As a member of the International Catholic Migration Commission (ICMC) International Steering Committee organizing the Civil Society Days at the Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD), I have thoroughly enjoyed the last three days at the GFMD. Hosted by Istanbul, a city in the midst of the current migration crisis, and with Turkey now being the largest host country for refugees in the world. The days were rich in discussion and debate with several excellent speakers and the Syrian … [Read more...]
Is this the end of Asylum in Europe?
In early September 2015, the Dutch Minister for Foreign Trade & Development Cooperation together with the State Secretary for Security & Justice sent a letter to their House of Representatives about the European asylum system. The letter proposes a new policy based around three central points: 1) That asylum seekers should be processed by UNHCR within their region; 2) That asylum seekers who reach the Netherlands can be sent back to a ‘region of safety’; 3) That some refugees … [Read more...]