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Johan Leman, 16 September 2020

September 1.  Collective deportations by the Hellenic Coast Guard are daily practice in the Aegean Sea with the refugees being robbed. https://www.standaard.be/cnt/dmf20200831_97593394

September 2.  The Sea Watch is allowed to bring 353 rescued migrants to Sicily. https://www.infomigrants.net/en/post/26988/italy-gives-sea-watch-4-permission-to-bring-353-rescued-migrants-to-sicily

September 2.  Conte promises Musumeci, PM of Sicily, that the hotspot on Lampedusa will be vacated. He will use 5 quarantine ships for this. He also promised tax benefits for the residents of Lampedusa. https://gds.it/articoli/politica/2020/09/02/migranti-musumeci-il-governo-chiude-gli-hotspot-nei-prossimi-giorni-ef57810d-6bb8-467e-bcb1-8560c354c7e9/

September 3.  Slovenian police, assisted by Trieste Police, succeed in arresting a Spanish passeur accompanied by 16 undocumented migrants in Trieste. https://ilpiccolo.gelocal.it/trieste/cronaca/2020/09/03/news/inseguimento-oltre-confine-dela-polizia-slovena-bloccato-un-passeur-con-16-migranti-1.39262349?ref=twfpi&twitter_card=20200903103036

September 3.  EU rejects British proposal to facilitate family reunification among refugees giving 1 reason from EU side and a second one being a suspicion. 1. The EU has no mandate in matters of family reunification; this is the competence of the individual Member States. 2. It is feared that such an agreement will mainly favour the return of migrants to the European continent. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/sep/03/brexit-eu-rejects-british-proposal-reuniting-child-asylum-seekers

September3.  The BBC reports that 409 migrants spread over 27 boats were intercepted by the Border Force while the day before, 145 refugees arrived spread over 18 boats. The French police intercepted some 60 persons and that same day also rescued 53 people at sea. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-kent-54000755

September 5.  Extreme right-wing protests (with anti-racist counter demonstration) in Dover against migrant Channel crossings by boats. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/sep/05/port-of-dover-is-brought-to-a-standstill-by-far-right-groups

September 7.  Luciana Lamorgese, Italy’s interior minister notes that in the last two months only 1 n.g.o. ship has come ashore in Italy, with 350 migrants. All other refugees arrived autonomously (via smugglers) in separate boats. https://rep.repubblica.it/pwa/generale/2020/09/07/news/udine_trenta_migranti_in_quarantena_sui_bus_aspettiamo_un_tetto_-266532240/?ref=RHPPTP-BH-I266334959-C12-P1-S4.4-T1

September 7.  In Udine (Northern Italy), 30 migrants are placed in quarantine at night, spread over 2 buses. Really no other option?

https://rep.repubblica.it/pwa/generale/2020/09/07/news/udine_trenta_migranti_in_quarantena_sui_bus_aspettiamo_un_tetto_-266532240/?ref=RHPPTP-BH-I266334959-C12-P1-S4.4-T1

September 8.  Amnesty International accuses Malta of using illegal methods to avoid receiving refugees. https://www.thenational.ae/world/amnesty-international-accuses-malta-of-using-illegal-tactics-against-migrants-1.1074322

September8.  Today, Reuters announced that on September 3, an IOM emergency team found 80 migrants in the desert (Sahara), people from Nigeria, Togo, Mali and Ghana who were transported on 4 trucks on Sept. the 1^st. When the smugglers saw military vehicles approaching them, migrants had to get off the truck and were left in the desert. They had neither food nor water.  https://www.reuters.com/article/us-niger-migrants/dozens-of-abandoned-migrants-rescued-in-sahara-idUSKBN25Z25H

September 8. During 5 operations, French authorities intercepted 80 migrants, among whom 4 children, who tried to cross the Canal into England. From January 2020 on they saved 1169 migrants in similar situations. . https://www.demorgen.be/nieuws/meer-dan-tachtig-vluchtelingen-gered-op-kanaal-onderweg-naar-engeland~b15d05fe/

