EU: MED-CRISIS: (19.8.15)
19 August 2015
EU:
Massive arrival of refugees in Greece dwarfs EU’s relocation initiative (euractiv, link):
"Greece appealed to its European Union partners yesterday (18 August) to come up with a comprehensive strategy to deal with a growing migrant crisis as new data showed 21,000 refugees landed on Greek shores last week alone.... Greek officials said they needed better coordination within the European Union. "This problem cannot be solved by imposing stringent legal processes in Greece, and, certainly, not by overturning the boats," said government spokeswoman Olga Gerovassili."
Uk-FRANCE:
Theresa May set to sign new deal with French government to tackle migrant crisis (Independent, link)
GERMANY:
Where racism and xenophobia are manifest in Germany - Official statistics show that most racist crimes in Germany last year occurred in the country's eastern-most states and Berlin. A civil society expert says that's no surprise. (DW, link)
GREECE:
Europe struggles to respond as migrants numbers rise threefold (ekathimerini.com, link)
CZECH REPUBLIC:
Zeman's spokesman against scientists' solidarity with refugees (Prague Monitor, link):
"President Milos Zeman's spokesman Jiri Ovcacek criticised yesterday a call by hundreds of Czech scientists for toleration of immigrants, saying it deepens the gap between Czech society and the elites. Researcher Pavel Jungwirth told CTK in reaction to Ovcacek's words that the call should bridge the gaps, on the contrary. The call "Scientists against Fear and Indifference" has been signed by more than 1500 personalities, the authors say on their web page."
CYPRUS:
75 million from the EC into a bottomless pit (KISA, link):
"the management of the European funds granted to Cyprus for the 2007-2013 programming period raises questions as to whether the available funds for the 2014-2020 period will be used in a way that will improve the integration of migrants into Cypriot society * while making the asylum system fairer and more efficient..... "KISA considers that for the strengthening of the process of migrants’ integration and the improvement of the asylum system, Cypriot state, must first of all change the current migration model and contribute towards combating the racism and discrimination which prevail in Cypriot society." see aslo:
EU allocates €74.9 million to Cyprus for migration (Cyprus Mail, link):
"Cyprus will continue the recently established voluntary return programme and will also support forced return.... n relation to border management, Cyprus continues the development of EUROSUR and plans to introduce Automated Border Control gates."