2015-08-21 Balkanin maiden turvapaikanhakijatilanne (yhdistetty)

[Lady Deadpool]

Kerään tähän ketjuun muutamia pikku-uutisia maakohtaisista määristä, jos se helpottaa hahmottamaan paremmin laajan datan sijasta.

Greek Reporter uutisoi Kreikan numeroista 2016:

http://greece.greekreporter.com/2017/03/16/first-time-asylum-applicants-in-greece-increase-339-in-2016/ (16.3.2017)

First-Time Asylum Applicants in Greece Increase 339% in 2016

There was a percentage increase of 339% in the number of first-time asylum applicants in Greece in 2016, which rose to 49,875 in 2016 from 11,370 in 2015, according to figures released by Eurostat on Thursday.

On the basis of these figures, Greece ranks second among EU countries for the total number of asylum applications filed in relation to its population. Germany is first with 8,789 applications per million population, followed by Greece with 4,525 applications per million population. Third is Austria with 4,587, followed by Malta (3,989), Luxembourg (3,582) and Cyprus (3,350).

The number of new asylum applicants on an EU level dropped to 1.204 million in 2016, for a percentage change of -4%, but were more than double the number of applicants in 2014. Most asylum applicants in EU member-states were Syrians (28%), Afghans (15%) and Iraqis (11%).

In Greece, Syrians accounted for more than half of asylum applicants (53%), Iraqis for 10% and Pakistanis 9%.

Cyprus Mail uutisoi Kyproksen numeroista 2016:

http://cyprus-mail.com/2017/03/16/almost-3000-applied-asylum-cyprus-last-year/ (16.3.2017)

Almost 3,000 applied for asylum in Cyprus last year

Cyprus is among the countries with the highest number of registered first-time asylum applicants in 2016 compared with the size of its population, a Eurostat study published on Thursday revealed.

In Cyprus an increase of 35 per cent was recorded from 2015, when 2,105 applied to 2016 when the figure was 2,840.

The highest number was recorded in Germany with 8,789 first time applicants per million inhabitants, ahead of Greece (4,625), Austria (4,587), Malta (3,989), Luxembourg (3,582). The lowest numbers were observed in Slovakia where there were just 18 applicants per million inhabitants, followed by Portugal with 69.

In 2016,  some 1.21m first-time asylum seekers applied for international protection in the EU, a number slightly down from 2015 when 1.25 first-time applicants were registered but almost double that of 2014 when the number was 562,700.

Syrians (334,800), Afghans (183,000) and Iraqis (127,000) remained the main citizenship of people seeking international protection in the EU in 2016, accounting for slightly more than half of all first-time applicants.

In total, Syrians represented the main citizenship of asylum seekers in 13 EU member states, and Cyprus was no exception. Of last year's 2,840 applicants, 1,165 were from Syria, 225 from Somalia and 205 from Pakistan.

Bulgarian News Agency uutisoi Bulgarian numeroista 2016:

http://www.bta.bg/en/c/DF/id/1538186 (16.3.2017)

Bulgaria Recorded 1.6% of EU's First Time Asylum Applicants in 2016

With 18,990 first time applicants registered in 2016, Bulgaria recorded 1.6 per cent of all first time applicants in the EU Member States, according to Eurostat data.

This is 6 per cent less than in 2015. Most applicants in Bulgaria in 2016 came from Afghanistan (8,645), Iraq (5,240) and Syria (2,585).

In 2016, 1.2 million first time asylum seekers applied for international protection in the EU Member States, about 53,000 fewer than in 2015. The EU registered a steady drop in the number of first time applicants from September 2016.

Six in 10 applied for asylum in Germany, followed by Italy with 10 per cent of all applications, France (6 per cent), Greece (4 per cent), and Austria and Britain (3 per cent each). The largest decreases were recorded in Sweden (-86 per cent), Finland (-84 per cent) and Denmark (-71 per cent). Slightly over a million asylum applications were pending at the end of 2016.

[Roope]

First-Time Asylum Applicants in Greece Increase 339% in 2016

There was a percentage increase of 339% in the number of first-time asylum applicants in Greece in 2016, which rose to 49,875 in 2016 from 11,370 in 2015, according to figures released by Eurostat on Thursday.

Kreikan lukujen kasvussa on taustalla se, että naapurimaiden rajojen sulkeutumisen ja Turkki-sopimuksen voimaantulon jälkeen Kreikkaan jumiin jääneet ovat joutuneet vastentahtoisesti hakemaan turvapaikkaa, jotta heidät sitten myöhemmin siirretään muihin EU-maihin.

[Lady Deadpool]

Numeroita, numeroita.

Nationals of Kosovo and Albania are topping the list of asylum seekers from Europe in EU member­-states, according to Eurostat.

