Australian Cash Persuades Some to Abandon Pacific Center
Asylum seekers in Papua New Guinea are taking Australian cash to return home in larger numbers. Australia has doubled the money on offer in a bid to empty a controversial offshore detention center.
Dozens of asylum seekers, some of whom have been in the Pacific camp for four years, took $25,000 each to return home under threat of deportation.
“There is a growing thought that it is better to move on and get on with our lives rather than hang onto some false hope,” an official Australian source told Reuters. “We haven’t seen as many people leave since the first year of the camp being reopened in late 2012.”
With their legal attempts to avert deportation failing, some 29 men have elected to take the money and leave PNG.
It is not illegal to offer money to failed asylum seekers to return home, and some returns are being handled by the International Organization for Migration (IOM). Germany has announced plans to incentivize similar returns with grants of just over $1,200.
Canada to Work With U.S. to Tackle Asylum Seeker Border Crossers
Canada is working with the U.S. to stem the flow of asylum seekers crossing the border between the two countries. U.S. Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly is set to visit Canada for talks about border crossings, Reuters reported.
Hundreds of people from Africa and the Middle East have walked into Canada since the election of President Donald Trump. The administration’s steps to speed up deportations and toughen asylum systems have sparked an exodus into the region.
While Canada has been cheered by liberals for its refugee-friendly policies, the Canadian government faces pressure from right-wing opponents, with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused of exposing the country to a security risk.
“We are talking with our counterparts in the United States to ensure that we’re addressing this situation properly,” Trudeau told reporters in Calgary, Alberta.
In the first two months of this year, 143 people illegally walked over the border into Manitoba, local police said. Canadian officials reported that asylum claims were up on the same period last year.
Record Month for Relocations, but E.U. Way Behind Schedule
The E.U. said it hit a new record for the relocation of refugees in February. Some 1,940 people were moved from Italy and Greece, but the number is still well below levels anticipated.
The E.U. is struggling to persuade members to take part in the relocation of asylum seekers from front-line states that have borne the brunt of arrivals in recent years.
Under a scheme announced in September 2015, 160,000 asylum seekers were to be relocated over two years. With only a few months left, the European Commission (E.C.) admitted only 13,546 have been moved to date.
The E.C. has threatened to impose fines and other actions against reluctant member states, but has so far done nothing. It warned Thursday it “will not hesitate to make use of its powers” against those who fail to honor their obligations.
Recommended Reads:
- Nature: What the Numbers Say About Refugees
- Al Jazeera: ’Control’ is the New Core of Germany’s Refugee Policy
- The Atlantic: The Rise of Refugee Offshoring
- The Guardian: Exit West by Mohsin Hamid Review – Magic and Violence in Migrants’ Tale