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Executive Summary for July 17th

We review the latest issues related to refugees, including uncertainty over the U.S.-Australia refugee deal, Belgium’s migration minister slamming the E.U.’s Operation Sophia and a local mayor’s protest against the arrival of asylum-seekers in Sicily.

Published on July 17, 2017 Read time Approx. 3 minutes

U.S.-Australia Deal At Risk After Resettlement Cap Reached

The U.S.-Australia deal to resettle refugees held in offshore camps in the Pacific appeared to be at risk again after the U.S. reached its cap on refugee resettlement.

U.S. officials screening refugees for resettlement left the Australian-run facility on the Pacific island of Nauru on July 13, two weeks ahead of their scheduled departure, Reuters reported. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), a Department of Homeland Security agency, told the news agency they were planning further trips but provided no further details.

The halt in screenings came shortly after the number of refugees coming to the U.S. reached the 50,000 cap set by the Trump administration for the current fiscal year.

“News like this makes us feel dead. It defuses the spark of hope that we try to hold on to,” Rohingya asylum seeker Imran Mohammad, who is held on Manus and wrote about his experiences for Refugees Deeply, said in a statement.

Under the Obama administration, the U.S. agreed to resettle some refugees from Australia’s offshore camps in return for Australian resettlement of refugees in a Costa Rica facility. President Donald Trump has criticized but pledged to stand by the agreement.

Australian foreign minister Julie Bishop said the deal would still go ahead, noting “the quota will roll over again on October 1.” Australia said it will close a second detention center on Papua New Guinea’s Manus island by October 31.

Of the 800 asylum seekers on Manus, around 70 have gone through the U.S. screening process, while some 200 of the 370 people on Nauru have done the same, said Refugee Action Coalition spokesman Ian Rintoul.

Belgian Migration Minister Calls Operation Sophia ‘Pure Lunacy’

Belgium’s migration minister says the country should pull out of the E.U. naval mission to stop smuggling in the Mediterranean Sea.

“I personally think this operation should not be repeated because it is pure lunacy. There is no logic to it,” Theo Francken told Belgian TV. “It would be better if we did nothing. It is causing an increase in the flow of illegal immigrants.”

The Belgian marine frigate Louise-Marie is part of the E.U. anti-smuggling mission Operation Sophia, whose mandate is up for renewal later this month. The boat rescued 118 people lost at sea in late June.

“It is not about whether we should save them or not. We should. But this creates an effect of drawing in migrants with more dead people as a result. It is a shame on Europe,” Francken said.

A defense ministry spokeswoman said Belgium would continue to contribute to Operation Sophia as long as the Libyan government allows E.U. vessels inside its waters.

Sicily Mayor Leads Protest Against Asylum Seekers

A local mayor in Sicily led a demonstration against asylum seekers in his town, as the flow of refugee boats to Italy and the build-up to elections foster growing tensions over migration.

Vincenzo Lionetto, mayor of Castel’Umberto, wrote a Facebook post to constituents on July 14 saying that asylum seekers were being transferred to an abandoned hotel in the town.

The mayor and a group of residents barricaded the asylum seekers inside the hotel with their cars, while Lionetto reportedly cut off electricity supply to the hotel.

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