Surge in Refugee Boats From Algeria to Europe
A wave of refugee and migrant boats from Algeria has stirred a political backlash from the Spanish authorities, reports AP.
Spain rescued at least 460 people from dozens of boats sailing from Algeria to Europe over the weekend, while Algeria’s coast guard intercepted almost 290 others on different vessels, according to Reuters.
Francisco Bernabe, the Spanish representative in the region of Murcia, called the arrivals “a coordinated and unacceptable attack on our borders.”
There has also been an uptick in refugee vessels from neighboring Tunisia in recent months, although the majority of people trying to reach Europe still depart from Libya despite European efforts to stop them leaving.
Lesbos on Strike in Protest Over Refugee Shelter
Lesbos residents went on strike to protest the warehousing of refugees on the Greek island, reports Reuters.
Shops and municipal offices were closed across the island on Nov. 20 and Lesbos mayor Spyros Galinos led a protest in the main square.
Some 8,500 asylum seekers are stuck on the island in shelters with a capacity of fewer than 3,000. Most cannot move to mainland Greece under restrictions in place since the 2016 E.U.-Turkey deal.
Protesters called on the Greek government to relocate them to the mainland rather than expand shelter capacity on the island. “Lesbos is not an open prison, nor will we allow anyone to view it as such,” Galinos said.
UNHCR Asks Japan to Take More Refugees
The head of the U.N. refugee agency has called on Japan to take in more refugees, reports Reuters. Only three people received asylum in the country in the first half of this year.
Asylum applications to Japan are growing but the recognition rate is among the lowest in the world. Of 10,091 applications, 28 people received asylum in 2016.
Japan also took in around 30 people a year through a third-country resettlement scheme, most ethnic Karen refugees living in Thailand or Malaysia, said UNHCR chief Filippo Grandi. “I have asked the government to consider whether it could be expanded,” he said during a visit to Tokyo.
The country recently announced plans to stop allowing asylum seekers to work while they wait for asylum decisions, saying economic migrants were abusing the asylum system.
Recommended Reads
- Refugees International: Turkey’s Forgotten Refugees
- The New York Times: Refugees Trapped Far From Home, Farther From Deliverance
- The Sydney Morning Herald: Nauru Refugee Regime to Cost Taxpayers $385 Million Over Next 12 Months
- E.U. Observer: Refugee Case Could Topple Slovenia Government