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The mismanagement of the Covid-19 lockdown and the suffering of the underpaid migrant labourers are the central themes of actor Dia Mirzas latest film, Bheed. Though the memories and visual from that time still affect the actor, she remembers how the films narrative profoundly took a toll on her when she first heard it. I was deeply moved by it. I was sobbing while reading the script. I thought this is the film that has to be made as its a film for ages. Stories like this are necessary for generations to reflect, internalize and understand how flawed we as humans can be.

Bheed also focuses on the migrants and tackles the delicate subject of social inequality with heartbreaking visuals and soul-stirring stories. Mirza says that makes the film all the more relevant in todays time, We need more films like these to understand the social inequalities that we have lived with. We need to recognise they exist to be able to change it .

In the film, Mirza plays a single mother from the privileged class of society, who amid the lockdown, is desperately trying to get to her daughter. The actor talks about delving deep into the psyche of her character and also points out how the film throws light on the treatment that privileged tend to give to other sections of society. There are people who are uncaring of anybody elses predicament in a moment, where they are so consumed by their problems but thats natural. Thats also human. This character helped me understand that as an actor, I do not have to judge the character I am playing. I just have to become the character, she says and goes on, There are moments in the film, where you will see the grey side of my character, and by extension, the grey side of our society. However, despite the fact that my character in the movie is flawed and serves as a mirror to society, it sends out the message that being flawed is okay.

A mother herself, Mirza shares that it was hard for her to relate to the character, thereby making the process of seeping into the character, understanding the conflict and bringing it out on the screen, a tad bit challenging . She says, Her actions were difficult to fathom because she is very different from who I am as a person..as a mother. I have never perceived myself as non-empathetic. Thats why, I decided to understand and internalize the reality of society, the thought-process of her character, and just go with the flow of it. I had to shut everybody out and think as a mother, who is trying to reach her daughter.

She adds, Having said that, I do not know how I would react in a situation like this. If that ever happens, it might help discover a side of me, which I do not know about yet.

But Mirza is happy to learn a lesson from her character, no matter how flawed it is. Every character teaches you something and this one taught me to let go and be....just to become that person you are meant to be in that moment. And its very interesting that none of us, including me, judged the characters or their actions, she explains. Mirza calls it the power of strong storytelling that not just her but everyone who saw the film at the preview, came out and said that they did not hate any character despite all their flaws being so evident.

Since the film focusses on social inequality, was there ever the pressure of offending any class or section of the society? And the actors says,I think, intentions matter. Jab kuch acchi niyat se karo, toh kuch bura nahi ho skta. The intention of the film and the filmmaker were honest. I never felt unsettled or concerned about any area of the film.

March 22 this year marked the third anniversary of lockdown - the dreadful time that shocked everyone to the core. Recalling her worst memories from that phase, Mirza shares, When lockdown happened, there were images of hundreds of families on the road trying to go to their homes, daughter cycling the father, images of people coming out of the cement mixer...all these were so powerful (and found way into the narratives of Bheed). While all this happened, we were in the comfort of our home and the first thing that we would say to ourselves every single day was that we are grateful. Not everyone was as lucky as we are.

The Sanju actor recalls how there were so many residents in her building, who were single and above the age of 80. They were rendered helpless because their house help could not come. Our efforts were directed towards making things better for them. For the first few days, all we were trying to do was help them in whatever way possible. I sometimes even went to clean peoples home, she tells us

During this time, the biggest discovery for me was less is best. All that we really need is things that makes us safe, secure and healthy, Mirza ends.

Excerpt from:
Dia Mirza on her character in Anubhav Sinhas Bheed: I was sobbing while reading the script based on migrant crisis - Hindustan Times

The deaths of two migrants in a train car in a small Texas town in Uvalde County marks the latest tragedy to hit the southern border amid a historic migrant crisis a crisis being facilitated by human smugglers, who will often put migrants in deadly situations.

The Uvalde Police Department received a 911 call Friday afternoon saying there were "numerous" migrants "suffocating" in a train car. Border Patrol had been informed and stopped the car two to three miles east of Knippa, Texas. The incident is suspected to be related to human smuggling, sources said.

Officials for Union Pacific Railroad later said that 15 people were found in the rail car, two people died while four were air-lifted to San Antonio, and six were taken to nearby hospitals.