About 89,000 nationals of Kosovo and close to 29,000 Albanian citizens sought asylum in an EU member-state in 2016.

Russia comes next with about 23,000 asylum seekers.

Eurostat data shows that 1,2 million people sought asylum in the EU over the course of 2016, with Syria posting the highest number of asylum seekers (334,820), followed by Afghanistan and Iraq.

Macedonia Independent (22.3.2017)

[Golimar]

Dinko Valev on ostanut helikopterin vartioidakseen Bulgarian rajaa "pakolaisilta".

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/3133668/bulgarian-migrant-hunter-buys-helicopter-gunship-refugees-jihadists/

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4332102/Migrant-hunter-buys-helicopter-round-jihadis.html

http://www.slavorum.org/bulgarian-vigilante-bought-a-russian-mi-24-helicopter-to-protect-the-borders-from-migrants/

Lisää juttua Dinko Valevista.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3485501/Bulgarian-gangster-organises-migrant-hunting-patrols-Turkish-border.html

https://www.facebook.com/dinko.valev.5

https://www.facebook.com/DinkoValevfans/

https://www.google.fi/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=Dinko+Valev&tbm=vid&*

Dinko Valev on asiallinen kaveri.

[Impi Waara]

Bulgariassa tehdään muuta kuin puhallellaan muniinsa ja lätistään joutavia laittomasti maahan tunkevista. Tuota vapaaehtoisten väsäämään aitaa saamme tulevaisuudessa kiittää pienemmistä matulaumoista. Balkanian route is closed. Ja sama ählämiksi.


Edit erhe

[Golimar]

Joskus ymmärrettiin lännessäkin rajavalvonnan tarpeellisuus.

Border Protection - The Border Between East and West Europe - 1970s US Forces
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7msguCxMho

[Lady Deadpool]

EBL News uutisoi siitä miten Kroatia on yrittänyt kaikkensa saadakseen matut tuntemaan olonsa tervetulleeksi, mutta ei kuulemma kelpaa.

https://eblnews.com/news/croatia/interior-minister-says-refugees-dont-wish-resettle-croatia-68472 (27.3.2017)

Interior minister says refugees don't wish to resettle in Croatia

Croatia has done all that is necessary for welcoming refugees from relocation and resettlement programmes but people simply do not wish to live in Croatia, Interior Minister Vlaho Orepic said on Monday.

"We are not late in complying with our obligations. We have made all the mechanisms but we simply can't get people who wish to come to Croatia," he said in Brussels, where he attended a meeting of interior ministers on the migration policy and several bills, including a reform of the European asylum system, the proposal to establish a European Travel Information and Authorisation System, and a systematic control of European Union entries and exits, including of EU citizens.

Under the EU relocation and resettlement programmes, Croatia should receive 1,500 people. According to February's data, only 20 had come. The reception of another 30 people from Greece and 20 from Italy was under way.

Asked if the Balkan migration route might be opened again in the wake of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's threat that he would call off the Turkey-EU deal to stop migrants, Orepic said, "I think there is no danger. No intelligence points to that."

On Sunday, Orepic, his Bulgarian and Romanian counterparts, the Polish deputy foreign minister and Cyprus' permanent representative met with European Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship Dimitris Avramopoulos to discuss the lack of visa reciprocity from the US, since the US still requires visas from those countries' citizens.

"We supported a joint approach which the European Commission will communicate," Orepic said.

The Commission said in a press release that it would continue to closely collaborate with the US on political and technical levels to find a solution to the benefit of European and American citizens and to the benefit of close strategic relations.

[Ernst]

Jos ei kelpaa, pitää palata lähtöruutuun ratkomaan ongelmia, paikan päällä.

Nimittäin ihmisoikeuksiin ei kuulu oikeus valita se turvallinen alue maapallon suvereenien valtioiden alueilta, joka itseä miellyttäisi.

YK romahtaa ja se vähäinen maailmanjärjestys myös, jos ihmisoikeususkonnon nimissä ryhdytään tinkimään valtoiden itsemääräämisestä eli suvereniteetista.

Kansojen siirteleminen mukavuustekijäin ja ihmisoikeususkonnon varjolla sotkee maailman edes hiukan järjestäytyneet olot.

Ei, en tarjoa vaihtoehtoista uskontoa ihmisoikeususkonnon tilalle. Kansakoulun oppimäärä, pakollinen, rationaalisen ajattelun alkeet, luonnontieteiden perustuntemus, maanviljely ja ehkäisy. Näillä maailma pelastuu.

Editointi eli lisäys: Suomi ei pelastu sillä, että menetämme itsemääräämisen EU:n kautta. Kylllä meidän pitää itse saada päättää, kuka täällä on ja kuka ei. Itsemääräämisen voi menettää myös niin, että hyväksyy määräysvaltansa kaventamisen. Se ei ole tervettä.

