Gunmen in the southern Russian republic have killed police officers and a priest in what officials are calling acts of terror. Also: the US prepares to receive two new pandas from China, and the man whose home was turned into a cannabis farm.
Day: June 23, 2024
As the UK gears up for its next general election, immigration once again dominates political discourse. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer’s pledge to “smash the gangs” involved in people smuggling echoes the Conservative government’s earlier promise to “stop the boats”. While these slogans may resonate with voters, they grossly oversimplify the complex challenges of managing migration and border security in modern Britain.
Starmer’s proposal to adopt a counter-terrorism approach to combat people smuggling is not novel. Similar strategies have been employed across Europe, from Italy’s use of anti-mafia units to the UK’s own Channel Threat Command. However, these efforts have yielded limited success in stemming irregular migration.
The reality is that most smuggling operations are far removed from the organised crime syndicates often portrayed in political rhetoric. Extensive research consistently shows that these networks tend to be loose, small-scale, and highly adaptable. When one group is dismantled, others quickly emerge to fill the void, posing a significant challenge to law enforcement efforts.
Moreover, the unintended consequences of aggressive anti-smuggling measures can be severe. Rather than reducing harm to migrants, such operations often displace routes to more dangerous areas and increase reliance on smugglers’ services. The Nationality and Borders Act of 2022, which criminalised irregular entry, has led to the prosecution of vulnerable individuals, including young asylum seekers, rather than the masterminds behind these operations.
Labour’s plan to establish a specialised border security command, bringing together various agencies, bears a striking resemblance to previous unsuccessful attempts to centralise counter-smuggling efforts. The Channel Threat Command, launched in 2020, and other interagency task forces like Project Invigor, have struggled to end smuggling as a practice. Even British and French cooperation on small boat crossings has yet to prove effective.
The pledge to scrap the controversial Rwanda deportation scheme is a step in the right direction. However, Labour’s commitment to expediting removals of those deemed ineligible for asylum faces significant hurdles. Bilateral agreements with countries of origin are essential for implementing such policies, and many of the top nationalities arriving via small boats hail from nations with poor human rights records or strained diplomatic relations with the UK.
It is crucial to recognise that the majority of individuals crossing the Channel in small boats would likely qualify for refugee status if their applications were processed efficiently. Home Office data supports this assertion, underscoring the need for a more nuanced approach to asylum policy that balances border security concerns with humanitarian obligations.
The fixation on deterring irregular migration through punitive measures overlooks the potential of expanding safe and legal routes. The success of schemes for Ukrainian refugees and Hong Kong BNO visa holders demonstrates that well-designed immigration policies can effectively manage large-scale movements without resorting to dangerous Channel crossings. No Ukrainian refugee has drowned in the Channel, and more than 120,000 people moved from Hong Kong to the UK since 2021 without sparking claims of an “invasion“.
As we approach the election, it is imperative that the debate on immigration moves beyond simplistic slogans and acknowledges the complexity of the issue. Migration encompasses a diverse range of individuals, from highly skilled professionals to those seeking humanitarian protection. A comprehensive approach must address labour market needs, international obligations, and the root causes of forced displacement.
The next government, regardless of party, will face the challenge of balancing public concerns about immigration levels with the economic and social benefits that well-managed migration can bring. This will require moving beyond enforcement-heavy approaches and investing in a robust, fair, and efficient immigration system.
Innovative solutions, such as expanding bilateral labour agreements, enhancing regional protection programmes, and improving integration support for new arrivals, should be explored. Creating legal and safe routes could potentially put smuggling operations out of business while addressing the country’s labour shortages, without risking more lives or compromising border security.
There is need for a more thoughtful and nuanced debate on immigration. While border security is undoubtedly important, it must be balanced with our humanitarian responsibilities and the potential benefits of migration. Political leaders should resist the temptation to oversimplify this complex issue and instead engage the public in an honest discussion about the trade-offs and challenges involved.
The path forward lies not in catchy slogans or quick fixes, but in developing a comprehensive, compassionate, and pragmatic approach to migration management. Only by acknowledging the multifaceted nature of this issue can we hope to craft policies that are both effective and aligned with our values as a nation.
It is remarkable that politicians appear insistent on repeating failures rather than learning from successes. The current government’s successful implementation of asylum and immigration schemes for people from Ukraine and Hong Kong demonstrates that creating legal and safe routes is possible and effective.
As we move towards the election, it is crucial that we shift the focus from punitive measures to constructive solutions. By addressing the root causes of irregular migration, expanding legal pathways, and improving the efficiency of our asylum system, we can create a fairer, more humane, and ultimately more effective approach to immigration. This is not only a moral imperative but also a practical necessity for a country that seeks to maintain its position on the global stage while upholding its values and obligations.
The post Beyond Slogans: Navigating The Complex Realities Of UK Immigration Policy – OpEd first appeared on The South Caucasus News.