"Union Pacific is deeply saddened by this incident and the tragedies occurring at the border. We take the safety of all individuals seriously and work tirelessly with law enforcement partners to detect illegal items and people riding inside or on our rail cars. This incident is under investigation," it said.

TEXAS AUTHORITIES SAY AT LEAST 2 MIGRANTS DEAD, OVER A DOZEN INJURED AFTER SUFFOCATING IN TRAIN CAR

Law enforcement vehicles and officers photographed via helicopter investigating train cars where more than a dozen migrants were found "suffocating" near San Antonio, TX. (Credit: KENS 5 San Antonio) (KENS 5)

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said in a statement that the agency is "heartbroken to learn of yet another tragic incident of migrants taking the dangerous journey."

"I thank the Border Patrol Agents who responded to the scene and the HSI Agents who are supporting the investigation in Uvalde. We will work with the Uvalde County Sheriffs Office to hold those responsible. Smugglers are callous and only care about making a profit," he said.

It marks the latest deadly incident at the border as authorities face a historic surge of migrants that saw over 2.4 million encounters last fiscal year and the second such tragedy within a month.

Earlier this month eight migrants died after two smuggling vessels capsized off the coast of Southern California. At least 15 migrants were on one of the boats, and eight on another. It was unclear how many made it to shore.

SEVEN MEXICAN NATIONALS AMONG THE EIGHT MIGRANTS WHO DIED AFTER SMUGGLING BOATS CAPSIZED NEAR SAN DIEGO

Seven of the deceased migrants were identified as Mexican nationals based on the identification documents they were carrying. Officials said that such boats are often overloaded and poorly maintained.

Those deaths came after a FY 2022 in which there were 856 migrant deaths at the southern border the highest and deadliest on record. That has coincided with a record number of migrant encounters at the border. The 2.4 million seen that year exceeded the 1.7 million encountered a year before, which itself was a record.

The most deadly incident of the year came in June when 53 migrants died after being locked in a tractor-trailer in San Antonio, Texas. The dead included a 13-year-old and 14-year-old from Guatemala and two 16-year-olds from Mexico.

The truck had been carrying 73 people when it was found on June 27.

In September, nine migrants were killed in the Rio Grande as they tried to cross into the United States from Mexico, while Border Patrol agents rescued 37 others.

The same month, agents narrowly averted tragedy when they rescued a four-month-old and an 18-month-old who had been abandoned in the sweltering heat of the Arizona desert.

Meanwhile, the debate over solutions to the crisis rages on in Washington. Republicans have blamed the Biden administration for its policies that they say have encouraged migrants to surge to the southern border specifically its moves to reduce interior enforcement and release more migrants into the interior.

Law enforcement vehicles and officers photographed via helicopter investigating train cars where more than a dozen migrants were found suffocating near San Antonio, TX. (Credit: KENS 5 San Antonio) (KENS 5)

The administration has faulted Republicans for failing to agree to border funding requests. It has also launched anti-smuggling operations and sought to expand legal pathways including a recent humanitarian parole program so migrants can travel into the U.S. without entering illegally.

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The latest deaths come just weeks before Title 42, which allows for the rapid expulsion of illegal migrants at the southern border due to the COVID-19 pandemic, is set to expire on May 11 along with the public health emergency. Officials have previously warned that a dramatic increase in migrant crossings can be expected when the order drops.

Fox News' Bill Melugin, Brie Stimson and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Migrant deaths on Texas train mark latest border incident in string of recent tragedies: 'Heartbroken' - Fox News

On February 26, bodies began washing up on Italy's southern shore near Crotone, Calabriaat least 81 dead, including 32 children, in one of the worst migrant shipwrecks the Mediterranean has seen in the past decade. Protesters marched on the streets of Crotone accusing Italy's conservative government, led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, of neglecting the lives of migrants seeking asylum.

Liberals in the West accused Meloni of fascism before she was even elected. She has proven them wrong. Her government has supported Ukraine, voiced support for Taiwan, passed an EU-friendly budget, arrested Italy's most-wanted mafia boss, and sealed an $8 billion gas production deal with Libya to improve Italian energy security, among other achievements. Her effectiveness shows, and recent polling data reveal that she is the most respected leader in Europe. If Meloni truly is a fascist, she is hiding it well.

