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Tag Archives: North Africa
by Niels Frenzen | 24 Jan 2012 · 04:54
Statewatch Analysis: The Arab Spring and the death toll in the Mediterranean: the true face of Fortress Europe
Statewatch released an Analysis by Marie Martin entitled "The Arab Spring and the death toll in the Mediterranean: the true face of Fortress Europe."
Excerpt: "Throughout the uprisings in North Africa, the EU has maintained a discourse of double standards: supporting calls for freedom and democracy but greeting resulting population displacement with hostility. This has contributed to a record number of people dying at Europe's borders during the first seven months of 2011. It is all about numbers when it comes to migration; about how large a flow came in, how many people asked for protection and how many applicants were "failed" or "rejected." Numbers quantify the "threat" (e.g. the "invasion" of irregular migrants) and serve as a bargaining tool with third countries (allowing the acceptance of the externalisation of border controls in exchange for facilitating the mobility of a specific number of nationals). Numbers demonstrate whether the target of "x" thousands of annual deportations of irregular migrants is met. Numbers released by public authorities are meant to justify the need for migration policies and to show how efficiently they are implemented. Yet hidden numbers question the legitimacy of these policies – the death toll of people dying at Europe's borders is such an example. For several years, Gabriele del Grande has monitored the situation at the EU's external borders and kept a record of the number of deaths occurring in the context of irregular bordercrossings [2] on the Fortress Europe website. According to the website's latest update, the EU's borders have never been so "murderous" [3]: there were 1,931 deaths during the first seven months of 2011. [4] In 2008, a petition was brought before the European Parliament by the ProAsyl organisation, denouncing the deathtrap at the EU's borders" [5]: it was a particularly "murderous" year, with 1,500 deaths. It is terrifying to realise that this toll was exceeded in the first seven months of 2011. …"
Click here for Analysis.
Filed under Algeria, Analysis, Egypt, European Union, France, Frontex, Italy, Libya, Malta, Mediterranean, Morocco, Spain, Tunisia, UK
Tagged as Algeria, Arab Spring, Deaths at sea, Egypt, European Union, Extraterritorial Immigration Control, Fortress Europe, France, Frontex, Italy, Joint Operation Hermes, Libya, Malta, Marie Martin, Migrants, Mixed Migration, Morocco, NATO, North Africa, Operation Unified Protector, Refugees, Resettlement, Spain, Statewatch, Tunisia, United Kingdom
Malmström: Europe Failed Refugees in 2011
Commissioner Cecilia Malmström wrote an opinion article in The Times of Malta of 19 January: "Refugees: How Europe failed- European promises of solidarity with people in need were tested in 2011. It is worrying to note that Europe, collectively, did not pass the test. Now, all member states of the European Union must take responsibility and make sure that 2012 will be a better year for asylum matters. … In the first half of 2011, over 75 per cent of all asylum applications were made in only six EU member states. That leaves a long row of European countries that can and must do more. And as over 700,000 people were forced to flee the violence in Libya, many ended up in refugee camps in neighbouring countries. Of the 8,000 people identified by the UN as being in particular need of help, all EU member states only managed to promise to receive 400. Norway, a non EU-country, accepted nearly as many by itself. Meanwhile, more than 50,000 migrants crossed the Mediterranean in rickety vessels to the EU. Far too many died trying. Others arrived at the Italian island of Lampedusa and Malta and, at a pledging conference last spring, European countries had the chance to show their solidarity. The result? A mere 300 refugees being relocated from Malta to other member states. …"
Click here for full article.
Filed under European Union, Italy, Libya, Malta, Mediterranean, News, Statements, Tunisia
Tagged as Arab Spring, Cecilia Malmström, European Union, Italy, Lampedusa, Libya, Malta, Migrants, North Africa, Refugees, Tunisia
Amnesty International Report: Year of Rebellion – The State of Human Rights in the Middle East and North Africa
Amnesty International this morning released a report entitled "Year of Rebellion – The State of Human Rights in the Middle East and North Africa" focusing on the events of 2011 in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Yemen, Syria, Bahrain, and Iraq. Additional chapters in the Report address the "International response", the "Failure to put human rights first", "Protection of displaced people", and "Arms transfers", among other topics.
"This report describes the events of this historic, tumultuous year, one which saw so much suffering and sadness but also spread so much hope within the region and beyond, to countries where other people face repression and everyday abuse of their human rights. Amnesty International too was challenged, as never before, to respond to the events by documenting the violations that were committed and, most of all, by mobilizing its members and supporters to extraordinary lengths in support and solidarity with the people in the streets of Cairo, Benghazi, Sana'a, Manama, Dera'a and elsewhere who were truly "in the frontline" in demanding reform, accountability and real guarantees for human rights. This report is dedicated to them, their suffering and their momentous achievements."
"Protection of Displaced People- … Many of those who fled Libya sought safety in neighbouring countries, mainly in Egypt and Tunisia. However, around 5,000 sub-Saharan refugees and asylum-seekers remain stranded in desert camps in Tunisia and makeshift tents in Saloum, a remote border point in Egypt. When Amnesty International visited the camps in June and July, poor conditions and insecurity prevailed, making life extremely challenging for those living there. Unlike the thousands of migrants who were repatriated during the initial stages of the conflict, these people cannot return to their home countries because they would then be at risk of persecution. Nor can they remain in Egypt and Tunisia, which have been unwilling to offer long-term solutions to refugees. Returning to Libya is also not an option, despite the fall of the al-Gaddafi regime, as Libya cannot currently offer a safe haven for refugees. The only solution is for other countries where they would be safe to resettle them. How many are resettled and how quickly this happens depends on the speed and extent with which the international community fulfils its responsibility to them. So far, the international community's response has been miserably poor, with European countries offering fewer than 800 resettlement places between them in response to a refugee crisis unfolding on Europe's doorstep. Many of those who fled Libya attempted the dangerous sea-crossing to Europe, often in overcrowded and barely sea-worthy boats. Among them were people who initially fled from Libya to Tunisia, but then crossed back into Libya frustrated at the lack of durable solutions for refugees in the camps. At least 1,500 men, women and children are estimated to have drowned while attempting this journey. The true total was probably far higher. Governments and institutions failed to put in place effective mechanisms to prevent such deaths at sea, including by increasing search and rescue operations, and by ensuring that rescue operations comply fully with human rights and refugee law…."
Click here for Report.
Click here for AI Press Release.
Filed under Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Mediterranean, Morocco, Reports, Tunisia, Yemen
Tagged as Amnesty International, Arab Spring, Arms transfers, Bahrain, Displaced persons, Egypt, Human Rights, Iraq, Libya, MENA, Middle East, Migrants, North Africa, Refugees, Syria, Tunisia, Yemen
ICMC Europe Report: "MAYDAY! Strengthening responses of assistance and protection to boat people and other migrants arriving in Southern Europe"
ICMC has released a 150+ page report entitled "MAYDAY! Strengthening responses of assistance and protection to boat people and other migrants arriving in Southern Europe." I have just started reading the report and may post some additional excerpts in the coming days. Here is an excerpt from the Foreword and Introduction:
"In the first months of 2011 alone, more than 2,000 migrants have died crossing the Mediterranean Sea. More than 2,500 unaccompanied children arrived just on Italian shores. Tragic, chronic figures like these are urgent and continuous reminders of the need for another approach to human mobility that goes far beyond simple enforcement and fundamentally recognises the rights to life and protection for all.
It is not so much the arrivals of migrants and refugees that should be put to question, but rather the response mechanisms which very often fail as much in the fields of prevention and rescue as in the processes deciding where and how people are permitted to move, disembark, stay or return. Protection today is provided only for a limited number of boat people who need it, and governed by systems of access and identification that are far too limited. Correct identification, differentiation and referral systems are needed for all migrants in distress and from the very moment of their arrival, not only because they are human beings, but also because such approaches reflect the quality of our societies…."
"Scope of this report – Gathering the results of nearly a half thousand surveys of first responders and other actors as well as the migrants themselves, this report examines what happens—or does not happen— to identify migrants in need of protection and assistance upon their arrival in Europe. In particular, it sheds light on the mechanisms developed, and gaps both in practice and in policy in responses to boat people and other migrants arriving in mixed migratory movements in four countries at Europe's Southern door: Greece, Italy, Malta and Spain.
Although rescue at sea at one end and voluntary or enforcement-related return at the other are highly relevant topics and areas of research per se, DRIVE has focused on the situation of migrants at point of arrival. As such, the project and this report look at first responses in the phase immediately upon and surrounding arrival, and then to identification, differentiation and referral mechanisms for legal protection and/or further assistance in subsequent phases following arrival.
The principal focus of the project was on boat arrivals, but the shift in routes in Greece during the project period and the sharp increase in land border crossings there compelled reflection upon responses to migrants crossing land borders as well as those arriving by sea. While the project maintained its focus on arrivals by sea, one of its findings is that most of the laws, policies, procedures and responses applicable to boat people pertain equally to those arriving across land borders—in particular, steps on identification, differentiation and referral for protection and assistance.
The DRIVE project set out to promote protection of the rights of all migrants in these situations, especially the most vulnerable, regardless of their immigration status. Nevertheless, the project has highlighted four groups whose members have come to be defined to a varying extent as having specific rights or special needs under international and European legal instruments: asylum seekers, victims of human trafficking, children, and victims of torture. It merits emphasising however, that other migrants also have special needs because of particular vulnerabilities,- notably people with serious health problems, disabled people, elderly people, pregnant women, single parents with minor children and persons who have been subjected to or witnessed torture, rape or other serious forms of psychological, physical or sexual violence.
Structure of this report – The report is composed of four main parts, plus annexes:
Part 1: Building policy responses to boat people and others arriving in mixed migration flows – Within this first part, Chapter 1 provides a brief history of the policy evolution and the organizations involved in the area of mixed migration. Chapter 2 gives an overview of legal obligations relating to the rights of the migrants composing these arrivals. The third chapter provides an analysis of the EU policy and legal framework with regards to mixed migration arrivals at its borders.
