Refugees

Syrians in Germany show no rush to leave as their labour is in demands

Syrian employers, trade unions and business associations are now speaking up to stress how much they are needed in a German economy facing deep labour shortages

Refugees return to Syria as rebels appoint caretaker prime minister

In a brief address on state television on Tuesday, Mohammed al-Bashir, a figure little known across most of Syria, said he would lead the interim authority until March 1

Mizoram govt plans to relocate displaced refugees to single location

The Mizoram government is planning to relocate all refugees taking shelter in different parts of the state and to bring them in one place, according to Lalmuanpuia Punte, political adviser to the chief minister. Punte on Thursday convened a meeting with officials of south Mizoram's Lawngtlai district to discuss issues concerning over 2,000 Bangladeshi refugees taking shelter in the district. He told the meeting that proper guidelines should be formulated to prevent the refugees from settling and shifting anywhere they want. Punte said that the government is taking steps to relocate and bring the refugees together in one place rather than be scattered in different villages for administrative convenience. The plan will also help the government in providing humanitarian assistance in a more convenient way, he said. Punte further said that plans are afoot to relocate 2,014 refugees from Bangladesh's Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) currently taking shelter in different villages in Lawngtl

Refugees don't want to return to Syria, Lebanon sees exodus as opportunity

Hundreds of thousands of Syrians refugees have returned to their country since Israel launched a massive aerial bombardment on wide swathes of Lebanon in September. Many who fled to Lebanon after the war in Syria started in 2011 did not want to go back. But for officials in Lebanon, the influx of returnees comes as a silver lining to the war between Israel and Hezbollah that has killed more than 3,000 people and displaced some 1.2 million in Lebanon. Some in Syria hope the returning refugees could lead to more international assistance and relief from western sanctions. 'I wasn't thinking at all about returning' Nisreen al-Abed returned to her northwest Syrian hometown in October after 12 years as a refugee in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley. The airstrikes had been terrifying, but what really worried her was that her 8-year-old twin daughters need regular transfusions to treat a rare blood disorder, thalassemia. I was afraid that in Lebanon, in this situation, I wouldn't be able to get bloo

EU thought it had new migration plan but it may be too little, too late

European Union leaders will use a summit Thursday to seek ways to make the bloc a more hostile destination for migrants and asylum seekers following a recent surge in support for the extreme right, which has fomented opposition to foreigners. As the summit opens in Brussels, the 27 EU leader are looking at plans to speed up initiatives to get unwanted migrants out of the bloc and process asylum applications far outside their borders. The tenor of the debate is a far cry from 2015, less than a decade ago, when the EU was faced with a migration crisis. Well over a million migrants and refugees sought help then, mainly from the Middle East and Afghanistan. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the EU's dominant national leader at the time, famously said, We can manage that. Now, EU leaders want to manage and seal off their borders ever more tightly, embracing initiatives that would have looked unacceptable only a few years ago. In recent weeks, Poland has said it wants to temporarily suspe

Refugees denied citizenship rights due to appeasement policy of Cong: Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said a large number refugees were denied citizenship rights in the country due to the appeasement policy of past governments led by the Congress and its allies. Addressing a gathering in Ahmedabad after handing over citizenship certificates to 188 Hindu refugees in Gujarat, Shah said the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) is about giving rights and justice to lakhs of refugees. He also assured Muslims that there is no provision in the CAA to take away anyone's citizenship, as it is about granting citizenship. The past governments allowed crores of intruders into the country and made them citizens illegally, he said. At the same time, they denied citizenship to those who followed the law and applied for the same by saying there was no legal provision for it, Shah said. "Because of the policy of appeasement of past governments run by the Congress and its allies, those who came to the country for refuge did not get rights and justice," the minis

Reinforcing bamboo fence: Meghalaya villagers on edge after B'desh unrest

From reinforcing a bamboo fence separating them from Bangladeshis to staying up all night for vigil, residents of a Meghalaya village located metres from the international border are on the edge fearing influx of people from the other side after unrest that overthrew the Sheikh Hasina government. The 90-odd residents of Lyngkhong village in East Khasi Hills district had erected a rag-tag bamboo fence along the border during the COVID pandemic to prevent petty crimes from across the border. Lyngkhong is one of several sectors in Meghalaya where border fence could not be constructed due to land demarcation issues and the presence of habitation within 150 yards of the international border pillar or zero line. A quick tour of the village revealed that most of the houses were located very close to the international border, while the only football ground is situated on the zero line, with children playing under the watchful eyes of the BSF at all times. Although Lyngkhong has not ...