Notwithstanding Meloni's frequent agreement with her EU counterparts, her government stands firmly opposed to left-wing EU orthodoxy on the migration crisis. Italy wishes to defend its borders from the tens of thousands of migrants, mostly departing from Libya, arriving at its shores each year. EU and international law dictate that "asylum seekers" traveling by sea must be accepted at the closest safe port. For migrants sailing the Mediterranean Sea towards Europe, the closest ports are in southern Italy. Four months ago, Meloni was questioned about her government's refusal to dock the charity-run ship Ocean Viking carrying more than 200 migrants. In her response, Meloni asked Europe an important question: "should Italy be, by choice, the only possible port of disembarkation for migrants arriving from Africa? I think this doesn't seem right."

In reality, migrants suffer more when Italy fails to defend its borders. The UN recorded 5,136 deaths and disappearances in 2016 under a left-of-center Italian government. In contrast, 2,337 were recorded in 2018 when conservative Matteo Salvini became interior minister and instituted the "Salvini decrees," which made seeking asylum in Italy more difficult. Salvini's strict immigration policies removed the incentive for migrants to set sail in the first place, potentially saving thousands of lives that otherwise would have been lost in treacherous ocean crossings. These policies prevent tragedies like that in Calabria.

Beyond deaths at sea, migrants and Italians alike suffer from heavy immigration flows.

Asylum seekers often become victims of the mafia. The Italian mafia cooperates with crime groups in Africa and Eastern Europe to ensure the safe arrival of migrants, only to force them into prostitution and the drug trade. Organized crime controls 9 percent of the Italian economy, infiltrating vital supply chainsincluding the northern industrial baseand weakening production capacity. Unchecked immigration helps line the pockets of global crime networks and weakens Italian industry.

Migrants also exacerbate Italy's fiscal crisis. High unemployment and slow growth plague the heavily indebted Italian economy. To make matters worse, the Constitutional Court of Italy recently ruled that the government cannot deny access to social services based on nationality and, in some regions, based on length of residence. The migration crisis only accelerates the ongoing deterioration of Italy's welfare state.

A weak Italy is not in the interests of the EU. Italy plays a disproportionately large role in European security. It patrols the Mediterranean with the Cavour aircraft carrier and a fleet of F-35s, and recently launched bilateral defense initiatives with Lebanon, Libya, and Niger. Italy is the second-largest contributor to NATO's out-of-area operations. It also possesses a world-class defense industrial base.

But Italy cannot sustain this strong presence abroad with vulnerable supply chains, massive public debt, and diminishing morale. The migration crisis is sapping away Italy's will and ability to lead, and unless the EU changes course, the alliance will continue to fray.

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EU policy fails to address the crisis effectively. On paper, the EU's "solidarity mechanism" means member nations are supposed to share the burden of migration. But only 164 out of more than 88,000 migrants were moved from Italy in 2022 before the Ocean Viking scandal. While most migrants extralegally move northward to more established migrant communities in France, Germany, and Sweden, Italy nonetheless bears the initial burden. Meloni wants to stop migration at the source. Hence, against the wishes of the EU, she provided boats to Libya to intercept migrant ships and return them home.

Meloni's efforts face heavy criticism. The human rights commissioner of the Council of Europe, Dunja Mijatovi, criticized Meloni and called for Europe to accept all asylum seekers. Some accused Meloni of racism. France even sent hundreds of officers to its border with Italy to prevent migrants from entering France and rescinded an offer to take 3,500 migrants currently in Italy; in other words, France criticized Italy for securing its borders and punished migrants in the process.

Meloni should continue to stand firm. Brussels is out of touch with democratic people's movements, such as the one led by Meloni, across EU member states. The Italian prime minister may yet succeedMeloni and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz spoke over the phone about, among other things, the migration crisis in anticipation of last week's European Council Summit. Perhaps there is hope. More European leaders should follow Meloni's example and work to secure their borders, restore security, and above all honor the will of their peoples.

Luca Frumento is a graduate of Clemson University, previous Hudson Institute Political Studies Fellow, and writer based in Washington, DC.

The views expressed in this article are the writer's own.

See more here:
Meloni Needs To Stand Firm on Immigration | Opinion - Newsweek

February and March have been deadly months for migrants traveling through the Mediterranean Sea, continuing the history of what has been called one of the most dangerous travel routes on earth.

Within the past two months, at least 100 people were feared dead or missing on their various journeys after the boats carrying them sank, while about 1,000 others were rescued by Italian Navy and sea guards, according to media reports. Some other migrants made it safely to Italy on their own.

