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A30 world news
Diabierna 26 november 2021

France calls for European aid after 27 migrant deaths at sea

dent to date on the dangerous tion into France, saying that continuing on to other na-
stretch of sea that separates when migrants reach French tions.
France and Britain. shores with hopes of heading
on to Britain “it is already too Ministers from France, Ger-
“We picked up six floating late.” many, the Netherlands, Bel-
bodies. We passed by an in- gium and Britain and EU
flatable craft that was de- Macron said France is de- officials will meet on Sun-
flated. The little bit of air ploying army drones as part day to discuss increasing ef-
remaining kept it afloat,” De- of stepped-up efforts to pa- forts to crack down on mi-
vos told reporters. trol its northern coastline and grant-smuggling networks,
help rescue migrants at sea. Macron’s government an-
“I’d been somewhat expect- But he also said that a greater nounced.
ing it because I’d say, ‘It’s go- collective effort is needed, re-
ing to end with a drama,’” he ferring to France as a “transit They will convene in Cal-
said. country” for Britain-bound ais, one of the French coastal
migrants. towns where migrants gather,
France and Britain appealed looking for ways to cross to
(AP) — Helicopters rowfully acknowledged, Thursday for European as- “We need to strengthen co- the British coast that is vis-
buzzed above the waves wholly unexpected. With sistance, promised stepped- operation with Belgium, the ible from France on clear
and vessels were already migrants often setting off by up efforts to combat people- Netherlands, Germany, but days. Seaside communities
scouring the cold waters the hundreds in unseaworthy smuggling networks and also also the British and the (Eu- on both sides of the channel
when French maritime and overloaded vessels into traded blame and barbs in the ropean) Commission,” he were reeling Thursday from
rescue volunteer Charles the busy shipping lane criss- wake of Wednesday’s deadly said on a visit to Croatia. “We the sinking’s horrific toll.
Devos added his boat to crossed by hulking freight- sinking that again shone a need stronger European co-
the frantic search for a ers, and frequently beset by light on the scale and com- operation.” “This was unfortunately
flimsy migrant boat that treacherous weather, waves plexity of Europe’s migration something that could have
foundered in the English and currents, Devos had long problems. Migration is an explosive is- been foreseen, a scenario of
Channel, killing at least feared that tragedy would en- sue in Europe, where leaders horror that we’d feared and
27. sue. French President Emmanuel often accuse one another of dreaded,” said Ludovic Ho-
Macron appealed to neigh- not doing enough to either chart, a police union official
What Devos found was grue- That came this week, with boring European countries to prevent migrants from enter- in Calais.
some. But not, he later sor- the deadliest migration acci- do more to stop illegal migra- ing their countries or from

Interpol elects United Arab Emirates official as president

(AP) — Interpol on national body has come un-
Thursday elected a con- der criticism that its “red no- Al-Raisi is accused of torture
tentious official from the tice” system is being used to and has criminal complaints
United Arab Emirates as go after exiled dissidents or against him in five countries,
its new president during political enemies instead of including in France, where
the international law en- criminals. Interpol’s charter Interpol has its headquar-
forcement body’s annual however, prohibits the use ters, and in Turkey, where the
General Assembly held in of police notices for political election was held.
Istanbul. reasons.
His election was met with joy
Maj. Gen. Ahmed Naser al- Interpol said al-Raisi was in the UAE but drew angry
Raisi, inspector general at the elected following three responses from two Britons
United Arab Emirates’ inte- rounds of voting and received who filed the complaints.
rior ministry and a member 68.9% of the votes cast in the
of Interpol’s executive com- final round. “This is a sad day for interna-
mittee, was elected for one tional justice and global po-
four-year term, the global “It’s an honor to have been licing,” said Matthew Hedg-
policing body announced. elected to serve as the next es, a British doctoral student
He has been accused by hu- president of Interpol,” the who was imprisoned in the travels in his new position.” from Beijing.
man rights groups of involve- global police agency quoted UAE for nearly seven months
ment in torture and arbitrary al-Raisi as saying. in 2018 on spying charges. Hedges was pardoned by In the UAE, now hosting
detentions in the UAE. Hedges says he was subjected UAE President Sheikh Khal- the Expo 2020 world’s fair in
“Interpol is an indispens- to torture and months of soli- ifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, but Dubai and marking the 50th
Another contentious candi- able organization built on the tary confinement. Emirati officials still insist anniversary of its founding,
date, Hu Binchen, an official strength of its partnerships. Hedges was spying for Brit- Emirati officials celebrated
at China’s ministry of public It is this collaborative spirit, Ali Issa Ahmad, a soccer fan ain’s MI6 intelligence agency, al-Raisi’s selection. Interior
security, was elected to join united in mission, that I will who says he was tortured by without offering definitive Minister Saif bin Zayed Al
Interpol’s executive commit- continue to foster as we work the UAE security agency dur- proof to support their claims. Nahyan said it demonstrated
tee as a delegate from Asia. to make a safer world for ing the 2019 Asia Cup soccer He, his family and British “the world’s confidence in
Hu was backed by China’s people and communities,” he tournament said: “I will not diplomats have repeatedly the UAE.”
government, which is sus- said. stop my fight for justice for denied the charges.
pected of using the global the torture and abuse I suf- Al-Raisi praised UAE’s lead-
police body to hunt down ex- The vote for president was fered under Al-Raisi’s watch. The Inter-Parliamentary ers, saying “with their guid-
iled dissidents and of disap- closely watched since the I hope that Interpol will not Alliance on China, which ance and expertise, the UAE
pearing its citizens. first-ever Chinese president allow him to abuse any other regroups legislators from has become one of the safest
of the body, Meng Hongwei, people.” around the world, expressed countries in the world.” He
The Lyon, France-based vanished midway through concern over Hu’s election pledged to modernize Inter-
agency acts as an intermedi- his four-year term on a re- Their lawyer, Rodney Dixon, to Interpol’s executive com- pol’s technology, promote
ary for national police ser- turn trip to China in 2018. said his clients would “re- mittee, saying it gives China women and meet new chal-
vices seeking to hunt down It subsequently emerged that double their efforts to seek “a green light to continue us- lenges like climate change
suspects outside of their he had been detained and ac- justice for their torture and ing Interpol as a vehicle for and the coronavirus pandem-
borders. Al-Raisi and Hu’s cused of bribery and other al- pursue Gen. al-Raisi in na- its repressive policies.” There ic.
election comes as the inter- leged crimes. tional courts wherever he was no immediate comment