African Athletes Plan to Seek Asylum in Australia
A group of African athletes who came to Australia for the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games last month plan to seek asylum in the country.
The eight Cameroonians, two Ugandans and one Rwandan went missing from the April 4-15 Games. Refugee advocates said some of the athletes have contacted them for advice on asylum applications.
Australia’s interior minister warned the athletes would be deported if they don’t leave when their visas expire. However, Australian media reported that a number of them already have “bridging visas,” which allow them to stay in the country while their asylum claims are heard.
Eight Bodies Washed Ashore in Northern Cyprus
The bodies of eight people were found on the shores of Northern Cyprus. Turkish Cypriot authorities believe they were Syrian refugees trying to sail to Europe.
At least four men were among the dead found off the Karpass Peninsula. Their boat is thought to have gone down at sea on May 12.
“It saddens us to see desperate people, who are separated from their homes, countries, perishing in the Mediterranean,” Turkish Cypriot president Mustafa Akinci wrote on Twitter. “The bodies that reached our shore remind us how peace and stability are necessary in our region.”
Austria Charges Anti-Migrant Activists for Inciting Hatred
Austria has charged 17 far-right activists with incitement to hatred following their group’s anti-migrant publicity stunts.
Ten of those indicted are leaders of the “Identitarian Movement” (IBO) while the other seven are “active sympathizers.” The charges also include forming a criminal organization, property damage and harassment.
Group members stormed a university talk on refugee policy in 2016 and climbed the Turkish embassy roof last year. A month ago, they joined far-right activists blocking the passage of migrants on the French-Italian Alpine border.