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world news Diaranson 5 Januari 2022

Tattoo artist anger over new EU rules goes beyond skin deep

(AP) — Tattoo parlors say have been a lot more prepa-
their art will lose a lot of ration.”
its vibrancy after Euro-
pean Union rules banning The EU begs to differ. The
thousands of chemicals in bloc says the consultation
their coloring ink kick in process began in 2016 while
on Wednesday. The 27-na- the official regulation herald-
tion bloc answers back ing Wednesday’s start of re-
that public health will be strictions dates back to Dec.
much better served with 14, 2020.
tougher restrictions on
elements in ink that may “So this is not something
cause cancer or allergies. which is either a surprise or
a complete novelty. It is a sort
The standoff between regu- of generalization of practice
lation and freedom of artis- which is already existing in
tic expression has triggered quite a few member states,”
a torrent of complaints and said EU spokesman Eric
accusations. Mamer. Seven EU nations
already had national restric-
In Amsterdam, Tycho Veld- tions.
hoen has plied his trade for
a quarter century and fears The Commission says al-
an “enormous impact” on ternatives to the banned
his work once certain colors products do exist but tattoo
are banned. “Because, like a parlors say they’re too slow ures, strict health guidelines objects to such conditional easily targeted while the to-
painter, you suddenly lose a to make their way from the were necessary. phrasing and insists the ban bacco and alcohol industries
gigantic part of your palette” manufacturers to their shops. is not sufficiently backed by still hold much more sway.
with no alternatives in sight. The EU’s chemical agency science, something which the
Angelo Bedani of Brussels’ ECHA says that allergic and EU disputes. The petition pair is already
And he warned that it could Boucherie Moderne tattoo inflammatory skin reactions preparing for the next battle.
even get worse next year parlor said he had nothing to “are expected to decrease Erich Maehnert, co-organiz- Up to now pigments Blue 15
when more inks currently in prepare with since the new thanks to the restriction.” It er of the petition, said such and Green 7 are still enjoying
use could be banned. Tattoo inks had only become avail- adds that “more serious ef- bans unduly hurt the indus- a grace period until next year
shops in the 27-nation bloc able a week ago. On top of fects such as cancer, harm to try since people will use ille- because no alternatives are
have had a rough two years that “a bottle costs double our DNA or the reproductive gal ways to get the products yet available.
since COVID-19 hit with compared to the one we have system potentially originat- from third countries.
restrictions and lockdowns. today.” ing from chemicals used in Veldhoen said it leaves him
Now they say a perfectly the inks could also decrease.” “They continue to obtain with awful choices when a
avoidable crisis is hitting Considering that at least 12 their tattooing products customer will walk into his
them even harder. percent of Europeans have Michl Dirks, who is behind a without any checks and with- Amsterdam shop. “A rose
tattoos, and double that “Save the Pigments” petition out the possibility of tracing with brown leaves is a lot less
“It is all rather sudden,” Veld- number in the 18-35 age which has already collected them,” he said. Others say attractive than a rose with
hoen said. “There should group, according to EU fig- 176,000 signatures in the EU the small tattoo industry is green leaves,” he said.

Record number of migrant boats crossed Channel in 2021

(AP) — At least 28,300 number of migrants seeking The risks were tragically un- crease the number of Chan- But Home Office minis-
people packed into small to cross the world’s busiest derscored on Nov. 24, when nel crossings. ter Tom Pursglove said that
boats crossed the Chan- shipping lane often in flim- at least 27 migrants drowned “seeking asylum for protec-
nel from France to Eng- sy boats provided by people as their boat sank after leaving Tim Naor Hilton, chief exec- tion should not involve peo-
land’s south coast in 2021, smugglers. France. The crossings have utive at Refugee Action, said ple asylum shopping country
an annual record that was become a source of tension that the U.K. government’s to country, or risking their
three times the number of The arrivals continued Tues- between France and Britain. policy will lead to more lives by lining the pockets of
crossings a year earlier. day, with a group of people, deaths in the Dover Strait. criminal gangs to cross the
mostly men but also a young As winter approached last Channel.”
The leap in numbers, report- child in a pink, one-piece year, November was the bus- “People will continue to cross
ed Tuesday by the Press As- suit, rescued by a British life- iest month for crossings of the Channel in flimsy boats, He said that planned govern-
sociation news agency based boat and brought to Dover the Channel, which is about and smugglers will continue ment reforms to immigration
on data from Britain’s Home on England’s south coast. 20 miles (32 kilometers) to profit, unless ministers law will criminalize entering
Office, reflects the soaring wide at its narrowest point, open up more routes for ref- the U.K. without permis-
with 6,869 people reaching ugees to claim asylum here,” sion and introduce life prison
the U.K. On Nov. 11 alone, Naor Hilton said. terms for people smugglers as
1,185 people made the risky well as strengthening powers
crossing in 33 boats. Clare Moseley, founder of of the country’s Border Force
charity Care4Calais which to stop and redirect boats and
The figures also show that supports refugees living in clearing the way for asylum-
the boats are getting larger, northern France, agreed. seekers to have their claims
with an average of 28 people processed outside the U.K.
on board each vessel that ar- “If the government were se-
rived in the UK, up from just rious about stopping people When the reforms were in-
over 13 a year earlier. smugglers, it would create a troduced to Parliament in
safe way for people to claim July, Naor Hilton said they
Activists are calling for the asylum and put people smug- were “built on a deep lack of
British government to offer glers out of business once understanding of the reality
more opportunities to asy- and for all,” she said. of refugee migration.”
lum-seekers in a bid to de-