Monthly Press Review November 2024

This monthly press review covers Eurafrican migration control, migration and displacement in African countries and news on the European border regime. In case there is a news item, report, or campaign you would like to flag for in next month’s review please write us to: contact@migration-control.info or on Twitter @MigControl

„Ein vom Elend der Welt unbeschwertes Gemüt des Bürgers ist kein Belang, zu dessen Schutz der Staat Grundrechtspositionen einschränken darf. Unerheblich sind folglich Belästigungen Dritter, die darin liegen, dass diese mit ihnen unliebsamen Themen konfrontiert werden.“ (BVerfGE 102, 347)

Also see:
Migreurop Revue de presse octobre 2024

All Africa

26.11.24 taz: „Das haben wir so nicht kommen sehen“ : Partnerstaaten gehen verloren, Sudan versinkt im Krieg, Versöhnung mit Namibia stockt: Deutschlands Afrikapolitik in den drei Ampeljahren gibt Anlass zu Selbstkritik, aber es ging nicht alles schief, sagt Katja Keul, zuständige Staatsministerin im Auswärtigen Amt

25.11.24 TAR: LafargeHolcim and G4S, pursued by Kenyan villagers for rights abuses, face serial complaints in Africa: The corporate and social responsibility of the two multinationals in the Denyenye village land dispute has been called into question in several countries, with a criminal conviction against Lafarge in the US. Yet some institutional investors continue to turn a blind eye.
To guard the land, the company has hired the private-security multinational G4S, which was bought in 2021 by the American firm Allied Universal. That merger turned Allied into the McDonald’s of the private-security industry, generating $20bn in revenues. It works in 90 countries and employs 800,000 people around the world.

22.11.24 AJE: Mapping the impact of climate change on global displacement: As COP29 concludes, Al Jazeera examines the 359 million weather-related displacements recorded worldwide since 2008. In 2023, Floods and storms accounted for the vast majority of displacements with 9.8 million and 9.5 million respectively, followed by droughts (491,000) and wildfires (435,000). In Africa, Somalia experienced the continent’s highest number of displacements with 2 million, largely due to the “worst floods in decades” forcing hundreds of thousands to flee their homes.

07.11.24 TAR: US lobbying: Africa braces for ‘transactional’ Trump: Republican lobbyist Robert Stryk was hosting a victory party in Palm Beach on election night when Africa started calling. He’s already heard from “five or six” African countries potentially interested in his services over the past 24 hours, he says. “Direct engagements with the administration is going to be key for countries in Africa,” Stryk tells The Africa Report. “I would say understanding the Trump culture is key, and that culture is direct engagement to senior policymakers, unlike other administrations.”

North Africa

Mediterranean

05.11.24 UA Navy: Exercise Phoenix Express 2024 Kicks Off in Tunisia: This year, the Commander of the U.S. 6th Fleet will be working alongside African partners to incorporate the use of unmanned systems to demonstrate their use in deterring and detecting illegal actives in African exclusive economic zones.
Participating nations in Phoenix Express include Algeria, Belgium, Georgia, Italy, Libya, Malta, Mauritania, Morocco, Tunisia, Türkiye, Senegal, and the United States.
Phoenix Express is one of three regional maritime exercises led by U.S. Naval Forces Africa as part of a comprehensive strategy to provide collaborative opportunities to African forces and international partners to address maritime security concerns.

Egypt

22.11.24 DW: Egypt: New asylum law could badly impact refugee rights: Egypt is only one step away from ratifying a new law on asylum seekers that will shift responsibility from the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) to Egypt. Once in place, Egypt will have its own legal framework to address the growing number of refugees in the country and to decide if an asylum request is approved or rejected. As the government plans to implement the law as soon as possible, it is most likely that Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi will give his final approval for the draft law on "regulating foreigners' asylum in Egypt" within the next days.

Morocco

29.10.24 TRT FR: Macron au Maroc: une visite très business: L’annonce de cette visite marquait la réconciliation entre la France et le royaume du Maroc.Signatüre de contracts pour un montant les 10 milliards d’euros

Also see TRT FR 01.11.24: Le Maroc, médiateur de la France au Sahel ?

Tunisia

18.11.24 Guardian: Migrant rights advocate held in Tunisia under anti-terrorist investigation: Tunisian anti-terrorist investigators are handling the case of a leading advocate for migrants who has been taken into custody, in what the head of a rights group said was a troubling first for the country.
Abdallah Said, a Tunisian of Chadian origin, was questioned along with the secretary general and treasurer of his association, Enfants de la Lune, said Romdhane Ben Amor, the spokesperson for the Tunisian Forum for Social and Economic Rights.

