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Everyone needs to recognize that Libya for us in terms of immigration and for others, security has a strategic significance that cannot be underestimated.

Everyone must do their bit to create synergies, in that way we can head towards peace, said Mr Alfano.

Michael Fallon, the Defence Secretary, will meet his Italian counterpartin Rome on Thursday to discuss Libya and the migrant exodus, among other topics.

Speaking ahead of the meeting, he saidthat the UK is considering extending a training program for Libyas coast guard in support of operations to tackle human smugglers and arms traffickers.

A small team of Royal Navy personnel trained Libyan coast guardsin search and rescue and vessel boarding techniques before Christmas.

The Italian embassy in London said: Stabilisation of Libya is one of the top priorities of Italian foreign policy. To that end we are cooperating with the UN, the EU and our major partners, such as the UK and the US. We also deem it necessary to engage with all players who could help to achieve such a goal, including Russia.

More here:
Italy and Britain may court Russian-backed general to help stem Libya's migrant crisis - Telegraph.co.uk

Funding for refugee rights began to stagnate in the years leading up to the current migrant crisis, according to a report released today.

For the last few years of available data, weve seen that funding focused on the rights of migrants and refugees has remained flat, Sarah Tansey, program manager atthe International Human Rights Funders Group, told Humanosphere. So with the benefit of hindsight, we can see now that this data comes at a time the crisis was really growing, but the funding didnt seem to grow proportionally to the crisis.

Because much of the grants information is collected from IRS forms or relies on direct reporting, there can be a several-year lag from the time a grant is made, Anna Koob, author of the report and knowledge service manager at Foundation Center, told Humanosphere. The funders included in the research also have different fiscal years, reporting formats and languages, which the authors said adds to the time it takes to standardize the data.

Now, Foundation Centersays philanthropists are more aware of thethreats torefugee rights and have responded accordingly.

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Refugees havethe right to safeasylum, the right to fair hearings of their refugee claims, and to be treated with dignity and with respect to their basic human rights like any other citizen. Advocates have fiercely condemned the most recent violations of these rights,including U.S. President Donald Trumps travel banfrom seven predominantly Muslim countries, widespreadforced returns of refugees to the regions they fled, and police harassment and abuse of refugees and migrants in France.

Rights activists have also pushed for more funding throughout the current migrantcrises. But according toIain Levine, deputy executive director at Human Rights Watch, more grant-makingmay not have been able to prevent rightsabuses seen on such a large scale in thecurrent crises.

Could we all use more funding? Absolutely. Would more funding earlier on have changed the situation? Its really hard to say, Levine told Humanosphere. I would not want to blame funders for the current situation, but I would say theres an enormous need now for donors to combat the rising wave of xenophobia and nationalism that were seeing in many parts of the world, particularly the U.S. and Europe.

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This rise in nationalist sentiment emerging in Europe, the U.S. and other regions of the world is what makes it more important than ever for funders touse the data thats available for all aspects of human rights, the reports authors say. They also stress the importance thatfunders locategaps in the field and determine where their donationscan be most useful.

Number of fundersfromthe 237 member foundations affiliated with IHRFG, Ariadne, or Prospera. (Foundation Center, 2017)

In terms offoreign aid for human rights,Sweden provided 16 percent the most of any other country, according to the report. EU institutions, Norway and the United States had the next-largest shares, each contributing 10 percent.

In terms of foundationaid for human rights, the United States has consistently had the mostdonors. But the report indicatesthis may be changing.

The number of funders outside the U.S. keeps growing, said Tansey, who said there were112 of such funders in 2014, compared to just 49 in 2010. This provides amore inclusiveglobal perspective on what funders are doing to advance human rights, she added.

Later this year, IHRFG and Foundation Center are releasing a five-year trend analysistoexamine shifts in human rights fundingfrom 2011 through 2015.

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Funding for refugee rights stagnated before migrant crisis, analysis shows - Humanosphere

It's not just Donald Trump who is having trouble with immigration, although in Europe the problems are very different. The EU leaders, including Taoiseach Enda Kenny, held a summit meeting in Malta last Friday to discuss the issue. The aim was to agree the best way of tackling the ongoing problem of migrants crossing the Mediterranean from North Africa to Europe.

Another summer is approaching, and the numbers attempting the crossing will soar again with the arrival of calm weather. If nothing is done hundreds more are likely to drown in the Med this summer when their overcrowded, cheap, inflatable boats founder.

Not that this dangerous traffic stops over the winter. In the 24 hours or so before the Malta summit began on Friday, around 1,500 migrants were picked up by navy ships and fishing vessels in the Med and eventually landed in Italy.