It was always clear that Ethiopia’s false historical narrative would one day catch up with it. The country that was Abyssinia and adopted Africa’s historical Greek name of Ethiopia in 1932 currently proves every sunrise and every sunset that it cannot hold the many nations that were held together by force in the past.
The war with Tigray, the current ongoing Amhara war and the much older Somali but currently sleeping Somali war and the many other nationalities that are stirring and seeking freedom from oppression, are all indications that things are no longer at ease or that things are falling apart to use the phrases of Chinua Achebe, Nigeria’s great author and literary man.
The center can no longer hold as fires flare up in almost every corner of the country. The Afar/Somali wars, the Benishangul uprising, the conflicts pitting the Amhara against the Tigrayans and vice versa, the involvement of Eritrean forces in West Ethiopia and the latest misstep of Ethiopia’s leader to sign an MoU with one of the regions of Somalia in an attempt to export the internal conflicts to neighboring countries, are all signs that Ethiopia needs to pause and take a deep breath. What has happened to the great nation that previous regimes maintained was forged out of internally generated ancient historical development?
Some call the misstep of the MoU an audacious move on the part of Ethiopia’s current leadership, but, indeed, one can only describe it as ill-thought of, undiplomatic, and reckless action that has put the ancient empire at risk. It has, indeed, aligned itself, almost childishly, with forces that probably wanted to see the end of Ethiopia and its breakup into its constituent nation states that were held together by force in the past. Note the country consists of 80 nations, some of which are large enough to stand alone as states, such as the Somali State, the Sidama State, the Oromia State, the Amhara State, the Tigray State and the Afar State and many others.
Emperor Haile Selassie would probably have come out of the grave forcefully should he have been informed of what is happening to the nation he forged through many means and ways – both legal and illegal, through diplomacy and skills that many Africans fail to achieve to this date.
Somalia’s claims on Ethiopia’s current territory, the Somali State of Ethiopia and which included parts of current Oromia State, was refuted by the international community and the African continent. What makes the current Ethiopian regime to believe that it can get away with; the illegal MoU that challenges all established norms of territorial integrity and sovereignty of countries? How does the Ethiopia regime, which is unable to hold its nations together and is involved in absolutely uncalled for killing process of its own populations – the Amhara, the Tigrayan, the Benishangul, the Afar and the Somali, and many others, so myopic as not to note that this can only lead to further disruption of life in the Horn of Africa States region?
The flagrant interference in the affairs of neighbors can only lead to further turmoil in the region, and indeed, challenges the very essence of the Somali people, who are not known to shy away from protecting their rights, lands, seas and, indeed, lives. The undiplomatic faux pas of the current Ethiopia regime with respect to the MoU only exasperates the ongoing civil conflicts in Ethiopia and does not add one iota of advantage for Ethiopia. A much better defence of Ethiopia would have been the befriending and collaboration with Somalia, which traditionally was the source of most troubles of the country. It is where the Ethiopian diplomacy should have been directed.
It only brought Somalia to announce recently that Ethiopian forces, which are part of Africa’s ATMIS mission in Somalia would not be allowed to remain in the country by the end of this year. Instead of listening to the drift, Ethiopia seems to be ignoring the wishes of the Somali people and has recently poured more forces into the country. This appears to be aimed at recreating the old Ethio-Somali antagonisms, which was nearly forgotten by the populations.
This is not in the interest of the region and the Ethiopian regime’s brinkmanship appears to be only exasperating the region’s already beleaguered political instability and weaknesses and opens more spaces for foreigners to interfere in the region. The Ethiopian regime seems to be slavishly following the wrong guidance of mauvais conseillers, which would only lead to more chaos in Ethiopia and the region.
The future of the region and its fragile peace needs to be supported through dialogue, discussions and cooperation, not only within the realm of each state but also collectively as a region. The old nation-state format of the region only led to miseries and more chaos and it is perhaps high time the region’s leadership moved away from those unnecessary and risky processes which only lead to more internal and regional upheavals.
The grave miscalculations of the current Ethiopia regime with respect to Somalia would have terrible consequences for the region, which many enemies of the region would love to see happen or realized. The Ethiopian regime should refrain from the wrong trail it has embarked on and take a step back from the ill-thought of steps it has so far taken, which has put the region on the edge of a steep precipice. A regional dialogue would probably slow down the downward slip, the moves of Ethiopia has caused. It is the only way to a peaceful co-existence in the region and a better hope for its populations.
The post The Horn Of Africa States: Ethiopia’s Undiplomatic Faux Pas – OpEd first appeared on The South Caucasus News.
Solstitium » exhibition 22-30 June 2024.
Two Georgian artists Julia Sanikidze and Mariam Shakarashvili exhibition ParisAddress: Heartgalerie-30, Rue de Charonne 75013 Paris, Bastille#GeorgianArt pic.twitter.com/NmJizlsWJe
— Notes from Georgia/South Caucasus (Hälbig, Ralph) (@SouthCaucasus) June 23, 2024
Address: Heartgalerie-30, Rue de Charonne 75013 Paris, Bastille
#GeorgianArt https://t.co/NmJizlsWJe first appeared on The South Caucasus News.