Part 2: A focus on post-arrival identification, differentiation and referral for assistance and protection – The first chapter explains what is meant and implied by "identification, differentiation and referral"in mixed migration contexts, the concept at the core of the DRIVE study. The second chapter seeks to focus on the legal obligations of member states to conduct identification of people in need of protection at the border, with in-depth legal analysis of the rights and state obligations that international and EU law articulate for asylum seekers, children, and victims of human trafficking and torture.
Part 3: What happens to people arriving irregularly by boat in Greece, Italy, Malta and Spain? – The first chapter gives a snapshot of the trends and figures of arrivals in the Mediterranean region. In Chapter 2, the summaries of the four country reports (each presented in its entirety in an annex) then provide a look at the procedures and practices on the ground for first reception, identification and referral. The third chapter presents the results of the extensive migrants surveys that the DRIVE project conducted in the four countries in an effort to give voice to the beneficiaries themselves. Chapter 4 concludes with a comparative analysis identifying the main gaps and challenges in those countries.
Part 4: Conclusions and recommendations – The focus on the four countries enabled consideration of practices and procedures which could either improve the quality of the process or prevent people from accessing protection and assistance. Recommendations therefore seek to address how identification, differentiation and referral can be improved in the Mediterranean, including how the international and European legal and policy framework can address this question in a more comprehensive manner.
Annexes: Detailed mapping of the situation in Greece, Italy, Malta and Spain are attached in the annexes, as well as a presentation of some relevant tools and guidelines…."
Filed under Analysis, Data / Stats, Eastern Atlantic, European Union, Greece, Italy, Malta, Mediterranean, Reports, Spain
Tagged as Alice Bloomfield, DRIVE Project, Europe, European Union, Greece, Human Trafficking, ICMC, Italy, Jen Maman, Lampedusa, Malta, Maritime migration, Migrants, Mixed Migration, North Africa, Refugees, Spain, UNHCR, UNHCR 10-Point Plan on Mixed Migration
by Niels Frenzen | 25 Sep 2011 · 02:49
DIIS Seminar: "The Lesser Evil"? Policy Logics and Practices of Removal and Detention in the Euro-Mediterranean Area (Copenhagen, 6 Oct)
The Danish Institute for International Studies (DIIS) will hold a seminar (English) in Copenhagen on 6 October 2011, 14.00-17.00. Advance registration is required. Registration deadline is Wednesday, 5 October 2011 at 12.00 noon. Click here for more information.
From the DIIS announcement: "The arrival of more than 45,000 African boat migrants and asylum seekers in Italy this year has caused much public and political attention in Europe. One response is to call for increased sea patrols to prevent irregular crossings of the Mediterranean Sea. Another response is detention, deportation and forced removal of irregular migrants and rejected asylum seekers who have reached Europe. Such practices are already important objectives in European migration management and policies but are likely to become even more significant in coming negotiations with North African migrant sending and transit countries.
This seminar examines practices of deportation, readmission and detention from a policy and migrant perspective. It will address the following questions: What are the policy logics and readmission agreements in the Euro-Mediterranean area? How is detention and deportation of irregular migrants carried out? And how do deported migrants deal with their situation?"
Filed under Colloques / Conferences, European Union, Mediterranean
Tagged as Danish Institute for International Studies, deportation, Detention, DIIS, European Union, Hans Lucht, Irregular Migration, Jean-Pierre Cassarino, Migrants, Nauja Kleist, North Africa, Readmission Agreements, Refugees, Rutvica Andrijasevic
Análisis del Real Instituto Elcano: La crisis en el Norte de África y su impacto en la inmigración irregular a la Unión Europea (by Frontex Dep. ED Gil Arias)
Real Instituto Elcano has published an analysis regarding the situation in North Africa and its impact on irregular immigration to the EU. The analysis was written by Frontex's Deputy Executive Director Gil Arias.
Of particular interest is the analysis regarding what Frontex believes might occur in regard to migrant flows from Libya under two different scenarios: Gadafi remaining in power or ultimately being removed from power (see Google translation of excerpt below):
"… En el caso de que el régimen de Gadafi recupere el control, la UE y sus Estados Miembros no podrán reanudar la cooperación con un régimen totalmente desacreditado. Se producirá el cese en la aplicación de acuerdos de cooperación policial que en el pasado (desde mayo de 2009) sirvieron para detener los flujos de inmigración irregular desde Libia hacia Italia y Malta. La posibilidad de que ciudadanos de otros países africanos bloqueados en Libia sean obligados o "ayudados" a emigrar a la UE no debe descartarse. De hecho, Gadafi ha amenazado con "abrir la puerta" de la inmigración ilegal hacia Europa.
La OIM estima la cifra de extranjeros presentes en Libia entre 0,5 y 1,5 millones. No obstante, no todos serian candidatos a la inmigración ilegal. Se trata fundamentalmente de trabajadores empleados por empresas extranjeras asentadas en el país, por lo que su intención primaria no sería la emigración a la UE y por otra parte una buena parte de ellos ya han abandonado Libia.
En el peor de los casos, la consecuencia de ese "abrir la puerta" sería la reactivación de los flujos por vía marítima hacia Lampedusa y Malta (eventualmente también Creta, que se encuentra a 200 km de distancia de la costa libia) en un escenario similar al de 2008 (40.000 inmigrantes llegaron a Italia y Malta, con origen en las costas libias) agravado por el efecto adicional de la inestabilidad en el país. Su destino principal serían los países con presencia importante de ciudadanos norteafricanos (Italia, Francia, España, Bélgica y el Reino Unido). El destino de los nacionales de países subsaharianos se encontraría más repartido por toda la UE.
Si Gadafi es derrocado resultará clave la capacidad y rapidez de la oposición para reorganizarse. La oposición se encuentra, por el momento, bastante desorganizada y es probable que se produzcan luchas internas por el poder, especialmente por el control de los campos petrolíferos. Ello podría conducir a un estado persistente de disturbios y a una ausencia de control por un largo periodo de tiempo.
La eventual reactivación de las rutas migratorias hacia la UE dependerá de la capacidad del nuevo régimen para imponer la ley y el orden en el país así como el control efectivo sobre los 2.000 km de costas y 4.000 km de fronteras terrestres libias. En el peor de los escenarios podría darse una situación similar a la de Somalia.
En este escenario, la economía libia puede deteriorarse y elevarse los niveles de desempleo. Actualmente se desconoce la tasa de desempleo en Libia, pero se presume baja. Previsiblemente, la mayoría de los trabajadores desempleados intentará regresar a sus países, pero parte de ellos (sobre todo los nacionales de países inseguros) buscaran otras oportunidades, entre ellas la emigración clandestina a la UE.
La ausencia de ley y orden, especialmente la ausencia de control sobre las fronteras marítimas, llevará rápidamente a las mafias al tráfico de inmigrantes hacia la UE. Los candidatos serían primariamente trabajadores desempleados no deseosos de volver a sus países (mayormente de África Occidental y Oriental, pero eventualmente también libios, egipcios, argelinos y tunecinos). Esta situación impediría, por otra parte, el retorno de quienes fuesen detectados cruzando ilegalmente las fronteras exteriores de la UE.
En tales circunstancias se puede prever un flujo constante de inmigración ilegal durante meses, mayoritariamente por vía marítima, pero también por vía aérea a través de Turquía. La duración en el tiempo de este escenario dependerá de la rapidez con la que la UE o los Estados Miembros y las nuevas autoridades sean capaces de restablecer la cooperación. En este sentido, serán determinantes los acuerdos de readmisión efectivos.
Por último, ha de tenerse también en cuenta el riesgo marginal de que los vencedores realicen acciones de persecución sobre los partidarios de Gadafi, lo que provocaría la huida de éstos del país en busca de refugio…."
Google translation of the above excerpts (NB – this is only a rough translation):
"…In the case of Qaddafi's regime regaining control, the EU and its Member States shall not resume cooperation with a discredited regime. Termination will occur in the implementation of agreements on police cooperation in the past (May 2009) served to stop the flow of illegal immigration from Libya to Italy and Malta. The possibility for citizens from other African countries locked in Libya are forced or "helped" to migrate to the EU can not be ruled out. In fact, Gaddafi has threatened to "open the door" of illegal immigration into Europe.
The IOM estimates the number of foreigners in Libya between 0.5 and 1.5 million. However, not all candidates would be illegal immigration. These are mainly employed by foreign companies settled in the country, so that their primary intention would not be the migration to the EU and, moreover, a good portion of them have already left Libya.
In the worst case, the consequence of this "open door" would be the reactivation of the flows by sea to Lampedusa and Malta (and possibly Crete, which is 200 km away from the Libyan coast) in a scenario similar to that of 2008 (40.000 immigrants arrived in Italy and Malta, departing from the Libyan coast) aggravated by the additional effect of instability in the country. Its main destination countries would be a significant presence of North African citizens (Italy, France, Spain, Belgium and the UK). The fate of the national sub-Saharan countries would be more distributed throughout the EU.
If Gadhafi is overthrown will be key capacity and speed of the opposition to regroup. The opposition is, at present, quite disorganized and is likely to produce internal power struggles, especially for control of the oilfields. This could lead to a persistent state of unrest and a lack of control over a long period of time.
The eventual recovery of migratory routes towards the EU depends on the ability of the new regime to impose law and order in the country as well as effective control over the 2,000 km of coastline and 4,000 km of land borders Libya. In the worst case scenario could be a situation similar to Somalia.
In this scenario, the Libyan economy may deteriorate and unemployment levels rise. Currently unknown unemployment rate in Libya, but presumably low. Predictably, most unemployed workers try to return to their countries, but some of them (especially insecure country nationals) to seek other opportunities, including illegal migration to the EU.
The absence of law and order, especially the lack of control over maritime borders, whisk the trafficking mafias immigrants into the EU. Candidates would be primarily unemployed workers eager to return to their countries (mostly from West and East Africa, but also possibly Libyans, Egyptians, Algerians and Tunisians). This would prevent, on the other hand, the return of those who were detected illegally crossing the external borders of the EU.
