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Refugee crisis: latest news from across Europe (34 stories and documents, 30.10.15)

30 October 2015

See: Another step after months and months of dithering: Entropy or incompetence? IPCR (Integrated Political Crisis Response) is the joint responsibility of the European Commission and European External Action Service (EEAS): Council of the European Union Press release: 30 October: Migratory crisis: EU Council Presidency steps up information sharing between member states by activating IPCR (pdf):

"The EU Integrated Political Crisis Response arrangements (IPCR) reinforce the European Union's ability to take rapid decisions when facing major crises requiring a response at EU political level."

- See: Finalisation of the CCA review process: the EU Integrated Political Crisis Response (IPCR) arrangement (2013, pdf)

"Some major emergencies or crises, of internal and/or external origin are of such a wideranging impact or political significance, that they require timely policy coordination and response at EU political level. This could result from the number of affected or involved Member States, or the cross-sectorial nature of the crisis, the imminence thereof, or from time constraints, or a combination of these factors...." [emphasis added]

and: Concept Note on "Arrangements for Crisis Coordination at EU political level (2012, pdf):

"whether the CCA [EU Emergency and Crisis Coorination Arrangement] in its current configuration is the politically and strategically agile tool required by the EU as a whole to respond quickly and adequately to a serious crisis situation; as appropriate, develop proposals that incorporate all relevant EU level actors and crisis coordination tools...." [emphasis added]

- IOM Mediterranean Update (link): Number of arrivals: 724,228, with 579,642 in Greece and 140,636 in Italy (30 October):

"With the latest tragic drownings in the Aegean on Wednesday and Thursday—along with four new deaths reported today off Spain—IOM now estimates that the total number of migrant deaths on Mediterranean sea routes to Europe have surpassed 3,329 in the first ten months of 2015."

- Greece: Death toll in migrant boat shipwrecks rises to 22 (ekathimerini.com, link): "At least 22 people drowned in two new shipwrecks in the Aegean Sea Friday as thousands of Middle Eastern refugees and economic migrants sought to reach the Greek islands in rough seas, while the death toll over the past three days has reached nearly 50."

Tsipras slams EU response to migrant crisis as death toll rises (ekathimerini.com, link): With frightening picture of a refugee boad listing: "At least 22 migrants, among them 13 children, drowned overnight when two boats sank off the islands of Kalymnos and Rhodes, Greek port officials said on Friday. The latest drownings prompted a sharp response from Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras who said he felt "shame" over Europe's failure to prevent the tragedies."Our first duty is to save lives and not to allow the Aegean to become a cemetery... for that we are not asking for even a euro" from our European partners, he said."

Tsipras says level of EU debate on migrants is 'sad' (ekathimerini.com, link):

"Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras slammed on Friday the level of debate among European Union governments in dealing with the migrant crisis as 'sad' for a lack of cohesive action in dealing with the crisis. "I feel shamed as a member of this European leadership, both for the inability of Europe in dealing with this human drama, and for the level of debate at a senior level, where one is passing the buck to the other," Tsipras told Parliament.

"These are hypocritical, crocodile tears which are being shed for the dead children on the shores of the Aegean. Dead children always incite sorrow, But what about the children that are alive who come in thousands and are stacked on the streets? Nobody likes them."

Tsipras: Unlike Hungary, Athens will help resolve the refugee crisis (euractiv, link): "Greece will help the EU tackle the refugee crisis, despite certain member states’ unwillingness to contribute, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said on Thursday (29 October)... Referring to the latest tragedy, the premier said it was a “humanitarian duty” to address the situation.,,, The Greek leader believes that the EU border agency Frontex should be reinforced, and reacted strongly to recent suggestions that Greece conduct joint patrols with Turkey in the Aegean."

- News (30.10.15)

Desperate calling from Lesbos (Video: YouTube, link): Where are the EU & international aid agencies? "Eric Kempson calls to the world and the UNHCR to come to Lesbos and take their responsibilty in preventing a human disaster on European grounds."

PM Orbán: Europe’s Peoples Are Beginning To Awake (hungarytoday.hu, link): "The Prime Minister also called attention to the fact that the European Union’s refugee quota system, which has been opposed by Hungary fom the outset, “has grown into an even greater danger” with the will to turn the distribution of new arrivals into a permanent mechanism.”This we utterly reject”, Mr. Orbán insisted. He said that the “invasion” of migrants is propelled by two factors, the “business” of human trafficking networks and activists who “support everything that weakens nation states”.

