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ASYLNYTT

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Fridh advokatbyrå

Sponsrad av Fridh Advokatbyrå

ARKIV:

Nya regler och lagförslag

Flyktinggrupper, landpraxis

Gränser: passage och hinder

Mottagande av asylsökande

Asylutredning och procedur

Skäl för och emot tillstånd

Tvång, hot och deportationer

Papperslösa, gömda, utvisade

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EU:s flykting- och gränspolitik

Allmänt om migration, statistik

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Arkiveringsdatum 220619:

TT / AB 22-06-14:

Storbritannien/ Storbritannien skickar flyktingar till Rwanda till sidans topp

Storbritannien skickar asylsökande till Rwanda sedan en överklagan i sista stund fått avslag.

Ett chartrat plan ska lyfta på tisdagskvällen och landa i Rwanda på onsdagen. Men det verkar bara bli en handfull flyktingar ombord.

Det första planet med asylsökande från Storbritannien är planerat att avgå från London på tisdagskvällen och landa i Kigali under onsdagen. Ombord skulle det finnas ett 30-tal flyktingar från bland annat Albanien, Irak, Iran och Syrien.

Men efter att flera av dem överklagat individuellt har flera fått sina biljetter avbokade. Enligt Care4Calais, en av organisationerna bakom överklagan, har bara sju personer fortfarande giltiga biljetter.

Storbritanniens utrikesminister Liz Truss till BBC:s radioprogram "Today" säger att det viktiga är principen.

- Det verkligt viktiga är att vi etablerar principen och att vi förstör affärsmodellen för de vidriga människosmugglare som gör affärer av elände.

På frågan om det kan sluta med att ingen är med på planet svarar hon:

- Det kommer att vara folk på planet och om de inte är med på det här planet är de med på nästa. Jag har inga siffror. Det viktiga är principen.

Det var i april som Storbritannien tillkännagav att landet gjort upp med Rwanda om att skicka migranter till landet. Boris Johnson presenterade det som ett sätt att avskräcka människor från att riskera sina liv genom att betala människosmugglare för att transportera dem i läckande uppblåsbara båtar.

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Sveriges Radio Studio Ett 22-06-14: Färre asylsökande än väntat på omdiskuterat plan till Rwanda (Extern länk)

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ECRE News 22-06-10:

Grekland/ Criminalisation of refugees: teenagers are again convicted of Moria fire till sidans topp

Greek court confirms conviction of Afghan teenagers over Moria fires in 2020 as the criminalisation of refugees continues. Greece is increasing deployments of border police and equipment in the Evros while ignoring interim measures by the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) on people stranded in the region. The annual report by the Greek Ombudsman puts into question efficiency and reliability of Greek authorities investigations of pushbacks.

Following the recent sentencing of three Syrian nationals to a combined 439 years in prison for "facilitating unauthorized entry" in a Syros court and the sentencing of another group of Syrian nationals to 364 years of imprisonment by the court in Kalamata "for complicity in transferring into Greece third-country nationals" the criminalisation of refugees in Greece continues.

In an appeal ruling on 7 June, the Court of Mytilene affirmed the conviction of the teenagers A.A. and M.H. who were under-aged when they were arrested among four other Afghan youths and later sentenced to five years in prison for "arson with risk to human life" in relation to the fires that destroyed the notorious Moria Reception and Identification Centre in 2020.

In a press release Legal Centre Lesvos, stated: "Once again, the courts of Mytilene flouted the basic rules of a fair trial and the rights of the accused", noting: "Twenty-six prosecution witnesses paraded through the court today, and none of them identified the two defendants. The court nevertheless decided to confirm the conviction of the two on appeal, without credible evidence".

The case against A.A. was reportedly based on the testimony of a witness neither summoned by the investigating magistrate nor appearing before the trial court and for M.H. on video material deemed of such poor quality that no forensic conclusions could be drawn by Athens forensic laboratory.

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You can't evict Solidarity 22-06-14:

Grekland/ Criminalisation at new level: Young woman faces trial for attempted suicide till sidans topp

/Asylnytt: trial postponed, see link for updated article/

Statement of the initiatives CPT Aegean Migrant Solidarity, borderline-europe e.V. and You can't evict Solidarity

On 22 June 2022, a 27-year-old woman who, in desperation, attempted to self-immolate in the notorious Moria 2 camp on the Greek island of Lesvos, now faces trial for arson.