In such circumstances, can provide a steady flow of illegal immigration for months, mostly by sea, but also by air through Turkey. The long life of this scenario depends on the speed with which the EU or the Member States and the new authorities are able to restore cooperation. In this regard, will determine the effective readmission agreements.
Finally, it must also take into account the marginal risk that the winners perform acts of persecution on Gaddafi's supporters, causing them to flee the country in search of refuge…."
Click here for the Analysis. (ES)
Filed under Algeria, Analysis, Egypt, European Union, France, Frontex, Greece, Italy, Libya, Malta, Mediterranean, Morocco, Spain, Tunisia, Turkey
Tagged as Crete, Egypt, EU-Libya Framework Agreement, European Union, Extraterritorial Immigration Control, Frontex, Gil Arias, Italy, Lampedusa, Libya, Malta, Maritime Interdiction, Migrants, North Africa, Readmission Agreements, Real Instituto Elcano, Refugees, Tunisia
Europol 2011 Organised Crime Threat Assessment – Illegal Immigration and THB
Europol just issued its 2011 Organised Crime Threat Assessment (OCTA) (OCTA_2011-1). The report contains Europol's assessments regarding "current and expected trends in organised crime affecting the European Union." Among the topics discussed are the facilitation of illegal immigration and trafficking in human beings.
The report notes that the increased control of the external borders of the EU, combined with other immigration controls, has resulted in irregular migrants turning to organised crime groups to facilitate their entry to the EU. The report notes that increased enforcement activities which successfully reduce illegal immigration in certain areas may result in substantial increases in illegal immigration in other areas.
The report indicates that organised criminal groups are exploiting and will continue to exploit the social and political unrest in North Africa and that organised crime groups are responsible for facilitating the movement of the thousands of Tunisians who have entered Italy.
The report notes that the accession of Bulgaria and Romania to the Schengen zone "may yield increased illicit traffic through these countries and the possible displacement of illegal immigration flows from the Turkish-Greek border."
Excerpts from the 38 page report pertaining to the facilitation of illegal immigration:
"[I]ncreasing control of external borders, the introduction of higher quality travel documents and other protective measures implemented by destination countries are making illegal immigration more difficult for individual migrants, forcing them to seek the services of organised crime groups.
International agreements and coordinated law enforcement activities have a significant impact on the flows of illegal immigrants along established routes. In 2010, a sharp reduction in the use of sea routes was accompanied by a substantial increase in illegal overland entries, overwhelmingly concentrated on the Turkish-Greek border.
Besides being the natural gateway for immigrants from the Middle East and Asia, Turkey is now the final step towards the EU for migrants with many other origins, including North and West Africans. Its geographical position, the presence of historical smuggling routes and the comparative ease with which entry visas may be obtained have transformed Turkey into the main nexus point for illegal immigrants on their way to Europe.
[***]
Legislation aimed at safeguarding certain inalienable individual or social rights is manipulated by organised crime groups with specialist expertise. Political asylum requests, and family reunions following marriages of convenience with EU citizens, are among the most frequently abused procedures. In addition, a prevalent tactic is to exploit loopholes and the lack of harmonisation in current legislation.
Criminal Groups
Organised crime groups involved in the facilitation of illegal immigrants tend to be structured in loose networks of smaller groups with ethnic or other cultural connections to customers. By the same token, illegal immigrants tend to be recruited by, or approach facilitators from, the same ethnic background. However, few criminal groups have the capacity to manage all stages from source to destination country. The further migrants get from their country of origin, the greater the chance that their facilitators will be of an ethnic origin different from their own. Along the route, small local criminal groups receive and house transiting illegal immigrants, facilitating their passage to the next stage. In the often extended time between stages, transiting migrants are frequently exploited in illicit labour, thus marking a point of contact between illegal immigration and trafficking in human beings (THB).
Organised crime groups in destination countries play a fundamental role in the smuggling of migrants. Criminals, often legitimately resident in the EU, facilitate the last step of the migrants' journey, in some cases collecting final instalments of transportation fees, and are in an ideal position to profit from newly arrived migrants, sometimes employing forms of exploitation typical of THB.
The most widely reported organised crime groups involved in the facilitation of illegal immigration are of Chinese, Turkish, Albanian, Indian, Iraqi, and Russian origin. Chinese, Vietnamese, Indian, Pakistani, and some West African groups are among the most capable, managing all successive phases of illegal immigration from source to destination countries. Although these groups may sub-contract part of the transportation or the production of falsified documents, they maintain effective control over the illegal immigrants throughout.
The growing importance of Turkey as a nexus point for migrants is likely to be further exploited by Turkish organised crime groups already extremely skilled in managing routes for illicit commodities and will make the most of their resources and contacts in the EU to maximise profits from this lucrative criminal market….
Criminal hubs
Political and legislative initiatives impact on regional dynamics, resulting in frequent shifts between hubs and preferred nexus points outside the EU.
Migrant flows across the Mediterranean Sea and illicit entries at the Eastern land borders have both significantly decreased. Greece is now the focus for illegal entry to the EU, and while levels of illegal migration connected with seasonal work patterns between Albania and Greece have decreased in the last year, illicit entries of migrants from Turkey have increased by over 500 per cent between 2009 and 2010
The South East criminal hub is therefore under the heaviest pressure. As a result also of its proximity to the Western Balkans, the hub's centre of gravity for this criminal problem is currently Greece.
The Southern criminal hub is a landing zone for many immigrants who have entered the EU through Greece, and who either remain in Italy or proceed to other MS. Illegal immigrants are often exploited or employed by organised crime groups active in the hub.
Emerging and Future Issues
The social and political unrest pervading North Africa since January 2011 is likely to have a significant impact on the internal security of Southern Europe. By exploiting the present political vacuum and the diminution of police capability to maintain public order and combat criminal activity, organised crime groups are facilitating several thousands of illegal immigrants, mainly of Tunisian origin, in their attempt to cross the Mediterranean and reach Europe. This carries an inherent risk to the internal security of the EU.
The large and growing number of illegal immigrants from countries and regions in which Islamist terrorist groups are active – such as Chechnya, Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan and Somalia – raises the possibility that channels for illegal immigration will be used increasingly by those seeking to engage in terrorist activity in the EU.
In the absence of any significant harmonisation of standards with regards to visa issue for a variety of purposes (including settlement for marriage and family reunions) a further increase in the abuse of legitimate migration procedures is likely.
The possible accession of Romania and Bulgaria to the Schengen Zone will greatly widen the Eastern green and blue borders. This has the potential to release the pressure on the Turkish-Greek border, and lead to increased targeting of Bulgaria and the Black Sea coast by illegal immigrants and their facilitators.
Turkish organised crime groups, currently in a dominant position at the biggest nexus point for migrants, will exploit further opportunities for delivering illegal immigrants to the EU by means of the Black Sea and the flourishing Turkish diaspora in Bulgaria….
… The role of the Western Balkans as a logistical hub will be sustained and may even grow further, while the proposed accession of Bulgaria and Romania to the Schengen zone may yield increased illicit traffic through these countries and the possible displacement of illegal immigration flows from the Turkish-Greek border. In this event, Member States in South East Europe may require additional operational support. In light of the continued prominence throughout the EU of Albanian speaking criminal groups, strategic and operational partnerships with authorities in the Western Balkans will be increasingly important.
Ongoing political instability in countries close to the borders of the EU and transit areas for illicit commodities has the potential to alter trafficking routes and create new illegal migration flows. In countries such as Tunisia and Egypt the process by which serving regimes are replaced may result in power and investment vacuums in both the public and private sectors. Some of these could be filled by those with sufficient resources to exploit the instability for criminal ends, including EU organised crime groups. In politically fragile environments organised crime can also prosper by providing essential services such as transport infrastructure, and food and fuel supply. The effects of illegal immigration as a result of instability in North Africa – already experienced by Italy – are likely to spread if levels of unrest persist or increase. Should living conditions deteriorate in the longer term, the EU is likely to see an increase also in victims of THB from this region….
Click on this link OCTA_2011-1 for OCTA report.
Click here for Europol press release.
Filed under Aegean Sea, Analysis, Black Sea, Eastern Atlantic, European Union, Mediterranean, News, Reports
Tagged as Black Sea, Bulgaria, European Union, Europol, Greece, Human Smuggling, Human Trafficking, Irregular Migration, Migrants, North Africa, organised crime, Organised Crime Threat Assessment, Refugees, Rob Wainwright, Romania, Schengen area, Trafficking in Human Beings, Tunisia, Turkey, West Africa
by Niels Frenzen | 12 Apr 2011 · 04:09
COE Parliamentary Assembly to Hold Urgent Debate on Large-Scale Migrant Arrivals in Southern Europe
From PACE: "Spring session: 11-15 April 2011 – Debates on the arrival of irregular migrants and asylum seekers on Europe's southern shores and on the situation in Northern Africa.
Adopting the final agenda of its plenary Spring Session, the Assembly today [11 April] decided to hold, on Thursday 14 April, an urgent debate on the large-scale arrival of irregular migrants on Europe's southern shores and a current affairs debate on the situation in Northern Africa….." Agenda Working documents
From the Agenda:
8.30 a.m. Committees
10 a.m. 1. Debate under urgent procedure:
The large-scale arrival of irregular migrants, asylum seekers and refugees on Europe's southern shores (Doc. )
Rapporteur of the Committee on Migration, Refugees and Population:
Deadline for tabling amendments: Wednesday 13 April at 12 noon
Debate and vote on a …
2. Current affairs debate:
The situation in Northern Africa
1 p.m. End of the sitting
Click here for link to PACE news page.
Filed under Council of Europe, Italy, Libya, Malta, Mediterranean, News, Tunisia
Tagged as COE Parliamentary Assembly, Council of Europe, Italy, Lampedusa, Libya, Malta, Migrants, North Africa, PACE, Rapporteur of the Committee on Migration, Refugees, Refugees and Population, Tunisia
Statement: European Commission's response to the migratory flows from North Africa
The European Commission released a statement on 8 April summarising its actions. Excerpts:
Measures addressing the migration flows towards the European Union
Urgent measures already undertaken
The massive displacement of populations from several North African countries has been putting the protection and reception systems of some of the EU Member States, in particular in Italy and Malta, under increasing strain. The European Union has responded to these serious challenges in a rapid and effective manner with the aim of stabilizing the situation.