Orbán aide calls US criticism 'downright irritating' (euractiv, link): "Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's chief of staff on Thursday (29 October) rejected criticism of the Hungarian government by the US ambassador to Budapest, saying her remarks amounted to interference in Hungary's affairs."

It’s up to Europe to show the way towards global refugee policies (http://europesworld.org, link): "Europe must welcome those fleeing from conflict zones by raising resettlement quotas, issuing more humanitarian visas and extending Temporary Protective Status to citizens of countries in distress. We must also ask what policies we want to put in place to better prepare us for such challenges in future. Put simply, we need a comprehensive approach that covers all facets of contemporary mobility." and: Europe’s refugee crisis: the good, the bad and the ugly (link):"Harrowing images, heart-wrenching headlines and the grim reality on the different “fronts” in the crisis – the Mediterranean sea, the scene of many shipwrecks and deaths, the Western Balkans where desperate refugees are using land routes to reach Europe and Calais where thousands are stuck in a no-man’s land between France and Britain – reveal a Europe in disarray. Certainly, the crisis has brought out the worst in Europe. But – at least in some cases – it has also brought out the best."

Lesbos volunteer tells of 'huge amount of trauma' as refugee boats capsize (Guardian, link): "Children among the dead after vessels sink in bad weather off Greek island, which is short of clothing and blankets for survivors"

Czech police leave for Hungary to protect Schengen border (Prague Post, link)

Populist, Pernicious and Perilous : Germany's Growing Hate Problem (Spiegel Online, link): "Even as Germany has welcomed its refugees, another, uglier side has been festering with the return of the anti-Muslim Pegida movement. The threat posed by the far-right has the potential to spiral out of control."

CZECH REPUBLIC: Zeman: Most refugees do not deserve compassion (Prague Post, link)

Slovakia: Fico: Inflow of migrants raises security risks (Prague Post, link): "Slovak prime minister says migrants are linked to terrorist groups. Europe is faced with a growing security risk as the influx of migrants to the continent has been increasing despite all expectations, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said today."

Czechs may accept Christian refugees from Iraq (Prague Post, link)

Pressure on Merkel grows over refugees (The Local.de, link): "Demands are growing for Chancellor Angela Merkel to do more to limit the number of refugees entering the country ahead of an emergency summit of coalition government leaders at the weekend."

Worsening weather brings more tragedy to eastern Aegean (UNHCR, link)

Czech police officers to help reinforce Hungarian border (Prague Daily Monitor, link): "Fifty Czech police officers yesterday left for Hungary to help it guard the Schengen border for one month and their mission will cost the country about 10 million crowns. The participants were chosen from 400 police officers from all parts of the country who wanted to join the mission."

The Next Wave: Afghans Flee To Europe in Droves (Spiegel Online, link): "As the situation in Afghanistan becomes ever more chaotic, an increasing number of Afghans are heading towards Europe. But as one family's story shows, the trip often ends in tragedy."

DENMARK: Danes more relaxed about refugee influx (The Copenhagen Post, link)

DENMARK: Man photographed spitting on refugees charged with racism (The Copenhagen Post, link)

German Vice Chancellor Gabriel condemns infighting over refugee crisis (Deutsche Welle, link)

GREECE: As More Children Drown, Volunteers on Greek Island Say Rescues Are Left Largely to Them (New York Times, link)

GREECE: Migrant tragedy in Greek seas shows dangers as winter nears (AP, link)

Italy aims to allow force on migrants who refuse photo ID (Gazzetta del Sud, link): "The Italian government aims to introduce rules that will allow the use of force on migrants who refuse to undergo photo identification procedures, an official from the Interior Ministry's Department of Public Security told a parliamentary commission on Thursday"

Macedonia Refugee Camp Braces for Winter (Balkan Insight, link)

Risk of refugees freezing to death: Bavarian police (The Local, link)

Restore sense of community on migrants says Mattarella (Gazzetta del Sud, link)

SWEDEN: Wallstroem: Sweden Democrats to blame for fires at asylum accommodation (EUobserver, link)