On 21 February 2021, the heavily pregnant M.M. had attempted to take her own life by setting herself on fire at the new Mavrovouni Reception and Identification Centre (RIC) (also called Kara Tepe or Moria 2) on Lesvos. The neighbouring residents in the camp rescued her from the burning tent and extinguished the fire with water bottles and towels. M.M. suffered injuries all over her body and was taken, under guard, to hospital.

However, even more cruel than the burns: instead of providing help and psychological care to the traumatised family, M.M. was charged with 'arson with intent', 'endangering life and the objects of others' as well as with 'damage of an object of common utility by means of fire' after the incident.

At the time of the desperate act, M.M. had already been living with her husband and three small children in the camp "Moria 2" for more than five months under inhuman conditions. The situation in the camp was catastrophic in the winter of 2020/21. The area is close to the sea and completely unsuitable for living: The tents repeatedly collapse or are flooded due to strong winds and heavy rain. There is a lack of medical care, privacy, electricity, running water, hot showers, functioning toilets and other hygiene facilities. As if this were not enough, on 23 January 2021, the Greek government publicly confirmed that dangerous levels of lead had been found in soil samples.

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Arkiveringsdatum 220518:

BVMN 22-05-03:

Grekland/ Police Operation in Thessaloniki till sidans topp

The Border Violence Monitoring Network (BVMN) has published a press release detailing an operation targeting people-on-the-move in the Greek city. At least three people were arrested on their way to collect food from organisations helping there. BVMN voices concerns that arrests frequently lead to illegal incarceration and pushbacks to Turkey. A similar operation took place in Athens in March this year.

Reports collected by member organisations of BVMN include the use of unmarked red vans in Thessoloniki, which match the description of those used for illegal pushbacks in the Evros border region. The lack of transparency when using unmarked vehicles is of concern because of the "endemic police brutality" in Greece. The likelihood that the police actions in this operation lead to pushbacks to Turkey seem very high.

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AYS 22-05-06:

Grekland/ Survivors of a shipwreck in Greece facing 439 years in prison till sidans topp

On May 5, Kheiraldin, Abdallah and Mohamad - survivors of the shipwreck that took place near Paros island on Christmas Eve - were sentenced to a total of 439 years in prison by a Greek court on Syros island.

Kheiraldin was sentenced to 187 years as the "captain", Abdallah and Mohamad each to 126 as the "mechanic" and the "assistant".

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Arkiveringsdatum 220429:

AYS 22-04-18:

Belgien/ Detained children in the 'heart of Europe' till sidans topp

In Belgium, it seems it is not uncommon for the Foreigners' Office to lock up young minors in a detention centre, disputing their age, even though it is written on their birth certificate, claiming that it is false.

It is thanks to our contacts with detainees that we are sometimes made aware of these unacceptable situations. It is totally unacceptable that very young people are mistreated by our authorities, Getting The Voice Out team reports.

The most recent report documents a case of three children who had to spend a night in a police cell, after which they were transferred to a detention centre.

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Arkiveringsdatum 220324:

The Guardian 22-03-18:

Grekland/ Refugees convicted of steering boats to appeal against life sentences till sidans topp

Two Afghans jailed for 50 years who say traffickers forced them to steer boats among asylum seekers convicted of people smuggling

Hanad Abdi Mohammad is haunted by nightmares.

They start as soon as he opens his eyes in a cell in the squat, whitewashed prison building on the Greek island of Chios.

"I have the same thought whenever I wake and that is 'When will I taste freedom again?'" said the Somali. "I think of my wife and children. It fills me with hope."

His recurring nightmare is about the event that prompted his conviction for people smuggling and staggering 146-year jail sentence.

Mohammad, 28, recently recalled how human traffickers abandoned the dinghy carrying him and other refugees shortly after the craft left the shores of Turkey.

"It was a terrible night," he told a visiting delegation of MEPs and journalists in the prison director's office. "I was sitting right next to the smuggler when he threatened me, saying 'you drive'. I now realise that if I hadn't we would all have drowned."

In another cell less than 10 metres away were two Afghan men, Amir Zahiri and Akif Rasuli, also in their 20s and similarly serving life sentences. In September 2020 both were found guilty of "facilitating illegal entry" of undocumented refugees and "provoking a shipwreck" and convicted for 50 years.

They, too, have protested their innocence, insisting they are genuine refugees who have been wrongly accused of crimes they did not commit.