Frontex has deployed the Joint Operation EPN Hermes Extension 2011 to assist the Italian authorities in managing the influx of migrants from North Africa, most of whom have been arriving on the island of Lampedusa. This mission was launched on 20 February 2011, only four days after receiving the official request from the Italian authorities, a clear signal of solidarity between Member States. FRONTEX stands ready to continue the mission as long as it will be necessary, and to expand it, provided that Member States will make available the necessary staff, vessels and equipment. In view of the above the Commission is launching the necessary procedures for reinforcing the FRONTEX 2011 budget with an additional EUR 30 million.
Europol has also deployed a team of experts to Italy in order to help the national authorities to assist in detecting and preventing possible criminal of trafficking of human beings.
Regarding the financial needs linked with the displacement, the Commission's four migration-related funds (the External Borders Fund, Return Fund, Refugee Fund and Integration Fund) are available to Member States. For example, Italy, one of the major beneficiaries of these funds, has been allocated €55 million for 2010 and €75 million for 2011. Moreover, the Commission makes available an additional €25 million of emergency funding which can be quickly mobilised under the External Borders Funds and European Refugee Fund.
What measures could be undertaken in the short-term?
Should the inflow of irregular migrants and possible refugees continue, the Commission envisages a number of short-term measures that might be taken.
Reinforcing Frontex
1) The Joint Operation EPN HERMES Extension coordinated by FRONTEX could be considerably strengthened, with additional technical resources made available by Member States, and adequate financial resources.
2) It is essential that FRONTEX is finally given a stronger operational mandate through a revision of its legal basis, which the Commission tabled in February 2010 (IP/10/184)
3) FRONTEX should speed up negotiations to conclude working arrangements with the countries of origin and transit of irregular migration in the Mediterranean in the region (for example, with Egypt, Morocco and Turkey), and receive a mandate to negotiate similar working arrangements with other relevant countries (for instance Tunisia)
Resettlement of third country nationals
The continuous and possible increase in the flow of refugees (e.g. Somalis, Eritreans etc.), in need of international protection, coming from Libyan territory is an issue of major concern. The EU will not only continue to provide humanitarian assistance through its humanitarian office (ECHO), but it is also ready to offer through the European Refugee Fund financial support in view of facilitating the resettlement of persons in need of international protection. Resettlement represents not only a life-saving measure for the refugees concerned, but is also an important responsibility-sharing gesture towards the countries hosting them. Showing solidarity with the countries neighbouring Libya that are under pressure through resettlement can help to maintain 'protection space', as well as contributing to dialogue and cooperation on other issues of migration and border management.
The Commission has therefore been encouraging EU Member States to offer resettlement places, in a spirit of responsibility-sharing and in close cooperation with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). A meeting was held with Member States on 25 March at which details of the most urgent needs were explained by the UNHCR and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), both of whom are actively engaged on the ground in the region.
The current crisis in the Mediterranean clearly demonstrates how imperative it is that the Council and the European Parliament make an effort to rapidly reach an agreement on the adoption of the Commission's proposal for the establishment of an EU joint resettlement programme. This proposal would provide a structured basis for annual priority-setting, and linking those priorities with financial incentives, thereby encouraging more Member States to become involved in resettlement activities, and enhancing practical cooperation between Member States to that end.
Solidarity / Temporary Protection Directive
In the event of a massive inflow of persons who are likely to be in need of international protection, the Commission would expect Member States to demonstrate concrete solidarity with each other by directly assisting the States bearing the greatest burden. This could involve the relocation to other Member States of some persons seeking protection, or who have already received an international protection status.
Concrete assistance could likewise be provided by the newly-created European Asylum Support Office, one of whose central tasks is coordination of assistance to Member States whose asylum systems are under exceptional pressure. This could involve the deployment of so-called 'asylum support teams' to reinforce the capacities of a State to process asylum claims and to ensure appropriate reception conditions for asylum seekers.
The Commission would also be ready to consider proposing the use of the mechanism foreseen under the 2001 Temporary Protection Directive (2001/55/EC), if the conditions foreseen in the directive are met. Consideration could only be given to taking this step if it is clear that the persons concerned are likely to be in need of international protection, if they cannot be safely returned to their countries-of-origin, and if the numbers of persons arriving who are in need of protection are sufficiently great. Resort to this mechanism would allow for the immediate protection and reception in the territory of EU Member States for persons concerned, as well as offering a "breathing space" for the national asylum systems of the Member States most directly affected.
Click here for full Statement.
Filed under European Union, Frontex, Italy, Libya, Malta, Mediterranean, News, Statements, Tunisia
Tagged as EASO, European Commission, Europol, External Borders Fund, Frontex, Integration Fund, Interception at sea, IOM, Italy, Joint Operation Hermes Extension, Lampedusa, Libya, Maritime Interdiction, Migrants, North Africa, Refugee Fund, Refugees, Return Fund, Temporary Protection Directive, Tunisia, UNHCR
UNHCR Calls on EU to Improve Rescue at Sea Measures; NATO Should Also Actively Participate in Rescue at Sea in Regard to All Overcrowded Boats
UNHCR issued a statement on Friday, 8 April, calling "on the European Union to urgently put into place more reliable and effective mechanisms for rescue-at-sea" in the aftermath of last week's disaster that saw "[m]ore than 220 Somali, Eritrean and Ivorian refugees drowned early on Wednesday morning when their boat capsized some 39 nautical miles south of the Italian island of Lampedusa. This is the worst such incident in the Mediterranean in recent years. 'It is hard to comprehend that at a time when tens of thousands are fleeing the Libyan conflict and pouring across the land borders into Tunisia and Egypt where they enjoy safety and receive shelter and aid, the protection of people fleeing via Libya's maritime border does not appear to have the same priority' said Assistant High Commissioner for Protection Erika Feller." "'We also appeal to shipmasters to continue to render assistance to those in distress at sea. Any overcrowded boat leaving Libya these days should be considered to be in distress' [, said Feller.]"
While NATO was not mentioned in the UNHCR statement, the call for improved measures to save the lives of migrants who flee North Africa by boat should also be heard and considered by the NATO Maritime Command Naples which is conducting the maritime embargo of Libya known as Operation Unified Protector. NATO has a significant naval force patrolling the area through which migrant boats leaving Libya are passing and this force should be actively engaged in protecting fleeing civilians. (Click here for earlier post regarding NATO's maritime embargo.)
While UN Security Council Resolution 1973 does not speak directly to this issue, it does call for the protection of civilians. Relevant portions from Security Council Resolution 1973:
"Expressing [the Security Council's] determination to ensure the protection of civilians and civilian populated areas and the rapid and unimpeded passage of humanitarian assistance and the safety of humanitarian personnel, [***];
Reiterating [the Security Council's] concern at the plight of refugees and foreign workers forced to flee the violence in the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, welcoming the response of neighbouring States, in particular Tunisia and Egypt, to address the needs of those refugees and foreign workers, and calling on the international community to support those efforts, [***];
Protection of civilians – 4. Authorizes Member States that have notified the Secretary-General, acting nationally or through regional organizations or arrangements, and acting in cooperation with the Secretary-General, to take all necessary measures, notwithstanding paragraph 9 of resolution 1970 (2011), to protect civilians and civilian populated areas under threat of attack in the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya,… [***]."
As with UNHCR's call to EU states, NATO ships should also render assistance to any migrant boat detected by NATO forces – any overcrowded boat leaving Libya should be considered to be in distress.
Click here for UNHCR statement.
Click here for article.
Filed under European Union, Italy, Libya, Malta, Mediterranean, News, UNHCR
Tagged as Deaths at sea, Erika Feller, European Union, Interception at sea, Italy, Lampedusa, Libya, Malta, Maritime Interdiction, Maritime Surveillance, Migrants, NATO, North Africa, Operation Unified Protector, Refugees, Rescue at Sea, Search and Rescue, Security Council Resolution 1973, UNHCR
500 Migrants Reach Malta from Libya – First Arrivals in 2011
300 migrants arrived in Malta this afternoon. A second group of approximately 250 is expected to arrive this evening. The migrants are believed to be Sub-Saharan asylum seekers from Libya.
Under Maltese law, the arriving asylum seekers will be detained. The law purports to authorise detention for up to 18 months. Malta's detention centres are at present largely empty due to the lack of recent migrant arrivals. COE Human Rights Commissioner Thomas Hammarberg concluded a visit to Malta just last week. The Commissioner's report pertaining to his visit has not yet been released, but a statement was released in which the Commissioner called for "the policy of mandatory detention of all irregular migrants, including asylum seekers, [to] be reconsidered."
Excerpts from the Statement:
"'Malta and Europe need each other if the challenges of migration are to be met in a manner that respects human rights,' said the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Thomas Hammarberg, following his visit to Malta from 23 to 25 March. According to the Commissioner, Malta needs to move away from a reactive approach to migration and establish a system that is fully in line with European standards concerning the human rights of immigrants and asylum seekers. At the same time, a much more generous and collegial approach is needed on the part of other European states, by accepting to host some of the persons to whom Malta has rightly accorded international protection. 'However, with the exception of France and Germany – and further afield the US – this has not been the case so far.'
The Commissioner underlined that the current uncertainty related to the events in Libya and possible forced migration towards Malta and Europe should not deter the Maltese authorities from undertaking the necessary reforms. 'Instead this is another reason for more European solidarity to support these reforms' said the Commissioner, noting also that the substantial decrease in the number of irregular arrivals in Malta over the last two years has taken considerable pressure off Malta.