[Ari-Lee]

people simply do not wish to live in Croatia, Interior Minister Vlaho Orepic said on Monday.

En usko, että mielenterveysongelmaiset Kainin jälkeläiset ovat toiveikkaita elämään missään. Vieraat kulttuurit eivät heille kelpaa ja omaa kulttuuriaan he pakenevat hengenhädässä kuljettaen saman kulttuurinsa mukanaan. Jokatapauksessa he muuttavat asuinpaikkansa kulttuurit itsensä näköisiksi ja pako jatkuu kun asuinolot ovat 1:1.

[Lady Deadpool]

Mun aivoni on laskeskellut pienellä datalla, että uutta trendiä on mahdollisesti pukkaamassa eli vähemmän halukkaista vastaanottomaista ollaan kelien parantuessa lähdössä vapaaehtoisesti pois. Se mihin nämä lähtijät lopulta päätyvät, olisi helvetin kiva tietää. Novinite uutisoi Bulgariasta:

http://www.novinite.com/articles/179714/Increasing+Number+of+Migrants+Leave+Bulgarian+Refugee+Centers (8.4.2017)

Increasing Number of Migrants Leave Bulgarian Refugee Centers

During the outgoing week 236 migrants have left of the centers of the Bulgarian State Agency for Refugees on their own will. This is according to Interior Ministry statistics for migration pressure, BGNES reports, quoted by BNR.

On April 6, the occupancy rate of the closed – type centers of the Interior Ministry Migration Directorate was 61%.

The trend is insignificant migration pressure on the Bulgarian – Turkish border continues. Statistics suggest that since the beginning of the year, 835 foreign nationals have been deported from the country.

The number of detained migrants who have entered Bulgaria illegally is 741.

[Lady Deadpool]

Novinite uutisoi Bulgariasta.

http://www.novinite.com/articles/179869/790+Illegal+Migrants+Detained+Since+Beginning+of+2017 (20.4.2017)

Тhe trend for minimal migration pressure on Bulgaria continues, the Bulgarian Ministry of Interior has reported, quoted by BNR. Since the beginning of the year until mid-April some 790 illegally staying foreign nationals have been identified.

Over the same period 847 people were taken out of Bulgaria. The decline in the number of accommodated people in refugee centers of the State Agency for Refugees also continues.

Currently 2,400 refugees are located in centers as their capacity is 46% full.

The capacity of closed centers is 61% full as here are 569 people residing in them.

440 foreign nationals live at external addresses. This means that at the moment in Bulgaria there are less than 4,000 migrants. Most of the illegal residents in the country come from Afghanistan and Pakistan.

[kriittinen_ajattelija]

Natgeo tv kanavalla oli äskettäin kiintoisa dokkari ISIS:n raunio/museokaman salakuljettamisesta Eurooppaan myytäväksi Bulgarian kautta. Bulgaria on synonyymi korruptiolle ja rikollinen toiminta on siellä arkipäivää aina ylintä johtoa myöten, en paljon kyllä luottaisi maahan.

[Lady Deadpool]

Novinite uutisoi Bulgariasta.

http://www.novinite.com/articles/179921/53+Illegal+Migrants+Caught+When+Trying+to+Pass+Danube+Bridge (23.4.2017)

53 illegal migrants are caught by police at the Danuv Bridge in Ruse, Bulgaria while trying to pass secretly the border, reported a BGNES's correspondent from the Danube city.

The illegal foreigners were found on Friday but the information comes today.

The truck was stopped for checking by the border police officers. It was with Bulgarian registration, the two drivers were Bulgarians, too. Inside the loading wagons were found 22 men, 13 women and 18 children between 3- and 6-years-old.

The foreigners are Iraqis, Syrians and Afghans as the most of them were coming from the accommodation center in Harmanli. They were travelling to Netherlands.

[Siili]

Novinite uutisoi Bulgariasta.

http://www.novinite.com/articles/179921/53+Illegal+Migrants+Caught+When+Trying+to+Pass+Danube+Bridge (23.4.2017)

53 illegal migrants are caught by police at the Danuv Bridge in Ruse, Bulgaria while trying to pass secretly the border, reported a BGNES's correspondent from the Danube city.

The illegal foreigners were found on Friday but the information comes today.

The truck was stopped for checking by the border police officers. It was with Bulgarian registration, the two drivers were Bulgarians, too. Inside the loading wagons were found 22 men, 13 women and 18 children between 3- and 6-years-old.

The foreigners are Iraqis, Syrians and Afghans as the most of them were coming from the accommodation center in Harmanli. They were travelling to Netherlands.

