CRP News & Background

“ D i s c o v e r i n g i n t e r n a t i o n a l r e l a t i o n s “ D i s c o v e r i n g i n t e r n a t i o n a l r e l a t i o n s a n d c o n t e m p o r a r y g l o b a l i s s u e s ” a n d c o n t e m p o r a r y g l o b a l i s s u e s ” Cultural Relations Policy News & Background ISSUE #63 ICRP Monthly Review Series 2017 8/2017 About CRP News & Background Cultural Relations Policy News & Background is a part of ICRP Monthly Review Series and an initiative of Institute for Cultural Relations Policy Budapest. Launched in 2012, its mission is to provide information and analysis on key international political events. Each issue covers up-to-date events and analysis of current concerns of international relations on a monthly basis. As an initiative of ICRP, the content of this magazine is written and edited by student authors. The project, as part of the Institute’s Internship Programme provides the opportunity to strengthen professional skills. ISSUE #63 ICRP Monthly Review Series 2017 8/2017 Editorial Team Series Editor | Csilla Morauszki Authors – August 2017 | Sandra Kaziukonyte, Tamar Buachidze, Lisa Maria Kuke, Katalin Reinitz Executive Publisher | Andras Lorincz © Institute for Cultural Relations Policy Kulturalis Kapcsolatokert Alapitvany 45 Gyongyosi utca, Budapest 1031 – Hungary ISSN 2063-8205 Content 1 Changing patterns in Europe’s migrant crisis 2 African and European leaders agree action plan 4 Russia’s International Army Games 5 Qatar crisis 7 Presidential re-elections in Kenya 8 Indian and Chinese troops clash 10 ASEAN overcomes communique impasse 12 Removal of Confederate monuments and memorials 13 US sanctions against Russia 14 News in brief 1 ICRP Monthly Review Series | August 2017 Changing patterns in Europe’s migrant crisis Katalin Reinitz The huge flow of migrants from North-Africa July to impose restrictions on NGOs for the same and the Middle-East has been striking Europe purpose, though not all organisations agreed on since 2015. Although the number of people this new “code of conduct”. The shift in the fleeing to the continent culminated in the country’s policy is possibly due to the outcome summer months of 2015 the problem still of local elections that resulted in a high number concerns the European Union and each state of anti-immigrant local leaders. Although the individually as well. Since the issue emerged number of refugees arriving in Italy decreased in numerous measures have been taken in order to July, their number increased in Spain in the tackle the problem: the European Union has same period, as they are keen on finding new, made a deal with Turkey in order to stop easier and cheaper ways to reach Europe. At the migrants before the European borders, it has same time Libya is also taking a harsh approach obliged the member states to proportionately to the migration issue. The African country has distribute the incoming refugees and several extended its search-and-rescue zone into individual states have deployed physical international waters and uses warning shots obstacles on their borders. Although the against humanitarian vessel in the area. The international media attention decreased on the Libyan coast guards are also taking back problem new circumstances are evolving. migrants intercepted back to their home Namely two of the mostly concerned states, countries. Italy and Libya have changed their approaches In this sensitive situation NGOs are also to the issue and non-governmental struggling to fulfil their obligations. Some of organisations have also had to adjust their such organisations, for instance the Doctors stance. without Borders or Save the Children have As for Italy, the Mediterranean country has suspended their search-and-rescue operations pledged to halt migration from North-Africa and in the Mediterranean region owing to security for that reason it supports the rescue efforts concerns. Those who still continue to operate, and hostile approach towards NGOs of the such as the Spanish Proactiva Open Arms are Libyan government. Indeed, the Italian facing tough circumstances. The European government would deploy two ships to Libya for Union’s latest step to tackle the issue in their request in order to halt the illegal February 2017 was an outlined plan to enhance migration and human smuggling to the country. the continent’s ability to send people back to Moreover the Italian Parliament also decided in their homelands. 