Migration News Sheet Summary November 2005

Issued on 03/11/2005

Summary

Summary of issues and articles

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Description

Extensive coverage of the storming of the borders of Spain's two enclave cities in Ceuta and Melilla:              

• Rabat's argument of self-defence to justify the fatal killing of several sub-Saharan migrants, pointing out that it is not possible to combat irregular migration "without causing humanitarian problems";
  
• Abandoning of more than 1,500 sub-Saharan migrants in the desert, some near to mine fields and numerous unconfirmed reports of deaths;
  
• Joint appeal by the EU and the African Union for yet another strategic partnership between the two continents and various proposals put forward to deal with the situation, such as the Italian Prime Minister's call for the urgent implementation of a "Marshall Plan" for sub-Saharan countries;
  
• The European Commission's call for better surveillance of Morocco's southern borders, training of Moroccan border guards and a readmission agreement between the EU and Algeria.

ITALY: Confirmation by an Italian undercover journalist of the sub-human conditions prevailing at the sole detention centre for irregular migrants on the southernmost island of Lampedusa.

UK: The UK, together with several other EU Member States, argue for change in the European Court of Human Right's unbending position on the anti-torture provision of the Convention to enable repatriation to countries with a poor human rights record if their governments pledge to abstain from maltreatment and the death penalty.

BELARUS: Belarus' president's plan to offer refugees a sanctuary in "ghost town" vacated by the Tchernobyl nuclear disaster.

GREECE: More criticism of reception facilities for asylum-seekers and refugees in Greece, some of whom live in abject poverty.

MOROCCO/SPAIN: Morocco and Spain urged to comply with international conventions on the protection of refugees.

UK: Immigration tribunal in the UK rules out repatriation of rejected Zimbabwean asylum-seekers, even those having made a false claim.

MALTA: Extensive coverage on various reactions in Malta to continuing arrivals of asylum-seekers - leader of Malta's largest union condemns "illegal" arrival of asylum-seekers, warning that they will "suffocate the Maltese people very soon".

RUSSIA: Another foreign student murdered in Russia - authorities again insist that it was "hooliganism" and not "racism".

DENMARK: Denmark risks having its own "Salman Rushdie" affair with the newspaper publication of 12 cartoons of the prophet Mohammed.

NETHERLANDS: Muslim woman in the Netherlands files complaint of discrimination against obligation to wear a headscarf in an Islamic school.

FRANCE: Rioting in Paris - junior Minister for Equal Opportunities criticises his colleague responsible for Home Affairs of fanning the fire with tough language such as "cleaning" neighbourhoods of their "scum".