Weekly Report: The most important facts from the Mediterranean.

40 days of war in the Ukraine

The conclusions of 4 days spent in Odessa - over 500.000 people already left the city. The ones that stayed are leading a daily struggle, doing their best to help their fellow Ukranians and soldiers live and continue the fight against the Russian invasion.

Over the last week, we've documented the current situation in Moldova, the country with the highest number of Ukrainian refugees: from the 360.000 that crossed its borders,102.000 people stayed, waiting for the war to end... 

Along with the many organizations active in Chisinau and at the borders with the Ukraine, civil society is helping the best way it can, showing solidarity on a daily basis.

The war in the Ukraine has entered its fourth week now. Over 3 million people have been displaced and more than 500.000 have reached Romania. 

Many Ukranians decided to stay and become the Resistance against the Russian oppressor, but the constant bombings will force others more to seek shelter over the borders... 

We documented the situation on the Romanian-Moldavian for 10 days. Here are some of the conclusions.

Today we're not reporting just news. It's a personal and direct call for action and solidarity. 

Thousands of people from Ukraine have fled to neighboring EU countries since Russia launched its invasion, on Thursday, the 24th of February.

1 mil people have been displaced so far (in and outside the Ukraine) and millions of Ukrainians may be forced to flee abroad...

In the last few days, Sea Watch rescued 129 human lives and the Ocean Viking was assigned a Place of Safety for the 247 rescues on board. But people are still dying in the attempt to cross the Mediterranean and reach Europe… Nonetheless, on the 21st-22nd February the Austrian government is organizing a conference hosting 23 countries to speed up the repatriation of illegal migrants, ensure stricter controls at the EU’s external border and to assist the Balkan countries in operationalizing repatriations and Frontex is promising assistance in Cyprus...

Both the Ocean Viking and Salvamento Maritimo rescued over 200 people in the last week: the first one in the Central Mediterranean and the second on the dangerous Atlantic route. However, there seems to be a new migration route across the Balkans: the one from Serbia to North Macedonia and then into Greece.

It's been 5 years since the Italy-Libya agreement: 5 years of EU-sponsored abuse in Libya and the central Mediterranean based on the Memorandum of Understanding on Migration. A similar Memorandum is expected to be signed in Cyprus, in order to control migrant movements with the assistance of EU bodies like EASO and Frontex. 

However, little is being done to protect the Rights and Lives of migrants around the world: the CommemorAction on the 6th of February was dedicated to the victims of Migration.

The Court of Agrigento shelved the investigation for the rescue of May 9, 2019 and acquitted the Commander of our ship MareJonio and the Head of Mission Beppe Caccia of all charges, found to be fulfilling their rescue duty, provided for by national and international law. 

Once again, it was stated that Libya cannot be considered a "place of safety"; thus, solutions are desperately needed and the voices of the refugees protesting peacefully (for over 3 months now) in front of the UNHCR in Tripoli must be heard.

715 people were saved in the last few days by 3 rescue vessels: our Mare Jonio, Banksy's Louise Michel and the GeoBarents (MSF).

Our ship has completed its 10th mission and will soon be ready to embark on a new one. 

On the other hand, the situation of the refugees at the Belarusian border, in Libya and in the Middle East is worsening day by day, due to the indifference and the externalization policies sustained by Europe.

The EU and UNHCR officials have announced that Latvia, Lithuania and Poland STILL use "pushbacks and other violations of human rights" at the borders to keep migrants out…  "Pushback" has actually been declared the Non-Word of the Year 2021 in Germany, which is trying to improve its migration policies, also by introducing a common European asylum system.

After 100 days of peaceful protests, on the 10th of January, the refugees gathered in front of the UNHCR main office reported brutal beatings and persecution by the Libyan police, meant to prevent them from demanding their own legal rights. Their situation has reached a point of no return and urgent measures are desperately needed!

The year 2021 has witnessed over 5500 deaths along the different migration routes towards Europe, especially on the Atlantic and the Central Mediterranean one. What Europe still fails to understand is that migration is not a crisis, but a natural occurrence - particularly within the current global context.

There is some good news: the investigation against Carola Rackete was finally shelved and the French authorities were accused of manslaughter in the English Channel shipwreck. 

However, the situation in the Central Mediterranean and in Libya remains unstable: the elections have been postponed to the 24th of January. Over 1500 migrants have perished on this route in 2021...

The 18th December was the international Migrants Day - that didn't bring much hope this year either: European heads of state and government just agreed to increase pressure on countries to take back rejected asylum seekers.

The EU has deals with more than 20 countries, including Pakistan, Tunisia, Turkey, Afghanistan, Nigeria, Bangladesh, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia and Gambia, to send back migrants.

15 EU countries have pledged to offer protection to nearly 40,000 people from Afghanistan. Germany alone has agreed to take in 25.000 of the evacuees.

On the other hand though, over the last 10 years, the EU and its member states spent hundreds of millions of euros on technologies to track down and keep refugees away. Poland alone approved spending €350 million on its wall with Belarus...

The ordeals of the refugees peacefully protesting in front of UNHCR Tripoli continue... For 66 days now... As the ones faced by migrants at the Belarusian borders - all that while Europe is watching. A neglect called by Pope Francis himself the "shipwreck of civilization"...

The tragedy of the almost 2000 migrants at the Polish-Belarusian border continues: rights groups have appealed to the German government, immediate reception is required! Meanwhile, the humanitarian corridors initiative in Italy has brought to safety another 70 people and the Sea Watch 4 was finally granted a safe port (Augusta) for 460 lives.

Close to 30,000 people have been intercepted and forcibly returned to Libya since the beginning of the year. And on top of that, Libya's coast guard has threatened to hijack the Sea-Watch 4 rescue vessel, if it didn't comply with the orders. 

The human rights abuses must stop and the Refugees protesting un front of UNHCR in Tripoli must be evacuated!

The protests of the refugees in Tripoli, in front of the UNHCR headquarters, continue: for more than 45 days now! What they ask for is to be evacuated and sent back to their own country.

Meanwhile, migrants are still being pushed back to Libya by the so-called coast guard: last week, there were 70.

800 people were rescued by the SEA EYE 4 and 400 by the French maritime authorities. However, the crisis in Ethiopia is continuing, as well as the anti-migrant policies in Turkey - more and more Afghans are being detained at the border with the Iran.

Syria has been again declared an unsafe country for refugees to be sent back to and Libya has been faced with new sanctions. Nevertheless, Europe is still building fences and consolidating borders: Poland has just approved the construction of a 100km long wall along the country's border with Belarus to stem migration...

There is some wonderful news this week: The case against our Mare Jonio will be dropped, Salvini's anti-migrant stance and deeds are on trial. Spain is also easing up regulations for minor migrants, but the obsession with walls and borders have not yet left Europe...

Thousands of people protested in Warsaw on Sunday against pushbacks of migrants and asylum seekers at the Polish-Belarusian border. Smaller rallies were held in other Polish cities as well.

Turkey has also started to regularly push migrants back to Iran. A 243-kilometer concrete wall, topped with barbed wire and surrounded by trenches, is currently being built along Turkey's 534-kilometer border with Iran.

An investigative project by various media organizations reveals that Croatia, Romania, and Greece have been using EU funds to push migrants back across their borders, through violent and illegal tactics. There have been strong reactions, but noone is taking responsibility. Moreover, 12 EU member states have asked the European Commission and Council for new tools to protect the EU's external borders in the face of migratory flows, also with the European funding of fences and walls...