#european_union

The #EU #crop #map - a first continental #high-resolution map of the #European_Union | EU #Science Hub
▻https://ec.europa.eu/jrc/en/science-update/eu-crop-map
#resolution #10m

Why return from Europe is causing problems for The Gambia

https://images.theconversation.com/files/301924/original/file-20191115-66932-1yj39n9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=926&fit=clip#.jpg

Roughly 38,500 Gambians left the country through ‘irregular’ means between 2013 and 2017. Today, almost every family has ties abroad. The influx of immigrants to Europe and elsewhere was caused by political oppression under the long-serving former president Yahya Jammeh. His oppressive politics also severely affected the economic prospects of The Gambia’s young population.

As a result, a large number of citizens, mostly young men, sought asylum in Europe. But very few have been allowed to stay. Even more were turned away when Jammeh was toppled after elections in 2017 and the country returned to democracy. More recently, there has been a big push from European Union (EU) member states to return failed asylum seekers back home to The Gambia.

The question of returns is particularly volatile in the west African nation of 2 million people, reflected in the country’s and European press.

A slight increase in Gambian deportations began in November 2018 after the EU and the government agreed on a ‘good practice’ agreement for efficient return procedures.

This intensified cooperation became possible due to the governmental change in 2017, with President Adama Barrow becoming President after the elections, as we found in our research on the political economy of migration governance in The Gambia.

Despite initial cooperation with the EU on returns, in March 2019 Barrow’s government imposed a moratorium on any further deportations of its nationals from the EU. After a standoff of several months, the moratorium has now been lifted. Though only temporary, the moratorium was an important tool for the government to manage problems with its domestic legitimacy.
Relationship challenges

Jammeh’s ousting ended years of severe repression and corruption that had discouraged donor countries from cooperating with The Gambia. When he left, the country quickly established positive relations with the EU which has become its most important development partner. It provides €55 million in budgetary support and runs three projects to address the root causes of destabilisation, forced displacement and irregular migration. But the moratorium was a stress test for this new relationship.

Before the moratorium was imposed in March 2019, the government had started to tentatively cooperate with the EU on return matters. For example, it sent regular missions to Europe to issue nationals with identification documents to facilitate their return.

Relations began to sour when European governments increased returns in a way that authorities in The Gambia viewed as inconsistent with the ‘good practice’ agreement. The agreement stipulates that return numbers should not overstretch the country’s capacity to receive returnees. It also states that adequate notice must be given before asylum seekers are returned. Both of these provisions were allegedly breached.
Problems at home

The incoming returns quickly led to heated debates among the population and on social media. The rumblings peaked in February 2019 with one particular return flight from Germany. Authorities in Banjul claimed they had not been well informed about it and initially refused entry. Public demonstrations followed in March. The moratorium, which European partners had already been notified about, was declared shortly afterwards.

The moratorium can be linked to diplomatic and technical inefficiencies, but it is also based on a more fundamental problem for Barrow’s government. By cooperating with the EU on returns, they risk their domestic legitimacy because by and large, most Gambians in Europe do not want to return home.

The initial euphoria that surrounded the democratic transition is wearing off. Many reform processes such as in the security sector and in the media environment are dragging. The economic situation of many has not improved. Allowing more deportations from the EU is perceived as betrayal by many migrants and their families.

The government is frequently suspected to play an active role in returns and is accused of witholding information about their dealings with the EU and member states like Germany. Incidentally, President Barrow is currently seeking to extend his rule beyond the three-year transition period originally agreed upon, ending in January 2020. Opposition to these plans is widespread.

In these politically tense times, pressing a pause button on returns fulfilled a symbolic function by defending Gambians against foreign national interests. The recent lifting of the moratorium is politically very risky. It paves the way for more of the deeply unpopular chartered return operations.

What next?

On the whole, The Gambia has little room to manoeuvre. It is highly dependent on the EU’s goodwill and financial support for its reforms process. In line with the development focus of the EU, the position of the government is to prepare the ground for more “humane” repatriations, which will need more time and joint efforts.

This would include better and more comprehensive reintegration opportunities for returned migrants. Reintegration is already the focus of various projects funded by the European Union Trust Fund. Programmes like the International Organisation for Migration’s ‘Post-Arrival Reintegration Assistance’ for returnees from Europe are up and running. However, they only serve a limited number of returnees and cannot meet all their needs.

