Today international humanitarian assistance to Ukraine’s most needy of the 2. 6 million war-affected and internally displaced people is almost at a standstill. International donors have failed to respond to the United Nation’s appeal for $214 million in aid assistance. With the world facing four famines and the Syrian refugee and displacement crisis, donors for Europe’s major displacement crisis are in short supply…
Dispatches from the Mediterranean
Standing on a soccer field on an island in the Mediterranean, it’s hard to understand how it came to this: how did this Italian island just north of Africa somehow become the frontline of the Mediterranean migration crisis?
The EU at 60: Will the EU Regain Its Lost Humanity Regarding Refugees?
As the EU marks its 60th anniversary, EU member states now face the largest displacement crisis since World War II. Instead of responding with humanity and effectiveness, they have turned their backs on and closed their borders to people urgently seeking protection. Well over a million people have crossed the Mediterranean since the beginning of 2015, fleeing wars, violence, persecution, and human rights abuses in countries such as Syria, Afghanistan, and Eritrea.
Statement on the EU-Turkey Agreement Anniversary
On March 18, the EU and Turkey will mark the one-year anniversary of their joint statement, which sought to stem the flows of asylum-seekers and migrants crossing from Turkey’s shores to the Greek islands.
No Excuse: Freezing Conditions in Greece
As snow and freezing temperatures impact refugees, asylum-seekers, and migrants currently living in make-shift shelters in Greece, Refugees International urges the Greek government and the European Union to immediately provide adequate accommodations.
Many Refugees in Turkey Struggle to Keep Warm
For many refugees in Turkey, the struggle to keep warm is a daily battle. Some refugees said they received a small amount of coal from the government, but that it is not enough. Others said they received no assistance of any kind at all.
As the Calais Camp Closes, The Rights of its Residents Must Be Protected
Following this week’s closure of the Calais camp, known as “The Jungle,” the French government must protect the rights of all asylum-seekers and migrants who had been living there, including unaccompanied children.
A Harsh Fall for Yazidi Refugees in Greece
We were in the Petra camp, where 1,200 Yazidi asylum-seekers are living in truly shocking conditions. It was set up by the Greek government in April on the site of an old psychiatric hospital.
Confronting the Impacts of Climate Change
There are close to 60 million people currently displaced by war and persecution, the most since World War II. You have undoubtedly seen the media coverage of the crisis in the Mediterranean that illustrates the enormous challenges refugees face in trying to access protection and assistance. Advocating for life-saving protection for refugees and displaced people has been Refugee International’s mission for more than 35 years.
Refugees International response to the EU Turkey deal
Today’s deal between the European Union and Turkey marks a troubling precedent in the search for a principled and effective response to the refugee crisis confronting Europe. While Refugees International is relieved to see that the agreement appears to consider elements of respect for the right to seek asylum in Greece, we are concerned with the provision that states that the EU will return all new irregular migrants, an apparent contradiction that must be clarified.