Despite Japan’s aversion towards overseas assistance and immigrants, the 2,300 Ukrainian refugees in Japan demonstrate the country’s support for Ukraine, according to an article in the Japan Times. However the situation highlights Japan’s poor track record regarding asylum seekers, with officials almost certain to pass a bill making it easier to deport them. The article points out that Ukrainians in Japan are not unlike refugees in other countries who are struggling against anti-immigrant sentiment. The refugee issue is not on the agenda at the G7 summit taking place in Japan.
Saudi Arabia and its Arab allies aim to encourage Syrian refugees to voluntarily return home and convince western nations to ease sanctions on the country to help reconstruction. The plan, discussed at a meeting between foreign ministers last month, will initially involve about 1,000 Syrian refugees in Jordan, with UN agencies monitoring their treatment. Syria will be readmitted to the Arab League on Friday, and the refugee scheme will be the focus of regional Arab discussions. Up to 6 million Syrians fled the country during a civil war that started in 2011, and a similar number of people were displaced.
Human rights campaigners have raised concerns that the refugee scheme could encourage forced returns to Syria and set a worrying precedent. Displaced Syrians who have returned to areas under government control have accused the regime of abuse, while UN agencies have been prevented from monitoring returns. Riyadh hopes that engaging Syria will prevent cross-border drug crimes and make it safe for Syrians to return with guarantees from the regime.
The Arab plan is under debate at the UN but has divided members. While some hope the scheme will encourage real reform in Syria and prevent forced returns, others are cautious about engaging the Assad government, which some argue has not altered its behaviour. Small numbers of refugees have already returned to Syria, but most are fearful of their safety and the country’s economic collapse.
Almost 2,300 Ukrainians have escaped to Japan following Russia's invasion and received generous support from the Japanese government and charity foundations, which is not usual for a country that has been notorious for its aversion to foreign entanglements and immigrants. Although Japan's support of Ukraine will be on full display during the G7 summit, to be held on 26 to 27 May, the country's poor track record for accepting refugees will also be highlighted. Despite welcoming Ukrainian evacuees under an established framework, in 2015 Japan only accepted 202 refugees and is set to pass a recent bill that will make it easier to deport asylum seekers.
Over a million people have been displaced by fighting in Sudan so far, including 250,000 refugees, according to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR). The army and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces have been battling in Sudan for weeks, with hundreds of people killed. Approximately 843,000 Sudanese people have been displaced internally. Refugees have also migrated to Chad, Ethiopia and South Sudan, neighbours with their own poorly-funded humanitarian crises. Since the Sudanese conflict began, Egypt has taken in around 110,000 refugees, with approximately 5,000 arriving there each day. In addition, those that have approached the UNHCR "are in a distressed state having been exposed to violence or traumatic conditions in Sudan, and having suffered arduous journeys," said UNHCR spokesperson Matthew Saltmarsh.
Plans to return Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh to Myanmar pose "grave risks" to their safety, according to Human Rights Watch (HRW). About one million Rohingya people are living in Bangladesh, having fled a military crackdown in Myanmar in 2017. Both countries are looking to repatriate around 1,100 people in a pilot project, although the United Nations has repeatedly said that conditions are not appropriate to ensure their welfare. In a statement, HRW warned that a return to Myanmar under the current circumstances would be "setting the stage for the next devastating exodus".
The United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) has said that more than one million people have been displaced by five weeks of fighting in Sudan, with a quarter of a million people becoming refugees. The violence began in April when disagreements between army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the head of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), Mohamed Hamdan “Hemedti” Dagalo, escalated. Both men had held the top positions on Sudan’s 2019 ruling council for two years and staged a military coup two years later. The fighting centres on disputes over the plans for the RSF to be absorbed into the army and about the chain of command in a new political transition. The conflict has killed hundreds of people and half of Sudan’s population needs humanitarian aid, with over $3bn needed this yearalone to provide assistance inside the country and for those that flee across its borders. The tension between the two groups has also reached the western region of Darfur, with rivalries taking an intercommunal dimension in the region.