Despite the terrifying danger of this sea route, migrants from various countries continue to view the perilous peregrination on the Mediterranean Sea as their best route to a better life abroad.

What many would consider a suicidal journey others see as their last hope for a better life. Many travelers on the route were unable to secure visas from their home countries to travel by air or road.

Even keen observers have lost count of the number of boat mishaps on the water.

The death toll on the Mediterranean Sea over the years is such that even keen observers have lost count of the number of boat mishaps on the water.

The Missing Migrants Project, an initiative of the International Organization for Migration, attempts to keep a known death toll: In 2015, over 4,000 refugees and migrants are known to have died at sea while trying to reach Europe, and the death toll has continued to mount since. The majority of these people are not identified and in many cases bodies are never found. In each case, a family is left in a state of ambiguous loss, unable to fully grieve for their loved one. Despite the magnitude of unidentified deaths and the suffering of families, states have done little to address this humanitarian imperative.

From 2014 to the present, the Missing Migrants Project has recorded53,908 lives lost on the sea route. It identified the Central Mediterranean route as the deadliest path, where at least20,580 people have died since 2014 and noted the remains of23,017others who lost their lives during migration have not been recovered.

The February and March tragedies happened at a time that Tunisia, a North African country bordered by the Mediterranean Sea, is in the news over the migrant crisis. Many migrants in the country have fled the land for fear of their lives after a racist backlash worsened by comments made by the countrys president, Kais Saied, Feb. 21.

President of Tunisia Kais Saied (Photo by Thierry Monasse/Getty Images)

At a National Security Council meeting, Saied said hordes of irregular migrants from Sub-Saharan Africa had come to Tunisia, with all the violence, crime and unacceptable practices that entails and that the unnatural situation was part of a ploy to change the demographic make-up and turn Tunisia into just another African country that doesnt belong to the Arab and Islamic nations anymore.

Saieds view was criticized by human rights organizations.

Heba Morayef, Amnesty Internationals director for the Middle East and North Africa, said Saied was only trying to find excuses for his failure and has ended up stoking ethnic tensions.

President Saied must retract his comments and order investigations to clearly signal that anti-Black racist violence will not be tolerated, she said. The president must stop finding scapegoats for Tunisias economic and political woes. The community of Black African migrants in Tunisia is now gripped by fear of assault or being arbitrarily arrested and summarily deported.

The community of Black African migrants in Tunisia is now gripped by fear of assault or being arbitrarily arrested and summarily deported.

She added that following the outcry by the international community, authorities in Tunisia had sought to downplay or deny the animosity generated by racist comments and attacks. Morayef challenged the countrys government to prioritize the investigation of incidents of police violence against Black migrants, put an immediate end to forcible returns currently under way and prevent any further racially motivated attacks by gangs or state agents.

Heba Morayef

Amnesty International said it interviewed 20 people in Tunis, among them five asylum seekers and 15 undocumented migrants from Cameroon, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Nigeria, Guinea and Ivory Coast, who were all attacked by mobs, and in at least three cases, the police were present but failed to intervene to stop the attacks or arrest the perpetrators.

It added that witnesses described to Amnesty International how, after the presidents speech, Tunisian men, sometimes armed with batons and knives, had taken to the streets of the capital and attacked them or raided their houses.

As an example, on Feb. 24, Manuela D, 22, a Cameroonian asylum seeker, was stabbed in the chest, causing horrific injuries. She was attacked by a group of six men who shouted racist insults at her. She heard voices shouting, in French, Go back home, you gang of Blacks, we dont want you here.

Another example from Amnesty International: Aziz,21, from Sierra Leone, who said that a few days after the presidents speech, 10 Tunisians stormed his house in Ariana, broke the door, stole his things and forced him and his family out, saying, All Black people must leave.

Poor people who migrate today are demonized and forced to risk their lives.

Lynn Tramonte, director of the Ohio Immigrant Alliance, said of this news: I feel sick that people are forced to migrate this way. Migration is as old as time. Its inherent in the human condition. We migrate for food, shelter, to avoid danger. We migrate to improve our conditions. But instead of recognizing this reality, poor people who migrate today are demonized and forced to risk their lives. Rich people are allowed to migrate on planes and cross borders freely. Theres so much wrong with this system.