But the numbers soar over the summer months, and EU leaders want to act before there are more incidents in which hundreds of migrants are lost. We are all familiar with the dreadful pictures of the aftermath of these tragedies.

Two main routes were being used by migrant boats, the shorter crossing from Turkey to Greece in the eastern Med and the longer, more hazardous route from Libya to Italy across the central Med.

The first route has effectively been closed off by the deal reached between the EU and Turkey last year under which migrants arriving in Greece are now sent back to Turkey. This has reduced migration through Greece by 98 percent. We no longer see pictures of crowds of migrants walking from Greece through Macedonia and Bulgaria, forcing their way through borders as they head onwards for Germany and northern Europe.

The reason the EU leaders were meeting in Malta was to try to achieve the same outcome on the route across the central Med. That, however, is going to be far more difficult since Libya is chaotic and the UN-backed government there is only partly in control. The plan agreed by the EU leaders last weekend will provide equipment and training to the Libyan coast guard as well as funding targeted at the Libyan ports to help close down the people trafficking operations.

Whether this will work remains to be seen. Most of those using this route are not war refugees from Syria or Iraq; they are economic migrants from sub-Saharan Africa in search of a better life in Europe. The tendency of refugee support groups and some politicians to conflate the two does not help a general understanding of the problem.

The RTE lunchtime news did this again last Friday in an interview with a member of the humanitarian group Medecin Sans Frontiere (MSF) which was involved in the latest rescue on the Med. The presenter referred to hundreds of migrants being picked up, "including children, an emphasis that plays on the emotions but ignores the fact that the vast majority of those rescued, as usual, were men. When the MSF member said that almost all those picked up were from sub-Saharan Africa (rather than from war torn Syria or Iraq), this attracted no follow-up questions.

When people are in danger of drowning in the Med, MSF does not distinguish between economic migrants and refugees from conflict and obviously that is as it should be. The same approach is taken by the navies down there. But the deliberate conflation of the two by commentators and politicians is not helpful.

The conflict in Syria and the confusion and violence in Libya has provided cover and opportunity for economic migrants from various parts of North and Sub-Saharan Africa who long for a future in Europe. In this digital decade we are all more than ever living in a global village, and even people in poor countries in Africa can see the lifestyle in Europe on smart phones, TV, etc.

One can't blame them for wanting to be part of it, but that does not mean there can be limitless immigration into the EU. Nor should it mean they can sidestep EU rules on legal immigration.

Last year over 360,000 migrants/refugees crossed the Med to Europe by boat, and around 5,000 drowned in the attempt. The TV coverage which this attracts skews attention away from what the EU -- including Ireland -- should be focused on, the plight of the genuine refugees from the war in Syria who have lost everything and now live a miserable existence in the camps in Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey.

There are five million of them, yet we hear little about them in contrast to all the coverage given to the relatively small number who have the money to get to Libya and then pay for a seat in a boat.

Coincidentally last week, the Minister for Justice and Equality Frances Fitzgerald, gave a major speech to a seminar held by the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission on Irelands response to the global refugee and migration crisis. The full text can be found online and is worth reading if you want to know what Ireland is doing -- or not doing.

It is, as you would expect, a model of political correctness and virtue signaling, carefully avoiding the kind of distinctions raised here and the difficult choices they would imply. Instead, we get a kind of comfort blanket of do-goodery, telling us how wonderful we are for all we do for refugees/migrants. Fitzgerald is much too fond of patting herself on the back.

The reality is somewhat less inspiring. Under the Irish Refugee Protection Program, set up over a year ago as our part of a Europe-wide effort to tackle the problem, we committed to taking in 4,000 refugees over a few years. Given that there are five million Syrians in the camps, this is mere tokenism.

It makes us feel better and gives the impression that we are "doing something" in response to the upsetting pictures from the Med. But even if we multiplied the program by 10, it would still be miniscule in relation to the numbers needing help.

Around 800 refugees have already arrived here since the program started, and they are currently arriving at around 80 a month. Those who are coming to Ireland are being chosen in two ways: either Syrian refugees directly from camps in Lebanon, or refugee/asylum seekers who made it to Europe and are in camps in Greece. The second strand is part of the EU relocation program designed to lessen the burden on Greece and Italy by spreading refugees who have arrived there across Europe.

Taking these refugees from Greece means we are rewarding them for crossing the Med, which may be adding to the problem. Nor does the Irish government appear to see any contradiction between trying to relieve the pressure on Italy and Greece and at the same time having the Irish Navy running a rescue operation in the Med which lands more refugees in Italy and encourages even more to attempt a crossing.

It is possible that if EU funding to coastal areas in Libya succeeds in improving security and living standards there, the obvious solution of returning migrants rescued from boats to the ports they left in Libya might be considered in the future. But no such decision has been taken so far.