Also see Statewatch et al. 25.11.24: Tunisia: No to the criminalisation of solidarity with migrants; Mediapart 21.11.24: En Tunisie, Abdallah Saïd, figure de l’aide aux exilés, risque d’être poursuivi pour terrorisme

01.11.24 ARD: Ausgesetzt in der Wüste · Europas tödliche Flüchtlingspolitik (Film 52 Min.): Die Dokumentation beleuchtet die dramatischen Folgen europäischer Flüchtlingspolitik, zeigt exklusiv, wie EU-finanzierte Sicherheitskräfte in Nordafrika systematisch Menschen in die Wüste verschleppen und welche Verantwortung Europas Regierungen tragen.

East Africa

Ethiopia

26.11.24 Anmesty: Suspension of three human rights organizations highlights growing crackdown on civic space: Responding to the Ethiopian authorities’ suspension of three prominent human rights organizations — Association for Human Rights in Ethiopia (AHRE), Center for Advancement of Rights and Democracy (CARD), and Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR) — Tigere Chagutah, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for East and Southern Africa, said

03.06.24 (!) ISS: EU Visa Resrtrictions on Ethiopians: Since 29 April, the European Union (EU) has imposed temporary restrictions on Schengen short-term visas for Ethiopians. These include prohibiting multiple entry visas, longer processing times, and eliminating waivers for certain documentary requirements and visa fees. The European Commission said the action was due to a ‘lack of response from the Ethiopian authorities regarding readmission requests,’ and shortcomings in organising ‘voluntary and non-voluntary return operations,’ (the latter is how the EU describes deportation).

21.11.24 Guardian: ‘Every night we only hoped to survive’: Sudanese refugees’ search for safety: News from Awlala forest: Refugees who escaped Sudan’s civil war and fled to Ethiopia have found themselves on the run from another conflict

Also see TNH 21.11.24: Refugees in Ethiopia’s Amhara region continue to face almost daily attacks: Amhara, Ethiopia’s second-most populous region, has since August 2023 been gripped by a full-blown rebellion, pitting a loosely organised constellation of ethno-nationalist militia groups called Fano against government forces. With the Fano claiming they control 80% of Amhara, most of the region has tipped into lawlessness.

Somalia

25.11.24 VOA: Migrant boat sinkings off Madagascar highlight desperation felt by many Somalis: he Somali government says it will begin evacuating the survivors of two boats, carrying mostly Somali migrants, which capsized off the coast of Madagascar Saturday. Twenty-four passengers were killed while 46 others survived. The passengers were attempting to migrate in search of a better life, away from Somalia’s chronic drought, violence and food insecurity.

28.11.24 TAR: Somalia: Tensions rise in Jubbaland after government deploys forces: The friction between authorities in Mogadishu and Kismayo was triggered by disagreements over an election held in the semi-autonomous state.

Somaliland

21.11.24 taz: Machtwechsel in Somaliland : In der international nicht anerkannten Republik Somaliland wird der Präsident abgewählt, er erkennt seine Niederlage an und ein friedlicher Regierungswechsel steht an. Die geopolitischen Auswirkungen an einer wichtigen globalen Handelsroute könnten erheblich sein

Also see AJE 19.11.24: Opposition’s Abdullahi wins presidential election in breakaway Somaliland: The government in the capital, Hargeisa, hopes to soon finalise a controversial deal that would grant neighbouring Ethiopia sea access. In return, Addis Ababa would provide an “in-depth assessment” of recognition.

South Sudan

09.11.24 AJE: Nearly 380,000 people displaced by South Sudan floods, UN says: The floods have affected about 1.4 million people, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said on Friday, across 43 counties and the disputed Abyei region, which is claimed by both South Sudan and Sudan.
It added in a statement that more than 379,000 people were displaced in 22 counties and in Abyei.

07.11.24 TNH: Reporter’s diary: The struggle for survival for South Sudanese returnees: For many of the more than 600,000 who have now escaped the war and returned back to South Sudan, the sad truth is that their situation here is almost as dire as the one they left behind.