Ruse on siis rajakaupunki Romanian ja Bulgarian rajalla.

[Lady Deadpool]

Koska tämä ketju kerää myös Bulgarian uutiset niin mainittakoon Noviniten uutisoivan, että Turkin ja Bulgarian rajalla oleva kuhina on vähentynyt. Matut yrittävät ilmeisesti päästä Bulgarian kautta Serbiaan, ja sieltä varmasti sitten eteenpäin, koska Serbia on matuille paska paikka.

http://www.novinite.com/articles/180077/Migrant+Wave+From+Turkey+has+Decreased+by+80 (3.5.2017)

Migrant Wave From Turkey has Decreased by 80%

Deputy Prime Minister Stefan Yanev said in parliament that since January 1, a total of 294 migrants have been arrested at the border with Turkey, or nearly 80% less than in the same period last year, BNR reported.

At the same time, those detained in an attempt to cross the Bulgarian border towards Serbia are 1420 or about 30% less.

The security of the southern border, where migration pressure is the highest, is a joint task of the Ministry of  Interior and the Ministry of Defense, and during the term in office of the caretaker government the parameters were not altered.

Thirty soldiers have been withdrawn from the border with Turkey, but as a result of internal rotation of the forces, the Deputy Prime Minister also added.

[Lady Deadpool]

BTA uutisoi alaikäisten matujen kasvusta Bulgariassa. On jännä katsella tilannetta maiden välillä; toisaalla laski, toisaalla nousi.

http://www.bta.bg/en/c/DF/id/1574782 (11.5.2017)

Asylum applicants considered to be unaccompanied minors in Bulgaria increased to 2,750 in 2016 from 1,815 in 2015, according to a report by the Statistical Office of the European Union (Eurostat), published on Thursday.

Some 95 per cent of the number in 2016 were boys. Seventeen per cent of the total were aged under 14 years. They most often came from Afghanistan (2,040 minors); there were also 370 from Iraq and 185 from Pakistan.

EU-wide, there were 63,300 asylum applicants considered to be unaccompanied minors in 2016. The largest group (38 per cent) were from Afghanistan, and the second-largest group (19 per cent) came from Syria. The total number increased sharply after 2013, peaking in 2015. Unlike Bulgaria, the whole EU registered a drop in 2016.

In 2016, the highest number of asylum applicants considered to be unaccompanied minors was registered in Germany. Bulgaria is in fifth place on that list, even ahead of Greece, which is sixth. In contrast, the largest decreases were recorded in Sweden (down by 94 per cent) and Hungary (down by 86 per cent).

Under EU law, immigrating unaccompanied minors have the right to stay in the country where they have arrived and to apply for asylum, irrespective of whether they entered the country legally or illegally. They are entitled to additional protection, and if they receive such protection, they may invite their families to the recipient country.

[Lady Deadpool]

The Globe and Mail uutisoi Romaniasta.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/feeds/canadian-press/world/the-latest-27-migrants-detained-near-romania-serbia-border/article35003912/ (16.5.2017)

Romanian border police say they are questioning 27 migrants from Syria and Iraq who are suspected of illegally entering Romania and were planning to head to Western Europe.

A police statement says that they found five men, five women and 17 minors during patrols close to Romania's border with Serbia.

Police found two groups on separate occasions Monday in two villages near the border with Serbia. Police say the migrants "could not justify their presence in the area."

The statement said the adults were aged 28 to 53, and the youngest was a 1-year-old baby.

They are being investigated on suspicion of illegally crossing into Romania from Serbia, and will be sent back there.

[Lady Deadpool]

BTA uutisoi Bulgarian haluavan lisää mani-mania (400 miljoonaa) EU:lta seuraavan kymmenen vuoden aikana hoitaakseen matuasiat paremmin.

http://www.bta.bg/en/c/DF/id/1579682 (18.5.2017)

Interior Minister Valentin Radev said Bulgaria expects from the EU additional 400 million euro in support for migration over the next ten years. He is in Brussels to attend an EU Justice and Home Affairs Council meeting.

The meeting will discuss the implementation of the principles of responsibility and solidarity, and the fight against serious and organized crime.

The EU ministers responsible for home affairs and development will also hold a working discussion on the external dimensions of migration.

Meeting EU Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship, Dimitris Avramopoulos, Radev requested to extend the time period within which the country should absorb the 160 million euro extended for the same purpose.

Commenting on the discussed changes of the Dublin Regulation under which the migrants should be returned to the first country of entry into the EU, Radev urged for fair attitude to the countries, where the migrants arrive. This is applicable to Greece and Italy and, possibly, partially to France, he observed. However, he complained that the issue is not met with understanding by the other countries. The Minister noted that Bulgaria will make efforts to reach an acceptable solution of the problem during its Presidency of the EU Council.