On Friday, the pair were to appeal against their jail terms before a three-member court sitting in Lesbos. After hours of waiting, the men were told the hearing would be postponed until 7 April.

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Arkiveringsdatum 220304:

ECRE News 22-02-18:

Grekland/ Greece: Aegean Sea unmonitored as crackdown on civil society continues till sidans topp

The German NGO Mare Liberum has been forced to leave the Aegean Sea. This leaves the strait, well documented to be the scene of violent pushbacks, without civilian monitoring. Violent pushbacks from Greece continue, alongside reports of collective deportations from Turkey to Syria. The new EU-funded camp on Lesvos will be located in a protected, wildfire-prone area.

Greek authorities have long imposed severe restrictions and intimidation measures on NGOs supporting migrants and refugees. After facing two years of "obstacles and hurdles" the NGO Mare Liberum announced on 10 February that is unable to continue its monitoring of the Aegean Sea, leaving the strait without civilian monitoring. Like other civilian solidarity organisations, Mare Liberum faced new rules for registration of NGOs that ECRE has declared incompatible with international and EU law.

The controversial NGO registry imposed severe restrictions and conditions on organisations active in the competence areas of the Hellenic coast guard. "We are devastated to leave the sea strait between Turkey and Greece again to the ruthless actions of the Hellenic Coast Guard and Frontex who are perpetrating human rights violations and border crimes on a daily basis," the organisation stated.

Further, two Greek Helsinki Monitor staff have been sentenced to 12 months imprisonment, suspended for three years, by an Athens court. The two men, who were leaders of the NGO, were charged with "falsely accusing" an Orthodox bishop of racist hate speech. The charges has been met with concern including from Human Rights Watch, the European Implementation Network (EIN) and Amnesty International. The latter stated: "The ruling poses a direct threat to the right to freedom of expression and has a chilling effect on human rights defenders advocating against racism and hate speech".

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IOM 22-02-18: IOM Concerned about Increasing Deaths on Greece-Turkey Border (Extern länk)

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Arkiveringsdatum 220215:

AYS 22-02-11:

Frankrike/ Eviction in Calais till sidans topp

On Friday, 4th February, activists of Calais Logement Pour Toustes occupied a building in Rue d'Ajaccio, which had been uninhabited for a year. This occupation took place within the framework of the CommemorAction, an international day of mobilisation initiated by the families and relatives of people who have died at the border, to denounce the murderous migration policies of the UK, France and the EU. As they stated in a statement:

"We are occupying a tower [block] in Rue d'Ajaccio, as well as a house on Rue Frederic Sauvage in political and material solidarity with the 1,000 people blocked at the French-British border who are made to live outside"

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Arkiveringsdatum 211231:

AYS 21-12-15:

Kroatien/ Volunteer convicted in Croatia for preventing pushback till sidans topp

Dragan Umi?evi? has been convicted in the Croatian court. The following statement was issued on the matter.

Dragan was charged with providing support in seeking asylum to the family of little Madina, a six-year-old Afghan girl who died during illegal expulsion from our country. The European Court of Human Rights has expressly ruled that Croatia severely violated her right to life, her family were exposed to torture, that Croatia denied them access to legal support and international protection, disabled the investigation into her death, and exposed our activists and lawyers to systematic harassment so that the case would not reach the European Court for Human Rights.

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AYS 21-12-18:

Italien/ Opposing deportation to Libya is not a crime, Italian high court says till sidans topp

A highly-anticipated court verdict was announced this Thursday by Italy's highest court, which ruled in favor of two people on the move, saying that their actions taken to oppose their own deportation to Libya from an Italian ship back in 2018 were justifiable.

The December 16 ruling from the Supreme Court of Cassation overturns a previous sentence issued by Palermo's Court of Appeal, which had convicted the accused, known as "T." and "I.", for crimes of aiding and abetting illegal immigration, violence, and forceful resistance to a public official. On June 3 of last year, that court had sentenced T. and I. to three years and six months in prison, with a fine of 52,000 euros.

The defendants' lawyers, Fabio Lanfranca and Serena Romano, said in a statement that they were "very satisfied with this important statement" from the high court, which "reaffirm[s] that the enforcement of human rights is based on the rules of international law which ensures the protection of human life and is not a state authority matter."

"[R]escue operations at sea which result in the return of survivors to Libya constitute a breach of the principle of non-refoulement and violate the rights of the people rescued who should be taken to a place of safety where their lives are no longer in danger and respect of their fundamental rights is guaranteed," the lawyers continued.