Tunisia is far from alone in this problem, she added. You see this in Mauritania, too, and they actually attack citizens of their own country. The Berber elite there has been carrying out an ethnic cleansing against Black Mauritanians for decades. In the 1980s and 1990s, it was genocide. Now it is apartheid. But its still about Arabizing the nation, despite the fact that Black ethnic groups have lived on that land for centuries.

Lynn Tramonte

In Italy, which shares a maritime border with African countries like Libya and is a gateway to people migrating toward Europe, opinions remain divided on whether the Italian government is welcoming and helpful or antagonistic toward migrants.

While theexploitation of resources and people drive many to leave their homes, racism in government policies keeps them from traveling safely, Tramonte said. My friend Abdoul Mbow wrote thisarticlein theColumbus Dispatchabout people journeying from Mauritania through South and Central America to arrive at the U.S. border, only to face rejection or jail. He asked people why they are risking it all to make this journey and they told him, We are already dead.

The hopelessness they must feel, combined with the bravery they show in making a last attempt to have a life, its so big, she said, adding, No one should have to risk their life in order to survive. Those of us who live in countries that exploit poor people and their land and resources, who refuse to give them safe pathways to travel, should be ashamed and agitated into action. We must change our governments approach to migrants and migration to welcome people with dignity.

People wearing Gary Lineker masks march during a Stand Up To Racism protest at George Square on March 18, 2023, in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

The issue remains divisive across Europe, as evidenced by the experience of Gary Lineker, former English soccer star who works as a freelancer for the BBC. In response to new laws proposed by the British government against migrants or refugees, Lineker tweeted that the governments action is reminiscent of the Nazi era.

There is no huge influx. We take far fewer refugees than other major European countries, he said. This is just an immeasurably cruel policy directed at the most vulnerable people in language that is not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the 30s, and Im out of order?

The furor that followed the tweet led to Lineker being taken off air by the BBC. Some of Linekers BBC colleagues abstained from work in solidarity with him. However, an agreement between Lineker and BBC management has since allowed him to return to work at Britains flagship media outfit.

Anthony Akaezeis a Nigerian-born freelance journalist who lives in Houston. He covers Africa for BNG.

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Read more from the original source:
A tragic tale of death on the Mediterranean Sea amid Tunisian and ... - Baptist News Global

WARSAW, March 28 (Reuters) - Belarus will certainly face further European sanctions due to a Russian plan to station tactical nuclear weapons in the country, Poland's prime minister said on Tuesday, as tensions between Warsaw and Minsk hit new highs.

President Vladimir Putin said on Saturday Russia would station the nuclear arms in Belarus, his latest gambit in a worsening stand-off with the West over the Russian invasion of Ukraine last year.

"This step taken by Russia... the announcement of the deployment of nuclear weapons in Belarus, will certainly lead to the announcement of additional sanctions, the level of sanctions will be much more severe for the Lukashenko regime," Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki told a news conference in Bucharest, referring to the Belarusian president.

The United States, the world's other leading nuclear superpower, has reacted cautiously to Putin's statement, with a senior Biden administration official saying there were no signs Moscow planned to use its nuclear weapons.

However, Lithuania has said that it will call for new sanctions against Moscow and Minsk in response to Russia's plan.

Morawiecki said he was in daily talks with other European Union leaders about an 11th package of sanctions against Russia and that it would include more measures targeting Belarus, a close ally of Moscow.

Relations between Warsaw and Minsk were strained even before the war in Ukraine made them allies of opposing sides in the conflict.

Poland accuses Belarus of orchestrating a migrant crisis along its borders which reached a peak in 2021, though migrants continue to arrive at the frontier today. Minsk denies pushing migrants towards the border.

The two neighbours are also in dispute over the jailing of a journalist of Polish origin in Belarus and the vandalism of Polish graves in the country.

Amid the deteriorating ties, Poland closed one of its key border crossings with Belarus in February, a move Minsk has condemned. On Tuesday, Morawiecki said Poland was considering further limitations on cross-border traffic.

"We border Belarus and, as part of our bilateral relations, we are considering tightening the parameters of passenger and freight traffic in order to send a signal that we do not accept actions that serve Russia in its aggressive actions in Ukraine."

Reporting by Alan Charlish, Pawel Florkiewicz and Anna Wlodarczak-Semczuk, editing by Mark Heinrich

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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Belarus to face more sanctions over nuclear arms plan, Poland says - Reuters