2 ICRP Monthly Review Series | August 2017 African and European leaders agree action plan on migration crisis Sandra Kaziukonyte The president of France Emmanuel Macron Seven African and European leaders have met in gathered European and African leaders in Paris Paris to try to build a new relationship aiming at on 28th of August, 2017 for a summit heavily cutting migration into Europe from northern focused on migration and how to stem the Africa in return for aid. The leaders from France, numbers of people attempting to enter the EU Germany, Italy and Spain agreed to help Chad illegally. The one-day summit aimed to and Nigeria with border control to stem the flow harmonise the divergent positions between of migrants through Libya and across the France, Italy, Spain, Germany and African Mediterranean. The pledge was made with plans countries and also, demonstrated unity and involving tackling people smugglers, improving common purpose. stability in Libya and increasing aid to the transit The EU has struggled to agree on a coherent countries. solution to the influx of people fleeing war, In a joint statement, the four European leaders poverty and political upheaval in the Middle East acknowledged the need to initiate a process in and Africa, and the crisis is further testing the Chad and Niger that would lead to the cooperation between the member states. The resettlement of “particularly vulnerable French President, who hosted the summit, migrants” in Europe. They announced the plan stressed that the migration crisis was a “problem to carry out “protection missions” in the African that concerns us all” and needs to be nations in cooperation with the UN’s refugee approached with “solidarity, humanity and and migration agencies. The process would allow efficiency”. It is worth mentioning that the refugees and migrants to immigrate legally to United Kingdom, despite leading the military Europe, if they are on an eligibility list provided engagement that led to the fall of Libya’s by the UN refugee agency and registered with Muammar Gaddafi in 2011 and the subsequent the authorities in Niger and Chad. The idea is to power vacuum, was not among the attendees of set up the “hot spots” in, for example, Libya, to the summit, a possible sign of Britain’s gradual process refugee claims and prevent them marginalisation before Brexit. making the treacherous journey across the 3 ICRP Monthly Review Series | August 2017 Mediterranean Sea. However, the chronic Many African refugees and migrants entering instability in Libya will be a major obstacle to the EU under radar come through the land- asylum processing “hot-spots” operating there. locked desert countries of Nigeria and Chad In addition, the French President also stressed before crossing into Libya, where they the need for an extra €60mln from the eventually sail to Italy or Spain. Most of the European Union to help African countries to migrants are West Africans, with Nigeria, Guinea deal with asylum seekers who have returned and Ivory Coast being the top countries of from Europe and to prevent further migration origin. In most cases, they are treated as flows. economic migrants, rather that refugees fleeing German chancellor Angela Merkel emphasised fighting or persecution.More than 120,000 the need to clearly define which asylum seekers migrants arrived in Europe by sea from January have legitimate humanitarian needs and who to August, compared to 261,000 in the same are fleeing poverty. She also stressed the urgent period last year, according to the UN’s need to rethink European asylum system, which International Organisation for Migration. More requires migrants to seek refugee status in the than 2,000 have died on this route this year, first country they reach. Such a requirement has turning the Mediterranean Sea into the put a huge burden on Greece and Italy, where “cemetery”. Most of the new arrivals this year people in rickety boats have arrived in recent were in Italy. Italy has long urged its EU partners years before travelling on to the other European to help ease the burden of housing the migrants, countries. as its reception centres are overcrowded. The African leaders at the summit emphasised However, the number of migrants landing on the fighting poverty as a central part of any Italy’s shores was half the figure it was last year, strategy, arguing that human smugglers must be due to the aggressive Italian approach to halting given legal ways of making money. Due to migration across the Mediterranean from North poverty, people decide to head to Europe and Africa and tightened cooperation with Libyan into human trafficking via dangerous routes. security forces. On the other hand, the Inter- Therefore, it is necessary to find alternatives for national Organisation for Migration estimated the smugglers to leave criminal activities, such that the number of people reaching Spain from as commerce or farming. The president of Chad, Africa is starting to increase, exceeding 8,300 by Idriss Deby Itno, stressed that “poverty and lack the beginning of August.

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