Sudan

27.11.24 SWM: Airstrike hits village market in Al-Jazira State: This attack follows a pattern of airstrikes by the Sudanese Air Force against markets in RSF-controlled territory. The Air Force appears to be trying to shut down or inhibit commercial activity that they think could help the RSF, directly or indirectly. They also may suspect that RSF fighters or their supporters are present in these markets.
Sudan’s Air Force generally lacks warplanes with the capability to identify and hit moving targets, making it difficult to hit RSF troops in the field. Typically, the RSF travel in Toyota Land Cruisers that blend in with the surrounding terrain.

27.11.24 TNH: Inside the battle for El Fasher: “Innocent lives are lost every day”: In the besieged Sudanese city of El Fasher, residents say they are digging foxholes to survive indiscriminate missile strikes and eating noxious animal feed to stave off their hunger as food stocks fall and prices soar following months of bruising conflict.

23.11.24 SWM: Sudan army regains control of Sinja: The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) launched an operation early Saturday, recapturing Sinja, the capital of Sennar State, from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), who had controlled the city for nearly five months.

19.11.24 taz: Russland stoppt Sudan-Resolution: Russland verhindert die erste UN-Sicherheitsratsresolution zum Schutz der Zivilbevölkerung Sudans. Alle anderen Ratsmitglieder stimmten dafür.
Russland wurde zu Beginn des Sudankrieges im April 2023 verdächtigt, die RSF zu unterstützen. Heute aber stellt sich Moskau auf UN-Ebene klar hinter Sudans Militärmachthaber um Staats- und Armeechef Abdelfattah al-Burhan. Humanitäre Hilfe dürfe „ausschließlich in Koordination mit der Zentralregierung“ geleistet werden, sagte Russlands UN-Vertreter im Sicherheitsrat am 28. Oktober.

19.11.24 SWM: U.S. Special Envoy makes first visit to Sudan: Perriello’s visit signals a continuing American effort to cement a role for the United States as a player in humanitarian access talks and prospective negotiations to end the conflict.

Also see Reuters 21.11.24: US lawmakers seek to halt weapons sales to UAE, citing Sudan: U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen has introduced legislation seeking to halt American weapons sales to the United Arab Emirates until the United States certifies that the UAE is not arming the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Sudan, according to an early version of his announcement seen by Reuters.

18.11.24 Guardian: Women’s rights groups fear FGM is rife among Sudanese refugees in Chad: Women’s rights campaigners have spoken of their concern over the spread of female genital mutilation among Sudanese refugees in camps across the border in Chad.
Both countries have outlawed the practice but it continues in secret. The UN children’s agency, Unicef, says that about 87% of Sudanese women aged 14-49 have been cut – one of the highest rates in the world. In Chad, the figure is 34.1%, though rates are higher in the south and east, which is where the camps for Sudanese people have been set up.

15.11.24 SWM: Eritrea-backed militias deploy in eastern Sudan: The Eastern Sudan region is awash with mounting anxieties over insecurity following the deployment of two Eritrea-backed militia groups across rural and some urban areas of Kassala State, Sudan’s easternmost state. The groups are aligned with Sudan's military, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), which is desperate for allies in its war against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a former ally that rebelled in April 2023. However, the groups have their own political interests and agenda, and direct ties with the Eritrean regime.

14.11.24 Guardian: French military systems in Sudan may break UN arms embargo, says Amnesty: Group says it has identified the Galix defence system on armoured vehicles imported from the UAE and calls for government to investigate

Also see Amnesty 14.11.24

14.11.24 AJE: Visualising the war in Sudan: Conflict, control and displacement: Mapping and Timeline of the War

14.11.24 AJE: Thousands fleeing RSF attacks in Sudan tell of extreme violence: Thousands of people were forced out of their homes when the Rapid Support Forces attacked their villages in Gezira state, adding to what the UN calls the world’s largest displacement crisis.

13.11.24 TNH: Warring parties target local aid volunteers as fighting escalates in Sudan: Despite increased recognition for the groups in recent months – topped off by a Nobel Peace Prize nomination – volunteers say they are facing repeated attacks by the country’s warring factions: the regular army and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.

09.11.24 AJE: UN Security Council sanctions two generals from Sudan’s paramilitary RSF: Paramilitary group’s head of operations and West Darfur commander have been slapped with travel bans and asset freezes.

West Africa and Sahel

Burkina Faso

21.11.24 Le Monde: Au Burkina Faso, la junte gèle les avoirs d’une centaine de militaires et d’opposants: L’ancien président de transition Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba, mais aussi l’ex-ministre Djibril Bassolé ou encore des journalistes sont accusés de « participation à des actes de terrorisme et/ou de financement de terrorisme ».