India releases first tranche of $2.5 mn to UN for Palestinian refugees

The Indian government has released the first tranche of USD 2.5 million to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) as part of its annual contribution of USD 5 million for the year 2024-25, the Representative Office of India here said on Monday. The UNRWA, which has carried out direct relief and works programmes for registered Palestinian refugees since 1950, is making efforts to keep up its functioning in the middle of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. The Representative Office of India in Ramallah in its statement on X said: "The Government of India released the first tranche of USD 2.5 million to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), as part of its annual contribution of USD 5 million for the year 2024-25." Over the years, in its endeavour to support the Palestinian refugees and their welfare, India has provided financial support to the tune of USD 35 million till 2023-24 for t

'Cannot push back Bangladeshi refugees', Mizoram CM Lalduhoma tells PM Modi

Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma on Saturday urged the Centre to understand the position of Mizoram in giving shelter to refugees from neighbouring Bangladesh, an official statement said. An official of the state home department said that nearly 2,000 Zo ethnic people from Bangladesh have taken refuge in Mizoram since 2022. During a brief meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi, Lalduhoma informed him that his government could not push back or deport Zo ethnic people from Bangladesh's Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT), the statement said. He informed the Prime Minister that many people belonging to the Bawm tribe, one of the ethnic Mizo tribes, from Bangladesh have been taking shelter in Mizoram since 2022, and many of them are still trying to enter the state. They started entering Mizoram in November 2022 following a military offensive by the Bangladeshi army against the Kuki-Chin National Army (KNA), an ethnic insurgent group fighting for a separate state. The two lead

Africa land routes twice as deadly for migrants as the Mediterranean: UN

The United Nations and partners say more migrants and refugees in Africa are heading northward toward the Mediterranean and Europe, crossing perilous routes in the Sahara where criminal gangs subject them to enslavement, organ removal, rape, kidnapping for ransom and other abuses. A report released on Friday by the UN refugee and migration agencies and the Mixed Migration Centre research group estimated that land routes in Africa are twice as deadly as the sea lanes across the Mediterranean which is the deadliest maritime route for migrants in the world. The report said new conflict and instability in countries including Mali, Burkina Faso and Sudan have been behind a rise in the number of journeys toward the Mediterranean. But Nigeria, Ivory Coast and Guinea were the top countries of origin of migrants. It comes as many politicians in Europe and beyond, in an important election year, have fanned or drawn support from anti-immigrant sentiment. But conflict, economic strife, ...

Mizoram govt yet to initiate biometric enrollment for Myanmar refugees

The Mizoram government is waiting for instruction from the Centre to initiate biometric enrollment for over 33,000 Myanmar refugees in the northeastern state, a home department official said. The official said that a new biometric enrollment portal has already been prepared. "We are waiting for an instruction from the Centre. We will start the process of collecting biometric data of Myanmar nationals once we receive the instruction," the official told PTI. Earlier, Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma had said that biometric enrollment portal has been in place for collection of the data and it will be utilised in near future. In April last year, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs had directed Mizoram and Manipur, which share borders with Myanmar, to capture the biometric and biographic details of "illegal immigrants" in their states. In June last year, it directed the states that the campaign be completed by the end of September and directed both to prepare a plan and initiate the ...

14 mn flee homes as nations fail to tackle conflict causes: UN official

The number of people fleeing their homes because of war, violence and persecution has reached 114 million and is climbing because nations have failed to tackle the causes and combatants are refusing to comply with international law, the UN refugee chief said Thursday. In a hard-hitting speech, Filippo Grandi criticized the UN Security Council, which is charged with maintaining international peace and security, for failing to use its voice to try to resolve conflicts from Gaza, Ukraine and Sudan to Congo, Myanmar and many other places. He also accused unnamed countries of making short-sighted foreign policy decisions, often founded on double standards, with lip service paid to compliance with the law, but little muscle flexed from the council to actually uphold it and with it peace and security. Grandi said non-compliance with international humanitarian law means that parties to conflicts increasingly everywhere, almost all of them have stopped respecting the laws of war, though

No talks with Centre on relocating Chakma, Hajong refugees in state: CM

The central government has not discussed anything over the relocation of Chakma and Hajong refugess in Assam, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma claimed on Tuesday. His statement comes following Union minister Kiren Rijiju's remarks that there has been talks to relocate these refugees from Arunachal Pradesh to Assam after the implementation of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA). "I don't know what Rijiju has said, but the government of India has not discussed these matters with us. Rijiju might have perhaps said something in view of the political situation in Arunachal Pradesh," Sarma told reporters on the sidelines of a poll campaign meeting. The CM also maintained that there is no land available to re-settle the refugees and added, "No one from Chakma or Hajong communities has met me nor has the government of India discussed it with me. I will speak with Rijiju about the matter after the elections." Sarma said Assamese people residing in Arunachal Pradesh, numbering about ...