It is important to note that the role of the Gambian state in providing reintegration support has been marginal.

With the lifting of the moratorium EU-Gambia cooperation stands at a crossroads. If EU member states maintain their hardline returnee approach The Gambia’s new government will continue to struggle with its legitimacy challenges. This could potentially jeopardise democratisation efforts.

In the alternative, the EU could take a more cooperative stance by working on more holistic, development-oriented solutions. A starting point would be to move away from plans to return high numbers of failed asylum seekers. Sending back large numbers of migrants has never been feasible.

The Gambian government will be more honest about its migration dealings with the EU if the agreements are fair and practical. Most importantly, if Gambians had access to fair and practical migration pathways this would lessen cases of irregular migration, which continue to remain high.

Without a greater share of legal migration, the issue of return will continue to be particularly contentious.

►https://theconversation.com/why-return-from-europe-is-causing-problems-for-the-gambia-124036
#Gambie #retour #renvois #expulsions #réfugiés_gambiens #développement #coopération_au_développement #aide_au_développement #conditionnalité_de_l'aide #Allemagne #moratoire #réintégration #European_Union_Trust_Fund #Trust_Fund #Post-Arrival_Reintegration_Assistance #OIM #IOM
ping @karine4 @_kg_

J’ai ajouté « #deportees » dans la liste des #mots autour de la migration :
►https://seenthis.net/messages/414225
Et plus précisément ici : ▻https://seenthis.net/messages/414225#message812066
#terminologie #vocabulaire
ping @sinehebdo

Ajouté à la métaliste développement-migrations, autour de la conditionnalité de l’aide :
►https://seenthis.net/messages/733358#message768701

Making #Europe White… Again
▻http://africasacountry.com/2016/12/making-europe-white-again

Zygmunt Bauman, the renowned Polish sociologist, calls them the emergent precariat. Shaken by the false promises of global neoliberal capitalism, the emergent precariat is a significant class of white Europeans living in constant fear of losing their positions of privilege. Their lives are characterized by a sense that they are in a constant state of […]

#POLITICS #Burqini #European_Union #Far-Right #France #Germany #Globalization #Integration #Islam #migration #racism

Europe’s “Smart Borders” Would Automatically Monitor Individuals
▻http://multinationales.org/Europe-s-Smart-Borders-Would-Automatically-Monitor-Individuals

Walls and wire fences are not all that’s being built at Europe’s borders. The European Commission and Security Companies dream of “smart borders”: a multitude of automated and interconnected files and control apparatuses able to follow each individual. The program’s objective? Counter-terrorism and keeping #migrants out. But these structures — the effectiveness of which remains to be demonstrated — risk straining public finances, while threatening civil liberties and private life, should some (...)

#Investigations

/ #Defence_and_Security, #France, #Safran, #Lobbying, #subsidies, #armament, #human_rights, #influence, #public_procurement, migrants, #european_union, (...)

#privacy
“►https://multinationales.org/Bruxelles-et-industriels-revent-de-frontieres-intelligentes-capable”
“▻http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/37067-surveillance-of-everyone-europe-s-proposed-smart-borders-would-auto”
“►http://www.horizon2020.gouv.fr”
“►https://ec.europa.eu/research/fp7/index_en.cfm”
“►http://www.horizon2020.gouv.fr/cid86030/publication-des-38-projets-finances-des-appels-du-defi-societes-sur”
“►http://www.lacimade.org”

What does #Brexit mean for Africa?
▻http://africasacountry.com/2016/06/what-does-brexit-mean-for-african-economies

The biggest news item of the past week was Britain voting to cancel its membership to the #European_Union. (The EU has many hoops that you need to jump through to join. Contrast this with African Union membership, for example). The results of the #Brexit (how the referendum is known popularly) vote came as a […]

#IT'S_THE_ECONOMY #It's_the_economy

Une défaite de la société ouverte
▻https://www.mediapart.fr/journal/international/240616/une-defaite-de-la-societe-ouverte

Le vote pour le #Brexit est l’expression d’un choix démocratique, ce qui ne signifie pas nécessairement qu’il conduise à un progrès de la démocratie.