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Arkiveringsdatum 211210:

AYS 21-11-26:

Danmark/ Denmark forcibly detains old, sick Syrians in exit detention camps till sidans topp

Today, 60-year-old Dalal and 67-year-old Suhil from Syria had to show up to be forcibly detained at the Danish exit center Sjælsmark.

In the post below, Mahmoud, the son of the elderly couple, tells about his pain caused by this situation:

"I have tried to write this post several times, but was never able to finish it. I have always been good at expressing my feelings in writing, but these last few days I have had a hard time setting my feelings and thoughts into words. Therefore, my sentences might be somewhat messy. It's not just my sentences that are messed up at the moment. The same goes for my thoughts, feelings and not the least my whole life!

In a few hours I have to say goodbye to my parents, who are going to the Sjælsmark exit center, after they have been refused an extension of their residence permits. My parents are going to an exit center indefinitely, as Denmark can not force Syrians to go back to Syria at the moment, because the government refuses to cooperate formally with the dictator Assad. Yet, Denmark demands that people must return to Assad's Syria, and when Syrians refuse to go back to a dictator, they are ordered to stay in an exit center far away from their children and grandchildren.

My parents suffer from various diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes and a slipped disc. My siblings and I are assisting them daily at home with everything from medication, cooking and cleaning - now my parents have to be forcibly separated from us to instead be interned under inhumane conditions for years - as they can not return to Syria as long as the same dictator from whom they have fled, and with whom Denmark refuses to cooperate, is in power.

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Arkiveringsdatum 211122:

ECRE News 21-11-19:

Frankrike/ Strikers demands go unmet as 1,500 people are evicted till sidans topp

At the end of a 37-day hunger strike calling for a moratorium on evictions over the winter, mass clearances of makeshift camps in Calais continue. In response to ever-increasing pressure from the UK to take draconian measures to block Channel journeys, the French minister has pointed the finger at British NGOs supplying aid. A reception crisis is unfolding in Briançon as the state fails to provide accommodation after the temporary closure of a volunteer-run facility.

Protestors engaged in a 37-day hunger strike called for authorities to address the constant threat of eviction suffered by migrants living in makeshift camps around Calais and Dunkirk. After authorities entered into mediation with the strikers, new facilities - including a new reception centre with 300 beds - were opened to house 800 people a night. The strike ended on 17 November when the activists' extricated an agreement from the government to end all unannounced evictions and establish a dialogue between NGOs, people on the move, and the state.

Nevertheless, the activists' key demand, that of a 5-month moratorium on evictions during the cold months, went ignored. Even the promise on unannounced evictions seemed to be ignored on 16 November when police forcibly cleared 1,500 people from a camp in Grande-Synthe without warning. Another eviction of 300 people took place in Dunkirk on the same day.

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Arkiveringsdatum 211104:

ECRE News 21-10-15:

Spanien/ Atlantic route and Spain: At least 1,400 people rescued over seven days till sidans topp

Seven days of consecutive rescue operations off Spain's Canary Islands have saved at least 1,400 people is distress at sea since 8 October. Spanish authorities have arrested 16 people charged with smuggling asylum seekers from the Canaries to the Spanish mainland. The chartering of "emergency" ferries to return Algerians in August is alleged to have given rise to breaches on non-refoulement.

Multiple daily rescues have saved a minimum of 1380 lives in the Atlantic between 8 and 14 October. At least three rescues took place on 8 October, with boats carrying 37, 69 and 24 people brought to shore. The latter rescue of 24 people was marked by tragedy as those onboard reported ten lives lost during the crossing - the bodies had to be thrown overboard. Eight of the survivors were hospitalised, some of whom had to be evacuated via helicopter. The next day Spanish civil rescuers Salvamento Marítimo saved 49 people south of Fuerteventura.

On 10 October, groups of 40, 54 and 37 people were rescued. Spanish rescue personnel then saved 121 people from two different boats on 11 October, of whom all were of sub-Saharan African origin. All 121 were disembarked at Puerto del Rosario on Fuerteventura. The following day, a further 91 people were found in distress on two boats roughly 140km south of Gran Canaria. Spanish officials also rescued "about 70" people in two inflatable boats off Fuerteventura, according to La Provincia.

