Date: 2024-09-27 Page is: DBtxt003.php txt00026224
MIGRATION
US SOUTHERN BORDER / MEDITERRANEAN / MORE
The US Southern border with Mexico ... Authorities encountering record number of migrants at the border each day amid unprecedented surge
US SOUTHERN BORDER / MEDITERRANEAN / MORE
The US Southern border with Mexico ... Authorities encountering record number of migrants at the border each day amid unprecedented surge
Original article: https://www.cnn.com/2023/12/22/politics/border-surge-record-amounts/index.html
Peter Burgess COMMENTARY
Peter Burgess
The US Southern border with Mexico
Original article: https://www.cnn.com/2023/12/22/politics/border-surge-record-amounts/index.html
More than 1,000 migrants wait in line to be processed by US Border Patrol agents after crossing the Rio Grande from Mexico on December 18 in Eagle Pass, Texas. Washington CNN — Federal authorities reported a seven-day average of more than 9,600 migrant encounters along the US southern border in December, according to a Homeland Security official, among the highest amounts ever recorded as the US wrestles with an unprecedented surge. Authorities are apprehending record levels of migrants at the US southern border on a daily basis, stretching already overwhelmed resources. The seven-day average reported on November 28 was around 6,800 encounters. Border apprehensions have been gradually increasing since the summer. Last month, border authorities apprehended about 192,000 migrants between ports of entry, a 2% increase compared with the 188,000 migrant apprehensions in October, US Border Patrol Chief Jason Owens previously told CNN. But over recent days, more than 10,000 migrants have unlawfully crossed the US-Mexico border daily – numbers not seen since days before the lifting of a Covid-era restriction known as Title 42 that allowed authorities to turn back migrants at the border. What’s uniquely challenging about this moment is that multiple sectors – many of them remote – are overwhelmed so usual processes to try to decompress or to process migrants are more complicated and result in migrants waiting in droves to be taken into custody. The lack of capacity and resources to address the issue is leading to the type of scenario US officials once planned for but hoped wouldn’t materialize, and some are warning that the US southern border is near a “breaking point.” The worsening situation culminated this week in a call between US President Joe Biden and Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador to place pressure on Mexico to do more to stem the flow of migrants. Both agreed more enforcement is needed, and senior US officials will travel to Mexico in the coming days. The two spoke as the US seeks additional assistance to drive down the number of migrants arriving at the US-Mexico border. The call came at a politically delicate moment for Biden, who has repeatedly grappled with migrant surges fueled by deteriorating conditions in the Western Hemisphere. In their call, the two presidents agreed that “additional enforcement actions are urgently needed” to reopen ports on the US-Mexico border, where the migrant surge has strained federal resources and led to port closures, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters. In November, US Border Patrol recorded 191,113 encounters between ports of entry along the southwest border, up from October when authorities apprehended nearly 189,000 migrants, as CNN previously reported. CBP’s total encounters along the southwest border in November were 242,418. That figure includes people who went to the ports of entry. “CBP continues to execute its important mission to protect the American people, safeguard our borders, and enhance the nation’s economic prosperity by implementing operational plans, surging personnel and decompressing areas along the southwest border while processing and vetting migrants who are encountered humanely, safely, and efficiently, consistent with our laws,” said Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Commissioner Troy A. Miller in a statement. Under the Biden administration, the Department of Homeland Security considered multiple scenarios and planned for surges at the US southern border as high as 16,000 to 18,000 arrivals a day, ahead of the lifting of Title 42, which officials worried would prompt a surge. “We could have — and we could sustain — a couple days at 12,000 encounters,” a former Homeland Security official told CNN. “But the reality is that a sustained flow of 12,000 to 14,000 is what we determined would buckle the system. Anything beyond that started a significant strain of resources and detention. Ultimately, we knew we were surpassing the capabilities of DHS,” the former official said. “It will break.” The Homeland Security official stressed that the situation at the US-Mexico border, where personnel are being moved around to try to absorb the flow of migrants and thousands of people are waiting to be processed, is nearing a “breaking point.” The nationalities and demographics of migrants have also consistently presented a challenge for authorities because there aren’t enough detention spaces or repatriation flights for those who don’t qualify for asylum. The surge, according to border officials, is being driven by pseudo-legitimate travel agencies and organized transportation networks that are advertising travel to the US southern border and ultimately connecting migrants to smugglers. This week, there were more than 26,000 migrants in US Customs and Border Protection custody – nearly 10,000 people over capacity. This story has been updated with additional reporting.
