TWR News Brief May 2024
Welcome to this latest edition of our News Brief. It will include an overview of migration issues in general, and the usual updates on Syria and Afghanistan. However, due to
the significant changes in our work, it will now also include other areas of the Middle East, and North, Central and Eastern Africa.
I write this with a heavy heart – normally I find a video clip with a really positive story to end with – but couldn’t find one! Perhaps if you know of one you could let us know and we will circulate it. In addition, for every single country featured here, all the predictions for the future are of a deterioration, due to adverse climate change (mostly drought or flooding – and sometimes both), poverty, and the political instability that goes hand in hand with these events. It is clear that more and more people will continue to make the decision to ‘leave home’, not less, in order to escape danger and/or desperate poverty, and that we desperately need a world where countries collaborate in a meaningful way to meet these challenges.
International Migration Organisation Report on Migration Deaths
In March, the IOM published a report on fatalities involving migrants worldwide during 2023. They report at least 8,565 deaths, the highest on record, with a 20%
increase on 2022. Of these 3,129 were lost while trying to cross the Mediterranean, and 1,866 while negotiating the Sahara. Hidden behind these figures are the 26,000+ people missing over the last 10 years, whose remains that have never been found. For more details go to:
Ref: Deadliest Year on Record for Migrants with Nearly 8,600 Deaths in 2023 | International Organization for Migration (iom.int)
Rwanda Flights
Following the passage of the “Safety of Rwanda” Bill by the UK Parliament 24th April 2024, Filippo Grandi, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, and Volker Türk, the
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, are calling on the UK government to reconsider its plan to transfer asylum-seekers to Rwanda and instead to take practical measures to address irregular flows of refugees and migrants, based on international cooperation and respect for international human rights law:
“The new legislation marks a further step away from the UK’s long tradition of providing refuge to those in need, in breach of the Refugee Convention,” said Grandi. “Protecting refugees requires all countries – not just those neighbouring crisis zones – to uphold their obligations.”
Acknowledging the challenges presented by the irregular movement of refugees and migrants, often in dangerous circumstances, the UN leaders nonetheless expressed
grave concern that the legislation would facilitate transfers under the UK-Rwanda asylum partnership, with only limited consideration of their individual circumstances
or any protection risks: “It is critical to the protection of the human rights and dignity of refugees and migrants seeking protection that all removals from the UK are carried out after assessing their specific individual circumstances in strict compliance with international human rights and refugee law.”
The new legislation is the third of progressively restrictive UK laws that have eroded access to refugee protection in the UK since 2022, including a ban on access to asylum or other forms of permission to stay in the UK for those arriving irregularly via a third country. If implemented, it would pave the way for asylum-seekers, including families with children, to be summarily sent to Rwanda to present their asylum claims, with no prospect of return to the UK. It will also drastically limit the ability for asylum-seekers to appeal removal decisions. This situation is even more concerning given the legislation expressly authorizes the Government to disregard any protective interim remedies from the European Court of Human Rights.
The Refugee Council estimates that only about 9000 of those arriving this year will be eligible, under the terms of the various Immigration Acts, to be flown to Rwanda,
and that it is unlikely that more than 2000 will have been sent by the end of 2024. They predict this will leave about 100,000 men, women and children trapped in limbo
in the UK and possibly waiting in unsuitable accommodation.
IF YOU KNOW OF ANYONE WHO HAS RECEIVED A LETTER FROM THE HOME OFFICE MENTIONING RWANDA, OR HAS RECEIVED ‘A LETTER OF INTENT’, PLEASE ADVISE THEM TO CONTACT CARE4CALAIS
Please see NOI Translated EDITED (care4calais.org)
Refs: UNHCR 23 April 2024, Refugee Council 26th April 2024
Afghan Refugees in Pakistan and UK
It is known that between 600,000 and 800,000 Afghan refugees have arrived in Pakistan since August 2021 to join about 3 million already there. Of these, as many as 2 million may not be officially registered. At the beginning of October 2023 the Pakistan Government gave notice that all foreign nationals living illegally in the country should leave by 31st October 2023. This resulted in more than 600,000 people fleeing back over the border into Afghanistan, many people accumulating at the land borders, and with reports that forced repatriation was already underway. Meanwhile, those who had visas to stay, as well as those without, were regularly being subjected to harassment, violence or extortion. Indications this month are that there is to be a second wave of forced repatriations to Afghanistan.
Specific concern has been expressed for those Afghans in Pakistan who have been approved for resettlement by the UK government (due to having been employed by MOD), had failed to be evacuated in August 2021 and had since fled to Pakistan. They had been given temporary visas for staying in Pakistan, but were stranded in hotels in Islamabad. In November 2023 the Government announced that 2,800 of these personnel would be flown to the UK by the end of December 2023. They were
to be housed in MOD service or ‘alternative’ accommodation. It is difficult to find statistics for how many have now been flown to safety. As of December 2023 there were still 2,000 people who had been accepted into the ARAP programme waiting to be flown into the UK, out of a total of 75,000 applications made during that year.
