Author: Belen Iturralde

Europe Not Living Up To Its Own Human Rights Standards

The perilous Mediterranean crossing between North Africa and Europe has been without NGO search and rescue ships since August 26. Anti-migration policies put forward by the Italian and Maltese governments have succeeded in frustrating the efforts of NGO workers and restricting the number of rescue vessels in the Central Mediterranean

Read More »

Violence In Brazil As Venezuelan Exodus Continues

Brazil will send army troops to patrol its northern border after violence erupted between locals and Venezuelan migrants. With thousands of Venezuelans fleeing their country each week, neighbouring states are struggling to cope with the influx. The BBC reports there are more than a million Venezuelans in Colombia, more than

Read More »

Italy At Centre Of Ongoing Mediterranean Migration Drama

Around 170 rescued migrants are being refused entry to an Italian port, under the government’s “zero-landing” policy. The Italian Coast Guard vessel Diciotti, carrying the rescued migrants and refugees, has been waiting a week for official authorisation to disembark its passengers at the Sicilian port of Catania. The policy places

Read More »

Long-Awaited Deal Reached Over Contested Caspian Sea

Last week, states bordering the Caspian Sea signed a deal agreeing upon a legal framework for sharing the contested body of water. After twenty years of negotiations, Russia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, and Turkmenistan have taken a landmark step towards regional peace. Under the agreement, the Caspian partners settled on 15

Read More »

Colombia Grants Residency To 440,000 Venezuelan Refugees

The outgoing Colombian president Juan Manuel Santos has granted two-year temporary residency permits to 440,000 Venezuelan refugees. The emergency residency scheme will allow refugees to work, study and receive medical care. Colombia is the main destination for Venezuelans fleeing political and economic instability at home. Over 1.5 million Venezuelans have

Read More »

Historic Peace Deal Signed Between Ethiopia And Eritrea

A joint declaration of “peace and friendship” between Eritrea and Ethiopia has brought an end to over two decades of hostilities and war. The agreement was signed on Monday, 9 July in Eritrea’s capital of Asmara by the Eritrean President, Isaias Afwerki, and the Ethiopian Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed. The landmark

Read More »

Impact Of Migrant Deal Uncertain

Following months of political squabbling, European leaders have reached a controversial agreement on Europe-bound migration and refugee flows. The measures were agreed to on June 27, in Brussels, as part of a wider summit on vital issues affecting the European Union. Topping the summit’s agenda was the question of migration

Read More »

Peace Still Possible As Port City Braces For War

The fate of Yemen’s port city of Hodeidah, a vital lifeline to the outside world, hangs in the balance. Over the past week, Yemen’s “forgotten war” has returned to the headlines. Attention has focused on the Saudi coalition’s offensive against Iran-backed Houthis in the port city of Hodeidah. Diplomatic and

Read More »