More than 1,000 migrants wait in line to be processed by US Border Patrol agents after crossing the Rio Grande from Mexico on December 18 in Eagle Pass, Texas. John Moore/Getty Images
Original article: https://www.msf.org/mediterranean-migration-depth
LEARN MORE ALSO AVAILABLE IN CHOOSE LANGUAGE MSF & RESCUE TIMELINE CRIMINALISATION OUR SHIPS MEDICAL CARE LAND ACTIVITIES SHARE THIS Copy link The vast majority of people attempting the Mediterranean crossing pass through Libya, where they are exposed to horrific levels of violence, including kidnapping, torture and extortion. People in Libya are also often detained in detention centres, usually in horrendous conditions - and those in detention in Tripoli have been trapped in the ongoing conflict in the city, with some centres having been caught in airstrikes, with people unable to escape, and then killed or injured. European attempts to stem migration by strengthening national borders and bolstering detention facilities outside its borders are pushing people into smugglers hands to get them past checkpoints, across borders, through fences, out of prisons and ultimately onto boats on the Mediterranean Sea. For those people who do make it to Europe, the challenges - and dangers faced - start again once onshore. A lack of shelter, being forced to live in unhygienic conditions or in adverse weather, treacherous border crossings, hostile authorities - in these circumstances, people become sick, injured, or struggle with mental health issues. Instead of confronting the vicious cycle that their own policies are creating, politicians have hidden behind unfounded accusations towards NGOs and individuals who attempt to help people in dire straits. MSF and search and rescue Since May 2015, we have provided search and rescue capacity, or provided medical care during search and rescue operations, in the central Mediterranean Sea. We currently run search and rescue operations on the M/V Geo Barents. The Geo Barents has been chartered from Norwegian shipping company Uksnøy, and sails under the flag of Norway. There is currently very little dedicated search and rescue in the Central Mediterranean, but people are still trying to flee Libya. In 2022, 253,205 people attempted to cross the Mediterranean; 42 per cent of those were intercepted at sea and returned to Libya, despite that Libya is not a place of safety. People continue to drown or go missing during the attempt; 2,367 died or went missing in 2022. Rotation 1 Rescue 6 IN FOCUS Mediterranean migration Every year, thousands of people fleeing war, persecution and poverty at home attempt the treacherous journey across the Mediterranean. Countless lives are lost on the way. VIDEO Why they had to flee isn't important - they're humans Pierre-Eric was a doctor on a search and rescue boat. He describes the story of one family the boat rescued. RYAN RODRICK BEILER/MSF SHARE We work in search and rescue because it is a duty, fuelled by the humanitarian need to prevent people from drowning while they seek safety from Libya. Migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers in Libya face high levels of violence, extortion, and arbitrary detention with serious consequences to their physical and mental health. For these reasons, among others, returning people rescued at sea to Libya is a clear breach of international maritime, refugee, and humanitarian law. Oct 2013 Italian government launches Operation Mare Nostrum MARE NOSTRUM - WIKIPEDIA Oct 2013 A boat carrying migrants and refugees shipwrecks off Lampedusa, Italy, with the loss of at least 360 people Nov 2014 Frontex, the EU's border security agency, launches Operation Triton OPERATION TRITON - WIKIPEDIA May 2015 MSF launches the Phoenix, operated in partnership with MOAS MSF LAUNCHES PHEONIX WITH MOAS May 2015 MSF launches the Dignity I and the Bourbon Argos MSF LAUNCHES THIRD BOAT, DIGNITY I Jun 2015 The EU launches Operation Sophia OPERATION SOPHIA - WIKIPEDIA Jul 2015 The Italian Coastguard refuses permission for the Bourbon Argos to dock in Sicilian ports due to lack of reception capacity BOURBON ARGOS NOT AUTHORISED TO LAND 700 RESCUED MIGRANTS IN SICILY Oct 2015 Operations on the Phoenix end MSF WILL NO LONGER PROVIDE EMERGENCY MEDICAL ASSISTANCE ON THE MY PHOENIX May 2016 MSF joins operations on board the Aquarius with SOS MEDITERRANEE Nov 2016 Operations on the Dignity I and the Bourbon Argos end Mar 2017 MSF launches the Prudence