#International #European_Union #référendum

#Brexit, une défaite de la société ouverte
▻https://www.mediapart.fr/journal/international/240616/brexit-une-defaite-de-la-societe-ouverte

Le vote pour le Brexit est l’expression d’un choix démocratique, ce qui ne signifie pas nécessairement qu’il conduise à un progrès de la démocratie.

#International #European_Union #référendum

Are the Chemical Industry’s Interests Taking Precedence Over People’s Lives in Europe?
▻http://multinationales.org/Are-the-Chemical-Industry-s-Interests-Taking-Precedence-Over-People

The #european_union has still not regulated usage of endocrine disruptors, chemical substances with colossal health impacts utilized in many common consumer products. Yet endocrine disruptors are the source of many disorders: birth defects, cancers and obesity. This regulatory delay, which has just been condemned by the European justice system, owes nothing to accident. The chemical industries - manufacturers of pesticides and plastics - are #Lobbying intensively and hamper any serious (...)

#Investigations

/ #Chemicals, Lobbying, #Environmental_Health, #regulations_and_norms, #new_technologies, european union, (...)

#influence
“▻http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/34711-in-europe-are-the-chemical-industry-s-interests-taking-precedence-o”
“▻http://www.ourstolenfuture.org/consensus/wingspread1.htm”
“►http://www.who.int/ceh/publications/endocrine/en”
“►http://press.endocrine.org/doi/full/10.1210/er.2009-0002”
“▻http://www.figo.org/sites/default/files/uploads/News/Final%20PDF_8462.pdf”
“▻http://www.cefic.org”
“►http://www.ecpa.eu”
“▻https://www.cosmeticseurope.eu”
“▻http://ec.europa.eu/environment/chemicals/endocrine/pdf/sota_edc_final_report.pdf”
“▻http://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/aug/03/ttip-what-why-angry-transatlantic-trade-investment-partnership-guide”

Giving peace a chance: international initiatives, ongoing and recently accomplished operations, 1990-2015
►http://visionscarto.net/giving-peace-a-chance

Title: Giving peace a chance: international initiatives, ongoing and recently accomplished operations, 1990-2015 Keywords: #War #Conflicts #Borders #UN #United_Nations #OSCE #EU #European_union #Peace Publication: This map was introduced to the Planetary Security Conference in the Hague - Netherlands (2-3 November 2015). Author: Philippe Rekacewicz Date: 2012, updated in (...)

#Map_collection

That moment when Senegalese writer #Fatou_Diome kicked #European_Union butt
▻http://africasacountry.com/that-moment-when-senegalese-writer-fatou-diome-kicked-european-unio

Lately, images of migrant boats capsizing in the Mediterranean Sea and bodies washing up on beaches have shocked the European Union’s moral conscience–that is if one assumes that the EU.....

#FRONT_PAGE #xenophobia

On this land, there’s what’s worth crying over
▻http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/land-theres-whats-worth-crying-over

http://english.al-akhbar.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/4cols/leading_images/haitham%20%284%29%20%281%29.jpg

Lebanon’s Ain al-Hilweh #Palestinian refugee camp on the outskirts of the southern city of #Saida. Al-Akhbar/Marwan Bou Haidar #Lebanon's Ain al-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp on the outskirts of the southern city of Saida. Al-Akhbar/Marwan Bou Haidar

As you return home, to your home, think of others Do not forget those who live in tents As you sleep and count the stars, think of others Those who have nowhere to sleep Think of Others – Mahmoud Darwish

May Khatib

read more

#Culture_&_Society #Ain_al-Hilweh_camp #Articles #Civis_Mundy #European_Union #Fatah #Palestine #UNRWA #Yasser_Arafat

How far can #Lebanon’s anti-corruption initiatives go ?
▻http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/how-far-can-lebanon%E2%80%99s-anti-corruption-initiatives-go

http://english.al-akhbar.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/4cols/leading_images/tahtah-%285%29.jpg

A protestor in Beirut demonstrating against the endemic corruption holds a sign in Arabic saying "A person steals a loaf of bread and they go to jail, a person steals a country and they become a leader.’ (Photo: Marwan Tahtah) A protestor in Beirut demonstrating against the endemic corruption holds a sign in Arabic saying "A person steals a loaf of bread and they go to jail, a person steals a country and they become a leader.’ (Photo: Marwan Tahtah)

#Lebanon has witnessed the emergence of several new anti-corruption initiatives in recent months, raising awareness about the magnitude of the issue in the country. But these campaigns, while aiming for laudable goals, do not seem to be fully prepared for the tasks they chose (...)