20.11.24 Jeune Afrique: Au Burkina, des villes sous blocus jihadiste appellent à l’aide: Une manifestation a eu lieu le 19 novembre à Sebba, dans le nord-est du Burkina Faso, pour demander un « renforcement » de la sécurité et le « ravitaillement » de deux communes sous blocus de groupes jihadistes.

18.11.24 TNH: How Burkina Faso’s military junta outlawed local peace talks with jihadists: “The refusal to negotiate has increased the suffering of the populations.”

Mali

Chad / Germany

29.11.24 AJE: Chad ends military cooperation with France: Chad has cooperated closely with Western nations’ military forces in the past, but has moved closer to Russia in recent years. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the decision to terminate the deal, which was revised in 2019, would enable the country to redefine its strategic partnerships.

20.11.24 GFP: Gegen Flüchtlinge, gegen Russland: Berlin bemüht sich um Einfluss im lange Zeit exklusiv von Paris dominierten Tschad – mit dem Ziel, Flüchtlinge aufzuhalten und russischen Einfluss zurückzudrängen, der in immer mehr Ländern des Sahel zunimmt.
Weil das Land, das für sie nötig ist, inzwischen den tschadischen Bauern fehlt sowie die Preise der knappen Lebensmittel in die Höhe schnellen, nehmen nun die Spannungen zu. Dies, die stetig weiter zunehmende Zahl der Flüchtlinge und die zusätzliche Belastung durch schwere Überschwemmungen, die in den vergangenen Monaten ein Zehntel der Bevölkerung des Tschad von fast 20 Millionen Menschen getroffen haben, geben in Deutschland und der EU der Vermutung Auftrieb, es könnten sich bald immer mehr Flüchtlinge aus dem Tschad in Richtung Europa aufmachen. Bundesentwicklungsministerin Svenja Schulze ist am Montag in den Tschad aufgebrochen

Also see SWM 18.11.24: Think tank warns of disaster risk in eastern Chad: A new report by the International Crisis Group warns that the war in Sudan could destabilize neighboring Chad, particularly the eastern Wadai region, which is hosting a vast refugee population from Darfur.
“The agreements with the UAE weaken President Mahamat Déby's position in the Zaghawa community – from which he comes, like his father – but also allow him to consolidate his power at the head of the country.

Mali

25.11.24 taz : Malis Militärjunta wird radikaler: Nach unüblich deutlicher Kritik an der politischen Entwicklung Malis wird Übergangspremier Choguel Maïga entlassen und durch einen linientreuen General ersetzt. Die zivile politische Klasse ist damit ausgebootet

18.11.24 NYT: Mining Company Whose C.E.O. Was Detained Agrees to Pay Mali $160 Million: Three executives of the Australian company Resolute Mining were arrested this month. Mali, a major African gold producer, has been trying to increase its share of mining profits lately.

08.11.24 RFI: Mali: six bergers exécutés par Wagner près de Nara, à la frontière avec la Mauritanie: Selon les sources jointes par RFI, les six hommes arrêtés, exécutés puis brûlés mardi dernier ne portaient pas d'armes et circulaient avec leurs boeufs. L'armée malienne n'a pas communiqué sur cette opération.

01.11.24 NYT: How Wagner’s Ruthless Image Crumbled in Mali: The Russian mercenary group operated with little pushback in the West African nation — until it launched one of its most ambitious missions.

Niger

18.11.24 Africom: Niger : Alarmephone Sahara alerte sur la crise des migrants à Dirkou: L’ONG Alarmephone Sahara a tiré la sonnette d’alarme, signalant qu’environ 400 personnes, dont des enfants, se trouvent bloquées à l’extérieur du camp de l’Organisation internationale pour les migrations (OIM) depuis plusieurs semaines.
La majorité de ces migrants proviennent du Nigeria. Ils fuient les violences perpétrées par Boko Haram. D’autres viennent du Tchad ou du Soudan, des pays également confrontés à des conflits armés ou des crises humanitaires. Ces individus espéraient regagner leur pays d’origine, mais leur retour reste incertain faute de moyens logistiques et d’assistance adéquate.
Dirkou, une localité située sur une route migratoire clé entre l’Afrique de l’Ouest et l’Afrique du Nord, est depuis longtemps un point de passage pour les migrants. Toutefois, les récentes crises sécuritaires dans la région et le renforcement des contrôles migratoires ont exacerbé la vulnérabilité de ces populations.