In this context, the policy of mandatory detention of all irregular migrants, including asylum seekers, should be reconsidered. The Commissioner notes that the mandatory detention of migrants can hardly be reconciled with the requirements set by the European Convention on Human Rights, as also reflected in a July 2010 judgment of the Strasbourg Court in the case of Louled Massoud, which found that Malta had violated the Convention by detaining an asylum seeker, whose claim had been rejected, for almost 18 months. 'Malta should take all necessary legislative and other measures in order to implement fully and effectively this important judgment of the European Court of Human Rights' said the Commissioner. Alternatives to the detention of migrants should be provided for in law, in accordance with the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly's Resolution 1707 (2010). …"
Click here and here for articles.
Click here for the Commissioner's full statement
Click here for link to Commissioner's thematic web page on human rights of immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers.
Filed under Commissioner for Human Rights, Libya, Malta, Mediterranean, News, Statements
Tagged as Armed Forces of Malta, COE Commissioner for Human Rights, Detention, Interception at sea, Libya, Malta, Maritime Interdiction, Migrants, North Africa, Refugees, Thomas Hammarberg
European Council Meeting Conclusions re Migrant and Refugee Flows from North Africa
While most of the European Council meeting of 24/25 March was devoted to economic policy and the Euro Zone crisis, the Council also considered the situation in Libya and the "Southern Neighborhood." The Council's Conclusions noted that the Commission would be presenting "a Plan for the development of capacities to manage migration and refugee flows in advance of the June European Council." The Council conclusions also stated that "Agreement should be reached by June 2011 on the regulation enhancing the capabilities of Frontex. In the meantime the Commission will make additional resources available in support to the agency's 2011 Hermes and Poseidon operations…."
Excerpts from the Council 24/25 March 2011 Conclusions:
"II. LIBYA / SOUTHERN NEIGHBOURHOOD
18. The European Council discussed the situation in Libya and endorsed the conclusions adopted by the Foreign Affairs Council on 21 March. Recalling its March 11 Declaration, the European Council expressed its satisfaction after the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 1973, which expresses the principle of the responsibility to protect, and underlined its determination to contribute to its implementation. It also welcomed the Paris Summit of 19 March as a decisive contribution to its implementation…. [***]
21. The humanitarian situation in Libya and on its borders remains a source of serious concern. The EU will continue to provide humanitarian assistance to all those affected, in close cooperation with all the humanitarian agencies and NGOs involved. The EU has stepped up and will continue its planning on support for humanitarian assistance / civil protection operations, including by maritime means. [***]
25. The European Council welcomes the recent visit of Presidency and the Commission to Egypt as part of a first phase of consultations to promote a comprehensive approach to migration as between the countries of the Southern Neighbourhood region and the European Union. In this context the European Council invites the Commission to present its proposals on the Global Approach to Migration as well as on the Mobility Partnership well in advance of the June European Council.
26. The European Council also looks forward to the presentation by the Commission of a Plan for the development of capacities to manage migration and refugee flows in advance of the June European Council. Agreement should be reached by June 2011 on the regulation enhancing the capabilities of Frontex. In the meantime the Commission will make additional resources available in support to the agency's 2011 Hermes and Poseidon operations and Member States are invited to provide further human and technical resources. The EU and its Member States stand ready to demonstrate their concrete solidarity to Member States most directly concerned by migratory movements and provide the necessary support as the situation evolves. [***]"
Click here for full document.
Filed under Egypt, European Union, Frontex, Libya, Mediterranean, News, Statements, Tunisia
Tagged as Egypt, European Commission, European Council, European Union, Frontex, Global Approach to Migration, Joint Operation Hermes, Joint Operation Poseidon, Libya, Migrants, Mobility Partnership, North Africa, Refugees, Tunisia
Frontex Announces Extension and Expansion of Joint Operation Hermes in Central Mediterranean
On 23 March Frontex announced a 5 month extension of its Joint Operation Hermes. Frontex also announced a westward expansion of the operational area to include Sardinia, roughly 300 km northwest of Lampedusa. According to Frontex Director Laitinen, "100 percent [of] the request the Italian authorities [have] made to Frontex" has been satisfied.
Frontex statement in full:
"Warsaw, 23 March 2011 — Due to the notable increase in migratory pressure on Italy and the island of Lampedusa in particular, Frontex has widened the operational area of Joint Operation Hermes and extended its duration for five more months, with the aim of strengthening Europe's border control response capability in the Central Mediterranean.
'In close cooperation with the Italian authorities, we have decided to run Joint Operation Hermes until the end of August 2011, and to extend the operational area to include Sardinia, where Frontex has already deployed aerial assets to strengthen the patrolling capacity of the Italian authorities,' said Frontex Executive Director Ilkka Laitinen.
'Frontex is closely monitoring the developments in North Africa and stands ready to assist the Member States operationally if requested. We are also continuously developing additional operational responses for potential rapid deployment throughout the Mediterranean if needed,' he added.
As of 23 March 2011, Lampedusa remained the main destination for migrants from Tunisia. During the previous week alone, 3,230 undocumented persons arrived on the island, bringing the total number of arrivals detected in the whole operational area since Hermes began on 20 February to 9,098. The majority of migrants are young men but 52 women and more than 240 minors were also detected during Italian-led Hermes. At the time of writing the great majority of migrants who recently arrived in Lampedusa claimed to be of Tunisian nationality.
In addition to one aircraft and two vessels already financed and coordinated by Frontex, one Dutch and one Portuguese plane have now arrived in Pantelleria and Sardinia respectively to assist the Italian authorities in strengthening their border control activities.
'With this equipment and 20 experts currently working in the centres of Bari, Caltanisetta and Crotone, we have satisfied 100 percent the request the Italian authorities made to Frontex,' Laitinen concluded.
The cost of the first 40 days of the operation amounts to EUR 2.6 mln."
Click here for statement.
Filed under European Union, Frontex, Italy, Libya, Mediterranean, News, Tunisia
Tagged as Bari, Caltanisetta, Crotone, Frontex, Ilkka Laitinen, Interception at sea, Italy, Joint Operation Hermes Extension, Lampedusa, Libya, Maritime Interdiction, Migrants, North Africa, Pantelleria, Refugees, Sardinia, Tunisia
EMHRN Statement: Italy and EU should suspend all measures of forcible removal towards Tunisia
Press release in its entirety from the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network:
"Brussels, 23 March 2011. Italy and the other Member States of the EU should suspend all measures of forcible removal towards Tunisia and share in the reinstallation of Libyan and non-Libyan refugees who have to flee Libya
Italian ministers Frattini and Maroni have announced their intention to travel to Tunisia to renew bilateral cooperation on migration issues. In the view of the Euro-Mediterranean Network, in the present circumstances, the ministers' insistence that the Tunisian authorities must prevent new departures from Tunisia and cooperate in the forcible removal of the Tunisian migrants who have landed in Italy since the beginning of the year, is particularly inappropriate.
The upheavals that are shaking the region at the moment have exposed the short-sightedness and futility of a policy that favours dictators instead of migrants.
Expecting from the Tunisian authorities, first and foremost, a crack down on immigration from third countries and emigration towards the European Union amounts to encouraging them in returning to the authoritarian practices of the former regime. This is not the kind of support Tunisia needs.
In this transition period, Italy and the other member states of the European Union should, on the contrary, suspend all measures imposing the forcible removal of Tunisian nationals towards Tunisia and share in the resettlement of Libyan and non-Libyan refugees who have had to flee Libya, arrived in Tunisia and cannot return to their home country.
While the number of Tunisian migrants who have landed on Lampedusa Island is significant relative to the size and population of the island, it is minuscule, on the European scale, when compared to the scope of the humanitarian emergency confronting Tunisia on its border with Libya. No fewer than 165,000 people have crossed the border at Ras Adjir in an attempt to flee the violence in Libya since 20 February, but no Tunisian official has made inflammatory statements comparing migrants and asylum seekers with criminals or terrorists. Tunisia is forced to cope with the arrival of tens of thousands of Tunisian workers, some of whom had been living in Libya for many years, as well as tens of thousands of immigrant workers, mainly from Bangladesh and sub-Saharan countries, who are awaiting repatriation to their countries of origin with assistance from UNHCR and OIM, not to mention Libyans and nationals of countries such as Somalia, Eritrea or Sudan, who for obvious reasons cannot return to their countries of origin, where their lives and physical integrity would be at risk."
Click here for link.
Filed under European Union, Italy, Libya, Mediterranean, News, Statements, Tunisia
Tagged as EMHRN, Italy, Lampedusa, Libya, Migrants, North Africa, Refugees, Tunisia


text:
The Cost of Hope: $20 Billion
New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg says nearly $20 billion could protect the city from climate change. But can he—and his successor—walk the walk? David Freedlander reports.
David Freedlander
Updated Jul. 11, 2017 10:11PM ET / Published Jun. 11, 2013 3:56PM ET
Mario Tama/Getty
Warning that the city faces dire consequences in the face of global climate change, New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg laid out a far-reaching plan Tuesday to confront rising sea levels and a warming planet.
The plan, called "A Stronger and More Resilient New York," comes in response to Hurricane Sandy, last year's massive storm that rendered large swaths of the region uninhabitable and left 43 New Yorkers dead.
Speaking at Brooklyn's Navy Yard, a World War II–era shipyard retrofitted as a green-technology manufacturing center, Bloomberg said, "Today this building that once turned out battleships now helps lead us in another battle—a battle that may well define our future for generations to come: the battle against climate change."
The Bloomberg administration warned that in the coming decades New York City will face summer heat waves similar to those in the Deep South, sea levels that are rising by as much as 11 inches, and devastating droughts and rainstorms. The number of New Yorkers living on a 100-year flood plain will double to 800,000 in 50 years' time. If nothing is done, the mayor's office warned, the nation's largest city will face crippling damage to transportation and infrastructure networks, property loss, and increased joblessness as waterfront homes and businesses confront the effects of warming planet.
"If we do nothing, more than 40 miles of our waterfront could see flooding on a regular basis, just during normal high tides," Bloomberg said before an audience of hundreds of city dignitaries. "Think about what that means—just in financial terms: Sandy cost $19 billion in damages and lost economic activity. And now we forecast that a storm like Sandy could cost nearly five times that much by midcentury—around $90 billion."
