Curacao Coastguard Rescues 26 Venezuelans
A group of 26 Venezuelans fleeing the economic and social turmoil in their home country were saved by the Curacaoan coastguard after they were discovered on a neighboring Caribbean island.
Coastguard spokesman Roderick Gouverneur told Reuters that 18 men, seven women and one teenager had been rescued on Little Curacao on May 12.
“They say that the situation is alarming in Venezuela, that they do not have food, that they come for a better life,” he added.
At least 100 Venezuelans have fled to Curacao since the beginning of the year, the majority of whom have been deported.
Venezuelans are facing severe food and medicine shortages as well as rising crime rates and political crisis under the presidency of Nicolas Maduro.
Manus Island Detention Center to Start Closing in Two Weeks
Papua New Guinea immigration authorities have told asylum seekers in Australia’s detention center on Manus Island that parts of the complex will be closed in two weeks.
“You need to consider your options and make a decision about your future. Closure of [the] RPC is an opportunity to get on with your life,” authorities told asylum seekers, according to a transcript of a recording published by the Sydney Morning Herald.
Detainees who are waiting to see if they will be granted asylum in the U.S. under a resettlement deal struck by former U.S. president Barack Obama with Australia’s prime minister Malcolm Turnbull will be moved to a transit center.
People who have been denied asylum face the choice of going home voluntarily with Australia’s “integration support package” or deportation without any assistance. They can also choose to stay in PNG, but “no one will be resettled in Australia,” authorities said.
The center will begin closure proceedings on May 28. It is slated to completely shut down by October 31 this year.
New York Cab Companies Fined for Financially Exploiting Migrants
Three New York taxi companies operating near the Canadian border have been fined for financially exploiting migrants fleeing the U.S.
Northern Taxi, Town Taxi and C & L Taxi, “admitted to not posting rates as required by law” and allegedly charged an undercover detective $300, $85 and $100, respectively, for a trip that should have cost $77.50 at most, the New York Attorney General’s office said last week.
“It’s no secret that we’ve seen intense fear in immigrant communities across New York in recent months. To take advantage of that fear for financial gain is simply unconscionable,” New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said. “My office won’t hesitate to crack down on those seeking to take advantage of this climate of fear.”
An increasing number of migrants have fled to Canada since Donald Trump was elected president last year, fearing his hardline immigration stance.
Recommended Reads:
- Sydney Morning Herald: ‘The System Here is Broken’: Secret Recording Reveals Failures of Offshore Detention Regime
- AP: Refugees Who Helped Snowden Denied Asylum
- The Guardian: Refugees Describe Death and Despair in Malaysian Detention Centres
- Amnesty International: Immigration Dept.’s Claims about Shooting on Manus Island Refuted
- Los Angeles Times: Conspiracy Theorist Alex Jones Said Refugees Ravaged an Idaho Town With Disease and Crime. The Town Says Folks Get Along Just Fine