13.11.24 Moscow Times: Niger Invites Russian Firms to Mine Uranium, Other Resources: Niger's government wants Russian firms to invest in uranium and other natural resource production, its mining minister said on Wednesday, amid worsening relations with its former colonial ruler France.

02.^11.24 News Central: Niger Signs Satellite Deal with Russia to Strengthen Sahel Surveillance: Niger has finalised an agreement with Glavkosmos, part of Russia’s Roscosmos space agency, to purchase three satellites aimed at bolstering security in the Sahel region. The deal, announced by Nigerien Communications Minister Sidi Mohamed Raliou, involves a communications satellite, a remote sensing satellite, and a radar satellite, all set to be manufactured in Russia over the next four years.

Nigeria

30.11.24 News Central:Nigeria Secures €300 Million Development Partnership with France: The ministry emphasised that this collaboration will enhance crucial sectors of Nigeria’s economy and promote sustainable development, including areas such as healthcare, transportation, agricultural value chains, and renewable energy.

Sahel

26.11.24 NAP: Sahel States Alliance harmonizes travel documents to facilitate free movement: The ministers emphasized the importance of concrete measures to enhance mobility within the AES framework. “The harmonized travel and identity documents will be submitted to the Heads of State for final approval”, the statement added.

20.11.24 LM Afrique: Drones turcs, avions russes... Au Sahel, la guerre des airs est déclarée: Pour traquer les combattants djihadistes ou les rebelles indépendantistes, les juntes au pouvoir au Mali, au Burkina Faso et au Niger ont considérablement renforcé leurs moyens aériens avec l’aide de leurs partenaires étrangers à Ankara et Moscou.

10.11.24 BBC: Putin offers African countries Russia’s ‘total support’: During the summit, Burkina Faso's Foreign Minister Karamoko Jean-Marie Traoré said Russia was a more suitable international partner than the former colonial power, France.

Senegal

21.11.24 JA: Législatives au Sénégal : le Pastef d’Ousmane Sonko laisse l’opposition exsangue: Au-delà de la victoire écrasante du parti au pouvoir (130 sièges sur 165), les résultats provisoires des élections du 17 novembre entérinent un effondrement majeur de l’opposition.
Also see AJE 21.11.24: Senegal’s ruling Pastef party secures large majority in parliament

14.11.24 VOA: Le Sénégal revendique l'initiative de la fin de l'accord de pêche avec l'UE: Des ministres sénégalais ont assuré que le gouvernement, et non pas l'UE, était l'instigateur de l'arrêt dimanche soir des activités de pêche de bateaux européens dans les eaux nationales.
The elections mark a historic win for PASTEF, which held only 56 seats compared to Takku Wallu’s 83 seats in the previous Assembly. Once confirmed, these results will enable President Bassirou Diomaye Faye and Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko to pursue their promised reforms, including reviewing international contracts and addressing corruption.

04.11.24 VOA: Crue du fleuve Sénégal : des sinistrés dans la détresse: La crue du fleuve Sénégal laisse derrière elle un spectacle de désolation dans le Nord du pays. Les eaux ont ravagé plusieurs milliers d’hectares de terre et poussé plusieurs milliers de personnes à abandonner leurs habitations.

Sub Saharan Africa

DRC

27.11.24 taz: Private europäische Militärausbilder im Kongo: Private europäische Militärausbilder helfen Kongos Armee im Kampf gegen Rebellen. Sind diese Firmen auch in Kampfhandlungen verstrickt? Eine Spurensuche

West Asia

Lebanon

11.11.24 NYT: Caught Between Wars, Syrian Refugees in Lebanon Return Home: Hundreds of thousands of Syrians who escaped civil war at home over the past decade have now fled the conflict in Lebanon, seeking safety in their own shattered country.

Pakistan

20.11.24 AJE: Pakistan preparing major offensive against Balochistan separatists: Pakistan has announced a “comprehensive military operation” against separatist groups in the restive southwestern province of Balochistan, which has seen a surge of deadly attacks in recent months. China has been pushing for measures to protect its citizens after they were targeted in a spate of attacks, and on Tuesday unveiled a plan for joint counterterrorism exercises in Pakistan.

Syria

28.11.24 AJE: Dozens killed as armed groups attack Syrian military in northern Aleppo: Hay’et Tahrir al-Sham fighters are reported to have captured Syrian army weapons depots and taken armoured vehicles during attacks.