"We virtually have a Sword of Damocles hanging above us: we depend on the developments of Turkey, which has 2.5 million migrants," the Interior Minister continued. Bulgarian borders are well guarded but if there is a major influx of people, the danger will be imminent, he commented.

[Java]

^ Sopii hienosti, annetaan noi pyytämänsä 400 miljoonaa, ja kaikki tänne tunkeutuvat seuraavan kymmenen vuoden ajalta!

[Mr.Reese]

Kroatia on alkanut pieksemään ja ryöstelemään laittomasti maahan pyrkiviä. Uutinen on mielestäni ensimmäinen, jossa puhutaan maahanpyrkijöistä. Kaukana ei ole ajat, että homma-hyväksytty standardi eli maahantunkeutujakin siellä vielä esiintyy joskus.

Kroatian poliisi on pahoinpidellyt maahanpyrkijöitä kepeillä ja ryöstänyt heidän omaisuuttaan, kertoivat avustusjärjestöt perjantaina.
Niiden mukaan pahoinpitelyt ja ryöstöt ovat yleistyneet kahden viime viikon aikana.

Lääkärit ilman rajoja ja Maailman lääkärit ovat hoitaneet noin 30:tä maahanpyrkijää viikon sisällä.

– Väkivalta noudattaa samaa kaavaa: hakkaamista puisilla kepeillä tai puukalikoilla, potkuja ja nyrkiniskuja, puhelimien rikkomista ja rahojen viemistä, kertoi Lääkärit ilman rajoja -järjestön edustaja Stephane Moissaing.

Kroatian poliisi ei suostunut kommentoimaan tietoja.

Noin 8 000 maahanpyrkijää on ollut jumissa Serbiassa sen jälkeen, kun EU sulki rajansa viime vuonna.
http://www.is.fi/ulkomaat/art-2000005229052.html

Stephane Moissangilta unohtaneet kysyä, että mikseivät hae azyyliä, joko Kroatiasta tai Serbiasta? Tulisiko keppiä siksi, että maahanpyrkijät käyttävät maata vain läpikulkuun pohjois-eurooppaan? Kukaan reitillä ollut maa ei halua enää samaa showta ja siksi on oikein antaa runtua läpsyttelijöille, että uskovat pysyä siellä etelämmässä.

EU ei kylläkään sulkenut rajaa, niinkuin uutisessa sanotaan.

[Lady Deadpool]

Bulgaria haluaa rajoittaa matujen vapaata liikkumista.

http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/article/bulgaria-steps-to-limit-free-movement-of-asylum-seekers-05-26-2017 (29.5.2017)

Bulgaria Mulls Limiting Asylum Seekers' Movement

Bulgaria's refugee agency proposes introducing 'designated areas of movement' for asylum applicants - which rights groups say will violate their human rights.

A draft order in Bulgaria, which is open for public consultation until June 25, will create four zones of movement for refugees, according to the territorial departments of the State Agency for the Refugees where they applied for asylum.

Asylum seekers will not be allowed to leave their region of registration until their asylum procedure has been completed. Placement in "closed-type centres'' is also foreseen for those who violate the borders of the designated zone of movement more than twice.

Bulgaria's State Agency for the Refugees, which has proposed the measure to the government, says the idea is to "improve administrative control during the procedure for granting international protection".

The step was made possible by changes to the Law on Asylum and Refugees, enacted in December 2016, which toughened state policy towards refugees.

In September 2016, Bulgaria introduced closed centres for asylum seekers who violate public order or who it is thought may conceal themselves from the authorities. Before that, detention was allowed only for illegal immigrants facing deportation.

Rights groups have criticised the plan to limit the free movement of refugees, calling it disproportionate and a violation of human rights, although EU directives allow for such measures.

"It is not a good idea to enforce the isolation of asylum seekers," Radostina Pavlova from the Center for Legal Aid Voice in Bulgaria, an NGO that provides legal services for refugees and migrants, told BIRN.

"Asylum seekers often need to be close to people from the same cultural or religious community, as well as have access to Bulgarian society," she added.

Pavlova also claimed the measure would violate asylum seekers' right to seek work, as no procedure exists to move a person from one centre to another if they find employment outside the designated area for movement where they have been registered.

A source from the State Agency for the Refugees told BIRN that the measure is designed to improve controls over refugees who often migrate from one reception centre to another or leave the country illegally.

The designated zones will give refugees access to education, healthcare, the labour market and social services, the source said.
But Radostina Pavlova doubted limiting refugees' freedom of movement will improve the effectiveness of asylum procedures, as refugees often miss interviews not because they have moved to another municipality but because they have left the country.

