Stories about Refugees from May, 2011
Jordan: Marches to Palestine
Salem Husseini posted a Storify article on the Jordanian marches in honor of Nakba, or catastrophe, on the anniversary of the founding of Israel.
Lebanon: A Personal Account from Deadly Border Protest
“In a nutshell, protesters amassed at the border armed with flags, slogans and rocks from the ground, and Israel responded by opening fire and killing nearly a dozen youths” stated Sean in a detailed post about his personal experience as he took part in the protest held in the Lebanese border town of Maroun...
Lebanon: Two Marches, Sunday 15 May
Lebanon is witnessing two different marches today, May 15, 2011. The first is the Seculars’ March Towards Secularism taking place in Beirut, and the second is for the right to Return to Palestine taking place in the border village of Maroun el Ras (South Lebanon).
Eritrea: The Plight of Eritrea Refugees in Egypt
Release Eritrea, a charity based in the UK, is concerned about the plight of Eritrean refugees in Egypt: “In recent days, five Eritreans have been shot by the Egyptian border guards on the border with Israel. They managed to cross the border despite their wounds, but later died in Israel...
Colombia: Police Evict 5,400 Squatter Farm Workers
Blueandtanit writes [es] about the eviction of 5,400 homeless farm workers by anti-riot police. The farm workers had occupied farmlands and roads in Urabá (Antioquia department in north western Colombia) early last week. She is concerned about the media coverage of the issue, which treats the squatters as “alleged peasants,”...
Cote d'Ivoire: An Aid Worker Diary
Oxfam aid worker, Charles Bambara, describes his journey through war-torn Côte d'Ivoire, visiting communities of displaced people. He says people are in urgent need of food and sanitation in overcrowded shelters.
Tunisia: Illegal Tunisian Migrants in France
Illegal Tunisian migrants, who arrived in Paris via the Italian island Lampedusa and were rescued by a grass-root organization tell the Bondy Blog [fr] about their feelings of “regrets, anger, honor, and a little shame too”.
Australia: Asylum Seekers Inflame Detention Debate
Debate about Australia's policies on asylum seekers was ignited yet again after a rooftop protest was staged at the Villawood detention centre in Sydney. Mandatory detention, offshore processing, temporary protection visas, and character tests are just some of the contentious aspects of this issue. Here are some online reactions