A global summit in Geneva is hoping to address a series of issues relating to global migration trends reaching from forcible displacement to the energy and infrastructure needs of refugees. The event, however, might also be hijacked by politicians pursuing their own agendas.
Under international law, ships have a clear duty to help those in distress at sea. But when the ships are run by non-governmental organizations, and the people in distress are migrants, there are very often questions about what is 'the right thing to do'. The German news agency epd asked a maritime law expert for some answers.
Stand-offs between the Italian government and private rescue organizations have become fairly commonplace in the last year. With each side laying claim to having the right on their side, it can sometimes be difficult to understand what is going on. So InfoMigrants decided to look more closely at the International Law of the Sea for some clarification.
December 2018 marked the culmination of two years of hard work by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and its member states. Two new compacts, which were designed as roadmaps for managing mass migration, were adopted late last year, addressing an issue that shows no signs of slowing.
European law says 'an asylum seeker shall not be detained on the sole reason of seeking international protection or having entered and/or stayed in the country irregularly.' So if the irregular entry by migrants is not a criminal offense, when is the detention of asylum seekers allowed? And what is the reality in Europe?
The UN's Global Compact for Migration sets out nonbinding guidelines for an integrated approach to international migration. But some nations are vehemently against it.
Czech leader Andrej Babis said his country might follow the lead of Austria, the US, and Hungary. Meanwhile, the EU expressed its disappointment in Vienna for withdrawing after playing a key role in the negotiations.
A UN agency has said Libya is not a secure port and returning migrants to the country might have violated international law. According to Italy, the Libyan coast guard coordinated the rescue in its own waters.
The Doctors without Borders (MSF) reports that the majority of patients in its center for survivors of tortures and ill treatment are migrants, including minors, and expresses concern at how the incidence of torture in Libya is underestimated.
What are the obligations of those who receive an emergency call from migrants at sea, and the responsibilities of the others involved in migrant rescue? Here is an explanation of how the system works, from the SOS call through to arrival at port.
Italy has remained firm in its decision to shut its ports to a ship carrying more than 600 migrants. But Rome insisted it is still willing to help asylum-seekers — under certain conditions.
Asylum seekers moving across Europe can't be sent back to the country where they applied for international protection without its consent, the Court of Justice of the European Union said on Thursday.