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A30 world news
Diasabra 22 Mei 2021

UN refugee agency calls on US to end asylum restrictions

U.S. public health law that former President Don- health” authorized by the U.S. Centers for Disease
ald Trump used in March 2020 to effectively end Control and Prevention. His message is being met
asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border. President Joe with growing skepticism as the U.S. slowly returns
Biden has kept the policy in place, though he has to normal.
exempted children who are traveling alone. Grandi said protecting public health and the right
to seek asylum are “fully compatible.”
Under the practice, people from Mexico, Guate-
mala, Honduras and El Salvador are quickly ex- “At the height of the public health emergency,
pelled from the U.S. to Mexico without a chance many countries put in place protocols such as
to seek humanitarian protection. health screening, testing and quarantine measures,
to simultaneously protect both public health and
In a sharply worded statement, Grandi said deny- the right to seek asylum,” he said.
(AP) — The U.N. refugee agency made an ing rights to seek asylum and pushing people out More than 60% of U.S. Customs and Border Pro-
unusual plea Thursday for the Biden admin- of the country violates “core precepts” of the 1951 tection’s nearly 179,000 encounters with migrants
istration to lift pandemic-related restric- U.N. Refugee Convention and that the expulsions on the Mexican border in April resulted in expul-
tions on people seeking asylum in the United have had “serious humanitarian consequences in sions under Title 42, making it a cornerstone piece
States. northern Mexico.” of the U.S. immigration system.

U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro May- The Homeland Security Department did not
Grandi asked for an end to so-called Title 42 au- orkas testified in Congress last week that Title 42 immediately respond to a request for comment
thority, named for a section of an obscure 1944 is “not a tool of immigration, it is a tool of public Thursday.

Ethiopia convicts 3 troops of rape, charges 28 for killings

(AP) — Ethiopia’s mili- Eritrean troops,” said the re- place in the western Tigray which he won the Nobel
tary prosecutors have The statement by the attor- port. area. Peace Prize in 2019, has
convicted three soldiers of ney general’s office also con- promised that the upcoming
rape and pressed charges firmed reports of two mas- The deadly Tigray conflict On Thursday, the U.S. Sen- parliamentary elections on
against 28 others suspect- sacres in Tigray. It said that started on November 4 af- ate passed a resolution con- June 21 will be free and fair.
ed of killing civilians in 229 civilians were killed in ter Ethiopia accused former demning “all violence against His Prosperity Party must
the ongoing conflict in the the town of Mai Kadra at the leaders of the Tigray Peoples civilians” in Tigray and call- win a majority of seats in
northern Tigray region, beginning of November. And Liberation Front, or TPLF, ing for the withdrawal of Ethiopia’s parliament for him
the attorney general’s of- it said that 110 civilians were of ordering an attack on an troops from neighboring Er- to remain prime minister.
fice announced Friday. killed in the city of Axum on Ethiopian army base in the itrea, which also sent troops
November 27 and 28 “by Er- region. to Tigray to support the Ethi- In addition to the Tigray con-
In addition, 25 other soldiers itrean troops.” opian government. flict, Abiy’s government is
are charged with rape and Ethiopia’s leader, Prime Min- struggling to contain ethnic
other forms of sexual vio- “The investigation shows ister Abiy Ahmed, sent troops On Friday, some Ethiopians violence in several regions
lence, the statement said. that 70 civilians have been that quickly ousted the TPLF both at home and abroad of Ethiopia. The opposition
killed in the city (of Axum) from Tigray’s major cities staged a “Hands Off Ethio- Oromo Federalist Congress
The six-month-old Tigray while they were outdoors,” and towns but a guerilla fight pia” social media campaign has pledged to boycott the
conflict is blamed for the said the report, adding that is widely reported to be con- in which they urged foreign vote, saying it is being ha-
deaths of thousands of people some of those killed might tinuing across the region. countries to stop “meddling rassed by the authorities.
and atrocities including rape, have been “irregular combat- in Ethiopia’s affairs.” Several of its leaders are still
extrajudicial killings, and ants.” “Forty civilians seem to Reports of atrocities have led in prison following a wave
forced evictions, according have been taken out of their U.S. Secretary of State An- Abiy, who came to power in of violent unrest sparked last
to local authorities and aid homes and killed in home- thony Blinken to allege that 2018 and introduced sweep- summer by the killing of an
groups. to-home raids conducted by “ethnic cleansing” is taking ing democratic reforms for Oromo musician.

5 feared dead in Fiji after reports of violence on tuna boat

(AP) — Authorities said Friday they aboard the fishing boat were due to an alleged violent incident on board. beacon, a radio, and food to the sur-
feared for the lives of five people who be picked up by a military patrol boat. A New Zealand Air Force Orion vivor, while also notifying Fijian au-
leapt from their fishing boat near Fiji The Fiji navy said it was working plane located the fishing vessel about thorities.
earlier this week after alleged violence with police to sort through the series 90 nautical miles west of Fiji, the
on board. of events that had occurred aboard spokesperson said, and made contact The Orion plane stayed near the life
the Tiro II, a longline tuna boat. with the two people who remained raft as long its fuel would allow, the
A sixth crew member who abandoned The New Zealand military, which on board. spokesperson said, and the survivor
the vessel was found alive Thurs- helped with the search, said it had was rescued by a patrol boat.
day on an overturned life raft, while been told the five missing crew had “The boat crew reported that on
two more people who had remained not been wearing life jackets. Monday night, six crew members “The person found on the life raft was
abandoned the vessel; one person healthy and strong. He was attended
Fiji navy Cdr. Timoci Natuva told was aboard a life raft, with the other to by our medics,” Natuva said.
The Associated Press in emails that five entering the water without life-
they were continuing to look for the jackets,” the spokesperson said in an Natuva said the two remaining crew
missing crew but because they had email. aboard the Tiro II were picked up by
been in the water since Monday and another fishing boat, which the navy
the weather had deteriorated, “the The statement attributed to a un- patrol boat was due to intercept.
search will be really challenging.” named New Zealand Defence Force
spokesperson did not elaborate on “Our focus now is trying to save
He said the Tiro II had been at sea the alleged violence. those that went overboard on Mon-
since the beginning of the month. After the Air Force crew spotted the day,” Natuva said. “The criminal as-
fishing boat, they then searched for pects of the case will be handled by
A spokesperson for the New Zealand the life raft and when they found it, the Fiji Police Force.”
military said they’d gotten reports of dropped a survival pack containing a