U.N. Urges Australia to Let New Zealand Resettle Manus Refugees
The U.N. refugee agency urged Australia to accept New Zealand’s offer to resettle 150 refugees from Manus Island, where hundreds are refusing transfer to another part of the island.
Around 450 asylum seekers remain without water and food inside an Australian-run camp where many have been held for years after trying to reach Australia by boat. Amnesty International said around 90 of them need urgent medical care.
Authorities cut services and began dismantling the center on October 31 after Papua New Guinea’s Supreme Court ruled it unconstitutional. The refugees are afraid to relocate to another part of the island, prompting a standoff with authorities who have issued repeated deadlines for them to leave.
Australian prime minister Malcolm Turnbull rejected New Zealand’s offer to resettle some of the men. New Zealand’s prime minister Jacinda Ardern said this week the invitation remained open. “We urge Australia to reconsider this and take up the offer,” Nai Jit Lam, deputy regional UNHCR representative told Reuters.
Papua New Guinea M.P. Charlie Benjamin suggested the New Zealand government bypass Australia and talk to the PNG government and the U.N. in order to arrange the resettlement from Manus.
German Newspaper Publishes List of 33,000 People Dying to Reach Europe
Germany’s Der Tagesspiegel newspaper published a list of 33,293 migrants who have died en route or when reaching Europe since 1993.
The list, compiled from the U.N. and media sources, ran for 46 pages. The paper tried to gather as many names and biographical details as possible, although many were unidentified.
“We want to honor them,” the newspaper wrote. “And at the same time we want to show that every line tells a story … and that the list keeps getting longer, day by day.”
The majority died in the Mediterranean Sea while others were victims of suicide or hate crimes once they reached Europe.
Spanish rescuers found 276 people in seven boats trying to cross the Mediterranean from North Africa on November 11. Nearly 3,000 people have died at sea en route to Europe this year.
Greek Police Apprehend Drivers Transporting Migrants
Police arrested a 55-year-old Greek man transporting 90 people, including 21 children, in his truck in Thessaloniki.
Among them were 60 Iraqis as well as Eritreans, Ethiopians, Congolese and Iranians. Police said they had paid 1,800 euros ($2,100) each to go from Turkey to Athens.
Another man stopped by police while bringing 10 Pakistanis to Greece sped away and crashed his van. The man, who is 22 years old, was shot and injured by police.
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