An Indian woman who secured Canadian entry with a fake college admission letter must leave by May 29 despite not knowingly violating the rules. Karamjeet Kaur, who proved she did not know the letter was fraudulent when she arrived in the country five years ago, now faces deportation. Her situation highlights poor oversight from border and immigration authorities, something that could affect hundreds of other international students who claim to have received similar fake admission letters from the same Indian education agent. Those affected say they want a proper investigation but still want to be allowed to remain in Canada.
Armed conflict between rival Sudanese factions has caused over one million people to flee their homes, according to the United Nations refugee agency. Over 250,000 refugees have crossed into neighbouring countries since 15 April 2021, with a further 843,000 people now displaced internally. The worst fighting has been in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, and in Darfur, in western Sudan, where clashes have mainly occurred between Arab and Masalit communities. Over 60,000 refugees have fled to Chad where health items, food, and protection measures are needed. Resources for refugee relief in Chad have been overstretched even before the conflict broke out, exacerbating the situation.
The US Agency for International Development has announced an additional $100m in funding for Sudan and affected countries. The money will be used to increase support for partners on the ground and funnel resources into Sudan to meet humanitarian needs caused by the fighting. Agencies also plan to move refugees from informal settlements along the border to deeper parts of Chad, before the rainy season starts in about four weeks to avoid any potential for further conflict.
US diplomat Samantha Power said the US is working to bring the two rival parties to the negotiating table to stop the fighting. The number of people in need of humanitarian assistance has now risen by over 50%. Reports of gender-based violence against women by militias and soldiers are on the rise. Individuals or factions seeking to take advantage of people in their time of need and refugees are also of concern. The US is calling on the forces who have unleashed war on civilians to be accountable for opening and clearing the border, so people can cross when necessary.
The UN has warned that conflict in Sudan has displaced nearly 850,000 people internally and forced 250,000 to flee across its borders. More than half of Sudan's population is also in need of aid and protection, according to UN estimates. A ceasefire agreement between warring factions will take effect from 9:45pm Khartoum time tonight and will be enforced by a US-Saudi-supported mechanism. Last week, the US pledged over €100m to support Sudan and neighbouring countries in dealing with displaced people. The conflict in Sudan has caused needs to spiral, with the revised Sudan Humanitarian Response Plan now costing €2.36bn ($2.86bn) until the end of 2021.
The UK Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, is expected to face questions over the government’s attitude to immigration after figures likely to indicate record high net migration are released. Reports suggest that predictions of an extra 700,000 or even 1 million people living in the UK by 2022 are being quoted, compared to the current record of 504,000. The Office for National Statistics has overhauled its method of migration calculation, which the Conservative Party will argue has resulted in under-reporting of recent figures, with suggestions that it has failed to account for Eastern European workers arriving through cheaper regional airports.
The European Union's (EU) use of the Temporary Protection Directive for the first time to cope with Ukrainian refugees from Russia's invasion of Ukraine in March 2022 could provide lessons for dealing with contentious refugee issues amidst the current refugee crisis. The directive grants temporary protection whereby refugees receive immediate access to housing, welfare, healthcare and education, almost the same as local nationals, and fast-tracks residency rights by waiving the need to examine applications individually, thus avoiding bottlenecks, overwhelmed asylum systems and deterrent conditions. Despite largely being regarded as a success, it has led to a two-tier system. Some Member States feared activating temporary protection in other cases would attract more migrants to Europe. Further, geography plays a significant role in migrant policy debates, with countries of origin having different perspectives on border countries versus destination countries, which tend to be preferred by refugees.
Fourteen million Syrians face significant barriers to returning to their homes because of the government's property laws, according to a report by the Syrian Network for Human Rights. The group said that the laws would have to be re-cast before the displaced could hope to return home or obtain justice. The laws are being used as a pretext for the regime to acquire Syria's strategic areas, according to Fadel Abdul Ghany, the Syrian Network's executive director. Discriminatory laws began with decree No. 66, passed in 2012, which targeted opposition strongholds and continued with law No. 23 of 2015.
A critical report from European parliamentary representatives has accused Britain of wrongly labelling refugees and trafficking victims as criminals. The report warns ministers that they run the risk breaking international law if they do not alter new legislation. There are also concerns that the UK may pass legislation that contravenes five conventions including the trafficking convention, the European convention on human rights and the convention on children’s rights. The report highlights the risk of the government refusing to comply with the rule of law if their legislation is implemented.