One thing seems clear, if we want to help as many as we can. It would be far better to use the money now being spent on rescue missions in the Med and resettlement programs in Europe to improve conditions among the five million Syrian refugees in the camps in Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey. That is where the need is the greatest.

It would also allow the refugees to live as near as possible to their own country, until the time when they can return. And it would avoid the problems of cultural difference that result in the kind of incidents we have seen among young male immigrants in Germany, which took in a million migrants, only half of whom turned out to be Syrian refugees.

Instead of having an honest discussion about such issues both in Ireland and elsewhere in the EU, the authorities have preferred to stifle the views of ordinary voters with political correctness and virtue signaling. The result of this democratic failure by the liberal establishment is the rise of right wing parties across Europe, the vote in the U.K. for Brexit and the election of Donald Trump in the U.S.

Here in Ireland, like elsewhere in Europe, we have serious thinking to do about this issue. The debate is already underway on talk radio shows and in comment columns in the press, where the views of ordinary people are in stark contrast to the pieties coming from official circles.

See the rest here:
Ireland's contributions to Europe's migrant crisis - IrishCentral

Defence minister Hans Peter Doskozil said strengthened security co-operation with countries along the route would help stem the flow of people and head off an escalation in the migrant crisis.

Mr Doskozil said: "The western Balkan route is still not as closed as it should be.

There are unfortunately still people-smuggling networks which are very active and a significant number of migrants.

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GETTY

There are unfortunately still people-smuggling networks which are very active and a significant number of migrants

Hans Peter Doskozil

He warned the EUs controversial deal with Turkey to tackle the migrant crisis was no longer reliable as tensions between Ankara and Brussels continue to grow.

He said: We must be prepared in case the government in Ankara opens the floodgates again.

According to Mr Doskozil between 500 and 1,000 refugees and migrants are arriving in Austria every week.

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He said Austria was now co-operating closely with 15 other countries along the Balkan route as well as the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia which make up the Visegrad group.

He said: We are currently working on legislative amendments that would allow the government to deploy soldiers abroad, not just for humanitarian reasons.

Austrian troops could be sent within and outside the EU to help protect borders if necessary.

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An African migrant is helped by emergency personnel after crossing the border fence between Morocco and Spain's north African enclave of Ceuta

Mr Doskozil said the number of migrants living within the EU illegally was "too high".

EU leaders recently agreed on a plan to reduce the flow of migrants from Libya which sees the North African countrys UN-backed government receive 170 million including funding to reinforce its coastguard.

See the original post here:
Austria demands new MILITARY FORCE to stop migrants using 'Balkan Route' into Europe - Express.co.uk

Refugee flow

Since the beginning of the recent crises in the Middle East, over 1.100,000 registered refugees have come to Lebanon; who almost exclusively hail from Syria. As of 6 May 2015, UNHCR Lebanon has temporarily suspended new registration of Syrian refugees as per the Government of Lebanon's instructions. Since then, the numbers of registered Syrian refugees have been slightly decreasing.

The Government of Lebanon is not a signatory to the 1951 Geneva Convention related to the status of refugees or its 1967 Protocol. Lebanon implements some provisions of the Convention on a voluntary basis and considers that granting the refugee status to individuals lies within its margin of discretion. Yet the government of Lebanon stresses that Lebanon is not a country of Asylum, a final destination of refugees, or a country of resettlement. Accordingly, it generally refers to individuals that fled from Syria since 2011 as displaced, as persons registered as refugees by UNHCR or as de facto refugees.

Since late January 2015, residence renewal procedures for registered refugees have been changed and various financial and bureaucratic obstacles have been introduced, which make residence renewal a very difficult quest. As a result, there is a grave risk that most refugees will gradually lose their legal status in the country, and the number of Syrians without valid residence papers has increased. Although Syrians with expired or without legal stats are legally required to leave the country, the GoL has not enforced the deportation of Syrian refugees to date. Nevertheless, refoulement due to rejection at the border is a significant concern.

In socio-economic terms, the 2015 Vulnerability Assessment of Syrian Refugees in Lebanon (VASyR) has highlighted an increase in vulnerabilities compared to 2014. Syrian refugee households show stronger degrees of dependency on external livelihood sources like food vouchers, loans and credits. In addition, the percentage of households below the poverty line (3.84$/person/day) has increased from 50% to 70%.However, funding shortfalls have led to a drastic and continuing reduction in humanitarian cash- and in-kind assistance since the end of 2013, which is now estimated to only cover 5-10% of registered refugees. Most recently,the World Food Programme (WFP) cut the value of its food aid by 50% in July 2015, nowproviding only US$13.50 per person per month.