Espargos, Cape Verde — Russian President Vladimir Putin’s mutual defense agreement with North Korea has the potential to create friction with China, which has long been the reclusive state’s main ally, the top U.S. military officer said Sunday.
“We’ve got someone else who’s kind of nudging in now, so that may drive a little bit more friction between (China) and Russia,” Air Force General Charles Q. Brown, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters during an overseas trip.
“So, it’ll be interesting to see how these three countries — how this plays out.”
Analysts said the pact, signed Wednesday, could undercut Beijing’s leverage over its two neighbors and any heightened instability could be negative for China’s global economic and strategic ambitions.
On Thursday, Putin said Russia might supply weapons to North Korea in what he suggested would be a mirror response to the Western arming of Ukraine.
Brown acknowledged U.S. concern about the deal.
But he also tempered those remarks by noting apparent limitations to the accord and expressing doubt Moscow would give North Korea “everything” it wanted.
U.S. officials have said they believe North Korea is keen to acquire fighter aircraft, surface-to-air missiles, armored vehicles, ballistic missile production equipment or materials, and other advanced technologies from Russia.
“The feedback I have on the agreement — it was a broad agreement that’s not overly binding, which gives you an indication (that) they want to work together but they don’t want to get their hands tied,” Brown said.
The treaty signed by Putin and Kim on Wednesday commits each side to provide immediate military assistance to the other in the event of armed aggression against either one of them.
Putin has said Moscow expected that its cooperation with North Korea would serve as a deterrent to the West, but that there was no need to use North Korean soldiers for the war in Ukraine.
The United States and Ukraine say North Korea has already provided Russia with significant quantities of artillery shells and ballistic missiles, which Moscow and Pyongyang deny.
The post Russia’s North Korea defense deal may create friction with China, US top general says first appeared on The South Caucasus News.
(NewsNation) — A California man convicted of threatening President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to be released from prison as early as Tuesday, despite having a digital “hit list” and plans to infiltrate the White House.
Kuachua Brillion Xiong, 27, was sentenced to two years in prison last Thursday by a U.S. District Judge after pleading guilty to making threats against the president and vice president.
The case began with a routine traffic stop in Iowa in December 2021. Officers discovered the man had driven from Sacramento, California, with the White House address programmed into his GPS. He willingly disclosed his plot to law enforcement.
Court documents reveal Xiong claimed he was “called upon by God to combat evil demons in the White House” and believed he was “the only person remaining who can free the United States of evil,” necessitating the killing of those in power.
In Xiong’s car, officers found an assault rifle, loaded magazines, ammunition, body armor, medical supplies, and a grappling hook.
Xiong reportedly planned to use the grappling hook to scale the White House perimeter fencing. He also possessed a drawing of the White House highlighting a perceived “weak spot” he intended to exploit.
The hit list extended beyond Biden and Harris, including former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Dr. Anthony Fauci, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, and then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, among others.
(NewsNation) — East Palestine, Ohio, resident Jamie Wallace says her home, water and town are still contaminated, more than a year after a Norfolk Southern train carrying hazardous materials derailed.
“Things aren’t good here in East Palestine. They’re not good health-wise, they’re not good with our feeling of safety,” Wallace said.
The National Transportation Safety Board’s final report on the derailment is expected to release between June 24 and 25. The findings are preceded by new data revealing 16 states across the country were impacted by fumes burned in the small Ohio town.
“Getting the final reports, I kind of already know what it’s going to say. We already knew that this contamination had gone as far as it did,” Wallace said on “NewsNation Now”.
Her home was chemically contaminated in the derailment, causing her to move 20 miles away. But she claims her family who remained in the town now face unexplainable health problems, including rashes, seizures and fatigue.
“Without stricter railway safety, I don’t think we’re ever going to get to a point where [there] is not a real possibility of this happening in any American’s backyard,” Wallace said.
Rep. Michele Grim, D-Ohio, said the state has passed multiple, bipartisan rail safety laws in the wake of the incident – but more needs to be done.
“Residents have the right to know how this impacts their health, and we need to make sure we’re monitoring that and letting the residents know how it impacts their health and safety,” Grim said.
In April 2024, a federal judge signed off on a $600 million class action settlement, which could resolve claims against the railroad and its fellow defendants.
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost shared in a statement that the settlement would “severely undercompensate” the East Palestine community.
“With its decision to reach a settlement now, the DOJ may have sacrificed its opportunity to use the NTSB’s findings to impose maximum leverage on those responsible for any potential wrongdoing. We are reviewing the now-public settlement proposal, but with so much unknown at this time, it is difficult to assess its impact,” the statement reads.
But Wallace said, when that settlement is divided among families and housing provided by Norfolk Southern is subtracted from payout, many of the most impacted families aren’t receiving much.
“It just makes you really suspicious of these attorneys who are going to make millions and leave,” Wallace shared. “And I’m going to still be sitting in a contaminated home.”
