Russia Puts Hold on U.N. Council Effort to Sanction Libya Traffickers
Russia is delaying efforts at the U.N. Security Council to sanction leading human traffickers in Libya.
Russia put a “technical hold” on the request by the Netherlands to put six accused leaders of human trafficking and smuggling networks on the U.N. blacklist, which includes a travel ban and freezing of their assets.
The initiative was backed by France, Germany, Britain and the U.S. The Netherlands said it would be the first-ever U.N. sanction against trafficking leaders.
Russia’s U.N. mission asked to see the evidence behind the sanctions and questioned the efficiency of sanctions to combat human trafficking, noting that trafficking networks also involve people in the U.S. and Europe.
Migrant Boat Adrift in Atlantic for Weeks Before Brazil Rescue
A boat carrying West Africans to Brazil spent five weeks adrift on the Atlantic Ocean before being rescued by Brazilian fishers.
A total of 25 people from Senegal, Sierra Leone, Guinea and Nigeria set sail in April from the Cape Verde islands off the coast of Senegal. After their engine failed they drifted at sea before they were discovered by a fishing boat 70 miles (110km) off the Brazilian coast.
Severely dehydrated, the passengers were given medical treatment upon arrival in the northern state of Maranhao. Two Brazilians onboard were arrested on suspicion of smuggling the group. Brazilian police said the passengers had paid around $1,180 each to make the journey.
Nearly 200 Athletes Seek Asylum in Australia
The number of athletes who went missing or sought asylum in Australia after last month’s Commonwealth Games has reached 240.
Australian media originally reported that a small group of African athletes and officials had gone missing during April’s Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games.
Australian home affairs minister Peter Dutton now says 190 participants have applied for protection visas, 15 others applied for different kinds of visas and 50 more have gone missing. The tough-talking minister vowed to deport the 50 once they were found.
Recommended Reads:
- E.U. Observer: Integration of Syrian Refugees in Europe Needs Scrutiny
- The Washington Post: Are Human-Smuggling Cartels at the U.S. Border Earning $500 Million a Year?
- The Guardian: Podcast – The Kids of Calais: Family Reunification
- The Jordan Times: The Mighty Migrant