Page 8 - aruba-today-20180630

A8 WORLD NEWS
Saturday 30 June 2018

EU moves on migrant plans, while 100 reported missing at sea

By LORNE COOK ing it."
MENNA ZAKI Experts and humanitarian
BRUSSELS (AP) — European aid groups fear the show
Union leaders Friday drew of unity is a political smoke
up new plans to screen screen to address the con-
migrants in North Africa for cerns about resurgent an-
eligibility to enter Europe, ti-migrant parties that will
saying they set aside major only leave vulnerable peo-
differences over stemming ple once again at risk.
the flow of people seeking "European heads of state
sanctuary or better lives. and government continue
But the show of unity did lit- to try to offload their re-
tle to hide the fact that the sponsibilities onto poorer
hardest work still lies ahead. countries outside the EU,"
Even as they met in Brussels said Oxfam migration poli-
for a second day, Libya's cy adviser Raphael Shilhav.
coast guard said about 100 He said it looks as if the EU
people were missing and is planning more "de facto
feared dead after their detention centers," warn-
boat capsized in the Medi- ing that "this approach to
terranean. migration is a recipe for fail-
The leaders agreed on a ure, and directly threatens
"new approach" to man- Migrants arrive at the port of Tarifa, southern Spain, after being rescued by Spain's Maritime Rescue the rights of women, men
age those rescued at sea, Service in the Strait of Gibraltar, Friday, June 29, 2018. and children on the move."
just as bickering over who Associated Press Imogen Sudbery at the In-
should take responsibility ternational Rescue Com-
for them undermines unity our values that consists in Morocco already has re- UNHCR spokesman Char- mittee said the "disembar-
and threatens cross-border pushing people off to third fused and none of those lie Yaxley said the refugee kation platforms" raise more
business and travel in Eu- countries, were clearly set listed has volunteered to agency is "still awaiting the questions.
rope. aside," Macron said. take part. The EU's execu- legal analysis" of the new "Would this approach be
Italy, Greece and Spain Even new Italian Prime tive Commission now must plan but would certainly compatible with interna-
bear responsibility for ac- Minister Giuseppe Conte, draft something more con- welcome greater EU col- tional law? Would those
cepting most of the mi- whose populist govern- crete in coordination with laboration on handling asy- apprehended be trans-
grants and have felt aban- ment has rocked the EU's the U.N.'s refugee agency lum claims. ferred to the nearest safe
doned by their EU partners. political landscape, said: and the International Or- He noted that for the fifth port? Crucially, under
Italy, with a new anti-Eu- "On the whole, we can say ganization for Migration, year in a row, the "grim which country's law would
ropean government, has we are satisfied." which would prefer to op- milestone" of 1,000 migrant claims be assessed? Who
refused to take charge of "Italy is no longer alone, as erate in European migra- deaths in the Mediterra- would be responsible for
people rescued at sea in we requested," he said. tion centers only. nean has been passed al- those whose claims are up-
recent weeks, sparking a That said, the Czech Re- Libya is a major transit point ready, just halfway through held? We need clarity on
diplomatic row with France public and Austria have no to Europe for those fleeing 2018. this," she said.
and Malta. In Germany, intention of basing migrant poverty and violence in Af- But even as migrant arrival There also was skepticism
Chancellor Angela Merkel's centers on their territory. rica and the Middle East. numbers drop, the situation at sea.
coalition partner is de- "Why should there be cen- Traffickers have exploited has been heating up. The captain of the Astral, a
manding she take a tough- ters? Center should be Libya's chaos following the Anti-migrant parties have ship operated by the Span-
er line on migrants, under- outside of Europe. Ellis Is- 2011 uprising that toppled been fomenting public fear ish Proactiva humanitar-
mining her leadership. land, yes? And the Aus- and later killed dictator of foreigners, winning votes ian group, worries the EU-
The new plan is to receive tralian model, very simple. Moammar Gadhafi. in Italy, Austria, Slovenia funded and trained Libyan
people from rescue ships We have to execute this," How much the plans will and elsewhere. coast guard might now be
in EU nations that agree Czech Prime Minister An- cost remains a mystery, but The UNHCR said about recognized as part of the
to share responsibility for drej Babis said. it won't be cheap. 40,000 migrants have ar- Mediterranean rescue ap-
handing migration with the The "disembarkation plat- The UNHCR cautiously rived in Europe by sea this paratus. "For months now,
EU's main point-of-entry forms" are a logical exten- welcomed the plan but year, almost six times fewer they have been presented
countries like Spain, Italy sion of the EU's migrant warned that it must be than over the same period as an official body, formal,
and Greece. But they also deal with Turkey. The gov- fleshed out and that Afri- in 2016. Many who entered very well trained and legal.
will receive them in centers ernment in Ankara was can involvement via the in 2015 and 2016 were flee- And these are the same
in North Africa and possibly paid more than 3 billion African Union regional bloc ing conflict and thus eligi- people who have shot at
the Balkans. euros in refugee aid to is "indispensable." ble for asylum. Most arriving us, who have kidnapped
"A complete approach was stop people leaving for the IOM spokesman Leonard now seek better lives and us," said Capt. Riccardo
adopted," French President Greek islands. The bottom Doyle said his agency was probably would not qualify, Gatti. "All of this is theater."
Emmanuel Macron told re- line is that numbers have "very pleased at the soli- which means that more In the latest reported cap-
porters after a night of hag- dropped by about 96 per- darity and consensus" that people face the prospect sizing in which about 100
gling and delays to address cent, compared with 2015 emerged in Brussels, in par- of being sent back. people were missing, Liby-
demands from Italy that its when well over 1 million ticular with front-line states "It is far too early to talk an coast guard spokesman
views be incorporated in people entered Europe, such as Italy. about a success," EU Coun- Ayoub Gassim said 16 were
the final summit statement. most of them fleeing con- Doyle said he believed cil President Donald Tusk rescued from the water
"We are protecting better. flict in Syria and Iraq. most of the "disembarka- told reporters after a com- east of the capital, Tripoli,
We are cooperating more. Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Mo- tion centers" would be in promise was found. "This is in and the bodies of three
And we are reaffirming our rocco, Niger and Tunisia Europe, although he said fact the easiest part of the children were recovered.
principles. All hastily made are touted as possible loca- it was up to the EU to de- task, compared to what He quoted a Yemeni survi-
solutions, be they solely na- tions, even though details termine which countries awaits us on the ground, vor as saying the boat car-
tional ones or a betrayal of of the plans are sketchy. would host them. when we start implement- ried about 125 people.q