The Sahara – Europe's New Deadly External Border
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The Sahara EUrope’s new deadly external border Edited by Andrea Stäritz and Julia Stier December 2018 A publication by borderline europe – Menschenrechte ohne Grenzen and Bildungswerk Berlin der Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung Photo: Christian Jakob The Sahara – EUrope’s new deadly external border The Sahara – EUrope’s new deadly external border Photo by: Andrea Stäritz Andrea Stäritz is a journalist and consultant focusing on West Africa since close to 20 years. After having worked in Index Nigeria for 5 years, she Preface returned to Berlin in the end of 2017 where she joined borderline -europe to pag.03 strengthen the work on the externalized borders in Africa. She has contributed to the Migration Control Preface Project of Tageszeitung from by Andrea Stäritz & Julia Stier West Africa and is now by Andrea Stäritz & Julia Stier focusing on human rights violations on the new In 1993, the German government ratified the rivers Oder and Neiße when these southern border of the the so-called ‘asylum compromise’, chan- rivers were still physical EU borders. European Union in Africa. ging the constitutional right to asylum. Today Agadez in Niger is considered the pag.04 pag.09 Consequently victims of civil war would virtual externalized border of the Europe- not have the right to asylum but would get an Union. European financial aid, techni- subsidiary protection with limited rights. cal devices, military check points and “Defending” EUropean The Sahara a cemetery This was never really applied and for the drone surveillance in the desert are the borders in the Sahara under the open sky Photo by: first time used more than 20 years later main pillars of an externalized EU border. Julia Stier by Andrea Stäritz by Ibrahim Manzo Diallo for Syrian refugees. Further the concept In preparation of the 2005 EU enlarge- Julia Stier of Safe Third Countries was introduced. ment, asylum law was harmonized and just came back from her As a direct consequence of this ‘asylum Frontex as a European border control research period in Dakar, pag.12 pag.14 Senegal and is currently compromise’, border controls were rein- agency was founded. The Rabat Process writing her two Master theses in African Studies and Social forced, especially on airports, and refuge- (2006) and the Khartoum Process (2014) Sciences at Humboldt- es started to cross the European external gave birth to the new virtual EU borders in Interview with Kumut Interview with University in Berlin. At borderline -europe, she borders by feet. First cases of drowning North Africa and the Sahara. Third coun- Imesh, film-maker of Mohamed Mena, established the section were reported only a few months later. tries became Europe’s door keepers and “Revenir – to return” Gatroon Center of working on the externalization All together, 19 refugees from mainly Sri the border control was externalized. Human Rights of the EU border and migration by Andrea Stäritz policies on the African Lanka died at the then East-European To counter the underreported death toll continent in early 2017. In her by Ibrahim Manzo Diallo research she is particularly border between Germany and Poland in in the Sahara in consequence of the focusing on developments in the river Neiße in the year 1994. Most externalized EU borders, borderline-eu- West Africa concerning EU migration politics. likely, there is a high number of unrepor- rope is networking with other activists in pag.16 pag.17 ted cases. Borderline- europe was foun- Europe and Africa. This docu- mentation ded in 2007 when the death toll was wants to inform and is based on work- tremendously increasing in the Mediter- shops and conferences in the years 2017 The root causes of What can we do? ranean and first rescue operations of and 2018 that were organized in coopera- migration are based on by Andrea Stäritz & Julia Stier unfair deals between Non-Governmental Organizations star- tion with Bildungswerk Berlin of Heinrich- Europe and Africa ted. The main focus of borderline eu- Böll-Stiftung. rope is to inform media and the general by Bruno Watara public on human rights violations at the Andrea Stäritz and Julia Stier European external and internal borders. borderline europe – Menschenrechte Resources Since many years Bildungswerk Berlin of ohne Grenzen e.V. 1Dokumentationsstelle der Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung is an indispensable Antirassistischen Initiative Berlin (2018): Bundesdeutsche partner for borderline-europe’s work. Flüchtlingspolitik und ihre tödlichen Folgen. Berlin: Antirassistische Many events and conferences have been Initiative E.V. organized together. First people died in 2 3 Resources 2https://www.iom.int/sites/defa ult/files/our_work/DMM/AVRR /avrr-2017-key-highlights.pdf 3 3https://www.middleeasteye.n et/news/we-do-not-return-hel l-migrants-refuse-leave-ship- standoff-libyan-authorities-96 