At least five boats were rescued on 13 October, saving the lives of 187 people. It was first reported that 55 people were rescued at dawn: later in the morning, EFE said 73 people were disembarked in Arrecife, without clarifying if these were separate incidents. At midday, NGO Heroes del Mar reported that a boat with 52 people was missing after setting out from Morocco at 5am two days earlier.

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Aljazeera 21-10-22:

Grekland/ Prisons in paradise: Refugees detentions in Greece raise alarm till sidans topp

Greece appears to be testing the limits of international laws by holding asylum seekers for lengthy periods and in poor conditions, Al Jazeera investigation finds.

On the Greek island of Kos, in holiday season, tourists sip cocktails on the beach, music blares from loudspeakers and British holidaymakers can often be seen speeding around the main town on rented quad bikes.

But a 20-minute drive from the seafront bars and clubs, the scene is starkly different.

A new multimillion-euro, EU-funded refugee camp is under construction near to an existing refugee camp and detention centre where, as of October 7, 175 people were being held, according to government data.

Across four months, from June to September, Al Jazeera visited the island of Kos, speaking to people living and working in the camp and detention centre.

At its closest point, the island is four kilometres from Turkey. The number of asylum seekers arriving in dinghies has significantly dropped during the past 18 months, amid continuing reports that Greek authorities are pushing refugees back.

In 2019, 5,925 people arrived, compared with 839 in 2020 and 246 this year according to the UNHCR.

During Al Jazeera's investigation, these reporters found serious breaches of European Union and Greek law, including the detention of asylum seekers on arrival and arbitrary detention practices for refugees, including highly vulnerable people who have survived gender-based violence and torture.

The refugees' situation is compounded because many being held have no reasonable prospect of deportation to Turkey; Ankara has not accepted returns since March 2020.

Activists and experts on the ground also raised concerns about impaired access to legal advice and shared an underlying anxiety about the new camp, which is expected to open later this year.

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AYS 21-10-24:

Grekland/ AYS Special from Greece, where saving lives is illegal till sidans topp

An interview with Nassos Karakitsos.

On the 18th of November the first trial will be held on Lesvos for Nassos Karakitsos, Sara Mardini and Sean Binder. They were originally arrested in 2018 and accused of people smuggling, money laundering, espionage and membership of a criminal organisation while working and volunteering with Emergency Response Centre International, ERCI. 25 more people from other groups were also charged.

At the time, Sara was well known for bringing her own boat to shore with her sister Yusra. Having fled Syria via Lebanon they had taken a boat from Izmir. When the motor stopped and they were at risk of capsizing the two sisters got into the water and started to swim. Sara returned to Lesvos as a volunteer while Yusra went on to compete in the Rio Olympics with the first ever refugee team. Sean was also a volunteer as he had a background in search and rescue. Nassos Karakitsos was the field director and based on the island. He began as a volunteer on the 5th of January 2016 utilising his skills learnt as a maritime security officer and during a brief stint in the Navy. He was meant to stay on Lesvos for 15 days, in the end he remained for 2 years.

On his very first day a boat came in with a very elderly man and Nassos knew he would stay. The older people who arrived had left entire lives behind and often had physical disabilities.

How strong do you have to be to make that choice?

In the beginning it was just two people on the coastline waiting for boats. At this point in 2016 there were still an average of 40 boats arriving per day. Over the years ERCI operated, they supported 1000s of people to safety. As they grew, they got boats of their own so they could rescue people in distress. Everything was co-ordinated with the Coast Guard because they were better equipped to save lives at sea.

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Arkiveringsdatum 211006:

AYS 21-09-26:

Danmark/ AYS Special from Denmark: Women Without Rights till sidans topp

During the last weeks, the Danish author and human rights activist AnneLise Marstrand-Jørgensen published on her Facebook wall five stories under the common headline "Women without rights" (Kvinder uden rettigheder). The common theme and thread in these stories is the Danish asylum system and the practices and conditions for women who have had their residence permit revoked.

At the beginning of the week, at least seven women were picked up by the police early in the morning from the family departure centres at Avnstrup, Sjælsmark and Kærshovedgaard around Denmark. Some of them with children and husbands, one of the women is pregnant with her third child.

Xafsa from Somalia.

Xafsa is a young woman who has done everything Denmark wants refugees to do - Learned Danish, made friends, graduated from school and she has been supporting herself for most of the time she has been here. She is now about to start the social and health care (SOSU) education and has already found an internship position. She does not even want to take a stipend from the state as she prefers to continue to support herself. Her colleagues in the nursing home describe her as the sweetest, most smiley and caring person.

