.00 (Meeting with the Council and Commission – N.B. this part of the meeting will be held in meeting room JAN 4 Q 2)

Item 17. The democratic process in the central Mediterranean area, the impact on migration fluxes and the EU immigration and asylum policy.

Exchange of views in the presence of:

  • The Hungarian Presidency, H.E. Peter GYÖRKÖS, Permanent Representative of Hungary to the EU
  • European Commission representative (name to be confirmed)
  • Mr. Ilkka LAITINEN, Executive Director of Frontex (European Agency for the Management of Operational Cooperation at the External Borders of the Member States of the EU)

No documents for this item have been posted.

Click here for the Full Agenda of the LIBE meeting and here for the Meeting Documents page.

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Network Euro Mediterraneo per i Diritti dell’Uomo: Missione di raccolta informazioni in Tunisia e Italia e Raccomandazioni

From CIR:  “…[I]l Network Euro Mediterraneo per i Diritti dell’Uomo ha organizzato una missione di raccolta informazioni, che si è svolta dal 18 al 24 febbraio prima in Tunisia e poi in Italia. La missione era composta da rappresentanti di organizzazioni membro del Network e di partner e da esperti del Nord e del Sud del Mediterraneo. La missione ha potuto raccogliere testimonianze e informazioni dirette, tanto in Tunisia che in Italia.

La missione ha permesso di smentire sia la tesi della presenza massiva tra i migarnti arrivati in Italia di delinquenti di diritto comune evasi dalle carceri, sia quella di un complotto migratorio che sarebbe stato ordito dalla Libia e dai nostalgici di Ben Ali.

Nel corso della missione, le preoccupazione legate agli avvenimenti drammatici che sconvolgono la Libia hanno, in qualche maniera, soppiantato gli interrogativi che circondano i migranti tunisini.

Al termine di questa missione, il Network formula le seguenti raccomandazioni:

Alle autorità italiane:

  • Rispettare la dignità di tutti i migranti, quali che siano le loro motivazioni.
  • Sospendere l’applicazione dell’accordo bilaterale di riammissione con la Tunisia sotto il concluso con il regime di Ben Ali. Sospendere tutte le misure di espulsione forzata individuale o collettiva verso la Tunisia.
  • Richiedere all’Unione Europea l’attivazione del meccanismo di protezione temporanea.
  • Nell’attesa della protezione temporanea, accordare ai migranti una forma di protezione umanitaria che si traduca in un titolo di soggiorno legale in Italia. Misura che deve essere indicata dalle autorità centrali e che non deve essere in alcun modo delegata alla discrezionalità delle singole Questure e Commissioni Territoriali per il riconoscimento della protezione internazionale
  • Migliorare e razionalizzare le condizioni d’accoglienza, il ricorso allo stato d’urgenza umanitaria non può tradursi in un abbassamento degli standard di accoglienza.
  • Astenersi dal mettere in opera il progetto di raggruppamento del Villaggio Mineo, in Sicilia, di tutti i richiedenti asilo in corso di procedura in Italia, misura         che può provocare una situazione di ghetto ed esclusione sociale
  • Assicurare ai migranti che hanno fatto domanda d’asilo un esame individuale della domanda di protezione nel pieno rispetto delle direttive “procedure” e “qualifiche”
  • Astenersi da dichiarazioni allarmistiche e incendiarie che assimilano migranti, delinquenti e terroristi

Alle autorità tunisine

  • Garantire la libertà di tutte le persone di lasciare qualsiasi paese compreso il proprio ( Articolo 12, 2 del Patto internazionale relativo ai diritti civili e politici). Di conseguenza, astenersi di tutte le procedure penali per le persone fermate nel tentativo di lasciare la Tunisia via mare o per quanti sono rimpatriati forzatamente verso il Paese
  • Rispettare pienamente le obbligazioni marittime internazionali relative alla ricerca e al salvataggio in mare.
  • Aprire una inchiesta approfondita e imparziale sulle condizioni nelle quali una barca è affondata l’11 febbraio, in un incidente che è costato la vita ad almeno 5 persone, e perseguirne i responsabili
  • Sospendere l’applicazione dell’accordo bilaterale sul controllo dell’Immigrazione concluso con l’Italia. Esigerne la rinegoziazione e, nel futuro, escludere la possibilità di rimpatri massivi e la sua applicazione a cittadini di paesi terzi.

Alle autorità europee

  • Accompagnare gli Stati dell’Africa del Nord nel processo di transizione in corso, poiché la democrazia è la sola a poter garantire una reale stabilità nella regione, e quindi offrire ai giovani la possibilità di costruire il loro futuro in un paese nel quale possono progettare un avvenire.
  • Aiutare l’Egitto e la Tunisia che, contrariamente all’Europa, sono già stati chiamati ad accogliere rifugiati libici e stranieri, in provenienza dalla Libia. La solidarietà a cui si appellano gli Stati del Sud dell’Unione Europea deve esprimersi innanzitutto nei confronti di questi Stati in transizione
  • Astenersi da tutte le operazioni che avrebbero come conseguenza la dissuasione o l’impedimento dell’arrivo in Europa di persone che avrebbero bisogno di protezione
  • Prepararsi all’attivazione della direttiva sulla “protezione temporanea” nel caso si producano arrivi massivi dal Nord Africa.”

Click here (IT) for full CIR post.

See also CIR “Emergenza Nord Africa”.

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Filed under European Union, General, Italy, Libya, Mediterranean, Reports, Statements, Tunisia

UNODC Publication: Smuggling of Migrants into, through and from North Africa

UNODC has issued a new publication entitled “Smuggling of Migrants into, through and from North Africa: A thematic review and annotated bibliography of recent publications.”  Most of the reviewed literature and data are from 2008 and earlier dates and therefore the publication does not include references to more recent events, e.g. the Italy-Libya migration agreement.  But it is a comprehensive and useful publication.  The 16 page Annotated Bibliography is a very good resource.

According to the UNODC web site, the publication “focuses primarily on the patterns and dynamics of migrant smuggling, as it concerns the North African region. Recognizing, however, that irregular migration and smuggling flows are transnational in nature, the review goes beyond North Africa, to also cover sub- Saharan African and European countries affected along the various smuggling routes.  The aim of the review is twofold: to describe major findings on smuggling of migrants; into, through and from North Africa, and to highlight the need for further research on specific issues that have not yet been studied.”

Table of Contents:

  • I. Introduction
  • II. Quantifying irregular migration and smuggling of migrants
  • III. Migrant smuggling routes
  • IV. Profiles and characteristics of smuggled migrants
  • V. Smuggler-migrant relationships
  • VI. Organizational structures of migrant-smuggling networks
  • VII. Modus operandi of migrant smuggling
  • VIII. Smuggling fees
  • IX. The human and social costs of smuggling
  • X. Summary of findings
  • XI. Annotated bibliography

Click here for the publication.

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