The latest data of the State Agency for Refugees show a drop in the numbers of asylum seekers hosted in state-run reception centres to 2,119 by May 25.

Over 9,000 procedures out of 11,890 that the agency reviewed in 2017 have been cancelled, most probably because the asylum seekers left the country before being granted protection by Bulgaria, as that could limit their chances of living in Western Europe.

[Lady Deadpool]

Focus uutisoi liikenteestä Bulgarian ja Turkin rajalla.

http://www.focus-fen.net/news/2017/05/30/419638/ (30.5.2017)

In the last 24 hours, border police officers prevented attempts by 17 illegal immigrants to cross the Bulgarian-Turkish border in the area of Malko Tarnovo border police department, the Interior Ministry said.

Last night while examining a train to Serbia, police officers found a Pakistani and three Afghans, one of which had been denied a refugee status in Bulgaria. He was detained and will face an administrative procedure. The other three foreigners are amid a procedure for receiving a status. They received warning protocols and were taken out of the border area.

[Lady Deadpool]

17 laitonta matua kuljettanut pakettiauto ajoi kolarin, 10 kuoli.

http://www.bta.bg/en/c/DF/id/1590489 (4.6.2017)

A van carrying 17 undocumented illegal migrants crashed on the Trakia Motorway at 4:20 a.m. on Sunday, the Bulgarian Interior Ministry said in a press release.

Ten persons (the driver and nine passengers) were killed in the accident, and eight were injured. Seven are in a hospital in Pazardjik, and one has been transported to Plovdiv.

The driver was identified as a 16-year-old Bulgarian national with a criminal record. He did not a driving licence.

The hospitalized illegals said they were citizens of Afghanistan and Pakistan. The causes of the accident and the identity of the victims are being established.

Interior Ministry Chief Secretary Mladen Marinov told a news conference in Pazardjik on Sunday that the owner of the van had been apprehended. The illegal migrants who travelled in the van were men from Pakistan and Afghanistan and one Syrian, Pazardjik District Prosecutor Vassil Malinov said at the news conference. Marinov specified that the police had the driver of the vehicle on record in connection with a theft and robbery committed in Sofia in January 2017.

Police are yet to find out whether the illegals crossed into Bulgaria from Turkey or Greece.

The Interior Ministry Chief Secretary said that between 20 and 50 aliens are attempting daily to cross illegally Bulgaria's border with Turkey and Greece. Two such attempts were foiled last night, and 13 illegal migrants were found in a heavy-duty truck on the Bulgarian-Greek border.

[Lady Deadpool]

Bulgaria on pidättänyt 52 matu-salakuljettajaa tänä vuonna.

http://www.novinite.com/articles/180633/52+Traffickers+Arrested+Since+Beginning+of+the+Year (5.6.2017)

Since the beginning of the year, Bulgarian security services have detained 52 traffickers of illegal migrants, reported BNR.

This was announced bt the head of Border Police Chief Commissioner Svetlan Kichikov before bTV. He specified that there were ''2054 illegal attempts to cross the border'' in the same period.

Last year there were 19,147 attempts to cross the border for the same period, and those who were detained were less than 400, Kichikov added.

[Lady Deadpool]

Balkan Insight uutisoi Kroatiasta.

http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/article/croatia-police-stops-beating-refugees-after-reports-06-06-2017 (7.6.2017)

Croatia Police 'Stop Beating Refugees' After Reports

Croatian NGOs told BIRN that police only stop using violence against refugees at the country's border after alleged misconduct by officers is made public.

Two NGOs told BIRN that Croatian police only react to reports of violence against refugees at the border after accusations of beatings and photographs of injuries are publicised in the media and on social networks.

According to reports from various NGOs, some refugees have been beaten, some of their private property confiscated and some have been forced out of Croatia, mostly to neighbouring Serbia, from where they entered Croatia.

Milena Zajovic, the president of the Zagreb-based NGO 'Are You Syrious?', which took photos and talked to some of the beaten refugees, told BIRN that the police took action after these reports were published.

"Indicatively, after we went public with this story, the violence on the border has almost disappeared for a few days, and this has happened in earlier cases when we publicly [...] reported violence at the Croatian border," she said.

"Someone in the [Interior] Ministry or the police main directorate seems to have the power to instantly effectively stop the violence at the Croatian border, so a logical conclusion is that he has the power to order it," she added.

Zajovic said that the ministry is currently investigating the issue but has rejected the idea that the violence is systematic and claims not to have any knowledge of attacks on refugees by its officers.

Other international organisations – the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Doctors without Borders and Doctors of the World – also recorded an increase in violence against refugees in late May, while various refugee groups have said that refugees have given identical corroborating reports of violent incidents.