#Articles #Dany_Haddad #European_Union #Ghassan_Moukheiber #Lebanese_Transparency_Association #Nadine_Moussa #Sakker_al-Dekkeneh

Ilana Solomon: “In terms of climate and #Energy policy, TTIP takes us exactly in the wrong direction”
▻http://multinationales.org/Ilana-Solomon-In-terms-of-climate

There’s been a lot of talk recently about the risks of the transatlantic #Trade_and_Investment partnership (TTIP) project for #Europe and its regulations. But the consequences on the other side of the Atlantic could be just as dramatic, particularly in the boost it could give to further large-scale shale oil and gas developments. Interview with Ilana Solomon, director of the Sierra Club’s “responsible trade” programme. How did the Sierra Club, one of the most long-standing environmental (...)

#Investigations

/ #Lobbying, #Fossil_fuels, Trade and Investment, Europe, #United_States, #energy, #trade_and_investment_agreements, #public_campaign, #shale_gas, #greenhouse_gas, #environmental_impact, energy, #climate_change, #regulations_and_norms, #influence, european (...)

#european_union
“▻http://www.bastamag.net/Transatlantic-trade-a-bust-for”

Populists in Europe (7/8): The new face of Austrian FPÖ
▻http://fr.myeurop.info/node/13867

The Freedom Party of #Austria or FPÖ aspires to come first nationally in the European elections. For the past 30 years it has been trying to normalize its image by attempting to break from its ideological heritage close to Nazism.

Stop telling the FPÖ it is a #neo-Nazi party. Since the 1990s, they have been working to move away from this ideology to turn into a large right-wing populist party. lire la suite

#Debates #Politics #AUSTRIA #european_union #far_right #football #FPÖ #Heinz-Christian_Strache #National_Front #neo-fascist #néo-nazi #populism #racism

Populists in Europe (8/8): The Xenophobic nature of #True_Finns
▻http://fr.myeurop.info/node/13869

In #Finland, the True Finns or PS currently have 38 #MPs out of a total of 200 in the Eduskunta, the Finnish Parliament. But these so-called patriots have xenophobic tendencies.

Until 2011 there were 39 True Finn MPs out of 200. But one of them was excluded last year by PS head Timo Soini. lire la suite

#Debates #Politics #european_union #Finland #immigration #MEPs #migrants #PerusSuomalaiset #Perussuomalaiset #populism #racism #Syria #VF #xenophobia

Forced Privatizations in #Greece : Suez Eyes Taking Over the #Water Services of Athens and Thessaloniki
▻http://multinationales.org/Forced-Privatizations-in-Greece

As a condition for the Troika’s financial assistance, Greece has been forced to implement a set of drastic austerity measures, including the privatization of several state-owned companies. The public #water utilities of Athens and Thessaloniki are among the targets. Both are profitable companies, which no one there wishes to see pass into private hands. But the Greek government and its creditors seem bent on imposing policy whose economic merits and democratic legitimacy seem rather dubious. (...)

#Investigations

/ #A_la_une, #Water_and_Sanitation, Greece, #Suez_environnement, Water, water, #public_campaign, #financialisation, #influence, #european_union, collective (...)

#collective_services
« ►http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-14-277_fr.htm »
« ►http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-02-19/suez-environnement-raises-stake-in-rome-utility-to-12-5-.html »
« ▻http://www.savegreekwater.org/?lang=en »
« ►http://www.bastamag.net/Quand-Francois-Hollande-encourage »
« ►http://europeanwater.org/images/pdf/Letter%20to%20EYATH%20Bidders.pdf »
« ►http://www.epsu.org/a/10132 »
« ►http://www.epsu.org/a/10284 »
« ►http://www.epsu.org/a/10088 »
« ►http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/may/27/greece-trade-battleground-foreign-investors-swoop »
« ▻http://www.flickr.com/photos/79515455@N00/4326622660/in/photolist-7Ak5bq

#EU urges #Israel to release #Palestinian_prisoners
▻http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/eu-urges-israel-release-palestinian-prisoners

