Amnesty Blames E.U. For Trapping Refugees and Migrants in Libya
Some 721 people died on the Central Mediterranean route in June and July. A new report from Amnesty details the deaths and blames the E.U.
The surge in deaths is not an “inescapable misfortune,” it says, but the direct consequence of Italy closing its ports and the hostile treatment of sea rescue NGOs. E.U. actions amount to a deliberate strategy to trap tens of thousands of refugees and migrants in Libya, where they risk torture and terrible conditions, according to the report.
Bangladesh Calls on U.N. Security Council to Act on Myanmar
Bangladesh has said Myanmar is not creating the right conditions for the return of 1 million Rohinghya refugees. Bangladesh, which is hosting the Rohingya, called on the U.N. Security Council to take action against its neighbor.
Bangladesh’s U.N. ambassador said in a letter to the council, “We regret that the necessary conditions for safe and sustainable return do not exist in Myanmar. Nor has Myanmar taken any demonstrable effort to address the concerns of the Rohingyas and the international community.”
Brazilian Judge Reopens Border to Venezuelan Refugees
A Brazilian appeals court has reopened the country’s border with Venezuela. A lower court in northern Roraima state had closed the border on August 5. Roraima state authorities have been trying to slow the influx of refugees but the federal government has opposed the move.
Nearly 33,000 Venezuelans have requested asylum in Brazil, while another 25,000 have entered the country on work or humanitarian visas, the U.N. refugee agency said. Only a small number of refugees have been relocated elsewhere in Brazil from Roraima, leading to complaints that the state is overwhelmed.
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- The Conversation: Syrian Refugees – the Need for an Image Reboot
“Feeling excluded and labeled as the enemy can have detrimental consequences on the Syrian diaspora’s emotional, psychological and thus productive capabilities. Psychologists have long explained that belongingness is a fundamental need.”
- Chatham House: Why Access to Energy Can Empower Refugees
“The number of forcibly displaced people globally is more than the size of Australia and Canada combined. Recent research from Chatham House has shown that over 90 percent of those people living in refugee camps don’t have access to electricity and over 80 percent are cooking with the most basic fuel available – wood. This shows that refugees and displaced people are one of the most likely groups to be left behind in the global drive for better energy access. That’s a lot of people without access to energy.”