After years of an unstable government and the absence of any sustainable government response, the Lebanese government formed a Crisis Cell to deal with the Syrian crisis in mid-2014. In Oct 2014, the government issued a policy paper, which sets three priorities for managing the displacement crisis: 1) reducing the number of refugees, 2) providing more security, and 3) reducing the economic burden for Lebanon, e.g. by preventing Syrians from working unlawfully, and by directing more crisis-related funding to Lebanese institutions, communities, and infrastructure.

In December 2014, the Ministry of Labour listed professions confined to Lebanese citizens, but excluded agriculture, cleaning and construction (3 sectors in which many Syrians work) from it. It also introduced a new requirement for sponsorship for Syrian workers.

The presence of so many refugees has been a huge economic strain on Lebanons resources. Increased combat activities in Syria have also negatively impacted on the security situation in Lebanon, which a recent UNHCR report describes as tense, volatile and highly unpredictable, especially in the Northern and North-Eastern parts of the country.

Employment: Despite the official restrictions on working, many refugees work informally. Lebanese often perceive Syrians as competitors for jobs.

Housing: While there are no officials refugee camps, many refugees live in informal tented settlements, as well as in (often substandard and overcrowded) urban apartments and shelters. With less available income, more and more refugees move into very substandard shelter (e.g. unfinished buildings).

The protracted nature of the Syrian crisis and its negative, real or perceived, impact on the living conditions of Lebanese, who, at first, welcomed refugees, has changed the stance of many among the Lebanese host community. Syrian refugees are scapegoated for a variety of issues that have, in fact, characterised Lebanon for many years, such as dysfunctional infrastructure or economic hardship. The belief that Syrians constitute a security threat is also constantly reiterated by Lebanese politicians and media. Real or imagined, this public and media discourse has led to increased attack on Syrians in Lebanon. In a recent survey (June 2015), 43% of Syrian refugees reported incidents with authorities or civilians: Raids and searches, harassment, insults, detention, beating, and extortion.

Media sources:

Attacks on Syrians in Lebanon: Scapegoating, par excellence: http://english.al-akhbar.com/node/21557

Survey on Perceptions of Syrian refugees in Lebanon, August 2015: http://www.sciences-po.usj.edu.lb/pdf/Executive%20Summary.pdf

Since the Regional Refugee and Resilience Response Plan issued in Dec 2014, the Lebanese government formally takes the lead in the crisis response. Overall, governmental responsibility remains with the Ministry of Social Affairs.

The UNHCR is the leading organisation that works in cooperation with the Lebanese government Crisis Cell, other UN agencies and NGOs in providing support for the refugees.

UNHCR works in collaboration with the following Implementing partners:

Government agencies: Ministry of Social Affairs

NGOs: Action Against Hunger, Agence d'aide la coopration technique et au dveloppement, Al Majmoua, Amel Association, AJEM, Caritas Migrant Centre, Cooperative Housing Foundation, Comitato Internazionale per lo Sviluppo dei Popoli, Concern, Global Communities, Cooperazione Internationale, Danish Refugee Council, Dar El Fatwa, International Alert, International Medical Corps, International Orthodox Christian Charities, International Relief and Development, International Rescue Committee, INTERSOS, Islamic Relief, Makhzoumi Foundation, Medair, Mercy Corps, Norwegian Refugee Council, Oxfam, Polish Center for International Aid, Premire Urgence - Aide Mdicale Internationale, RESTART, Right To Play, Save the Children International, Search for Common Ground, SHIELD, Solidar, Terre des Hommes, War Child Holland, World Vision International

Others: UNDP, UN-HABITAT, UNOPS, WHO

Its operating partners are:

Government agencies: High Relief Commission, Parliament's Human Rights Committee, Ministry of Education and Higher Education, Ministry of the Interior and Municipalities, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Public Health

NGOs: ActionAid Denmark, ALPHA, Associazione Volontari per il Servizio Internazionale, Center for Victims of Torture, Fundacin Promocon Social de la Cultura, GVC/Muslim Aid, Handicap International, Heartland Alliance International, Lebanese Red Cross, Makassed, Mdecins du Monde, Refugee Education Trust, Relief International, Ren Moawad Foundation, Safadi Foundation, Terre des Hommes Lausanne, World Rehabilitation Fund, YMCA

Others: FAO, ICRC, IFRC, ILO, IOM, Lebanese Red Cross, OCHA, OHCHR, UNESCO, UNFPA, UNICEF,UNODC, UNRWA, UNSCOL, UNWOMEN, WFP

UNHCRs funding appeal for Lebanon amounts to $1,973,915,014 for 2015. As of Sept 22, 2015, only 35% of its funding requirements are covered.

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Migrant crisisMigration Policy Centre MPC