Laying out a $19.5 billion initiative to guard against this future, Bloomberg proposed a series of storm walls and surge barriers in vulnerable areas of the city; a revamped building code to permit more buildings to be elevated off the ground; increased access to flood insurance; and improvements to the city's health-care, electrical and transportation networks to prevent the kind of panicked scrambling that Sandy wrought.
"We're not going to make the mistake of fighting the last war. We have to look ahead—and anticipate any and all future threats, not only from hurricanes, but also from droughts, heavy downpours like we had last week, and heat waves, which may be longer and more intense in the years to come," the mayor said. "Now there is no solution to all of these challenges, and we won't get all of this work done at once. That would be impossible. But piece by piece, over many years and even decades, we can build a city that's capable of preparing better, withstanding more, and overcoming anything."
In what was perhaps his most audacious proposal, Mayor Bloomberg proposed building a new neighborhood on the city's east side to better protect Manhattan's right flank. Modeled on Battery Park City, a neighborhood constructed on a landfill in the 1970s, "Seaport City" would bring new housing and businesses to the east side of Lower Manhattan and protect existing residents from future storms.
The mayor said this is not something that can be done by city hall alone. The city will need Congress to deliver on its promises made to the city in the wake of Sandy and is asking the federal government for an additional $4.5 billion. Plus, after 11 1/2 years and three terms in office, Mayor Bloomberg is planning on turning over the keys to city hall to a successor at the end of the year.
"It's up to you to hold us accountable for making as much progress as possible over the next 203 days, and it's up to you to hold our successor accountable for getting it done," the mayor said.
Grappling with climate change has long been an interest of the mayor's, who has combined his immense personal wealth—he is listed as one of the richest men in the country—and his position as the leader of America's largest city to push for changes. After the hurricane, the mayor made a surprise endorsement of President Obama for reelection, citing his belief that global climate change is real. And in 2011, his personal foundation gave $50 million to the Sierra Club to help retire the nation's aging coal fleet. In 2007 his administration embarked on an ambitious 25-year campaign called PlaNYC 2030 to help prepare the city for the future.
But the fact that Hurricane Sandy was so devastating led some environmentalists to warn that the Bloomberg administration and any future mayors must follow through with their plans.
"They did the assessments, they did the planning, but a lot of it was never implemented," said Brian Holland, climate programs director at ICLEI Local Governments for Sustainability USA, which pushes municipalities to coordinate their efforts to combat climate change. "They laid out a lot of things that haven't been built yet. That is where the rubber meets the road. You can analyze, and you can plan, but the capital to actually build this infrastructure is just not flowing."
But the Bloomberg administration, which is still cleaning up after Hurricane Sandy, is clearly counting on the hope that, in the wake of the storm, this time is different.
"We can't completely climate-proof our city," the mayor said. "That would be impossible. But we can make our city stronger and safer—and we can start today."

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Darwin's Day to Yuri's Night: some science dates to remember
When to join in the celebrations for Newton, Pi and Neil Armstrong's historic step
Sat 20 Sep 2014 05.00 EDT Last modified on Wed 14 Feb 2018 16.37 EST
Charles Darwin. His is one of several festive science days of celebration. Photograph: Julia Margaret Cameron/Royal Photographic Society
Darwin's work continues to inspire scientists worldwide. And what's not to celebrate about the man who worked out the wonders of evolution via natural selection? A day of celebrations since the 1990s held on Darwin's birthday.
Marked in honour of the infinitely interesting mathematical number pi (π): the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter. Since this is, when rounded, 3.14, the 14th day of the third month was chosen for festivities - a decision rubber-stamped in the US House of Representatives in 2009.
Yuri's Night
An annual bash saluting Yuri Gagarin, who became the first man in space on 12 April, 1961. Also known as the World's Space party, it was launched in 2000 and has the backing of numerous organisations including the US National Space Society. Today, enthusiasts throw parties in more than 70 locations worldwide.
Tau Day
Not to be outdone by the festivities surrounding the mathematical constant pi, Tau Day is celebrated by those who think that tau, which can be defined as double pi, is the constant that should be used in calculations involving circles. The tau movement was instigated by theoretical physicist Dr Michael Hartl, who launched Tau Day to forward the cause.
Space Exploration Day
Gather your space-loving friends, bake some moon pies and watch Apollo 13 to celebrate this annual US commemoration of the day Neil Armstrong planted his space boots on lunar soil. Space enthusiasts have been celebrating this day for decades but have yet to succeed in their petition to turn the celebrations into a national holiday.
Ada Lovelace Day
Fighting the gender imbalance in science, engineering and tech, this day pays homage to Charles Babbage's colleague – and arguably the first computer programmer – Ada Lovelace, by encouraging efforts to raise the profile of women across the sciences. Founded by Suw Charman-Anderson it has gained widespread support, including from prominent researchers.
Mole Day
Nothing to do with mammals, international Mole Day was founded in 1991 by the National Mole Day Foundation in the US. The mole describes the quantity of a substance which contains Avogadro's constant (6.02 x 1023) of particles (the number of atoms in exactly 12g of carbon-12). Party hats should be on from 6:02am to 6:02pm on the 23rd day of the 10th month.
Newton Day ('Grav-Mass Day')
Championed by computer programmer Richard Stallman, Grav-Mass Day celebrates the work of Isaac Newton whose birthday falls on this festive date (in the old Julian calendar). Providing an alternative day of celebration for atheists, advocates recommend decorating trees with loosely hung apples, as a nod to the great man's pomological inspiration.
Charles Darwin's voyage on Beagle unfolds online in works by ship's artist
Digitised sketches and watercolours by Conrad Martens have been placed online by Cambridge University library
In search of a truly liberal education
Ian Bostridge: Unlikely disciplines can inspire each other, as with Newton's analogy between the colour spectrum and the musical scale
Charles Darwin's famous Galápagos Islands foundation faces extinction
Forced closure of gift shop a cruel blow for world-renowned research organisation which has failed to adapt and survive
Bible edges out Darwin as 'most valuable to humanity' in survey of influential books
The Bible garnered 37% of public vote, while On the Origin of Species received 35%, writes Alison Flood
The Lagoon: How Aristotle invented science by Armand Marie Leroi – review
Published: 2 Oct 2014
The private lives of Isaac Newton
Would most discoveries and inventions have happened eventually anyway?
Test your science knowledge


Executive Guides to Assuring Compliance and Managing Risk from NetIQ Get the best practices you need to manage IT risk and assure policy compliance with these two free Executive Guides. You'll learn how to simplify your risk management processes and reduce the time and effort spent ensuring compliance. Download these FREE guides now.
Symantec has made an informal complaint with European Commission antitrust regulators regarding Microsoft's announcement that it will be entering the security market. The nature of the complaint will allow the commission to decide whether or not the situation merits an antitrust case against Microsoft. Microsoft announced last week that it will begin offering a beta version of an integrated antivirus/antispyware product by the end of the year with a full rollout expected in 2006. The complaint focuses on Microsoft's plan to bundle the software with its upcoming Windows Vista operating system.
US Representative Mike Castle says he plans to introduce data privacy legislation, that would require businesses holding sensitive information to secure their data and would require prompt investigations of data security breaches. Another proposed data security bill, the Personal Security and Privacy Act, originally introduced in June, might soon see an amended version come to a committee vote. Criminal penalties included in the proposed legislation would provide for a maximum sentence of five years in prison for individuals convicted of concealing security breaches that involve sensitive personal data for even one person. The bill also contains minimum privacy and security standards for companies that hold sensitive and personally identifiable data.
Dutch police have arrested three men who allegedly used software to break into 100,000 computers around the world and install programs that steal personal data and enlist the machines for use in cyber attacks. The trio is also believed to be behind a blackmail threat made to a US company to launch a distributed denial-of-service attack on its web site.
Two British men have been sentenced to jail for their roles in the creation and spread of the TK worm. Jordan Bradley was sentenced to three months in jail and Andrew Harvey to six months; both admitted to conspiring to "effect unauthorized modifications to the contents of computers with the intent to impair the operation of those computers." The worm created a network of infected computers that were used to launch distributed denial-of-service attacks on web sites. In May 2005, American Raymond Stegerwalt, who also had a role in the worm, was sentenced to 21 months in prison and ordered to pay US$12,000 in restitution to the US Department of Defense. Stegerwalt's trial was held in the US.
Phishers have targeted the bank Nordea Sweden, which uses a one-time password/PIN authentication procedure. The phishing emails were written in Swedish; they told customers that the bank was changing security procedures. If the customers clicked on the link provided, they were sent to one of two bank look-alike sites hosted in South Korea. The sites ask for account details and the next password code on a scratch card the bank customers have in their possession. The sites would then say there was a problem with the code given and ask for the next code in an apparent attempt to collect a number of the one-time use passwords. Nordea has more than 4 million Internet banking customers in eight countries. Nordea closed down its Internet banking service for about 12 hours while it dealt with the problem.
Google has fixed a cross-site scripting flaw in two of its sub-sites that could have put users at risk of having their accounts hijacked. The vulnerability could have been exploited to take over users' accounts, trick users into downloading malicious content or allow the attackers to steal personal data. Google was alerted to the vulnerability late last month and addressed the problem within 30 hours.
Microsoft has announced that it will release eight patches for Windows flaws on Tuesday, October 11, the scheduled release date for its monthly security update; at least one of the vulnerabilities has received a "critical" rating from Microsoft. Some of the fixes may require users to restart their computers. There will also be a security bulletin with an "important" rating regarding Windows and Exchange mail server vulnerabilities.
Phishers have been sending out messages through IM and IRC that contain links to a page that downloads a phony Google toolbar and hijacks the Windows HOSTS file. The toolbar redirects most Google addresses and asks for credit card numbers in a pop-up window.
Bank of America has begun notifying customers of its Buxx prepaid debit cards that their personal data may have been compromised following the theft of an unencrypted laptop computer. The data include bank account and routing transit numbers as well as names and credit card numbers. Bank of America stopped selling this particular product in January. The laptop was stolen from a Bank of America service provider on August 29; Bank of America was notified on September 9 and then sent out letters after a two-week investigation.
