Greece accused of ‘pushbacks’ at Turkish border. Asylum-seekers and migrants who crossed into Greece at its land border with Turkey have been forced back , in violation of international law, according to a report released on Wednesday by three Greek NGOs. The report is based on the testimonies of 39 people now in detention centres in northern Greece. They described being intercepted and detained by people wearing police or military uniforms, who then forced them onto boats to cross the Evros River back to Turkey. They managed to re-cross the border during subsequent attempts. On Tuesday, the National Human Rights Commission of Greece, an independent advisory body to the Greek state, also raised concerns about “repeated and informal refoulement of people possibly qualifying for international protection in the Evros area". UNHCR told AFP it had received a significant number of reports of "informal forced returns" at the Evros border and had asked Greek authorities to investigate. Greece has denied involvement in the returns. | | |
| After five years of war, no easy road home for South Sudan’s displaced. Half a decade after conflict broke out in the world’s youngest nation, IRIN reports that many people displaced by the conflict remain sceptical that a new peace deal signed in September will guarantee their safety if they attempt to return home. More than two million South Sudanese are living as refugees in neighbouring countries, while nearly two million more are internally displaced. Although there has been a significant decrease in fighting across the country since September, pockets of violence continue, and civil society groups told IRIN there was a disconnect between national and grassroots peace efforts. A report released last week by Refugees International warned that “rushed returns risk fuelling ethnic tensions and costing lives”. Aid agencies in South Sudan today launched an appeal for US$1.5 billion to provide assistance to 5.7 million people affected by conflict, hunger and displacement. | | |
| More than 50,000 Nigeriens displaced by violence this year. Cross-border invasions and attacks by militant groups in western Niger’s border areas with Mali and Burkina Faso have forced 52,000 people to flee their homes this year alone, according to UNHCR. In a statement today, the agency said it was receiving reports from the displaced of “horrific violence ”, including killings and abductions of civilians, burning of schools and looting of homes and livestock. The violence is also affecting 53,000 Malian refugees living in the region, some of whom are now considering fleeing to other countries. UNHCR said the insecurity was hampering efforts to reach some of those in need of aid. | | |
| Children born to Manus refugees face stateless future. The Guardian reports that up to 39 children born to refugee men and Papua New Guinean women on Manus Island have been denied birth certificates , leaving them stateless. Australia’s offshore processing centre on Manus closed last year, but about 580 refugee and asylum-seeker men remain on the island. A number of the men have started relationships with local women but say provincial authorities have refused to issue birth certificates for their children. Experts warn that the denial of birth certificates violates the children’s international legal right to be registered immediately after birth and could expose them to further human rights violations. The Australian government said it was a matter for the PNG government. | | |
| As Somalis flee to cities, Mogadishu becomes most crowded city in Africa. Somali cities are struggling to cope with the arrival of internally displaced people fleeing conflict and disasters. The influx has made Mogadishu the most densely populated city in Africa, according to a new report by the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre . An estimated 2.6 million people are displaced within Somalia. Those fleeing fighting in rural areas often arrive in Mogadishu with little more than the clothes on their backs, said Evelyn Aero, Regional Adviser for the Norwegian Refugee Council. They often end up in crowded camps where they lack enough food, clean water and sanitation. “More aid is needed to ensure that these people have a safe place to stay, with enough basic humanitarian aid to survive,” said Aero. | | |
| Donors commit record $926 million in initial pledges for UNHCR’s work in 2019. The pledges, made at an annual donor gathering in Geneva on Wednesday, provide an indication of anticipated funding levels and overall support for UNHCR’s work providing protection and assistance to millions of refugees, returnees, internally displaced people and stateless people. The agency has put its global financial requirements for 2019 at US$8.591 billion , a slight increase from last year’s appeal. “As we face unprecedented levels of forced displacement and complexity of challenges, I thank our donors for staying the course,” said UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi. | | |
| Spend a day with 18-year-old Syrian refugee Joudy Aldabbas as she goes from scooping Ben & Jerry’s ice cream at London Zoo to the company’s Ice Academy, where she gets tips on how to realize her dream of starting a jewellery business. | | |
A third of South Sudan’s population have been forced to flee their homes due to violence and food insecurity caused by five years of conflict.
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