Xafsa has no family in Denmark at all, and yet she has managed to find her way. She fled Somalia because Al-Shabaab was after her. Because they came again and again to the house and asked her mother about the whereabouts of Xafsa. Her father was killed, and her brother disappeared.

The Danish authorities revoked her residence permit because they think it is safe for her to travel back to Mogadishu. They obviously also think that such a nice person is not needed in the Danish care system, even though elderly homes are always lacking personnel.

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Arkiveringsdatum 210921:

ECRE News 21-08-27:

Spanien/ Ceuta court rejects deportations of children to Morocco till sidans topp

A court judgment in Ceuta has frozen Spanish attempts to return children to Morocco en masse after ruling that procedural safeguards must be respected even in "exceptional" circumstances. According to NGOs the journey from North Africa to the Canaries is currently "the most dangerous route to Europe" after 481 people die en route between May and August 2021.

Over the course of just a few days in May, more than 10,000 people crossed the frontier between Spain's northern African enclave of Ceuta and Morocco following a diplomatic spat between the two countries. The arrivals included up to 3,000 minors, some very young. In August, Spain announced the controversial deportation of nearly 800 children, some of whom then fled the detention centres that housed them out of fear of return. After NGOs reported that minors were being forced back without access to an asylum procedure, lawyers or translators, the court in Ceuta was asked to decide whether "exceptional" circumstances justified fast-track deportation. "Many of these children who are being deported are in a situation of risk," warned Andrés Conde, managing director of Save the Children in Spain.

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Arkiveringsdatum 210904:

BBC News 21-08-09:

Malta/ The teenagers pulled from the sea and accused of terrorism till sidans topp

Lamin squints at the sun as he points across the harbour. "This place reminds me of the worst day of my life," he says.

It is where he was handcuffed by Maltese soldiers and led away to a maximum-security prison. He was only 15 at the time and, unknown to him, a suspected terrorist.

It was just a misunderstanding, he thought. Once everyone realised what had happened, he would be freed. But that was two years ago. Today Lamin, from Guinea in West Africa, stands accused of hijacking the ship that rescued him at sea and brought him to Europe.

This alleged act of terrorism could put him in jail for the rest of his life.

So how did a child refugee end up in Malta facing accusations of such a crime? For six months I have been investigating this curious case. It is a story of fear, desperation and of being in the wrong place at the wrong time - as a small country decided to take an almighty stand.

Perilous journey

Lamin had never envisaged making the treacherous journey across the Mediterranean. He ran away from home aged 13 because of a family feud. After making it through the baking Algerian desert - passing the bodies of others who hadn't survived - he was convinced by a friend he'd find work in Libya. There, he cleaned houses for three months for no pay, until his boss offered to help him travel to Europe.

As they set off from the Libyan coast, Lamin remembers the dinghy in which he was travelling deflating. But it was too late to back out, and smugglers were shooting from the shore at him and the other 100-plus people on board. Soon, there was no air left inside the dinghy.

Lamin sat with the women and other children. One woman was wailing and asking Lamin if she was going to die. "I couldn't bear to tell her the answer, I was crying so hard. There wasn't a single person who wasn't crying."

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Se även:

Amnesty International 21-08-05: Italy: A slippery slope for human rights: The Iuventa case (Extern länk)

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Arkiveringsdatum 210808:

The Guardian 21-08-01:

Storbritannien/ Home Office challenged over 'sped-up' removal of Vietnamese nationals till sidans topp

Lawyers are challenging the Home Office policy of deporting people to Vietnam who could be victims of trafficking after the UK sent a second charter flight to the country within a matter of weeks.

The challenge follows concern from lawyers and charities that some victims of trafficking could be wrongly removed from the UK under a speedy processing system for migrants in detention known as "detained asylum casework".

Tom Nunn, of Duncan Lewis solicitors, who is bringing the legal challenge against the Home Office for fast-tracking the removal of some Vietnamese people from the UK, said: "The concern is that a large number of Vietnamese nationals are being placed in this sped-up asylum process despite the fact that many are showing clear indicators of trafficking."

One 20-year-old, who was brought to the UK four years ago for labour exploitation arranged by her family to help pay off their debts, was due to be put on the flight which left Birmingham airport last Wednesday night but was granted a last-minute reprieve. Twenty-one people are believed to have been deported.

The flight was part of the Home Office's "summer season" of deportation flights to countries including Zimbabwe, Vietnam, Jamaica, Pakistan, Ghana and Nigeria.