Jul 2017 The Italian government introduces the Search and Rescue Code of Conduct, which we refuse to sign MSF COMMITTED TO SAVING LIVES ON MEDITERRANEAN BUT WILL NOT SIGN THE ITALIAN “CODE OF CONDUCT” Oct 2017 Operations on the Prudence end MSF ENDS MISSION OF SEARCH AND RESCUE BOAT PRUDENCE Jun 2018 The first rescue standoff occurs when the Aquarius, and her 630 passengers, is denied a port of entry. MSF URGES IMMEDIATE DISEMBARKATION OF 629 PEOPLE ON BOARD AQUARIUS Jun 2018 The Libyan Joint Rescue Coordination Centre is created and Tripoli's SAR zone is extended to 80 nautical miles Aug 2018 Gibraltar strips the Aquarius of its flag and registration. It gets a new flag from Panama Sep 2018 After political pressure from Italy, Panama also strips the Aquarius of its flag, leaving it stranded in Marseille, France ITALIAN GOVERNMENT PRESSURES PANAMA TO STOP AQUARIUS RESCUES Nov 2018 Italy requests the seizure of the Aquarius, based on spurious waste management claims SINISTER ATTACKS BY ITALIAN AUTHORITIES ON LIFESAVING SEARCH AND RESCUE Dec 2018 With no flag or registration, Aquarius is forced to end its mission and all MSF search and rescue operations temporarily ends AQUARIUS FORCED TO END OPERATIONS AS EUROPE CONDEMNS PEOPLE TO DROWN Mar 2019 The EU suspends Operation Sophia patrols Jul 2019 MSF and SOS MEDITERRANEE announce the resumption of search and rescue operations with a new boat, the Ocean Viking MSF RESUMES SEARCH AND RESCUE AMID DETERIORATING CONDITIONS IN LIBYA Aug 2019 After being stranded at sea for 2 weeks with 356 people on board, Ocean Viking is finally offered a port of safety Feb 2020 Ocean Viking is arbitrarily detained by Italian authorities over COVID-19 fears Apr 2020 Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, MSF and SOS MEDITERRANNEE end their partnership over disagreement on strategy Aug 2020 MSF and Sea-Watch announce collaboration to save lives at sea Sep 2020 Sea-Watch 4 is allocated a port of safety 11 days after first rescue Sep 2020 Following an 11-hour inspection by Italian port authorities, Sea-Watch 4 is detained in the port of Palermo, Sicily, Italy Feb 2021 while the Sea-Watch 4 is still detained in port, MSF’s agreement with Sea-Watch comes to an end, along with our work on Sea-Watch 4. 13 May 2021 MSF charters our own boat, Geo Barents, and returns to search and rescue in the central Mediterranean Sea. MSF RETURNS TO SAVING LIVES AT SEA 14 Jul 2021 Having returned to port in Sicily after a series of rescues, the Geo Barents is detained by Italian authorities READ MORE 26 Jul 2021 After 24 days of detention in Augusta Port, Italy, the Geo Barents was formally released from administrative detention 19 Oct 2022 MSF and other SAR groups denounce the actions of Malta, which 3 weeks earlier ordered a ship to take rescued people to Egypt, rather than closer ports in Europe. READ MORE 03 Jan 2023 Italy issues a decree requiring ships to immediately head to port after each rescue, compelling them to ignore any other distress calls at sea. READ MORE 2013 OCT OCT 2014 NOV 2015 MAY MAY JUN JUL OCT 2016 MAY NOV 2017 MAR JUL OCT 2018 JUN JUN AUG SEP NOV DEC 2019 MAR JUL AUG 2020 FEB APR AUG SEP SEP 2021 FEB 13 MAY 14 JUL 26 JUL 2022 19 OCT 2023 03 JAN CRIMINALISATION OF LIFESAVING SEARCH AND RESCUE During our Search and Rescue operations, MSF has been shot at by the European-funded Libyan coast guard and repeatedly accused of collusion with traffickers. Since 2018, our search and rescue operations had encountered ever-larger obstacles, in an increasingly hostile environment, amid intense political pressure. In June 2018, Italian and Maltese authorities denied the Aquarius a safe port to disembark 629 people on board; from this point, Italian ports were effectively closed to NGO search and rescue vessels. In both August and September the same year, the Aquarius was stripped of its flag and registration by the Gibraltar and Panama Maritime Authorities, respectively, after coming under political pressure. Hostile attacks on Aquarius continued in November 2018, when the Italian judiciary requested the seizure of Aquarius due to spurious claims of waste mismanagement. Without a flag and registration, Aquarius was unable to continue its lifesaving mission and in December 2018, it was forced to terminate its search and rescue activities. In 2019, the situation – both in Libya and politically in Europe – deteriorated. Tripoli plunged into conflict, where