{"id":7361,"date":"2017-03-17T22:44:38","date_gmt":"2017-03-17T22:44:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.munkhafadat.com\/en\/?p=7361"},"modified":"2017-03-17T22:44:38","modified_gmt":"2017-03-17T22:44:38","slug":"fleeing-for-freedom-eritrean-refugees-are-being-abandoned-by-europe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/munkhafadat.com\/en\/articles\/fleeing-for-freedom-eritrean-refugees-are-being-abandoned-by-europe\/","title":{"rendered":"Fleeing for freedom, Eritrean refugees are being abandoned by Europe"},"content":{"rendered":"<h3 class=\"double-bordered\">Author<a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/john-r-campbell-340801\" rel=\"author\">\u00a0 <span class=\"fn author-name\">John R Campbell, <\/span><\/a>Reader in the Anthropology of Africa and Law, SOAS, University of London<\/h3>\n<div class=\"top\" style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<aside class=\"grid-two content-share\">Regardless of international concerns, Eritrea continues to pursue a policy of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2015\/dec\/23\/eritrea-conscription-repression-and-poverty-recipe-for-mass-emigration\">indefinite military conscription<\/a> that compels the young and the old to serve their country while paying them a pittance. Eritreans are continuing to leave in large numbers to find work to support their families and to find a greater degree of freedom than is possible at home.<br \/>\nIn October 2016, a UN inquiry into human rights abuses in Eritrea <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ohchr.org\/Documents\/HRBodies\/HRCouncil\/CoIEritrea\/A_HRC_32_CRP.1_read-only.pdf\">reported<\/a> that crimes against humanity have been committed in the country since 1991. Sheila Keetharuth, presenting the findings of the inquiry, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ohchr.org\/EN\/NewsEvents\/Pages\/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=20779&amp;LangID=E#sthash.xotKHi30.dpufA\">appealed<\/a> for UN member states to \u201cgrant Eritreans access to their territory and asylum procedures\u201d and to \u201crefrain from any forced repatriation to Eritrea or to third party countries where they may still be at risk or unwelcomed\u201d.<br \/>\nThe EU acknowledges that the reliance of the Eritrean regime, run by President Isaias Afwerki, on indefinite military conscription and authoritarian policies has led tens of thousands of Eritreans to flee. Yet, it is still working with Eritrea to find ways to stop Eritreans from entering Europe. In 2016, Eritreans were the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.easo.europa.eu\/news-events\/easo-newsletter-december-2016\">seventh largest group<\/a> of asylum seekers entering Europe. \u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/datawrapper.dwcdn.net\/8BaCr\/1\/\">https:\/\/datawrapper.dwcdn.net\/8BaCr\/1\/<\/a><\/aside>\n<aside class=\"grid-two content-share\"><a href=\"https:\/\/datawrapper.dwcdn.net\/8BaCr\/1\/\"><br \/>\n<\/a><strong><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">Co-operation with Aferwerki\u2019s regime<\/span><\/strong><\/aside>\n<aside class=\"grid-two content-share\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/strong>The failure of the EU to agree a common policy approach to the migrant crisis has been coupled with efforts to work with refugee-producing countries to stop the flow of new migrants entering Europe. In July 2014, the Italian deputy foreign minister <a href=\"http:\/\/www.esteri.it\/mae\/en\/sala_stampa\/archivionotizie\/comunicati\/20140702_eritrea.html\">went to<\/a> Eritrea to negotiate on behalf of the EU. These talks were rapidly followed by visits to the capital Asmara in late 2014 by <a href=\"http:\/\/the-migrant.co.il\/en\/node\/44\">Danish<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tesfanews.net\/norwegian-government-delegation-returned-after-3-days-eritrea-visit\/\">Norwegian<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/uk-news\/2017\/jan\/22\/home-office-eritrea-guidance-softened-to-reduce-asylum-seeker-numbers\">British<\/a> officials whose principle concern was to stop Eritreans from leaving their country and to return Eritreans who had applied for asylum in Europe.<\/aside>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid-ten large-grid-nine grid-last content-body content entry-content instapaper_body\">\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Officials in Asmara welcomed these European initiatives by promising to end indefinite military conscription and to pay conscripts a living wage. In return, Eritrea was given an <a href=\"http:\/\/uk.reuters.com\/article\/uk-europe-migrants-eritrea-idUKKCN0RH1MU20150917\">EU grant of \u20ac200m<\/a> in January 2015. However, it soon became apparent that Eritrea had <a href=\"http:\/\/uk.reuters.com\/article\/us-eritrea-politics-insight-idUKKCN0VY0M5\">no intention<\/a> of introducing the promised reforms.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Nevertheless, European officials continue to rely on the assurances provided by senior Eritrean politicians that if its nationals were returned to Eritrea they would not be subject to human rights abuses and would not be conscripted into the military. On this basis, in 2014 the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nyidanmark.dk\/NR\/rdonlyres\/B28905F5-5C3F-409B-8A22-0DF0DACBDAEF\/0\/EritreareportEndeligversion.pdf\">Danes<\/a>, followed quickly in early 2015 by the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.refworld.org\/docid\/552779c34.html\">British<\/a>, revised their asylum policies and abruptly refused all Eritrean asylum applications.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">A remarkable fight back occurred in the UK against this policy. This culminated in October 2016 when an immigration tribunal <a href=\"http:\/\/www.refworld.org\/docid\/552779c34.html\">overturned Home Office policy<\/a>, which forced the government back to its 2014 position granting status to most Eritrean asylum applicants. Few Eritreans had actually been deported back to Eritrea during the period of the change in policy, but many were living in destitution awaiting a decision on whether they would be deported. Other countries, such as Switzerland, have also begun <a href=\"http:\/\/www.swissinfo.ch\/eng\/asylum-politics_automatic-open-door-for-eritreans-is-shut\/42932580\">changing their policies towards<\/a> protecting Eritrean refugees.