Many Vietnamese victims of trafficking who reach the UK are forced to work in cannabis farms or nail bars. In the last few months there has been an increase in Vietnamese people crossing the Channel to the UK on small boats.

Chi, the 20-year-old who spoke to the Guardian, arrived in the UK from Vietnam in January 2017, managed to escape from labour exploitation and is now in foster care. She has been doing an access-to-nursing course.

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Arkiveringsdatum 210701:

TT-Reuters / Squid 21-06-23:

Grekland/ Amnesty: Grekland tvingar bort flyktingar med våld till sidans topp

Grekland använder våld, hot och närmast tortyrliknande metoder för att tvinga tillbaka migranter till Turkiet. Det hävdar Amnesty International i en ny rapport.

Människorättsorganisationen har samlat vittnesmål från flyktingar som har sökt sig in i Europa via gränsen mellan Turkiet och Grekland, och en stor majoritet av de intervjuade uppger att de har utsatts för våld eller sett andra misshandlas med bland annat sparkar och batongslag.

Detta ska enligt Amnesty även ha drabbat flyktingar med asylstatus som levt i Grekland i över ett år.

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Arkiveringsdatum 210616:

Border Criminologies Blog 21-06-03:

Grekland/ Examining the status of detained migrant unaccompanied minors till sidans topp

Crossing the threshold of a new era?

Guest post by Dr Ioannis Papadopoulos

?he issue of promoting the rights of children in the context of migration and more specifically throughout the asylum procedure, has been explored in depth by a growing body of jurisprudence and research. With regard to the status of UAMs in the European context, the applicable EU Directive under Art. 31 (3c; 3d) dictates that upon arrival in a host country, UAMs are to be placed in specially designed accommodation centres or any other form of child-friendly hosting structures, where their needs would be properly taken care of and ample support would be provided to them.

This provision was originally incorporated in the Greek context in 2013. Since then, the national legal context has been subjected to multiple amendments, the most recent being introduced in 2020, which stipulates the need for UAMs to be provided with quality care, support and services upon arrival in the country, pending referral to appropriate accommodation. At the same time however, the law does not prohibit the detention of AMs, albeit only in exceptional circumstances; as a measure of last resort and only if less restrictive measures cannot be implemented.

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Evgenia Iliadou in Border Criminologies blog 21-05-24: Places in Nowhere: Detention Centres, Police Departments and Pre-Removal Centres in Greece (Extern länk)

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Flamman 21-06-07:

Danmark/ Danmark först i världen att skicka tillbaka flyktingar till Syrien till sidans topp

"Många kommer att hamna i Limbo"

Som första land i världen försöker Danmark nu systematiskt skicka tillbaka syriska flyktingar. Flamman talade med migrationsjuristen Nikolas Feith Tan vid Danska institutet för mänskliga rättigheter om den nya lagen.

- Den grupp som har fått sina uppehållstillstånd indragna är en specifik grupp som kom 2015 och 2016. De har en särskild status kallad 7.3, efter lagparagrafen som ger temporär flyktingstatus åt människor som flydde den allmänna konflikten i Syrien men som inte individuellt hotas av förföljelse. Den säger att en människa som flyr konflikten kan få ett års uppehållstillstånd, men att de måste återvända så fort situationen i Syrien förbättrats. De senaste åren har den danska regeringen börjat betrakta Damaskus som en säker region. Så nu vill den skicka tillbaka dem som inte riskerar individuell förföljelse dit.

Är detta argument förenligt med folkrätten?

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Arkiveringsdatum 210603:

ECRE 21-05-28:

Spanien/ 200 children to mainland, hundreds cramped in Ceuta, 7,500 people returned till sidans topp

200 unaccompanied children are about to be transferred to the mainland after an agreement was reached between the Ministry of Social Rights and autonomous regions but hundreds of unaccompanied children remain in cramped conditions in Ceuta. 7,500 of the people who entered Ceuta last week have already been returned to Morocco. At least three young Moroccans have died in and on their way to Ceuta in the past two weeks. More than 30 people are currently feared in distress in the Atlantic Sea and about 100 people, including several children, have been rescued close to Gran Canaria.

