Thursday, November 5, 2015

Islamic invasion of Europe update (November 5, 2015)


The European Union is predicting that 3 million more migrants could arrive in the 28-nation bloc by the end of next year.

More than 700,000 people have come to Europe seeking sanctuary or jobs so far this year, overwhelming reception centers and border authorities.

EU autumn economic forecasts released on Thursday say that based on current migrant entries and a "technical assumption" about future flows, arrival rates are unlikely to slow before 2017.

The EU's executive Commission said that "overall, an additional 3 million persons is assumed to arrive in the EU over the forecast period."

The Commission says the refugee crisis has resulted in additional government spending but that it could have a small, positive impact on European economies within a few years.
Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras says he witnessed migrants and refugees reaching Lesbos by dinghy shortly after landing on the island to inaugurate a fast-track registration center.

Tsipras, traveling with European Parliament President Martin Schulz Thursday, said the dinghy reached the shore as his motorcade was traveling from Lesbos airport to the new registration facility.

"We saw firsthand a makeshift boat arriving, full of refugees. And, indeed, we realized that is a criminal process being carried out by the smugglers who cram refugees onto vessels that are not boats, but makeshift inflatables," he said. "What's happening in the Aegean Sea is a crime and it has to stop."
Nevertheless,
Tsipras inaugurated a migrant processing center, known as a "hotspot" and run by the European Union border protection agency, Frontex — the first of five planned in Greece.

Germany
German authorities say 181,000 asylum-seekers entered the country in October, 17,000 more than September as the flow continued to increase despite worsening weather conditions.

Figures released Thursday by the Interior Ministry show about 758,000 people seeking safety and a new life have entered Germany between in the first 10 months this year.

The number of formal asylum requests last month was 54,877, about half from Syrians. That figure lags behind actual arrivals as officials struggle to process all applications.

Germany to speed up repatriations of rejected asylum-seekers as migrants near million mark
Germany said Thursday it would speed up the repatriation of rejected asylum-seekers as new figures showed the country inching closer to the million-migrant mark and EU forecasts showed even more people seeking refuge in Europe next year.

While refugees from Syria and other war zones would continue to be granted safe haven, those deemed economic migrants, mostly from "safe origin" Balkans countries, would be sent back within three weeks, said Merkel.

Austria
The Austrian Interior Ministry says that 56,356 people applied for asylum between January and September, representing a 231-percent jump over the same period last year.

Statistics published Thursday by the ministry show there were 17,010 such applications between January and September of 2014.

Nearly 30 percent of this year's applications came from Syrian nationals. Afghans were the second highest at more than 22.5 percent, followed by Iraqis at 16 percent and Pakistanis at 5 percent.

Eleven percent of all the applicants were unaccompanied minors.


Sweden says can no longer guarantee housing for new refugees
STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Sweden's migration minister warned on Thursday that the government could no longer guarantee finding accommodation for newly arrived refugees as the country applied for EU emergency aid to cope with record number of asylum seekers.

The Migration Agency said it was preparing to shelter around 50 refugees in the reception area of its headquarters because of the lack of housing.

The agency forecast up to 190,000 asylum seekers would arrive this year, double the previous record from the early 1990s.

"The major problem today is that the number of asylum seekers is growing faster than we can arrange for accommodation," Justice and Migration Minister Morgan Johansson said.

"Sweden can no longer guarantee accommodation to everyone who comes. Those who are arriving could be met with the news that there isn't anywhere to stay."

The agency already plans to shelter thousands of refugees in heated tents due to a housing shortage, while some people may be put in venues such as ski resorts and a theme park.

The government has also applied to the European Commission to arrange for some of those to be moved to other EU countries.

The U.N. refugee agency UNHCR said on Thuresday refugees and migrants were likely to continue to arrive in Europe at a rate of up to 5,000 per day via Turkey this winter.



Spanish frigate rescues 517 Muslim migrants off Libya, drops them off in Italy
Spain's Defense Ministry says one of its frigates has rescued 517 migrants from an open-top, wooden fishing vessel that was adrift off the coast of Libya.

A ministry statement said the migrants —442 men, 40 women and 35 children — were brought aboard the Canarias frigate Thursday and were being taken to the Italian Mediterranean island of Lampedusa.

Hungary's PM warns of dangers of importing Muslim migrants to solve Europe's demographic problems
Hungary's prime minister says it is dangerous if Europe tries to solve its demographic and economic problems by taking in large numbers of migrants.

Prime Minister Viktor Orban said Thursday at a conference that "Europe cannot build its future on immigration instead of families."

Orban, who opposes the settlement of economic migrants in Hungary, said Europe needed to adopt family-friendly policies and support having children because "the survival of our civilization and our culture is at stake."

Orban's government has been using tax breaks, housing subsidies and other incentives to encourage families to have more children. Hungary's population has declined every year since 1980 and in 2011 fell below 10 million for the first time since 1960.

Slovenia's presidents says the country is overwhelmed by the Muslim migrant wave
Slovenia's president says there must be a limit to the number of asylum seekers who can enter the small Alpine country on their way toward Western Europe.

Borut Pahor told lawmakers Thursday daily arrivals into Slovenia should match "an upper number of refugees and migrants it (Slovenia) can accommodate and provide for more permanently." He did not provide numbers.

Pahor says "the task is ungrateful, but inevitable" and would include stepping up border control.

Parliament invited Pahor to present his opinion about the migrant crisis. Nearly 150,000 people have entered Slovenia since mid-October and country has complained it is overwhelmed.

Pahor also urged increased funding for Slovenia's police and army dealing with the crisis. He says Slovenia must avoid becoming a "pocket" where migrants would get stuck if Austria or Germany close their borders.
Slovenia purchases part of a fence to be installed on the border with Croatia to stem the influx of Muslim migration
Public broadcaster TV Slovenia says the country's government has bought part of a fence that could be placed on the border with Croatia to control the influx of migrants into the country.

The report on the main evening news Thursday said 125 kilometers (75 miles) of the fence cost 1.5 million euros ($1.6 million). No other details were published.

Slovenian officials have said a fence could be used to direct the refugee flow, not close the 670-kilometer (400 mile) border as was the case in Hungary.

Prime Minister Miro Cerar warned Thursday "we will not be able to hold out like this forever."

More than 150,000 people have entered the Alpine nation of 2 million since mid-October.

Posted by Watcher at 11/05/2015 09:20:00 PM | | E-mail this article

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