[Editor's Note (Honan): Yet again another example of why security requirements must be built into outsourcing contracts to ensure your data remains secure. Notifications of security incidents should also be stipulated, as it appears it took nearly two weeks for the bank to be made aware of the theft.
The Department of Homeland Security's "Build Security In" web portal offers best practices resources for software developers and security professionals to help them develop more secure and reliable systems. The site provides articles on best practices, knowledge and tools in each of a variety of content areas, including Architecture and Design, Code, Test, Requirements, System and Fundamentals.
An IBM security researcher says that on-line betting sites that have been targeted by extortionists often pay the ransom to avoid being targeted by distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks instead of reporting the threats to law enforcement agencies. The financial demands the attackers make tend to be less than the cost of implementing measures to protect the sites from the attacks. A recent study by Forrester found that one in three businesses has been targeted by a DDoS attack; 40% of those suffered losses in excess of GBP54,000 (US$94,700). Organizations that pay the extortionists are likely to be targeted again and increase the likelihood of other businesses being targeted as well.


What colour represents your aura?
Your thoughts and emotions have patterns and this quiz is made to identify your aura and what colour defines it. I hope you enjoy taking this quiz and have fun.
I cry my eyes out I reeeealy liked him how could he do this!
You were at the movies. What do you see?
Okay I'm trying to come up with something here er how many friends do you have?
Last question, did you like my quiz?
Quiz topic: What colour represents my aura?


text:
Global News Round Up
March 21, 2018 March 21, 2018 by abbhirami, posted in APHA IH Section, News
Politics & Policies
The goal of the Resolve to Save Lives initiative is to save 100 million lives within 30 years. With $225 million in funding from Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative and the Gates Foundation, Resolve zeroed in on cardiovascular disease and epidemics as its twin priorities.
Friends of the Global Fight today released an updated, two-page edition of its policy brief, "The Case for U.S. Investment in the Global Fund and Global Health." This short edition includes updated data and talking points to show how U.S. support for the Global Fund offers extraordinary return on investment.
Ahead of Secretary Tillerson's budget testimony, humanitarian, development and global health organizations release new data showing the devastating human costs of proposed administration cuts to foreign assistance.
It could take several years before United States aid recipient countries such as Uganda and Nigeria feel the full impact of the expanded Mexico City Policy. But new analysis shows there are already clear signs that the policy is pushing these countries to limit their expansion of key health services, including for women's health care.
Launching the TB Free India Campaign at 'Delhi End TB Summit', PM Narendra Modi said his government is implementing a national strategic plan to end tuberculosis (TB) by 2025.
Global health care efforts rely heavily on U.S. funding, but U.S. attitudes toward spending in this area are increasingly hostile.
Programs, Grants & Awards
Drs. Catherine Blish, Nathaniel Landau, and Sara Sawyer are recipients of the 2018 Avant-Garde Award for HIV/AIDS Research from the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
The Gates Foundation concentrates on advocacy efforts that encourage political leaders to fund initiatives supporting the elimination of global inequalities. Other notable efforts include initiatives centered around helping farmers in developing countries research and implement better agricultural practices. These include the production of rice and flour enriched with micronutrients.
Human antibody CIS43 protected mice from infection with the malarial parasite Plasmodium falciparum, a new study shows.
Physical inactivity is an important cause of noncommunicable diseases. Interventions can increase short-term physical activity (PA), but health benefits require maintenance. Few interventions have evaluated PA objectively beyond 12 months. We followed up two pedometer interventions with positive 12-month effects to examine objective PA levels at 3–4 years.
In a paper in Public Health Research & Practice, published by the Sax Institute, we outline how collaboration between like-minded national governments can improve pre-migration health assessments (PMHAs) through information sharing, collaborative learning and increased capability in countries of origin.
Egypt has become the first country in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region to eliminate lymphatic filariasis. This success comes after nearly 20 years of sustained prevention and control activities.
Whooping cough, caused by the bacteria Bordetella pertussis, is no longer a familiar condition to most Americans. The United States began widespread vaccinations in the 1940s, which nearly eradicated the disease. But whooping-cough has been increasing here over the past two decades despite record rates of vaccination: in 2016, more than 15,000 people in the US came down with the disease, and 7 people died.
There has been an 80 percent decrease in the number of new cholera cases reported among a community of Congolese refugees in Uganda's western Lake Albert region, the World Health Organization told Devex Friday. As recently as Feb. 28, health care workers were identifying roughly 100 new cases a day and as of March 12, that number is down to 20.
A huge and deadly outbreak of Listeria in South Africa could alter the country's approach to food-borne disease and prompt improvements in food safety standards, a leading health official said on Friday.
UNICEF aims to scale up real-time monitoring systems in 110 countries by 2021 using the open source technology called RapidPro.
Researchers are developing low cost technology to improve water quality and to remove contaminants using magnetic nanoparticle based adsorption.
Profusa Inc has developed injectable body sensors that are capable of streaming data to mobile phones and to the cloud.
After the latest study showed that more than 90% of bottled water brands contained tiny plastic particles, the World Health Organization has announced a review of potential risks of plastic contamination in drinking water.
New study shows that alleviating the effects of global warming with tougher climate policies could save 150 million lives.
New research led by IIASA researcher Narasimha Rao has shown how it might be possible to reduce micronutrient deficiencies in India in an affordable way whilst also reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Equity & Disparities
Two members of the polio vaccination team were ambushed and killed in a remote tribal region in Pakistan.
Advances in mapping tools and the ability to create maps with extraordinary detail is helping efforts from vaccination to disaster relief.
Maternal, Neonatal & Children's Health
Even with futuristic advances in medicine and science, and increased access to food and other forms of nutrition, the oldest human health problem has remained stubborn—and, sometimes, seemingly impossible to fix: Young children and infants still die at epidemic rates in the poorest corners of the globe.
An international study of over 300,000 women from across 29 countries showed that pregnant women with anemia are twice as likely to die during or shortly after pregnancy.
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Joey Macfarland Latest Celebrity News & Gossip
Will Smith's 'Emancipation' to Release This Year, Apple Drops Trailer
J. Kim Murphy In a surprise shift to this year's awards season, Will Smith's next film "Emancipation" will release in 2022 after all. Apple announced the news Monday, releasing the first trailer for the Antoine Fuqua-directed historical drama. "Emancipation" premieres in theaters on Dec. 2 and will stream on Apple TV+ starting Dec. 9. Though "Emancipation" had originally been set for a 2022 release date, Apple elected to delay the film to 2023 after Smith became embroiled in controversy for slapping Chris Rock onstage at the Academy Awards. The embattled actor has since publicly apologized for his actions, sharing an emotional video released online in June, but has largely steered clear of the public eye since the Oscar ceremony.
Emancipation producer Joey McFarland sorry for showing off photo of enslaved man at film's premiere
Emancipation producer Joey McFarland took to Instagram on Sunday to apologize for taking a photo from 1863 of an enslaved man to the Los Angeles premiere of the Apple TV+ film, which marks Will Smith's first major release since infamously slapping Chris Rock at the Oscars.'I wholeheartedly apologize to everyone I have offended by bringing a photograph of Peter to the Emancipation premiere,' McFarland, 50, said in a statement. 'My intent was to honor this remarkable man and to remind the general public that his image not only brought about change in 1863 but still resonates and promotes change today.'McFarland showed off the photo - of the enslaved man whose real name was Gordon, and was called 'Whipped Peter' - during the Will Smith film's debut at the Regency Village Theatre this past Wednesday.
'Emancipation' Producer Issues Proclamation After Backlash For Bringing Photo Of Enslaved Man To Premiere: "I Wholeheartedly Apologize"
Emancipation producer Joey McFarland is issuing an apology after backlash over bringing the photo to the premiere of the enslaved man that inspired the film.
Apple Acquires Will Smith and Antoine Fuqua Runaway Slave True Story 'Emancipation'
Also Read: Will Smith, Warner Bros. Face Lawsuit Over Breach of Contract With 'King Richard' FilmThe film will be produced by Apple Studios, alongside Smith through Westbrook Studios, Fuqua and his Fuqua Films, Todd Black and Escape Artists and Joey McFarland.CAA Media Finance, which arranged the financing for the film, represented U.S.
What about having some fun reading the latest showbiz news & updates on Joey Macfarland? Those who enter popstar.one once will stay with us forever! Stop wasting time looking for something else, because here you will get the latest news on Joey Macfarland, scandals, engagements and divorces! Do not miss the opportunity to check out our breaking stories on Hollywood's hottest star Joey Macfarland!


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Inukshuk adds spectrum from Vecima
Howard Solomon
@HowardITWC
Published: November 18th, 2010
Canada's next wireless spectrum auction likely won't be held for another year, but two of the country's biggest carriers have managed to extend their holdings in Saskatchewan.
The Inukshuk Wireless Inc. consortium owned by BCE Inc.'s Bell Canada and Rogers Communications Inc. has struck a deal to buy $14 million worth of spectrum in the 2.5 and 2.6 GHz range in the western province from Vecima Networks Inc., a fixed wireless service provider and cable equipment maker.
Inukshuk offers fixed wireless broadband to rural communities in every province except Saskatchewan and Manitoba.
What the consortium partners have in mind for the spectrum is unknown.
Spokespersons for both carriers said Wednesday their companies had no comment on the Vecima deal, which has to be approved by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC).
Earlier this year Bell received permission from the regulator to change its plans to bring broadband to a number of Ontario and Quebec commmunities using Inukshuk. Instead the carrier will use the HSPA+ wireless data technology that's on its cellular phone networks.
The version of HSPA+ now offered by Bell and Rogers promises data speeds of up to 21 Mbps under ideal conditions. Usually subscribers will see average speeds of 7 Mbps.
Still, that's faster than Inukshuk, which uses a proprietary fixed wireless technology from Motorola Inc. the manufacturer has all but abandoned, with top speeds of around 3 Mbps.