Syrian refugees living in Turkey face uncertain futures as the country looks increasingly likely to forcibly return them to a conflict zone. More than 5.5 million Syrians sought refuge in Turkey after civil war broke out in 2011, with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan initially welcoming them. Turkey’s interior minister claims that since 2011, over 700,000 Syrian children have been born in Turkey alone. Many have begun to integrate into Turkish life, with state-organised protection offering healthcare, education, and mandatory work the most straightforward way for refugees to secure a temporary identification card. However, years of economic crisis have seen rising nationalism and resentment of Syrian refugees. Erdogan, who once welcomed them, is now under intense pressure to send them back to Syria, a move which would directly contradict the UN’s advice that returns must be voluntary. Violence towards Syrians in Turkey has risen during election season, and many refugees feel under siege.
Mob violence, triggered in part by tensions over refugees from Myanmar, has left the Indian state of Manipur shattered. The 2021 coup in Myanmar caused a rush of refugees across the porous Indian border with Manipur, leading to a wave of violence that has killed at least 70 people, and displaced 48,000 others. A quarter of India’s border with Myanmar lies in this impoverished province of hilly forests. Manipur has complicated demography, with three major ethnic groups, including two mainly Christian minorities. The Meitei-dominated Manipur government has been accused of painting the Chin refugees as a threat. The government of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has justified its crackdown on illegal immigrants as part of its war on drugs, alleging that the Kuki-Chin tribes have links to the Myanmar drug mafia. Observers argue that the government is scapegoating the tribal peoples.
Immigration minister says AI isn't making final immigration decisions
CBC
23-05-26 22:57
Canada’s Immigrations, Citizenship and Refugees ministry has introduced a new system to process temporary residency applications using advanced analytics. Applicants seeking to reunite with family members who have permanent residency applications underway can apply for the new temporary visitor’s visas and have their applications fast-tracked if they are likely to be granted permanent residency. Although the system has reportedly been effective, immigration authorities have insisted that humans still have a key role to play in the decision-making process to ensure fair access.
Afghan-Canadians who assisted the Canadian army in Afghanistan are suing the federal government, asking for the Ukrainian immigration program to be expanded to include people from all countries. The pair who are suing say it is their last resort after using every other avenue: “We are proud Canadians, we are proud of what we did for Canada and now we are being treated like trash,” said one of the men. The lawsuit claims the Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel (CUAET) programme is discriminatory, and only applies to those fleeing conflict from Ukraine and not other countries.
The United Nations has suspended a plan to begin making aid payments to Syrian refugees in Lebanon in dollars, after pushback from Lebanese officials. Lebanon has been in the throes of a severe financial crisis since 2019, with triple-digit inflation and the domestic currency having lost more than 98% of its market value. An estimated three-quarters of the population is now living in poverty, with refugees having been hit particularly hard. Some 90% of Syrian refugees in Lebanon are below the extreme poverty line, according to a UN assessment. Officials in Lebanon now maintain that it is safe for many of the Syrian refugees to return home.
Australian musician Unmani Unmani has been assisting a Pakistani family called the Anwaris with their visa applications over the past 18 months. The family belongs to the Hazara ethnic minority group and Shia religious minority in Pakistan. Anwari had worked for various humanitarian projects and was subsequently targeted by the Taliban, prompting him and his family to flee to Pakistan. They are among the tens of thousands of refugees who lodge claims for asylum in Australia every year; just 11,545 were approved in 2021-2022. The Anwaris’ experience highlights Australia’s bureaucratic and inefficient refugee resettlement system and its responsibility to assist the Afghan people.
Tirana Hassan, the newly appointed global head of Human Rights Watch, has condemned Australia's asylum policy. When visiting the Woomera immigration detention facility in Australia, Hassan found an "unimaginable amount of dehumanising treatment and essentially cruelty of the policy of the Australian government," which fortified her determination around protection of human rights and refugee rights. The UK's recent policy to send asylum seekers to third countries is compared to the Australian policy of stopping asylum boats. Hassan describes this action as "abhorrent," and warns that it will be a blight on the UK's international record and that this rhetoric echoes a recent trend in the dehumanisation of refugees.