The Interior Ministry told BIRN on Tuesday that it already expressed a clear position that it will not support "any form of violence and intolerance from the police officers", especially towards migrants who, because of their special vulnerability, "seek international protection" in the country.

"The General Police Directorate strongly rejects any allegation of NGOs that police officers unlawfully treat migrants upon commanders' orders, as well as [claims that] these activities are organised. In this regard, we state that it is in the interest of this Ministry to check all allegations of cases referred to by [...] NGOs and investigate any form of violation of the law-based rights," it said.

The ministry also said that the State Attorney office is processing the criminal complaints filed by NGOs reiterating that the police never recorded "any unprofessional or unlawful treatment of migrants" so far.

Lea Horvat from another Zagreb-based NGO, the Centre for Peace Studies, also told BIRN that the police reactions always followed after their reports were made public – in January and March – and especially when criminal report against unknown perpetrators were filed.

"We noticed while working on the ground that violence would usually disappear after reports were made public. This is what happened with these latest reports. In the last few days, there has been no mention of new violence," she told BIRN.

Various reports of alleged police violence and unlawful treatment of refugees were made earlier this year.

In January, the Jesuit Refugee Service reported the Croatian Interior Ministry to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, UNHCR, and to the Croatian ombudsman's office for illegally deporting refugees to Serbia.

The same month, Human Rights Watch warned that Croatian police have not been respecting the rights of asylum-seekers arriving in the country and have been pushing them back across the border to neighbouring Serbia.

The refugee crisis on the so-called 'Balkan route', which hit Croatia in September 2015, calmed down after Balkan countries closed their borders to refugees and migrants in March 2016.

Smaller groups still try to enter Croatia and continue to central and northern Europe, mostly to Germany.

[Lady Deadpool]

Päivitystä Bulgarian matutilanteeseen.

http://www.bta.bg/en/c/DF/id/1596684 (13.6.2017)

Bulgaria Receives 47 Migrants Under EU Relocation Quotas by June

Bulgaria has received a total of 47 migrants relocated under EU quotas by the beginning of June, 2017, show data presented by the European Commission on Tuesday.

All migrants accepted so far by Bulgaria have come from Greece. This country has pledged to accept a total of 831 persons from Greece, while 570 migrants have wished to be relocated here so far.

Bulgaria has made a commitment to take 471 persons from Italy, while 140 migrants have expressed desire to come so far. Bulgaria is also expected to accept 50 Syrian refugees from Turkey.

[Lady Deadpool]

ANSAMED julkaisi serbialaisten mietteitä matuista.

http://www.ansamed.info/ansamed/en/news/sections/generalnews/2017/06/20/serbians-43-positive-view-of-migrants-survey-shows_969cd565-b14b-4904-98fa-02c46cd6b9cb.html (20.6.2017)

A survey released in Serbian media Tuesday showed 43% of Serbians have a positive attitude towards migrants, a slight drop of 1.8% since the beginning of the refugee crisis two years ago.

The survey by the 'Propositiv' agency said the percentage of Serbians who view migrants negatively has grown to 33%, up from 19% at the start of the crisis.

According to Deputy Labour and Social Affairs Minister Nenad Ivanisevic, of the approximately one million migrants who have transited in Serbia since May 2015, 1,700 have presented an asylum request.

He said Serbia currently has between 6,000 and 7,000 migrants, among whom 3,000 are minors and 980 children without parents.

[Lady Deadpool]

Human Rights Watch on julkaissut raportin Serbiasta. Lainaan vain matuja koskevan osion, loput linkistä.

https://www.hrw.org/news/2017/06/29/submission-universal-periodic-review-serbia (29.6.2017)

Submission for the Universal Periodic Review of Serbia

29th session of the Universal Periodic Review, January 2018

(...)

1.Treatment of Migrants and Asylum seekers

While Serbia has seen a significant decrease in the number of asylum seekers and other migrants arriving since 2016, there continue to be serious obstacles to accessing protection and humane treatment including for unaccompanied asylum-seeking children. There are credible reports of on-going summary returns of asylum seekers from Serbia to Macedonia.

According to the UNHCR, partner organizations and the Serbian Commissariat for Refugees and Migration there were 6,600 asylum seekers, refugees and other migrants in Serbia at the time of writing.

According to the Serbian Ministry of Interior's Asylum Office, 2,922 individuals expressed intentions to seek asylum in the Republic of Serbia in the first five months of 2017. Most are Syrians, Afghans, Iraqis and Pakistanis. Asylum seekers are housed in overcrowded camps and often in unsuitable mixed accommodation with single males, families, single women and unaccompanied children sharing living space.

