Italy May Block Ports to Migrants
Italy could deny foreign ships access to its ports to prevent migrants reaching the country. Italy’s ambassador to the E.U. was reported to have formally raised the matter in Brussels.
Ambassador Maurizio Massari told the European home affairs commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos that Italy was “at the limit,” sources told the Italian news agency ANSA, and that the situation was “unsustainable.”
Some 12,000 migrants have arrived in Italy by sea in the past 48 hours. The ambassador told the commissioner that E.U. support was needed, otherwise Italy may be forced to turn away foreign vessels carrying migrants.
Over 80,000 refugees and migrants have arrived in Italy since the start of 2017, according to the U.N. refugee agency. The Italian government is reportedly considering whether to deny docking rights to foreign-flagged rescue missions operating in the Mediterranean.
If Rome does take action, it would not affect naval units from the E.U. border agency Frontex or the EUNAVFOR MED mission to combat human traffickers in the central Mediterranean.
ANSA reported that former premier Matteo Renzi backed the hard-line approach and agrees with Italy’s tough-talking interior minister Marco Minniti. Italy must hold fresh elections by May of 2018.
New Visa Criteria for Refugees Entering the U.S.
The Trump administration has set new rules for visa applicants from six mainly Muslim countries. The new criteria, which also apply to refugees, require a “close” family or business tie to the U.S.
New applicants from Syria, Sudan, Somalia, Libya, Iran and Yemen must prove they have a parent, spouse, child, adult son or daughter, son-in-law, daughter-in-law or sibling already in the U.S. The same rules apply for all refugees.
Other extended family, such as grandparents, do not qualify, according to a cable sent to all U.S. embassies and consulates on June 28. The move follows a partial restoration of Trump’s travel ban order by the Supreme Court.
Journalists, students, teachers, lecturers and other workers are exempt from the new requirements. Other business visa applicants must be able to show a legitimate relationship that is “formal, documented and formed in the ordinary course rather than for the purpose of evading” the ban.
“Initial reports suggest that the government may try to unilaterally expand the scope of the ban – for example, by arbitrarily refusing to treat certain categories of familial relationships as ‘bona fide’,” said Omar Jadwat from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). “These reports are deeply concerning. We are watching for official word.”
The White House’s initial efforts to suspend refugee resettlements and impose a travel ban on a number of mainly Muslim countries were thwarted by lower courts. A final decision by the Supreme Court is expected in the fall, with arguments to resume in October.
‘Hamilton’ Creator Offers Musical Counterweight to Immigrant Debate
A new music video from acclaimed musical director Lin-Manuel Miranda makes the case for immigrants and refugees. The “Hamilton” creator has released the new song inspired by a line in his hit musical.
“Immigrants (We Get the Job Done)” is set to rap lyrics and features a diverse cast of refugees and immigrants in camps and sweatshops, picking fruit and on crowded trains.
The Pulitzer winner, of Puerto Rican descent, said it was about highlighting immigrants’ contributions to society.
“This election cycle has brought xenophobia and vilification of immigrants back to the forefront of U.S. politics. This is a musical counterweight,” Miranda wrote on the music community website Genius.com.
Recommended Reads:
- The New Yorker: Paddington Bear: Refugee
- Haaretz: New Way to Abuse Refugees
- Reuters: Refugees Reduce Conflict, Protect Forests in Cameroon With New Stoves
- Associated Press: Travel Ban a Blow to Sudan Refugees Awaiting U.S. Resettlement