September 9.  Fire destroys Moria refugee camp on Lesvos. https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/nl/2020/09/09/hevige-brand-in-vluchtelingenkamp-moria-op-lesbos-duizenden-mig/ ;

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/09/moria-ablaze-hundreds-forced-flee-overcrowded-camp-greece-200909035949757.html

https://www.repubblica.it/esteri/2020/09/09/news/lesbo_incendio_campo_profughi-266662019/?ref=RHPPTP-BH-I266583576-C12-P11-S1.8-T1

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/sep/10/fears-of-covid-surge-on-lesbos-as-thousands-of-refugees-flee-huge-fires

September 10.  After a fire in camp Moria, 165 young people were flown from Lesvos to a camp in Thessaloniki (mainland). . https://www.standaard.be/cnt/dmf20200910_91609698

September 10.  According to the Greek government, the fire in camp Moria on Lesvos was started by the asylum seekers themselves. https://www.ansa.it/sito/notizie/mondo/europa/2020/09/09/lincendio-nel-campo-di-moria-provocato-dai-migranti_ca54b35b-e8a4-4cc4-b96e-0c12044f203e.html

September 11.  Belgium sends B-Fast team of 13 people to Moria to provide assistance. https://www.standaard.be/cnt/dmf20200910_96396242

September11.  Merkel and Macron agree to take over 400 minor refugees from Lesvos. They will be spread over various EU member states. http://www.ansamed.info/ansamed/en/news/sections/politics/2020/09/10/migrants-merkel-macron-accommodate-400-minors-from-lesbo_46e3198e-ce9b-4c96-a444-ff04a8b48aa1.html ;

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/sep/11/germany-to-take-up-to-150-child-refugees-from-burnt-moria-camp-lesbos-greece

September 11.  The ship of the Spanish NGO Open Arms makes a third rescue in 48 hours in the Mediterranean, bringing the total number of migrants rescued on the ship to 276.

https://www.repubblica.it/cronaca/2020/09/11/news/migranti_terzo_salvataggio_per_open_arms_ora_sono_276_persone_a_bordo-266988750/?ref=RHPPTP-BH-I266936827-C12-P2-S6.3-T1

September 11.  Mrs. Merkel openly states that in her opinion the EU does not have a migration policy and that this is a heavy burden. She will make a proposal under the German presidency to take steps forward. https://www.ansa.it/sito/notizie/mondo/europa/2020/09/10/merkel-oggi-non-esiste-una-politica-ue-sullimmigrazione_bc19b82c-b101-4541-9e9e-012ff4e86314.html

September 12.  The migrants on Lesvos oppose the Greek government’s plans to set up a new camp for 12,000 refugees in Lesvos by the army.

https://www.ekathimerini.com/256891/article/ekathimerini/news/greece-says-homeless-migrants-will-be-housed-in-coming-days ; https://www.ekathimerini.com/256912/article/ekathimerini/news/mitsotakis-promises-permanent-migrant-centre-after-fire-on-lesvos 

September 14. A Danish tanker that rescued 25 migrants on the Mediterranean Sea receives permission, after 40 days,  to enter in the harbour of Pozzallo in Sicily and let them disembark. https://www.reuters.com/article/europe-migrants-maersk/migrants-rescued-by-danish-tanker-land-in-italy-after-40-days-at-sea-idINKBN26402D

September 15. Germany accepts to receive 1500 migrants from Lesbos. They will be added to the 100 à 150 minors that Germany decided already to take over. Belgium thinks to take over 12 minors from Moria.https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-europe-migrants-greece-germany/germany-to-take-in-around-1500-migrants-from-greek-islands-sources-say-idUKKBN266105 ; https://www.demorgen.be/nieuws/belgie-is-van-plan-om-12-minderjarigen-uit-het-afgebrande-kamp-moria-op-te-vangen~b0a374c2/

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