However, after Inukshuk bought spectrum from Craig Wireless of Winnipeg last year a Rogers executive told Network World Canada that the spectrum will be used to bring the fourth generation (4G) wireless technology called Long Term Evolution (LTE) to customers. That may be what Bell and Rogers have in mind. LTE promises data speeds of at least 100 Mbps under ideal conditions. More importantly, at certain frequencies LTE has better range in rural areas than HSPA.
Burnaby, B.C.-based Vecmima makes wired and wireless equipment for cable operators that helps them offer multiple services such as high definition TV and telephony over their lines. Its YourLink Inc. division offers Internet and video services directly to 19,000 businesses and consumers and to cable operators for redistribution in a number of provinces.
Last week publicly-traded Vecima reported first quarter sales from all units of $26.3 million and net income of $1.9 million.
But Vecima executive vice-president Sumit Kumar explained that part of its offerings in Saskatchewan were getting uneconomical.
"Video as a percentage of revenue was a very small component," he said in an interview, "so it didn't make sense to tie up the spectrum."
Those video subscribers will be sold off to other providers, he said.
On the other hand, he added, "we see much more momentum in Internet services," which is where YourLink will focus its efforts.
Part of the proceeds will be used to shift YourLink's wireless broadband subscribers in Saskatchewan to other spectrum Vecima owns. Thanks to new technology Vecima has developed, they'll gain faster download and upload speeds.
Kumar couldn't say what the new speeds will be. Currently, consumer wireless subscribers are promised download speeds of up to 3 Mbps, while business customers can buy a package with up to 5 Mbps download.
The sale last year of 2.5/2.6 Ghz spectrum by Craig and Look Communications to Inukshuk also played a role in pricing the Saskatchewan spectrum it owned in those frequencies, Kumar said, as well as Vecima's sale of spectrum in January to an unnamed Internet provider for $2.3 million. "Valuations started to make sense to us to monetize this asset (in Sasksatchewan)," he said.
The spectrum Vecima gave up represents only 7.5 per cent of the frequencies it owns. The company also owns spectrum in the 2.3, 2.5 3.5, 28 and 38 GHz ranges in B.C., Alberta, southern Ontario and a small part of the Maritimes.
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About Howard Solomon
Currently a freelance writer, I'm the former editor of ITWorldCanada.com and Computing Canada. An IT journalist since 1997, I've written for several of ITWC's sister publications including ITBusiness.ca and Computer Dealer News. Before that I was a staff reporter at the Calgary Herald and the Brampton (Ont.) Daily Times. I can be reached at hsolomedia [@] gmail.com
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Industry leaders explore the challenges and potential benefits of 5G
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2016A&A...587A.116E - Astronomy and Astrophysics, volume 587A, 116-116 (2016/3-1)
Shell-like structures in our cosmic neighbourhood.
EINASTO M., HEINAEMAEKI P., LIIVAMAEGI L.J., MARTINEZ V.J., HURTADO-GIL L., ARNALTE-MUR P., NURMI P., EINASTO J. and SAAR E.
Signatures of the processes in the early Universe are imprinted in the cosmic web. Some of them may define shell-like structures characterised by typical scales. Examples of such structures are shell-like systems of galaxies, which are interpreted as a signatures of the baryon acoustic oscillations. We search for shell-like structures in the distribution of nearby rich clusters of galaxies drawn from the SDSS DR8. We calculated the distance distributions between rich clusters of galaxies and groups and clusters of various richness, searched for the maxima in the distance distributions and selected candidates of shell-like structures. We analysed the space distribution of groups and clusters that form shell walls. We find six possible candidates of shell-like structures, in which galaxy clusters have the maximum in their distance distribution to other galaxy groups and clusters at a distance of about 120-130h–1Mpc. Another, less probable maximum is found at a distance of about 240h–1Mpc. The rich galaxy cluster A1795, which is the central cluster of the Bootes supercluster, has the highest maximum in the distance distribution of all other surrounding groups and clusters in our rich cluster sample. It lies at a distance of about 120h–1Mpc. The structures of galaxy systems that cause this maximum form an almost complete shell of galaxy groups, clusters, and superclusters. The richest systems in the nearby universe, the Sloan Great Wall, the Corona Borealis supercluster, and the Ursa Major supercluster, are among them. The probability that we obtain maxima like this from random distributions is lower than 0.001. Our results confirm that shell-like structures can be found in the distribution of nearby galaxies and their systems. The radii of the possible shells are larger than expected for a baryonic acoustic oscillations (BAO) shell (≃109h–1Mpc versus ≃120-130h–1Mpc), and they are determined by very rich galaxy clusters and superclusters. In contrast, BAO shells are barely seen in the galaxy distribution. We discuss possible consequences of these differences.
Journal keyword(s): large-scale structure of Universe - galaxies: clusters: general
CDS comments: Table 1 objects not identified.
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Patrick Ness: Why I wrote A Monster Calls
By Tim Masters
Entertainment and arts correspondent, BBC News
duration 5 August 2011
image captionA Monster Calls features striking illustrations by Jim Kay
Patrick Ness explains why he took on the challenge of writing a book based on the idea of another author, Siobhan Dowd, whose premature death prevented her from writing it herself.
"It felt like a really private thing," says Patrick Ness. "Between me and her, between writers."
image captionAmerican-born Patrick Ness has lived in the UK since 1999.
Ness never met Siobhan Dowd, although they shared the same literary editor. But after Dowd's death from cancer, aged 47, in 2007 he was asked to take the idea she'd been developing for her fifth novel and write it himself.
The result was A Monster Calls, published in May 2011, the story of 13-year-old Conor who is coming to terms with his own mother's battle against cancer.
"I would normally say 'no' to turning someone else's idea into a book," admits Ness.
"But the idea was so strong and so vivid that I never felt like I was completely fabricating something she didn't want.
"There was just enough material to kick me off, and have the freedom to let the story live and breathe while also celebrating her idea."
The "monster" that calls on Conor is an ancient walking, talking yew tree. The significance of the yew becomes clear late in the story.
While the hardback release - with its stark and haunting illustrations by Jim Kay - is aimed at a young adult market, the book has also found an older audience.
Reader reviews suggest the book has left many moved to tears and emotionally drained.
"Adults actually have a tougher time than younger readers do," says Ness. "Adults have more experience of loss and more experience of the fear of loss.
"I hear from lots of young readers who love it and like being moved by it, but adult readers come up and say: 'This actually happened to someone I know.'"
The US-born author adds: "I hope it's not bleak for bleakness's sake. I think there's hope at the end. I think it's a healing kind of thing."
Ness will be discussing the novel at the Edinburgh International Book Festival later this month.
Third time lucky
Born on an army base in Virginia, Ness spent his early years in Hawaii, before moving with his family to Washington state.
He studied English Literature at the University of Southern California. He has lived in the UK since 1999. His debut novel was 2003's The Crash of Hennington.
image captionA Monster Calls was published in May 2011
In June 2011, Ness won the prestigious Carnegie Medal for his novel Monsters of Men. (Siobhan Dowd's Bog Child won in 2009). He accepted the award with an impassioned speech against cuts to library services.
It was third time lucky for Ness. Monsters of Men was the final book of the Chaos Walking trilogy. The first two novels - The Knife of Never Letting Go and The Ask and the Answer - were shortlisted for the Carnegie in 2009 and 2010.
The story is set in a world where private thoughts are audible. Ness was fascinated by the idea of "information overload" and how relevant it is to today.
"Our world - particularly for young people - is almost like that, with mobile phones and social networking sites.
"If you're 15 and you tell someone a secret they can put it up on Facebook. If you make a mistake someone films it on their mobile and puts it up on YouTube.
"When you're 15 you deserve privacy. I'm not a luddite. It's something to be entered into thoughtfully."
In his Carnegie speech, Ness recalled how the librarians of his childhood would sometimes let him "check out some eyebrow-raising books".
Ness names Jitterbug Perfume, Tom Robbins' comical philosophical fourth novel, published in 1984, as a particular favourite.
"I read it when I was about 15," he says. "It was playful, and that was a revelation. I read it probably a dozen times in those years between 15 and 17 and I haven't read it since because I want it to sit forever in my teenage brain."
A Monster Calls was published in May in the UK, and is out in the US in September. Ness will be discussing A Monster Calls at the Edinburgh International Book Festival on Saturday 20 August.
Carnegie winner Patrick Ness attacks library cuts
The CILIP Carnegie Medal
Patrick Ness at Edinburgh International Book Festival


I've been following the Danish band Deus Otiosus since 2011, when I first discovered (and wrote about) their 2010 debut album Murderer. Since then the band have released two more albums, 2012's Godless and last year's Rise. The band have begun work on their fourth album, which is projected for release in 2016, but in the meantime they're releasing a special EP on May 26 via Germany's Godeater Records. Entitled Sis Mortuus Mondo, the EP consists of two new songs, one of which is a preview of the next album and the other of which is exclusive to the EP. And today we give you the chance to hear both songs in advance of the EP's release.
"Greater Horror", the album preview track, is a giant hornet swarm of riffs driven by deeply grooved bass-and-drum thunder, a fusion of adrenaline-pumping thrash and carnivorous death metal malevolence. There's a lot of fleet-fingered guitar and bass flash in this head-wrecker, including some incendiary soloing. It romps and then it staggers and then it jams the pedal to the floor again just in case it hasn't already succeeded in tearing your head off.
The follow-on song, "Seperatio Leprosorum", is a grim and grisly mid-paced golem march, more loaded with the sulfurous stench of the grave than the EP's opener. But it's also got some sweet, ghoulish riffage going on that's bound to get your head moving, and the song's morbid melody is going to get stuck in what's left of your head after the band finish pounding on it until it splits like rotten fruit.
Deus Otiosus continue to do sick, twisted, and infectious death/thrash very well indeed, with a clarity of production that befits the skill of the performers without sacrificing the skull-cleaving force or sinister atmosphere of the music.
Sis Mortuus Mondo will be released both as a CD and as a digital download. The CD version will include the band's entire debut album Murderer as bonus material, since the original CD version of that album is sold out. The cover for the EP was drawn by Copenhagen-based artist Claude Wit, who also created the cover art for the last year's Rise album.
Damn, this stuff is killer.