Pak Hindu refugees in Jodhpur celebrate as govt notifies CAA implementation

"This is like real Ram Rajya for us," said a Hindu migrant from Pakistan residing here as celebrations broke out after the Centre implemented the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, four years after the contentious law was passed by Parliament. In the settlements of Hindu migrants from Pakistan, the residents lit lamps and burst firecrackers on Monday night soon after the rules to fast-track citizenship for undocumented non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan who came to India before December 31, 2014, were unveiled. "We had been waiting for this for long. With this (CAA) becoming a reality, many those in line for citizenship can hope to become Indian nationals soon," said Dinesh Bheel, a Hindu migrant from Pakistan. Expressing delight over the development, another migrant Perumal said this would pave the way for citizenship and help the distraught migrants in leading a better life. "We can get citizenship after six years of residing in India. This will help lots of

CAA enables refugees persecuted for religion to get Indian citizenship: VHP

The Vishva Hindu Parishad on Monday welcomed the Centre notifying the Citizenship (Amendment) Act rules and said it has paved the way for refugees "persecuted" on the basis of their religion in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan to obtain Indian citizenship. Alok Kumar, the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) chief, in a statement also called on the workers of the organisation and other social groups to provide all possible help to such refugees to complete the formalities of applying for Indian citizenship at the earliest. The Centre on Monday announced implementation of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), 2019, paving the way for granting citizenship to undocumented non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan who came to India before December 31, 2014. The rules were notified days ahead of the expected announcement of the Lok Sabha elections. With this, the Narendra Modi government will now start granting Indian nationality to persecuted non-Muslim migrants -- Hindu

Mizoram not to collect biometric data of Myanmar, B'desh refugees, says CM

Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma on Thursday said his government would not collect biometric details of Myanmar and Bangladesh refugees. The chief minister said the Centre is currently providing assistance to the state government to provide relief to refugees from Myanmar and Bangladesh and internally displaced people (IDP) from Manipur, who are taking shelter in the state. Lalduhoma informed the assembly on Thursday that the Ministry of Home Affairs had directed the state government to collect biometric data of Myanmar and Bangladesh refugees in April last year. Although the previous Mizo National Front (MNF) government had initially processed the initiative towards the Centre direction by conducting training and appointing nodal officers, the Council of Ministers in its meeting held in September last year decided not to conduct biometric and biographic enrollment for Myanmar and Bangladesh refugees citing it is not advisable to undertake biometric and biographic preparation due to

United Nations seeks $4.2 bn to help people in Ukraine, refugees this year

The United Nations appealed on Monday for USD 4.2 billion to help people in Ukraine and displaced outside the country this year, saying that people on the front lines have exhausted their meagre resources and many refugees also are vulnerable. About three-quarters of the total, USD 3.1 billion, is meant to support some 8.5 million people inside Ukraine. The remaining USD 1.1 billion is sought for refugees and host communities outside Ukraine. A recent wave of attacks underscores the devastating civilian cost of the war and a bitter winter is increasing the need for humanitarian aid, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and the UN refugee agency said in a statement from Geneva. In front-line towns and villages, people have exhausted their meagre resources and rely on aid to survive, it said. Ukraine has been subjected to massive Russian barrages recently. More than 500 drones and missiles were fired between December 29 and January 2, according to officials in .

UN seeks $4.2 billion to help people in Ukraine, refugees this year

The United Nations appealed on Monday for USD 4.2 billion to help people in Ukraine and displaced outside the country this year, saying that people on the front lines have exhausted their meagre resources and many refugees also are vulnerable. About three-quarters of the total, USD 3.1 billion, is meant to support some 8.5 million people inside Ukraine. The remaining USD 1.1 billion is sought for refugees and host communities outside Ukraine. A recent wave of attacks underscores the devastating civilian cost of the war and a bitter winter is increasing the need for humanitarian aid, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and the UN refugee agency said in a statement from Geneva. In front-line towns and villages, people have exhausted their meagre resources and rely on aid to survive, it said. Ukraine has been subjected to massive Russian barrages recently. More than 500 drones and missiles were fired between December 29 and January 2, according to officials in .

350,000 people applied for asylum in Germany in 2023, up 51% in 1 year

The number of people applying for asylum in Germany last year rose to 3,51,915, an increase of 51.1 per cent compared with the year before. The largest number of asylum-seekers came from Syria, with 1,04,561 applications, followed by Turkish citizens with 62,624 asylum pleas and 53,582 Afghans, Germany's Federal Office for Migration and Refugees said Monday. Migration has become a huge political problem for the government and a hot-button topic in Germany as local communities are struggling to house the many newcomers. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who faces enormous pressure from the opposition and elsewhere to halt the trend, has said that too many are coming. Late last year, Scholz and the 16 state governors agreed on new and stricter measures to curb the high number of migrants flowing into the country, reaching a compromise that included speeding up asylum procedures, benefit restrictions for asylum-seekers and more financial aid from the federal government for the states and

Mizoram will continue to provide assistance to refugees from Myanmar: CM

Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma on Saturday said his government would continue providing assistance to refugees from Myanmar and internally displaced people from Manipur, with support from the Centre. Lalduhoma made the comments at a press conference here upon his return from Delhi. "Even though the Centre can't accord refugee status to the Myanmar nationals, it is ready to collaborate with us in providing relief to them. People from Manipur, who fled their homes due to ethnic violence, will also be looked after with help of the central government," he said. According to officials, more than 31,000 individuals belonging to the Chin community from Myanmar have sought shelter in Mizoram since February 2021, following a military coup in their home country. Over 9,000 internally displaced people from Manipur have also taken refuge in the state. The Chin community from Myanmar and ethnic Kuki-Zo community from Manipur share ethnic ties with the Mizos. Union Home Minister Amit Shah ha