The Spanish Ministry of Social Rights reached an agreement with a number of autonomous regions for the transfer of 200 unaccompanied children from Ceuta to the mainland. However, this only concerns children who arrived before last week's events. According to Spanish officials about 7,500 out of the estimated 8,000-10,000 people who crossed into Ceuta between 17-19 May have already been returned to Morocco. The returns without prior assessments of potential protection needs has been met with critique by human rights defenders.

Meanwhile, 800 children were crammed into industrial warehouses to undergo a ten-day quarantine. Some had to sleep on the floor due to a lack of beds and food is reportedly scarce. Many more children are sleeping rough across the enclave. While most unaccompanied children are in their teenage years, the group also includes very young children. "It's important to understand that we're seeing children that are much younger than the usual - children of seven, eight, nine years old," commented Ione Belarra, Minister of Social Rights, on the current situation. "We're working to address the issue of children who have come alone."

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Dagens Nyheter 21-05-26:

Danmark/ Familjer splittras när Danmark drar in uppehållstillståndet för syrier till sidans topp

Mohamed Alata var nio år när hans pappa blev brutalt mördad av den syriska regimens soldater. Nu har nästan hela familjen fått uppehållstillstånd i Danmark - utom hans mamma och två småsystrar. Sedan regeringen börjat klassa Damaskus som säkert ska de och 500 andra syrier skickas tillbaka.

- Det är obegripligt hur ett land som Danmark kan splittra familjer och tvinga kvinnor och barn till ett helvete som Syrien, säger han.

18-årige Mohamed Alata tar ett djupt andetag när han greppar mikrofonen och ser ut över folkmassan på Rådhusplatsen i Köpenhamn.

- Wow, säger han och flera tusen personer bryter ut i ett spontant jubel.

De har samlats för att protestera mot den danska regeringens beslut att börja dra in uppehållstillståndet för syriska flyktingar i landet.

För Mohammed Alata handlar det om att rädda sin familj. Han har förberett sitt tal i flera veckor. Han pratar flytande danska och vet vad han ska säga. Ändå darrar handen när han vecklar ut pappret där allt han vill få fram står skrivet.

- Den 25 mars 2021 fick min mamma besked från utlänningsstyrelsen att hon och mina två lillasystrar inte får förlängt uppehållstillstånd. Mina två systrar som är tio och elva år gamla och bara har gått i skola i Danmark.

- Vi flydde från ett land härjat av krig och Assads regim. Vi flydde för att undkomma våld och ondska. Och nu ska de tillbaka dit, säger han.

Sedan inbördeskriget i Syrien bröt ut våren 2011 har omkring 1,5 miljoner syrier sökt asyl i Europa. 35.000 av dem lever i Danmark, många på tillfälliga uppehållstillstånd enligt en lag som infördes 2013.

Lagen innebär att endast den som flytt på grund av personlig förföljelse kan få permanent uppehållstillstånd. Dit klassas inte generella förhållanden, som inbördeskrig i hemlandet.

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AYS 21-05-26:

Belgien/ Four acquitted of human trafficking charges for showing solidarity till sidans topp

After a lengthy legal battle, a group of four people that were charged with human trafficking for sheltering people on the move in their homes were finally acquitted by the Bruxelles court of appeals. The group included the journalists Anouk Van Gestel and Myriam Berghe as well as a social worker from the capital.

The four were initially acquitted in 2018, but the public prosecutor's office appealed. The higher court held up the initial ruling, meaning that this long legal battle will finally be over. The lawyers for the people celebrated this ruling, saying that it was a relief after the long years and thousands of euros spent on a legal battle. It's also a victory of principle as it shows that sheltering people in one's home, providing them with Internet access, or helping them with translation cannot be considered human trafficking.

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Läs mer (Extern länk)

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Källor: Informationen på denna sida är hämtad från följande källor (externa länkar): EU (kommissionen, ministerrådet, parlamentet och domstolen), Europarådet (mr-kommissionären, domstolen, kommittén mot tortyr), FN:s flyktingkommissariat UNHCR, FN:s kommitté mot tortyr m.fl. FN-organ, Sveriges Radio, SvT, andra svenska media via Nyhetsfilter och pressmeddelanden via Newsdesk, utländska media till exempel via Are You Syrious och Rights in Exile, internationella organisationer som Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, ECRE, Statewatch och Picum, organisationer i Sverige som Rädda Barnen, Asylrättscentrum, Svenska Amnesty, FARR och #vistårinteut samt myndigheter och politiska organ som Migrationsverket, Sveriges domstolar, JO, Justitiedepartementet m.fl. departement och Sveriges Riksdag.

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