6:30 p.m.
Greece's coast guard says it rescued a total of 304 refugees and
migrants at sea in eight separate operations over the last week, from April
18-25.
The coast guard said Monday it had also arrested one suspected
migrant smuggler and seized four boats used to ferry people to the Greek
islands from the nearby Turkish shore.
The number of refugees making the short but often dangerous
crossing from Turkey to the eastern Aegean islands has dropped significantly
since a European Union-Turkey deal came into effect last month.
Under the deal, those arriving from March 20 onwards face being
returned to Turkey unless they successfully apply for asylum in Greece — which
few want to do. The deal has been heavily criticized by human rights groups,
who say it violates the rights of refugees and that Turkey is not a safe
country to return them to.
———
5:15 p.m.
Queen Rania of Jordan has visited refugees and migrants on the
Greek island of Lesbos, which has been one of the main gateways into Europe for
people fleeing war, poverty and persecution at home.
Rania visited the Kara Tepe camp on Monday, a municipal-run
facility hosting more than 800 people. Jordan is currently home to more than
1.2 million Syrians.
Rania says aid organizations had voiced "deep concern"
over the recent European Union-Turkey deal under which those arriving on Greek
islands after March 20 face deportation back to Turkey. She says it is
"absolutely crucial for us to look for legal alternatives and more safe
and effective pathways to Europe and to areas of safety."
She also says authorities need to search for sustainable,
long-term solutions to the migrant crisis.
———
2:35 p.m.
Poland's Interior Ministry says it will send 120 border guards,
police and migration bureau officers to Greece to help protect the European
Union's borders under the mass inflow of refugees.
A communique on the ministry website said Monday that due to the
"continuing migration crisis in Europe," 60 Border Guard officers and
40 police officers with the necessary equipment will soon support Europe's
border protection agency, Frontex, in securing Greece's border, which is also
the EU's external border.
A further 20 experts of Poland's Office for Foreigners will help
with processing the migrants' requests for asylum.
Poland is refusing to accept any refugees, citing security
concerns after deadly attacks in France and Belgium.
Warsaw argues support should be offered to refugees in camps
nearest to their home countries.
———
2:10 p.m.
Austria has re-imposed controls on its border with Hungary, with police checking vehicles at the main regular
crossings and soldiers patrolling other stretches of the border.
Police say the controls that began Monday are meant to ensure
that no one crosses illegally and to prevent the smuggling of migrants into
Austria and other EU nations. They have reported more such smuggling attempts
into Austria since countries along the Balkan migration route closed their
borders to migrants earlier this year.
Before that, tens of thousands of migrants seeking better lives
in prosperous EU countries came through Hungary and then through Austria until
Hungary sealed its borders last September with razor-wire fences.
Austrian police did not say how long the new border controls
would remain.
"The Latest:
Greece Rescues 304 Migrants at Sea in a Week."
ABC News. Associated Press, 25 Apr. 2016. Web. 25 Apr. 2016.
This article
outlines the current state of the migrant crisis in Europe. I agree with the
sentiment stated by Queen Rania of Jordan. If no long term plan is put in place
many people will continue to die and the countries will continue to be
overwhelmed. Right now it seems that countries are just cutting off their
borders and placing guards by them. This does nothing to help the crisis or the
people in trouble. It won't even keep
refugees out of these countries. If there is ever going to be an end to this
crisis there needs to be a permanent plan in place that will give these people
a place to go. This article is slightly biased towards the refugees. It was
interesting to hear about the current state of this migrant crisis.
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