The chamber of commerce of Usti nad Labem, a town of 93,000 in northern Bohemia, has called for the army to be deployed on the town’s streets to help it deal with problems caused by Roma migrants. Using stark language, the chamber’s external communications coordinator and the letter’s author, warned of a ‘demographic catastrophe’ as more Roma move into the town, often from neighbouring Slovakia. The letter claimed this drove down house prices and displaced the well-mannered and less aggressive non-Roma. ‘As soon as possible the army should be deployed for internal security duties such as assisting the police service. The army can do this immediately and it would also result in the city saving a lot of money.’ He added the town could borrow David Cameron’s ideas on limiting migration by reforming benefits to migrants.
‘Negotiations to settle Cyprus's division are starting to show some progress , Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades said in an upbeat assessment on ending one of Europe's most enduring conflicts. Mr Anastasiades, who represents the Greek Cypriot community in reunification talks with Turkish Cypriots, said some ‘convergences’ had started to appear in negotiations on specific topics under discussion. Greek and Turkish Cypriots have been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded the island's north after a brief Greek-inspired coup, though the seeds of partition were sown soon after independence from Britain in 1960. ‘A degree of progress is being achieved. If we continue at this rate I believe that soon we can start to speak of significant progress,’ he said.
Croatia: Refugee’s challenges
17 Jul 2015
Sandra, a 23-year-old Syrian refugee has lived in Croatia for nearly two years. She has done her best to integrate into her host country - learning Croatian and attending university in Zagreb. Still she feels like an outsider. ‘From my experience, Croatian people will always treat me as a foreigner and you will always be 'the other’. It is not easy for me to deal with it every day. Some days I am OK with it, but most of the time I am sick of it.’ Social isolation she is experiencing, coupled with lack of job opportunities, have made Croatia an unpopular destination for people in need of protection. In 2014 the EU registered a rise in asylum seekers but Croatia saw a decrease of 58%. Many who escape Middle East and Africa don’t choose Croatia because integration into a homogeneous society that has very few migrant communities is very challenging. To read the rest of this article as it goes on to describe how NGOs are helping refugees in a new culture click on the ‘more’ link.
A Marine Corps unit equipped with tanks, light armoured vehicles and artillery will be sent to Bulgaria as part of US efforts to reassure NATO allies worried by Russia’s involvement in Ukraine. Brigadier-General Norman Cooling, the deputy commander of the US marines in Europe and Africa, said on Thursday 2 July that 155 troops equipped with four Abrams battle tanks, six light armoured vehicles and three howitzers were scheduled to be deployed at the Novo Selo training area by early September. ‘It’s certainly our intent to convince the Russians and Mr Putin to refrain from aggression and return to the community of peaceful nations,’ Cooling said. The US defence secretary said that more US military equipment would be positioned in Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Bulgaria, Romania, Poland and Germany as NATO seeks to bolster its forces in Eastern Europe.
Bosnia: The cradle of modern jihadism?
17 Jul 2015
In the 1990s something happened in central Bosnia-Herzegovina that inspired people to this day and helps explain why that country now has more men fighting in Syria and Iraq (over 300), as a proportion of its population, than most in Europe. The formation of a ‘Mujahideen Battalion’ in 1992, composed mainly of Arab volunteers in central Bosnia, was a landmark. Today the dynamic of jihad has been reversed and Bosnians travel to Arab lands. ‘There is a war between the West and Islam,’ says Aimen Dean, who, as a young Saudi Arabian volunteer, travelled to fight in central Bosnia in 1994. ‘Bosnia gave the modern jihadist movement that narrative. It is the cradle.’
Over 230 people were taken out of the war-torn Syrian city of Aleppo and transported to Belgium where they have been granted asylum and can start to rebuild their lives. The Belgian government said the operation took over two months and happened in great secrecy. The refugees were mostly Christian and had faced human rights abuses in Aleppo. Once settled in Belgium, the government will help them rebuild their future. They’ll provide training in order to help them to find jobs. Theo Francken, Secretary of State for asylum policy and migration, said they will receive permanent protection status allowing them to rebuild a future in Belgium; adding, ‘the last thing they want is to be dependent on social security.’ The Belgian government has welcomed 5,500 Syrian refugees since 2011 and has provided asylum to 98% of all Syrians who request it.
Belarus: Developing teamwork with Qatar
17 Jul 2015
Belarus is ready to develop all-round cooperation with Qatar, Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko said as he met with Qatar Minister of State for Defence Affairs Hamad bin Ali Al Attiyah on 2nd July. The Belarusian head of state noted that the two countries cooperate in various fields. ‘There are no closed topics. We are ready to cooperate in education, military and technical fields if your country is interested in it,’ the Belarusian leader said. ‘But you should know and please tell my good friend, the Emir of Qatar, that we are ready to cooperate with your country in all areas, we will always be a reliable partner for you,’ Alexander Lukashenko emphasised . The President believes the existing level of trade between the two countries ($18-20 million) is ridiculous. ‘We expect not only to double bilateral trade, but also to increase it several times,’ the Belarusian head of state said.
Austria: Petition to leave the EU
17 Jul 2015
261,159 Austrians have signed a petition demanding a referendum on whether Austria should leave the EU. The number of signatories represents 4.12% of the electorate, and as it has had more than 100,000 signatures the question of a referendum must now be discussed in parliament. The petition was initiated by 66-year-old Inge Rauscher, who launched a similar petition back in 2000 which was only signed by 3.35% of the electorate. Rauscher said that she believes there was more support for a referendum this time around due to the economic downturn and the Greek crisis. In a press release she said it was ‘a great result, we want to go back to a neutral and peace-loving Austria’, adding that Austria is currently forced to endorse economic sanctions against Russia. She also said that she believes the EU is responsible for the economic downturn. She argues that withdrawal from the EU would lead to welfare gains of €9,800 per household per year, because Austria would no longer have to help fund the EU administration.