Hundreds of migrants drowned off Libya

BBC News reported yesterday that more than 200 migrants are believed to have drowned in two shipwrecks off the coast of Libya. The UN refugee agency was told the news by survivors brought ashore on the Italian island of Lampedusa, spokeswoman Carlotta Sami said. Twelve bodies have been recovered. More than 4,200 migrants have died making the dangerous journey across the Mediterranean this year, International Organization of Migration spokesman Leonard Doyle says. The UN has warned that 2016 could be the deadliest for migrants making the journey. Nearly 330,000 migrants have crossed the sea so far this year, compared with more than one million in 2015. Many of those killed in the latest two incidents are believed to be migrants from West Africa. Ms Sami said a dinghy – which was reportedly carrying about 140 people including six children and about 20 women, some…

Amnesty International: EU policy leading to abuse of migrants

The Guardian reports today on research published by Amnesty International describing how European migration policies have led to the alleged torture, abuse and illegal deportation of asylum seekers arriving by boat in Italy, according to dozens of migrant testimonies published for the first time. Forty Sudanese migrants were also illegally deported to Sudan without recourse to proper asylum procedures, and at least one of them – a refugee from Darfur – was beaten by officials on his return, interviewees said. The alleged abuse is the natural outcome of the EU’s new migration strategy, according to Amnesty International, which conducted the research. The implementation of the EU “hotspot” system, which forces all migrants to be fingerprinted on arrival in Italy, and the failure of the EU’s relocation scheme, which has meant more refugees are housed in Italy and Greece than most EU…

Italian prosecutor holds talks in Egypt over student’s killing

Reuters reported yesterday that on Tuesday Italian and Egyptian prosecutors discussed Egypt’s investigation into the killing of an Italian student, describing the talks as “positive”, after months of rising tension during which Rome complained about a lack of cooperation from Cairo. Giulio Regeni, who was doing postgraduate research into Egyptian trade unions, was last seen by his friends on 25 January. His body, showing signs of torture, was found in a roadside ditch on the outskirts of Cairo on 3 February. Amid accusations from rights groups that Egyptian security services appeared responsible for the 28-year-old Regeni’s death, Italy complained that Egyptian authorities were not cooperating in the search for the perpetrators. In April, Rome withdrew its ambassador to Cairo for consultations. Italian Deputy Chief Prosecutor Sergio Colaiocco met Egyptian Public Prosecutor Nabil Sadek in Cairo on Tuesday and invited him to…

Activists: Release of Detainees in Syria Crucial to Peace Process

Voice of America News reports today that Syrian opposition activists are urging the United Nations and the international community to push for the release of tens of thousands of detainees in Syria. Thye argue that this is critical in efforts to revive the moribund peace process. A delegation of representatives of the Syrian Opposition’s High Negotiations Committee has been meeting with UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura’s team to demand real and tangible progress on this issue. This is not the first time the group has broached this subject. Former president of the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces Khaled Khoja told VOA that the release of detainees in Syria was a crucial confidence-building measure in the peace process. He said resolving this issue would improve the atmosphere around the negotiating table. http://bit.ly/2eevFw3

Egypt:…