Also see Guardian 29.11.24: Syrian rebels enter Aleppo three days into surprise offensive; AJE 30.11.24: Syrian rebels reach central Aleppo as army announces ‘temporary withdrawal’

Europe

Balkan Regional

04.11.24 BVMN: Balkan Regional Report – September 2024: This report brings together first-hand testimonies from a range of countries in the region to look at the way European Union states and other actors are affecting systemic violence towards people crossing borders.

Germany

22.11.24 Infomigrants: L'Allemagne conclut un accord migratoire avec la Somalie: L’Allemagne multiplie les accords avec des pays d’origine de migrants pour accélérer les expulsions. Ces coopérations s'inscrivent toutefois dans un rapport de force inégal. Lors de leur rencontre à Berlin début novembre, le chancelier allemand Olaf Scholz et le président somalien Hassan Sheikh Mohamoud se sont entendus pour augmenter le nombre de retours vers la Somalie de ressortissants somaliens n’ayant pas le droit de rester en Allemagne.
Selon Olaf Scholz, "seul un petit nombre (de Somaliens) n'est pas autorisé à rester (en Allemagne), mais il faut que la règle qui prévoit leur rapatriement s'applique à eux".
Voilà qui ne semble pas être l’interprétation du côté somalien. D’après une déclaration attribuée à Hassan Sheikh Mohamoud, les renvois s'appliqueraient uniquement à ceux et celles qui souhaitent retourner en Somalie de leur plein gré.
L’accord entre l'Allemagne et la Somalie fait suite à des accords similaires conclus avec le Kenya, le Maroc et la Géorgie. Dans tous ces cas, le nombre de personnes à rapatrier est pourtant relativement faible.

19.11.24 Mediendienst: Sudanesen in Deutschland: In Deutschland leben rund 20.000 Personen mit sudanesischem Migrationshintergrund, davon 12.300 Personen mit sudanesischer Staatsangehörigkeit (Stand 31.12.2023). Die meisten Personen mit sudanesischem Migrationshintergrund leben in Niedersachsen (ca. 9.000).

14.11.24 Tagesschau: Profite mit Flüchtlingsheimen: Viele Bundesländer setzen bei der Unterbringung von Geflüchteten verstärkt auf den britischen Konzern Serco. Schlechte Versorgung, zu wenig Personal, unzureichende Betreuung von Geflüchteten - die Vorwürfe gegen den britischen Konzern Serco, den größten privaten Betreiber von Flüchtlingsunterkünften in Deutschland, reißen nicht ab. Dabei handelt es sich offenbar um ein äußerst lukratives Geschäftsmodell mit hohen Gewinn-Margen.

14.11.24 taz: Haushalts-Pläne nach Ampel-EndeIntegrationskursen droht Shutdown: Nach dem Ampel-Aus greift die vorläufige Haushaltsführung. Integrationskurse könnten ausfallen, das Afghanistan-Aufnahmeprogramm sogar komplett enden.

Italy

27.11.24 Statewatch: Italy has nullified the right to transparency regarding borders: The State Council has confirmed an “absolute” lack of access concerning acts related to the “management of borders and immigration”. Meanwhile, the government’s procurement worth millions of euros for Libya, Tunisia and Egypt continues.
For example, in January this year, a delegation of the Libyan coast guard and port security was taken to the Guardia di Finanza (customs and excise police) naval base in Capo Miseno, near Naples, for a “technical visit”.
Prior to that, other “Libyan authorities” were also trained at Capo Miseno, or at the base in Gaeta. Ivory Coast officials were on a mission from 30 October 2023 to 20 January 2024 “on the topic of returns.” They were taken to the hot spots of Lampedusa and Ventimiglia.
In December 2023, an agreement was signed between the Central Directorate of Immigration and Border Police and the General Command of the Guardia di Finanza to provide ships, assistance, maintenance, technical and logistical support to Libya, Tunisia and Egypt. Its objective was: “Capacity building in border and immigration management, search and rescue at sea.”
The National Guard of the Tunisian Ministry of the Interior will receive six coast guard vessels along with “advice, assistance and mentoring,” for a value of €4.8 million euros (the money comes from the Interior Ministry, the Guardia di Finanza provides staff, equipment and expertise).
At the beginning of January 2024, Galzerano, on the basis of an alleged request from unspecified “Tunisian authorities”, approved expenditure of “around nine million euros” (in the words of the document in question) for “the payment of fuel to naval units involved in the fight against illegal immigration and search and rescue operations" in Tunisian waters.