In 2012, Serbia accepted a recommendation to "Take all necessary measures to ensure the improvement of socio-economic conditions of refugees and internally displaced persons." Yet, as of June 9, 2017, Serbia had not granted anyone the status of a refugee. In 2016, Serbia granted refugee status to only 19 asylum seekers and subsidiary protection to 23. In addition to low recognition rates, and problems registering asylum claims, there are significant backlogs in the country's asylum procedure with thousands of pending claims.

During the first five months of 2017, the Ministry of Interior registered 46 unaccompanied children in Serbia, from Afghanistan and Pakistan. Serbia lacks formal age assessment procedures for unaccompanied children, putting older children at risk of being treated as adults instead of receiving child protection. Only three institutions exist in Serbia for unaccompanied children and have a total of 32 places. Other unaccompanied children stay in temporary shelters known as "refugee aid centers" together with unrelated adults or open reception centers, where in some cases unaccompanied children can be accommodated separately from unrelated adults. The number of unaccompanied children is, based on the observations of our researchers, likely much higher than the officially reported 46.

Progress in finding durable solutions for refugees and internally displaces persons (IDPs) from the Balkan wars living in Serbia was insignificant. According to UNHCR, as of June 2017, there were 29,414 refugees in Serbia, 20,334 from Croatia and 9,080 from Bosnia and Herzegovina while the Serbian government recorded 203,000 internally displaced people from Kosovo.

In an April 2015 report, Human Rights Watch interviewed migrants and asylum seekers who described violent assaults, threats, insults, and extortion, denial of the required special protection for unaccompanied children, and summary returns to the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. There is credible evidence that summary returns from Serbia to Macedonia continue. Serbian authorities have not taken adequate steps to address halt these abuses.

Recommendations

- Issue clear guidance to police officers that they should treat asylum seekers and migrants with respect and in a manner consistent with Serbia's human rights obligations, in particular the prohibitions on ill-treatment and non-refoulement, and ensure access to asylum procedures in Serbia;

- Ensure that anyone who expresses a wish to apply for asylum should have a meaningful opportunity to register their asylum claim and present their case;

- Ensure humane and suitable conditions for asylum seekers and migrants accommodated in asylum facilities across Serbia, with special attention given to vulnerable groups, including families with children, unaccompanied children, single women, older persons and people with medical conditions and/or disabilities;

- Issue clear guidance to police officers to provide unaccompanied children with special attention and care as required by domestic and international law.

(...)

[Lady Deadpool]

Romanian viranomaiset ovat bonganneet leirin, jossa 42 matua Syyriasta, Irakista ja Iranista. Ovat tulleet Serbian kautta, lopullinen kohdemaa Saksa.

http://www.novinite.com/articles/181815/Romanian+Authorities+have+Uncovered+an+Illegal+Camp+with+Migrants+Near+Timisoara (1.8.2017)

Romanian Authorities have Uncovered an Illegal Camp with Migrants Near Timisoara

Forty-two migrants from Syria, Iraq and Iran were captured by Romanian authorities on Monday in an illegal camp on the outskirts of Timisoara in the western part of the country, the agency Agerpress said, cited by Mediapool.

Migrants were taken to the headquarters of the District Police Inspectorate for inspection. These are people who have sought asylum in Romania and have filed applications for a form of international protection in centers in Romania, said the spokesman for the District Police Inspectorate in Timisoara Yunutz Boganche. According to him, there are children among them. Judicial sources told Agerpress that migrants arrived in Romania from Serbia and want to leave for Germany.

[Lady Deadpool]

The Guardian on taas tuutannut nyyhkynsä eetteriin, mutta itseäni kiinnostaa siitä huolimatta tietää kuinka paljon sakkia on jumissa näissä maissa ilman omaa tahtoaan, ja mitä keinoja lopulta käytetään, että päästään kunnollisten lihapatojen ääreen.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/aug/08/eu-refugees-serbia-afghanistan-taliban (8.8.2017)

Blocked in the Balkans: the refugees that Europe won't allow in

Many of Serbia's 7,600 refugees had hoped to live elsewhere in the EU but are trying to adapt to life in the Balkans

(...)

As a result of the arrival of large numbers of people into southern Europe that accelerated two years ago this month, there are 7,600 refugees in Serbia, according to the UN refugee agency (UNHCR). Most live in 18 state-run asylum centres that provide basic necessities. Many are starting to prepare for the long haul.

(...)

Beyond education, the Serbian government has been expanding the legal rights of asylum seekers to access employment. While refugees are often skilled engineers, computer programmers, and linguists, the possibility of attaining a job in their profession is bleak.

"They (refugees) do not have a diploma, they do not know the Serbian language, and the priority in our labour market are Serbians," said Sonja Toskovic of the Belgrade Centre for Human Rights (BCHR). But Serbia is missing out on a wealth of skilled labour without a process that validates diplomas earned in refugees' home countries.