5458684 4https://www.amnesty.org/en/l atest/news/2018/11/cruel-euro pean-migration-policies-leave -refugees-trapped-in-libya-wi th-no-way-out/ 5Factsheet EUCAP Sahel “Defending” EUropean https://bit.ly/2r3DmuK 6Promotional film by Bundeswehr https://www.youtube.com/wat borders in the Sahara ch?v=R08I7AmyMTE 7https://www.middleeasteye.n et/news/hundreds-migrants-r escued-faulty-vessels-betwee by Andrea Stäritz n-morocco-and-spain-moroc Makeshift camps in Agadez, Source: Afrique Europe Interact can-navy-says-618819172 8https://alarmphone.org/en/20 The November 2017 images of slave auctions shocked 18/09/06/they-took-us-they-e While UNHCR has asked for 40,000 (1000 places) and three in Niamey help to set up a small business. ven-deported-us-inshallah-ne resettlement places as of 22 May (for a total of 300 places); one of IOM is pursuing a very effective the international public. CNN had shot a dubious video xt-time/ 2018, 11 states have committed less them is accommodating media strategy. Side-lining critical and suddenly the horrific situation of migrants in Libya than a tenth of this numbers for unaccompanied minors and journalists IOM is providing Amnesty took the headlines. This article will show the different International resettlement from Libya. vulnerable women, some of whom testimonies of migrants who are reactions to the so-called news. In reality, these living are victims of trafficking. The centres grateful, happy and overwhelmed published its report in IOM, within the framework of the have been financially backed with with emotions when coming back conditions of migrants and of those in transition in November 2017 and called for a stop of the program “voluntary return“ is dealing 91.9 million Euros from the EU Africa home. These testimonies talk about Libya were known for a while, also to the embassies, cruel EU policy - but with the vast majority of evacuation, Trust Fund. Allegedly, the Republic the support of stranded migrants, was more or less the EU and the broader international community. unheard. Amnesty had deportations and expulsions. IOM of Niger accepts only 1500 people at the assistance to return and a small criticized the three Voluntary Return Program is a very any given moment on their soil. In grant to open a business. But, the pillars of the European Union policy aimed at efficient program which is lacking total, IOM claims that since January figures of IOM show, that only 5000 Has anything changed in Libya? Hardly. stopping migration: the critical reporting. Germany is the top 2017 about 23,500 migrants have people really received the small boosting of the country with 41% of returnees, Niger received immediate post -arrival and grant to reintegrate, but another At least not for the better. capacity of the Libyan Coast Guard to is the top transit country (2016): reception assistance; 16,000 40,000 were returned and got intercept sea crossings, 98,00 returns; in 2017: 72,100 migrants have been assisted with nothing more than first aid, striking deals with militias in Libya and returns. Today, IOM operates seven general reintegration support such something to eat and a good advice. Mostly unnoticed the African Union, UNHCR has established a hampering the work of camps in Niger for returnees from as referrals and counselling sessions In the annual report 2017 IOM even European Union and International Temporary Emergency Evacuation NGOs carrying out Libya: One in Arlit (300 places), one and only 5000 people have received stipulates that 72,176 “profited” from Reaction 1 search and rescue Organization of Migration (IOM) have and Transit mechanism (ETM) in operations. These EU in Dirkou (150 places), one in Agadez additional reintegration support like the voluntary return program. formed a joined task force to Niger. Evacuees and deportees are policies have AU, EU and contributed to a nearly IOM join hands evacuate refugees and migrants screened to check whether they are 80% drop in the IOM Camp in Agadez, Source: Christian Jakob to evacuate from Libya starting from December eligible for resettlement programs. It numbers of people crossing the Central from Libya 2017. The task force was limited for a concerns only a very small number Mediterranean Route period of six months and evacuated of people, considered as refugees. and arriving in Italy, from 114.415 between some 15,000 people to Niger. Only a The UN refugee organisation has January and November bit more than 1000 people stayed, evacuated 1609 people; only 467 2017 to 22-232 so far in but the vast majority was directly cases were submitted for 2018 (Jan – Oct). flown to their country of origin. The resettlement. As of 22 May 2018, 11 EU Africa Trust Fund financially States have provided a total of 3781 backed the operation.The strategic resettlement places for the plan of the EU to build up platforms Libya-Niger situation. Out of these for migrants and refugees in the pledges, 1100 will be used for direct Maghreb had not been successful.