24.11.24 UNHCR: Europe Sea Arrivals: Italy: Bangladeshi, Syrians, Tunisians, persons fron Egypt, Guinea and Pakistan are the most common nationalities. The number of sea arriiivals is 60.528 this year, compared to 157.651 in 2023.

23.11.24 Zeit: Italien zieht Personal aus Flüchtlingslagern in Albanien ab: Italien zieht einen Großteil des Personals aus seinen umstrittenen Aufnahmezentren für Migranten in Albanien ab. Sie waren erst vor anderthalb Monaten in Betrieb genommen worden. Nun berichten mehrere italienische Medien, dass die meisten Beschäftigten des Unternehmens Medihospes, das für den Betrieb und die Verwaltung der Zentren zuständig war, noch an diesem Wochenende Albanien verlassen werden.

Also see taz 12.11.24: Gericht kassiert erneut Melonis Albanien-Deal: Ein italienisches Gericht hat am Montag zum zweiten Mal in Folge die Überstellung Asylsuchender nach Albanien gestoppt. Die Richter verwiesen eine Klage von sieben Mi­gran­ten an den Europäischen Gerichtshof nach Luxemburg.

Netherland

12.11.24 Infomigrants: Les Pays-Bas réintroduisent des contrôles aux frontières: À partir du 9 décembre, des contrôles seront appliqués aux frontières terrestres des Pays-Bas par les autorités. La décision fait partie d'une liste de mesures anti-migrants proposées fin octobre par la coalition d'extrême droite au pouvoir.

Spain

22.11.24 Infomigrants: Régularisation des migrants en Espagne : ce que contient la nouvelle loi: La réforme de la loi Immigration, qui vise la régularisation de centaines de milliers de sans-papiers en Espagne, a été publiée au journal officiel mercredi. Quelles en sont les principales mesures ? InfoMigrants fait le point

UK

28.11.24 AJE: Net migration to UK hit record 906,000 in 2023: Numbers fell 20 percent from the record high to 728,000 for the year to June 2024, the ONS said, driven by declining numbers of dependants coming with those on study visas after the rules were changed.
Voters in the UK – whose overall population is approximately 68 million – have expressed concern that the large number of arrivals could worsen housing shortages and put further strain on public services. But employers in sectors such as healthcare say they cannot function without foreign workers.
High levels of legal migration in 2016 was one of the driving forces behind the UK’s vote to leave the European Union. In the year ending June 2016, the last twelve-month period before the Brexit vote, net migration stood at 321,000.
While post-Brexit visa changes saw a sharp drop in the number of EU migrants to the UK, new work visa rules led to a surge in immigration from India, Nigeria and Pakistan, often to fill health and social care vacancies.
The jump to a record level in 2023 came under the previous Conservative government, which had promised to cut migration and did introduce measures to curb students and care workers from bringing their family members.

European Union

28.11.24 taz: Grenzenlose Überwachung: Die NGO AlgorithmWatch hat 24 Projekte untersucht, die zum Einsatz von KI im EU-Grenzschutz genutzt werden sollen.
Ein Dutzend Behörden und Unternehmen, darunter die griechische Polizei und die Überwachungstechnologiefirma Oceanscan, haben sich dafür zusammengetan. Rund 6 Millionen Euro konnten sie von 2021 bis 2023 für das Nestor-Entwicklungsprogramm ausgeben, davon 5 Millionen von der EU. Nestor ist eines von mindestens 24 Entwicklungs- oder Pilotprojekten, die klären sollen, wie künstliche Intelligenz für die automatisierte Sicherung der EU-Außengrenzen genutzt werden kann.

08.11.24 Statewatch: Migration policy priorities of the next European Commission: a jargon-free translation: his week, the proposed new European Commissioners are being interviewed by the European Parliament. Four of the 26 “mission letters” sent to the nominees by Ursula von der Leyen set out responsibilities with regard to migration, asylum and border policy. Couched in typical EU jargon, the texts hide a brutal and violent reality. Aside from the implementation of the Pact on Asylum and Migration, key topics in the coming months and years will include a new deportation law; attempts to set up deportation camps (“return hubs”) in non-EU states; new “partnerships” with non-EU states to try to control migration; and increased police powers.

08.11.24 M.M: Border surveillance and control: EU has invested 3.5 billion in anti-migration research: With significant involvement from Frontex, the EU Commission has funded more than 800 migration-related security research projects over the past 17 years. The aim is to bring the external borders up to the latest technological standards.
Since 2007, the European Commission has invested around 3.5 billion euros in the research and development of technical systems for border surveillance and combating migration.

