News Digest

No Way Out

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The European Union is funding military equipment used by Turkey to stop refugees from fleeing the Syrian Civil War and entering the EU

Via The Black Sea -By Zeynep Sentek and Sebnem Arsu.

Under an agreement in March 2016, the EU pledged six billion Euro to Turkey to effectively trap millions of refugees within its country and stop them from entering the European Union.

This is not the only cash from the EU. It also pays Turkey for military equipment which is used at its borders with Syria and Greece to halt those wishing to seek asylum in the 28-member bloc.

An investigation into EU contracts by Politiken and Danwatch (Denmark) in partnership with the European Investigative Collaborations (EIC) reveals that EU has supplied Turkey with 83 million Euro in armoured military vehicles and surveillance equipment for what witnesses say is aggressive patrolling of the borders.

These deals also risk the EU being complicit in possible violations of the international rights of refugees. Continue reading No Way Out →

News Digest

Kurdish Refugees Walk Out of Greek Camp After Violent Clashes

Via Refugees Deeply – Hundreds of Kurdish refugees have left an overcrowded refugee center after violent incidents last week, saying they no longer feel safe there.

Fighting reportedly broke out between Kurdish and Arab refugees held at Moria camp over Kurds’ non-observance of the Ramadan fast. At least six people were injured. Continue reading Kurdish Refugees Walk Out of Greek Camp After Violent Clashes →

News Digest

update: merging posts on ‘Monitoring the EU-Turkey Deal’ with rest of the HarekAct content

In late summer 2017 we started the section on ‘Monitoring the EU-Turkey Deal’, extending our focus further to Europe by reporting on the EU-Turkey Deal and its consequences for migrants in Greece. Through a cooperation with activists on Lesvos we were able to report more and focus on the region.

The cooperation has been very good and the situation on the Aegean Islands has not improved in the last months, tensions on the islands are rather getting higher. Therefore we will continue reporting on the topic, though not under the special section of ‘Monitoring the EU-Turkey Deal’ but we will post these articles under our existing categories: news, in depth or reports and documents

Articles concerning these topics will be tagged with #EU-Turkey Deal or #Aegean Islands

HarekAct Reporting

Turkey has joined the ICMPD: What does this mean?

Now even closer: ICMPD and Turkey (photo by ICMPD)

Written by Philipp Ratfisch

The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on 15 May that Turkey will join the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD). This is yet another step towards embracing the political idea of “migration management”. At the same time, the decision means further expanding Turkey’s cooperation with EU member states with the aim to regulate and control migration into the EU – and into Turkey.

Continue reading Turkey has joined the ICMPD: What does this mean? →

News Digest

EU warns of new surge in asylum seekers from Turkey

Via Hurriyet Daily News (16th May 2018) – The EU warned on May 16 that asylum seeker arrivals from Turkey have surged this year and called on member countries to act urgently on pledges of support for the bloc’s border force.

The European Commission, the European Union’s executive arm, said 15,457 people had arrived via Turkey on Greece’s sea and land borders through March, nine times higher than the same period last year. Continue reading EU warns of new surge in asylum seekers from Turkey →

News Digest

Re-thinking EU-Turkey Deal: Asylum and Protection

Via Bosphorus Migration Studies (7th May 2018) – After the EU-Turkey readmission plan, the migrant flows in the Aegean Sea are decreased. However, raised concerns on human rights abuses leaded us to follow recent steps taken by the governments. Orçun Ulusoy and Jill Alpes, prominent scholars working on this topic answered Mehmet Enes Beşer‘s questions.

Why do you think there is limited access to people who have been readmitted from Greece to Turkey? Is it mostly due to lack of research on the part of international organisations or lack of data provided by both countries?

Continue reading Re-thinking EU-Turkey Deal: Asylum and Protection →

News Digest

Turkish coast guard says 7 Afghan migrants die on sea crossing to Greece

Via Ekathimerini (15.05.18) – Turkey’s coast guard says seven Afghan nationals died, including three children, while trying to cross into Greece, but that it managed to rescue 13 people from the sinking boat.

In a statement Tuesday, it said a rescue ship and helicopter were dispatched late Monday near the western province of Canakkale following a tip. A half-sunk 6-meter fiber boat was found.

Continue reading Turkish coast guard says 7 Afghan migrants die on sea crossing to Greece →

News Digest

Report from the Trial against the #Moria35 – Racism in the Court Hall

Valeria Hänsel, who contributes to HarekAct with her insights on the situation for refugees on Lesvos focusing on detention and deportations, wrote a report in German about the trial against the #Moria35 that took place last month in Chios.

Protest in Solidarity with the Moria35

Following a few abstracts:

“32 of the 35 defendants were collectively convicted for injuring a police officer in a four-day trial. They should go to jail for 26 month, though this penalty is temporarily suspended.

Vassilis Kerasiotis and Gina Palaialogou, the defendends of the convicts, lodged an appeal immediately after the process. Until a decision is made, all convicts are free.  Palaialogou comments on the verdict: “The decision was a compromise. Due to political reasons an acquittal in the first instance would hardly have been possible. In that case, they would have needed a justification and compensation for the detention for a duration of 9 nine month before the trial and the police statements would have needed to be falsified. ”

Click here to read the whole article in German at borderline-europe

Lucia Heisterkamp also published a shorter version in German newspaper taz together with Valeria Hänsel.

News Digest

borderline-europe report from the island of Lesvos

In April 2018, borderline-europe members Doro Bruch, Jan Dunkemölle und Nora Freitag visited Lesvos for two weeks to gain an overview on the current situation for migrants in the island. They talked to lawyers, NGO workers, refugees and activists.

Stage2 camp in the North of Lesvos

Their report is aimed at providing insights on the current situation of refugees on the island and giving links to related information plattforms. The report focuses firstly on spotting, i.e. monitoring of the coasts for the documentation of sea rescue and arrivals over the sea from the Turkey and secondly, the accommodation and care of refugees on the island.

To continue reading the whole report in German, click here!

News Digest

30 Turks a day have fled to Greece since snap election decision: Greek media

Via Turkish Minute – Thirty Turks have fled to Greece daily since the announcement of snap elections in Turkey on June 24, the Greek Kathimerini newspaper reported.

According to official data cited by the newspaper 7,103 people crossed into Greece at the Evros River border in the first five months of the year, while 9,375 arrived in the Greek islands off the coast of Turkey, bringing the total number of arrivals to 16,478, 6,632 of them in April alone. Continue reading 30 Turks a day have fled to Greece since snap election decision: Greek media →

Reporting on the Turkish-EU Border Regime