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"align-center \" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.theconversation.com\/files\/160576\/width754\/image-20170313-9628-wfucei.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><figcaption><span class=\"caption\">Waiting for the bus in Asmara.<\/span> <span class=\"attribution\"><a class=\"source\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/bandytam\/15989963161\/sizes\/l\">Andrea Moroni\/flickr<\/a>, <a class=\"license\" href=\"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-nd\/4.0\/\">CC BY-NC-ND<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\">EU efforts to stop journeys beginning<\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The EU has funded <a>several initiatives<\/a> in recent years with African partners, including Eritrea, have also sought to address the migration issue. Up for grabs are funds from a \u20ac2.5 billion <a href=\"http:\/\/ec.europa.eu\/europeaid\/regions\/africa\/eu-emergency-trust-fund-africa_en\">EU Emergency Trust Fund<\/a> to address the root causes of irregular migration in Africa, intended to promote economic development, migration management, stability and governance.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">In the meantime, irregular migration to Europe continues apace, fed in no small measure by the repressive policies pursued by Eritrea, Sudan and Libya and by a failure of other \u201cpartners\u201d such as Nigeria to reduce conflict and promote more inclusive development. While the EU <a href=\"http:\/\/europa.eu\/rapid\/press-release_MEMO-17-369_en.htm\">thinks<\/a> the partnership deals are having some \u201csuccess\u201d, it measures that \u201csuccess\u201d in terms of border management. However, without substantial improvements in regional economic development coupled with conflict resolution these \u201csuccessess\u201d will prove to be ephemeral.<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\">Dismal track record<\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">All this raises the question of whether the EU is simply throwing money at the problem in an attempt to make it go away. Given Eritrea\u2019s track record on human rights and political reform it is doubtful whether this approach will achieve its objectives. Assisting repressive African states to erect efficient border controls that would prevent genuine refugees from fleeing clearly violates the basic tenets of European law. EU member states are also bound by the 1951 <a href=\"http:\/\/www.unhcr.org\/uk\/1951-refugee-convention.html\">Refugee Convention<\/a> to offer protection to genuine refugees.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">UK migration policy is also confused. Despite setbacks in the courts, the Home Office continues to refuse asylum to genuine applicants and return some so-called \u201cfailed\u201d asylum applicants to possible harm in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/uk-news\/2017\/feb\/25\/afghanistan-gay-asylum-seekers-home-office-illegal-homosexuality\">Afghanistan<\/a> and elsewhere. A policy of granting humanitarian visas which offer temporary protection to people fleeing violence and persecution is a positive first step, but the UK must pursue other measures to bring an end to violence and human rights abuses <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2017\/mar\/09\/refugees-applying-to-live-in-uk-face-being-sent-home-after-five-years\">before<\/a> sending people back to their country of origin.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The British Foreign &amp; Commonwealth Office is in the middle of a major review of its policy on Eritrea, but it is not informed by a considered analysis of Eritrean domestic politics or its <a href=\"https:\/\/www.chathamhouse.org\/publications\/books\/archive\/view\/63394\">destabilising activities<\/a> in the Horn of Africa. With its asylum and foreign policy in something of a shambles, the British government lacks a coherent approach to the Horn of Africa or towards forced migration in Africa \u2013 and as a result it is dependent on EU migration policy initiatives to reduce migration. But as the British government leaves the EU, its influence in Africa and on migration will wane and it will be increasingly dependent on EU policies to improve border management in Africa and migration into the UK.<br \/>\nSource:martinplaut.wordpress.com<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Author\u00a0 John R Campbell, Reader in the Anthropology of Africa and Law, SOAS, University of London Regardless of international concerns, Eritrea continues to pursue a policy of indefinite military conscription that compels the young and the old to serve their country while paying them a pittance. Eritreans are continuing to leave in large numbers to &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7362,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[3],"tags":[204,203],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v20.12 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Fleeing for freedom, Eritrean refugees are being abandoned by Europe | ELL<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/munkhafadat.com\/en\/articles\/fleeing-for-freedom-eritrean-refugees-are-being-abandoned-by-europe\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Fleeing for freedom, Eritrean refugees are being abandoned by Europe | ELL\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Author\u00a0 John R Campbell, Reader in the Anthropology of Africa and Law, SOAS, University of London Regardless of international concerns, Eritrea continues to pursue a policy of indefinite military conscription that compels the young and the old to serve their country while paying them a pittance. 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