01.11.24 ARD Film: Ausgesetzt in der Wüste · Europas tödliche Flüchtlingspolitik: Die Dokumentation beleuchtet die dramatischen Folgen europäischer Flüchtlingspolitik, zeigt exklusiv, wie EU-finanzierte Sicherheitskräfte in Nordafrika systematisch Menschen in die Wüste verschleppen und welche Verantwortung Europas Regierungen tragen. (A bit too much of Knaus, but Journalism as it should be).

31.10.24 MM: Frontex spends half a billion on aerial surveillance, new research shows more involvement in pullbacks: The European border agency Frontex has invested over €500 million in aerial surveillance in the Mediterranean region since 2017. This is reported by the Italian newspaper “Altreconomia” and complements new investigations by the Liminal research project. Its research shows that the surveillance equipment is not used to protect people at sea, but to force them back to Libya or Tunisia.

Reports and Long Reads

01.12.24 NYT: 80 Years After Killings, Senegal Wants the Facts From France: The mass slaying of West African soldiers by colonial forces at the end of World War II in Senegal remains shrouded in secrecy. But Senegal’s new government won’t abide the mystery.

19.11.24 MMC: Economic integration of young migrants in West & North Africa: This report examines the economic integration of young migrants in urban centres in West and North Africa. The study looks at the extent to which young people’s migration paths contribute to improving their living conditions, and how the human capital they bring facilitates their economic integration.
Methodology: 1,869 young international migrants aged between 18 and 24 years were surveyed between August 2020 and November 2023 in Bamako (n=517), Conakry (n=414), Niamey (n=505) and Tunis (n=433). The average and median age was 22, 36% of respondents were women (n=665) and 64% were men (n=1,204).

15.11.24 taz: „Was an den Grenzen passiert, bleibt nicht dort“: Weltweit überwachen Staaten ihre Grenzen mit neuen Technologien. Die Juristin Petra Molnar warnt vor den Folgen. Es gibt eine schockierende Bereitschaft von Staaten, den Grenzschutz mit Technologie zu externalisieren und zu militarisieren, ohne dass man darüber spricht, was das vor Ort bewirkt und welche Auswirkungen es auf die Menschenrechte hat. Die Nutzung und Entwicklung neuer Grenzschutz-Technologien wird exponenziell gesteigert. Die Biometrie in Flüchtlingslagern etwa haben die UN in Kenia und Jordanien vorangetrieben. Es gibt immer mehr automatisierte Überwachung durch experimentelle Projekte wie Roboterhunde, die zuerst 2022 an der Grenze zwischen den USA und Mexiko getestet wurden. Die EU hat Roboter namens Roborder, KI-Lügendetektoren und Software zur automatisierten Stimmerkennung getestet.

Also see AJE 27.11.24: Private contractors in US eye windfall from Trump’s push to deport migrants: As spending on immigration enforcement and border security has ramped up in the US, experts say the private sector has sought to take advantage of the lucrative opportunities, pitching everything from surveillance tech and biometric scanning to detention facilities.

07.11.24 LMD: Tod am Nil: Eine schleichende Umweltkatastrophe zerstört die Lebensgrundlagen im dichtbesiedelten Flussdelta. In dem grünen Dreieck, das sich nördlich von Kairo auffächert und an der Mittelmeerküste 250 Kilometer breit ist, leben mehr als 40 Millionen Menschen. Die Nöte des Nildeltas haben massive Auswirkungen für ganz Ägypten. Einerseits brüstet sich die ägyptische Führung mit Hightech-Agrarexporten, andererseits hat das Land immer größere Mühe, den eigenen Lebensmittelbedarf zu decken. Die Abhängigkeit von importierten Grundnahrungsmitteln – vor allem Weizen (Ägypten ist der weltgrößte Weizenimporteur) – macht das Land anfällig für Entwicklungen wie die russische Invasion der Ukraine oder der andauernde Wertverlust der eigenen Währung.

04.11.24 FP: Europe Helps Fuel Conflict in Sudan While Shutting Its Victims Out: The EU completed its most recent council meeting in October, which was focused almost entirely on migration, with plans to limit and export migrants. Italy has begun exiling male migrants to Albania for asylum vetting and processing, and right-wing European Council members, along with EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, have been urging the rest of the EU to emulate actions to restrict immigration and facilitate deportations by establishing “migration hubs” for “irregular migrant” processing in non-EU nations. These are referred to as “third” countries.

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