GENEVA, 17 January 2012—On Sunday, 33 unaccompanied children departed from Tunisia's Shousha refugee camp to Norway as part of their resettlement process.The children were among 90 who arrived unaccompanied from Libya during 2011. Some were already without parents when they first arrived in Libya; others lost their parents or became separated from them subsequently. Most are from Somalia, Sudan, Ethiopia, or Eritrea.Read more
CHOUCHA CAMP, Tunisia, 20 July 2011 (UNHCR)—Filmon was born in Eritrea and says his heart is there, that he never dreamed nor wished to be far removed from his country. Yet this week he and his family boarded a plane and headed for a new life over 5,000 kilometres away.Read more
GENEVA, 1 July 2011 (UNHCR)—Yesterday saw serious disturbances in the Dagahley section of the Dadaab refugee complex in Kenya. Rioting broke out when police sought to disperse a crowd that was protesting an attempt to demolish illegal structures around a food distribution point. Teargas was used, and later live gunshot. Our information is that two refugees were killed and around a dozen injured.Read more
15 June 2011 (JRS Malta)—In a statement issued today, Jesuit Refugee Service Malta expressed grave concern at the predicament of the 100 men, women and children stranded on board the Almirante Juan de Borbón in worsening conditions, and called upon the States concerned to allow them to disembark immediately pending a final agreement on who will assume responsibility for them.
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BRUSSELS, 10 June 2011 - On Tuesday 6th and Wednesday 7th of June the final conference of the project "Promotion of Resettlement in the European Union through Practical Cooperation by EU Member States and Other Stakeholders" took place in Brussels. The event marked the conclusion of an 18-month project carried out by the International Organization for Migration, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the International Catholic Migration Commission with funding from the European Commission's European Refugee Fund that has generated a wealth of information on resettlement practices in Europe.Read more
BRUSSELS, 8 June 2011 (CoE)—Another boat carrying migrants from Libya capsized last week. At least 150 persons drowned, while others were saved by the Tunisian coast guard and fishing boats. In a similar tragedy in May, about 600 persons lost their lives. There are other reports about missing vessels with migrants on board and it is likely that the death toll for this year has now reached 1 400, or perhaps even more.Read more
8 June 2011 (UN News Service)—The United Nations’ lead anti-crime official and Pope Benedict XVI conferred today on ways to expand common efforts in the battles against drugs, crime and other social and health challenges throughout the world.Read more
GENEVA, 4 July 2011 (UNHCR)—The UN refugee agency called on Monday for increased resettlement places for the most vulnerable among the 10.5 million refugees under its mandate.Read more
TUNISIA, 3 June 2011 (UNHCR)—At least 150 people have drowned and scores remain missing following a boat capsizing off the Tunisian coast on Wednesday afternoon. This appears to be one of the worst and the deadliest incidents in the Mediterranean so far this year.Read more
3 June 2011 (Aljazeera)—Little attention has been given in the post-conflict reconstruction of Iraq to the health and well-being of refugees and their children. Indeed, with the advent of the Arab Spring, the situation of displaced Iraqi refugees has left media, public and national policy agendas altogether. But almost a decade after US and British troops first touched down on Iraqi soil, families continue to lack basic resources. Children are living in a very fragile and tense social environment—which in countries such as Syria, Jordan and Lebanon is getting worse by the day, given the current social uprisings.Read more
BRUSSELS, 8 December 2011—ICMC today launches its new publication "MAYDAY! Strengthening responses of assistance and protection to boat people and other migrants arriving in Southern Europe". The publication sheds light on gaps in responding to boat people and other migrants arriving in Greece, Italy, Malta and Spain. "It is not so much the arrivals of migrants and refugees that should be put to question, but rather the response mechanisms," observes Johan Ketelers, Secretary General of ICMC.Read more
GENEVA, 2 December 2011—The Civil Society Days of the Global Forum on Migration and Development concluded with high energy at the “common space” between civil society and governments on the morning of December 1st. After two days of working sessions that built upon the recommendations of past GFMDs and brought to light new concerns, civil society presented a statement to governments calling for more engagement and leadership to combat xenophobia and promote rights-based migration policies. The statement was followed by a debate on demographics, development and positive alternatives to irregular migration, moderated by BBC correspondent Zeinab Badawi with over 700 participants present.Read more
GENEVA, 9 November 2011—Civil society representatives from over 60 countries will convene in Geneva to propose rights-based migration policies to governments at the Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD) to be held from November 29th to December 2nd. 180 delegates will meet for two days to formulate recommendations on labour migration, which they will present to governments from some 130 countries on December 1st.Read more
GENEVA, 14 October 2011—Addressing issues including irregular migration, the rights, contribution and challenges of migrant workers and their families, the role of migrants abroad in the development of their countries of origin, job creation “at home” and other alternatives to migration, 180 civil society actors will be bringing their on-the-ground experience to high-level discussions with governments at this year’s Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD).Read more
GENEVA, 19 August 2011—In the countdown to the 2011 Global Forum on Migration and Development, a new website providing broad information about the GFMD has been launched, together with the invitation for civil society representatives to apply now to participate directly in the 2011 Civil Society Days.Read more
GENEVA, 4 July 2011—The International Catholic Migration Commission is pleased to welcome Ms. Wies Maas, Senior Programme Officer, and Mr. Andrés Morales, GFMD Programme Officer, to its Geneva headquarters, in support of Civil Society activities related to the 2011 Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD).Read more
TURKEY, 20 June 2011—Rarely able to travel far beyond their host city of Afyonkarahisar, Turkey, nearly 200 refugees relished the opportunity to gather at the 26th of August Natural Park for a festive day of food, games and children’s crafts some 20 kilometers outside of the town centre, in celebration of World Refugee Day.Read more
BRUSSELS, 7 June 2011—Joined by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the International Catholic Migration Commission launched today a new handbook for policy makers and local practitioners working in the area of refugee reception and integration.Read more
GENEVA, 6 June 2011—Ethiopian Bishops’ Conference Secretary General and ICMC member, Abba Hagos Hayish, made a plea to governments, international organizations and civil society representatives gathered at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, calling for action on behalf of the hundreds of migrants kidnapped and held hostage for ransom in the Sinai desert.Read more
GENEVA, 5 June 2011—Sixty years ago today, in times of epic post-war displacement and emigration from Europe to the Americas, lay people and clergy from Italy, Germany and the United States joined the future Pope Paul VI and Cardinal Joseph Frings of Germany in calling for the creation of a new, international Catholic commission to support refugees and migrants ‘with special care and unremitting aid’.Read more
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