UNHCR concerned over EU’s increasing restrictive measures

UNHCR concerned over EU’s increasing restrictive measures

14/02/2016 ENstaff borders, EU, Europe, European Union, refugees, UNHCR

UNHCR has expressed its concern over increasing restrictive measures, urges effective comprehensive European response. Solutions to Europe’s situation are not only eminently possible, but have already been agreed by States and urgently need to be implemented, the organisation said in an announcement.

On 26 January 2016, a young boy is carrying a large bundle of warm blankets on his shoulders. He is in the Miratovac Refugee Aid Point where, along with his family members, he can access support services and have an opportunity to rest before continuing his journey.

In 2015, more than one million refugees and migrants crossed the Mediterranean, arriving on Europeís shores, of which an estimated 253,700 ñ or one in four ñ were children. Latest trends show that children now make up 36 percent of the migration flow coming through the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. Woman and children now make up 57 percent of the refugee and migrants with the majority from Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq. Children arriving into a harsh winter in southeastern Europe are physically exhausted, scared, distressed and often in need of medical assistance, UNICEF warned.The recent sub-zero temperatures and sometimes snowy conditions is exacerbating the childrenís poor physical condition as many children on the move do not have adequate clothing, or access to age-appropriate nutrition. This has been worsened by the lack of shelter and inadequate heating in some reception centres as well as buses and trains. UNICEF said the issue was pressing as the proportion of children amongst refugees and migrants ñ now more than one in three ñ has continued to increase. According to national sources, in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, the ratio was 37 per cent in December, compared to 23 per cent in September, while in Serbia, 36 per cent were children in December compared to 27 per cent in September. In December most children transiting through UNICEF child-friendly spaces in Serbia were young children, including babies and infants and those between 5 to 9 years old.

european union society

More children and women seek safety in Europe: UNICEF

03/02/2016 ENstaff children, Europe, FYROM, migrants, refugees, UNICEF, women

For the first time since the start of the refugee and migrant crisis in Europe, there are more children and women on the move than adult males, says UNICEF.

econ/biz european union

ECB Draghi: ‘Cohesion of Europe is being tested’

02/02/2016 ENstaff banks, Draghi, ECB, economy, EU, Europe, European Union

DRAGHI: The policy challenges we face are fourfold. They relate to: the global environment; the situation of the financial system; the economic and fiscal policies of Member States; and the political uncertainty surrounding the European project.

DAVOS/SWITZERLAND, 23JAN16 - Christine Lagarde, Managing Director, International Monetary Fund (IMF), Washington DC speaks during the Annual Meeting 2016 of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, January 23, 2016.

WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM/swiss-image.ch/Photo Moritz Hager

econ/biz

Cautious optimism for 2016 global economy

24/01/2016 ENstaff China, Christine Lagarde, Europe, global economy, IMF, India, Japan, UK

Global growth is estimated at 3.4% and 3.6% in 2017. “We see global growth in 2016 as modest and uneven,” said IMF managing director Christine Lagarde at the World Economic Forum.

events

‘Maritime Security – Difference between Europe and Asia’ [discussion]

14/01/201614/01/2016 ENstaff Asia, ELIAMEP, Embassy of Japan, Europe, Japan, maritime security, Morimoto, security

The Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy (ELIAMEP) and the Embassy of Japan in Greece organise a discussion with Prof. Satoshi Morimoto, National Security and Defense Policy Specialist & former Minister of Defense, on the theme of: “Maritime Security – Difference between Europe and Asia.”

european union society

A million refugees and migrants flee to Europe in 2015

22/12/201524/12/2015 ENstaff Europe, Greece, IOM, Mediterranean, migrants, migration, refugee crisis, refugees, UNHCR

Persecution, conflict and poverty have driven a staggering one million people to seek safety in Europe in 2015, according to estimates by the UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR and the International Organization for Migration, IOM.

econ/biz opinion

Alternative developmental models and social economy [opinion]

18/12/201518/12/2015 Nikos Nagopoulos business, crisis, economic model, Europe, Ministry of Development, social economy, Stathakis

In the framework of a revised Plan for social economy – suggested by Government officials – a debate on alternative ways of social and economic growth is currently in progress.

european union foreign affairs

Foreign Ministry: ‘Greece’s critics on refugee/migration crisis continue to live in a virtual reality’

11/12/2015 ENstaff EU, Europe, European Union, Foreign Ministry, Koutras, migration crisis, refugee crisis, spokesperson

Foreign Ministry: Everyone acknowledges that the dimensions of the current refugee/migration issue greatly exceed the management capabilities of any one state – of any size – surpass the European level, and constitute a global crisis.

Locals carry two young girls to the shores of Lesbos, after they reached the island with their families in an inflatable boat full of refugees and migrants, having crossed the Aegean sea from Turkey.

society

2015: The Year of Europe’s Refugee Crisis

09/12/2015 ENstaff Austria, Europe, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Mediterranean, migrants, refugee crisis, Serbia, UNHCR

Hundreds of thousands of people have fled across the Mediterranean Sea this year to escape war and persecution. UNHCR presents seven key events in this unfolding drama…

EU_San Marino_agreement_EU Newsroom_embassynews

econ/biz european union

EU signs taxation agreement with San Marino

09/12/2015 ENstaff banks, business, economy, EU, Europe, European Union, tax evasion, taxation

On 8 December 2015, the European Union and San Marino signed an agreement aimed at improving tax compliance by private savers. The agreement will contribute to efforts to clamp down on tax evasion, by requiring the EU member states and San Marino to exchange information automatically.

interviews people

Ambassador of Norway:”The challenge for the Greek economy is its competitive edge and its business climate” [interview]

07/06/2016 ENstaff

The Ambassador of Norway in Athens, His Excellency Jørn Eugene Gjelstad, spoke to EmbassyNews.net and commented on the current developments in Greek and European politics, the economy and the refugee crisis.