Government Statistics for Dec 31st 2023 state that just over 25,000 Afghans had been brought to the UK on the ARAP and ACRS resettlement schemes in total. Of those, about 6,500 have been given Indefinite Leave to Remain on the ARAP scheme (those who came on the airlift) and about the same number on the ACRS scheme. However, it seems that most of that second category had come on the emergency airlift and then been transferred to the ‘ACRS pathway one’. Of the 5,000 planned per year on the original ACRS scheme, only about 800 had arrived.
Refs: BBC News 1st Nov 2023, UN News 3rd Nov 2023, Associated Press 8th Nov 2023, Forces Net 20th Dec 2023, Afghan Resettlement Programme: operational data – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk), The New Humanitarian 10th Apr 2024
Syria
As the Syria crisis enters its 14th year, the region faces an alarming situation where the needs of Syrian refugees and their host communities are growing, while the
funding to support them continues to decline. 5.7 million Syrians are still seeking refuge across five neighbouring countries (Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, and Iraq) while 2.0 million are internally displaced, in a country of dire poverty and instability.
Refs: UNHCR 8th Mar 2024
Iraq
The complex political environment and volatile security situation has now led to Iraq being added to the list of those countries which can potentially qualify for the ‘fast-track’ on line application for asylum. The Kurdistan Autonomous Region hosts 25 camps for refugees plus 1.14 million internally displaced Iraqis. In addition over 200,000 Iraqis are currently seeking refuge in neighbouring countries – and an unknown number on the trans-continental journeys to Europe.
Refs: UNHCR 2024
Iran
Reports are coming out of Iran, that there has been renewed attacks on women in Iran who do not conform to the required dress-code, after a speech by the Ayatollah
as part of the celebrations of Eid (at the end of Ramadan). Human rights continue to be systematically infringed.
Ref: Deutsche Welle (DW) 29th April 2024
Map showing key areas for movement of migrants and refugees across Northern Africa
South Sudan
Over a decade of conflict in South Sudan has resulted in 2.3 million South Sudanese refugees living in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan and Uganda. Since the start of the conflict food shortages, continued insecurity, and the impacts of climate change, have kept South Sudanese refugees in exile and prompted on-going displacement. Four consecutive years of flooding have also triggered further cross-border movements, with 72% of the resident population in need of humanitarian assistance. It is feared that the planned general elections in December 2024 will result in more conflict and unrest
Ref: UNHCR 28th Mar 2024, International Rescue Committee 2024
Sudan
A year on, the war in Sudan continues to rage between the Sudanese Army and the Rapid Support Forces (previously Janjaweed), with the country and its neighbours experiencing one of the largest and most challenging humanitarian and displacement crises in the world. The number of Sudanese who have fled their homes is now more than 8.5 million, with 1.8 million of them having crossed borders. In Darfur, ethnic killings and displacements continue. Women and girls account for more than half of all registered refugees from Sudan. They have been often been exposed to shocking levels of sexual violence, whether in conflict-affected areas inside Sudan or in countries of asylum. In the past year there has been a 500 per cent increase in the number of Sudanese arriving in Europe.
Ref: UNHCR 9th, 12th + 24th Apr 2024, International Rescue Committee 2024
Somalia
After 5 consecutive years of rains failure, widespread flooding and conflict between the Government forces and Al Shabaab forces, 4.3 million Somalians are at risk. The death penalty is enforced for proven same-sex relationships.
Ref: International Rescue Committee 2024
Sahel
4 million people are displaced in Burkino Faso, Mali, Mauritania and Niger, 3 million of whom are internally displaced. After repeated coup d’etats, armed conflict and
poverty many Malians had crossed the border into Mauritania by the end of 2023. The number is set to increase as armed gunmen have cut off the supply of aid to 50% of the country.
In Burkino Faso, half the country is beyond government control and ISGS (Islamic State in Greater Sahara) and JNIM (Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin) are blockading major towns and cities.
In Niger, since international security assistance has been withdrawn, border closures have prevented aid convoys reaching 7.3 million at risk.
Ref: UNHCR 2024, International Rescue Committee 2024
Ethiopia
In July 2023 Ethiopia was hosting nearly 1 million refugees from South Sudan, Somalia and Eritrea, with 3.1 million Ethiopians also internally displaced because of the armed uprisings in Tigray 2020-2022. This, along with 3 years of drought, has put 9 million into serious food shortages.
Ref: Reliefwebinternational/reports; International Rescue Committee 2024
Eritrea
In Eritrea, there has been serious suppression of human rights and forced conscription since 2022, along with the government exacerbating the conflict in Tigray. Half a million Eritrean refugees have fled to other East African countries.
Ref: Humanrightswatch.org
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Intense fighting broke out in eastern DCR in 2023, following the collapse of a truce between the government and the armed group ‘M23’. This exacerbated a protracted crisis that had already exposed millions of Congolese to conflict, political tensions, economic pressures and climate shocks. The country began 2024 with 25.4 million people in need of humanitarian assistance—more than any other country in the world.
Refs: UNHCR 2024, International Rescue Committee 2024
LM May 2024