WUNRN
http://time.com/3827557/migrant-boat-capsizing-mediterranean-europe/
MIGRANTS FLOW ON RISKY, OFTEN FATAL VOYAGES ACROSS THE
MEDITERRANEAN TO EUROPE – WOMEN & CHILDREN
Massimo
Sestini—Polaris - Italian navy rescues asylum seekers traveling by boat off the
coast of Africa on the Mediterranean.
A young migrant boat crisis survivor carried ashore in
Pozzallo, Italy. Some children were thought to be on the boats alone,
unaccompanied.
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=15879&LangID=E
Joint Statement on
Migrants Mediterranean Crossings
UN High
Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres, UN High Commissioner for Human
Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, Special Representative of the UN
Secretary-General for International Migration and Development Peter Sutherland,
and Director-General of the International Organization for Migration William
Lacy Swing
A tragedy of epic
proportions is unfolding in the Mediterranean. We, the undersigned*, strongly
urge European leaders to put human life, rights, and dignity first today when
agreeing upon a common response to the humanitarian crisis in the
Mediterranean.
The European Union is
founded on the fundamental principles of humanity, solidarity and respect for
human rights. We urge EU Member States to demonstrate moral and political
leadership in adopting a holistic and forward-looking action plan centred upon
these values.
The European Union
response needs to go beyond the present minimalist approach in the 10 Point
Plan on Migration, announced by the EU on Monday, which focuses primarily on
stemming the arrival of migrants and refugees on its shores. As a paramount
principle, the safety, protection needs, and human rights of all migrants and
refugees should be at the forefront of the EU response. EU leaders must look
beyond the present situation and work closely with transit and origin countries
both to alleviate the immediate plight of migrants and refugees and address in
a more comprehensive way the many factors that drive them to resort to such
desperate journeys by sea. Enforcement alone will not solve the issue of
irregular migration, but could increase the risks and abuse faced by migrants
and refugees.
We would therefore
encourage bold, collective action to expand the range of measures under
consideration to include:
*
António
Guterres,
UN High Commissioner for Refugees
Zeid
Ra’ad Al Hussein,
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
Peter
Sutherland,
Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for International Migration
and Development
William
L. Swing,
Director-General of the International Organization for Migration
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Subject: More Migrant Women Making Dangerous Mediterranean Boat Crossing
- Many Are Victims of Abuse & Trafficking
WUNRN
IOM – International
Organization for Migration
MORE
MIGRANT WOMEN MAKING DANGEROUS MEDITERRANEAN BOAT CROSSING – MANY ARE VICTIMS
OF ABUSE & TRAFFICKING
November 7, 2014 -
Despite increasingly dangerous sea conditions, irregular migrants are
continuing to across the Mediterranean, bringing the total number of arrivals
in Italy this year to 154,075, according to figures newly released by the
country’s Ministry of the Interior.
The number of
migrants arriving in Italy by sea in the month of October was 15,279, a slight
decrease from the 26,107 who arrived in September. The overall total of
arrivals has now reached just under four times the number of arrivals recorded
during the same period last year (38,882).
Syria remains the
top sending country with 36,351 migrants in 2014, followed by Eritrea (33,872),
Mali (8,899), Nigeria (8,031), Gambia (6,787), Palestine (5,044) and Somalia
(4,965.) The increase in the number of Palestinians was notable fewer than
1,000 arrived in Italy through the first six months of 2014.
Although October
number represented a 40 per cent drop from the number of arrivals during
September, IOM officials in Rome noted some worrying trends in the flow: among
them, the growing presence of women, many considered potential victims of
trafficking.
In 2014 there has
been an alarming increase in the number of women arriving: 23,735 in 2014
compared to 7,658 in 2013, said IOM Italy Chief of Mission Federico Soda.
particular we have noticed a sharp increase in arrivals of young women from
Nigeria. Over 1,290 Nigerian women have arrived so far this year, a more than
300 per cent increase from the 392 who arrived in the same period during 2013.
IOM has
established under the framework of the Praesidium project, co-financed by the
Italian Ministry of the Interior and the European Commission two
anti-trafficking teams in Sicily and Apulia whose job it is to detect and
identify victims of exploitation.
We have to move
fast. We start to talk to them immediately at the harbour, as soon as they
land, and before they can be approached by those who organized their
journey,said Soda.
According to IOM
counter trafficking specialists, many of the women interviewed confirmed that
they had been sent to Italy as sex workers. In some cases, their statements led
to the arrest of their alleged traffickers. A number of the women also reported
being raped.
According to Soda,
many girls come from the Edo State in Nigeria, where they were told that
finding well-paid work in Italy is relatively easy.
They
soon understood that they had been cheated. During the trip they were
repeatedly raped or forced to prostitute themselves in near slavery condition.
Many ended up in brothels in Libya and were then sent on to Italy by the
traffickers. Many of them had to swear an oath to repay the money for the trip
in a voodoo ceremony, a psychological manipulation that sometimes makes it
difficult to persuade them that they don’t need to pay off the to their
exploiters, he said.