An #European_Union parliamentary delegation on Thursday urged Israel to release long-term Palestinian prisoners. “We believe that the release of prisoners... is central to the peace process,” said Emer Costello, who headed the EU delegation on a three-day fact-finding mission on Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails. The visit of four EU MPs came as Israel was mulling whether or not to release a final batch of long-term Palestinian prisoners under its commitments to US-brokered peace talks. read more

#Palestine #Top_News

Major European banks benefit from 48 billion euros ’implicit’ #subsidies
▻http://multinationales.org/Major-European-banks-benefit-from

European banks benefit from a “financial support” worth 200 to 300 billion euros every year, thanks to ’implicit subsidies’ provided by the states. The equivalent of 1.5% of the European GDP and almost twice the #european_union's annual budget! These are the conclusions drawn from a study carried out by the independent finance expert Alexander Kloeck at the request of Green MEPs. This article was originally published in French. Translation : Mathilde Balland. Implicit guarantees mostly concern (...)

#News

/ #France, #Finance_and_Banking, #BNP_Paribas, #BPCE, #Crédit_agricole, #Société_générale, #financialisation, #Tax_Heavens, subsidies, european union, (...)

#speculation
►http://www.greens-efa.eu/fileadmin/dam/Documents/Studies/Implicit_subsidies_in_the_EU_banking_sector_study_January_2014.pdf

Hackers hold the European parliament to account

United by ’hackers’ spirit’, participants at a Brussels hackathon bring the actions of MEPs under scrutiny for the first time

▻http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/jan/28/hackers-hold-the-european-parliament-to-account

#hackathon #European_Union #union_europeenne #eurodéputés

▻http://europarl.me
►http://parltrack.euwiki.org
▻http://www.mepwatch.eu

#Khouribga, #Morocco: Urban Limbo of European Dreams
▻http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/khouribga-morocco-urban-limbo-european-dreams

http://english.al-akhbar.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/4cols/leading_images/6943641971_842758173b_b.jpg

Buildings in Khouribga, Morocco, a town experiencing urban development as a result of return migrants from Europe. (Photo: Nahrain Al-Mousawi) Buildings in Khouribga, Morocco, a town experiencing urban development as a result of return migrants from Europe. (Photo: Nahrain Al-Mousawi)

Khouribga, a phosphate-mining town in northwestern Morocco, has become home to a growing population of return migrants, that is, Moroccans returning to the homeland following European adventures. As the look and feel of European cafe life is recreated on the city’s streets, Khouribga redefines the country’s migration culture.

Nahrain Al-Mousawi

read (...)

#Series_and_Features #European_Union #Features

#Lebanon : #Akkar’s Forgotten Warmly Welcome EU Ambassador
▻http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/lebanon-akkar%E2%80%99s-forgotten-warmly-welcome-eu-ambassador

http://english.al-akhbar.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/4cols/leading_images/573992-01-08.jpg

French President’s companion Valerie Trierweiler (L) visits a Lebanese public school that is taking in Syrian refugee children in the Beirut suburb of Sin el-Fil, on November 5, 2013. (Photo: AFP - Anwar Amro) French President’s companion Valerie Trierweiler (L) visits a Lebanese public school that is taking in Syrian refugee children in the Beirut suburb of Sin el-Fil, on November 5, 2013. (Photo: AFP - Anwar Amro)

In her (...)

#Angelina_Eichhorst #Articles #European_Union #Lebanese_Council_for_Development_and_Reconstruction #Syrian_refugees

Les villes européennes deviennent intelligentes
▻http://fr.myeurop.info/2013/06/27/les-villes-europeennes-deviennent-intelligentes-10831

http://cdn3.myeurop.info/sites/default/files/imagecache/third_thumbnail/media/images/smart+cities+2.jpg

Ludovic Clerima

Les #smart_cities et autres quartiers numériques se développent en #Europe. Chargées d’assurer la gestion des ressources énergétiques de demain, ces villes du futur risquent de changer rapidement nos modes de consommation.

La ville de Nice s’est depuis peu convertie au TIC (technologies de (...)

#Initiatives #Société #INFO #Espagne #European_Union #France #Royaume-Uni #drone #nouvelles_technologies #numérique #quartier_connecté #ville_intelligente