detention centres have been surrounded by fighting and hit by airstrikes. In the space of a year to July 2019, there were 21 rescue stand-offs, affecting over 2,600 vulnerable men, women and children. Ad-hoc allocation of ports of safety, with often long delays before requests for a safe port are granted, continue today. In 2020, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, authorities in Italy would find flimsy excuses to detain search and rescue vessels, leaving almost no search and rescue capacity in the central Mediterranean and endangering lives. In September 2020, the Sea-Watch 4 was detained and impounded by Italian authorities for a period of six months, at a moment when six other search and rescue vessels were likewise detained. On 26 July, 2021, after 24 days of detention in Augusta Port, Italy, the Geo Barents was formally released from administrative detention, returning to the Search and Rescue zone to continue saving lives at sea and to continue alerting on this humanitarian catastrophe in the central Mediterranean. In 2023, chaos continues in Libya, with conflict and political and economic crises having worsened the situation. People are still desperately trying to flee. OUR SHIPS Over the past five years, we have operated, or been partners on, eight ships: Phoenix, in partnership with Migrant Offshore Aid Station (MOAS); Dignity I; Bourbon Argos; Prudence; Aquarius, in partnership with SOS MEDITERRANEE; Ocean Viking, in partnership with SOS MEDITERRANEE; Sea-Watch 4, in partnership with Sea-Watch; and Geo Barents. Message from Ocean Viking A message from the Ocean Viking recorded on 21 August 2019, as the ship remained stranded in the Mediterranean Sea for the 12th day since the first of four consecutive rescues, with 356 men women and children on board waiting to be allowed to disembark in a place of safety. MSF/HANNAH WALLACE BOWMAN MEDICAL CARE Our medical teams on board treat violence-related injuries resulting from time in detention, torture and other ill-treatment, including sexual violence. Women, especially pregnant women, receive dedicated care thanks to the presence of a midwife. Our midwives have assisted the delivery of several babies onboard our boats. We also provide care to people with skin diseases, dehydration, hypothermia, scabies and serious injuries such as chemical burns caused by fuel mixing with sea water during the crossing. Psychological first aid is provided by trained cultural mediators. During these consultations our teams often hear horrific stories; many of the people we rescue are victims of torture and other forms of ill-treatment. March 2017: Search and Rescue Operations in The Mediterranean WEBSITE Saving Lives at Sea MSF.ORG What is MSF doing on land? Once on land, people arriving in Europe discover the dangerous border crossings, are often beaten by authorities, and are forced to live in atrocious conditions, usually outdoors - including during winter. In one migrant camp in Italy, a quarter of respondents to a survey said there was poor hygiene conditions in the camp. In a nearby settlement, more than one in ten said there was a lack of drinking water. I’m sleeping under the bridge with other people. I have no money and no way of communicating with my family. I’m really tired. Nobody takes care of us, nobody asks me how I’m feeling or how I’m living. MIGRANT LIVING IN ROJA RIVER SETTLEMENT, NORTHERN ITALY SHARE THIS In Belgium, France, Greece, Italy, and Serbia our teams are providing a range of services to people recently arrived in Europe, including medical and psychological support. We also provide shelter, water, sanitation and essential relief items at reception centres, informal settlements and transit camps. Trapped in Moria GREECE Moria is in a state of emergency OPEN LETTER 17 SEP 2018 SUPPORT CENTRES Our teams in France identify young people, who have usually undertaken the journey unaccompanied, and offer them support through a day centre for minors in Paris. Teams there provide respite, medical care and administrative assistance through the drop-in day centre. MSF also ran specialised centres to respond to the needs of survivors of torture in Athens, Greece, most of whom came across the seas seeking safety and protection in Europe. A collage of Aquarius A collage by Hong Kong illustrator Ah Leung to put different scenes of MSF's search and rescue operation into the body of the vessel itself. AH LEUNG SHARE