Fractured

One year after the Taliban took over power in Afghanistan millions became unemployed after jobs with foreign embassies, militaries and NGOs vanished practically overnight.  Malnourished children have flooded Kabul’s hospitals in recent months and more than half the population faces life-threatening food insecurity. Yet, the Taliban regime celebrated last Monday and announced August 15th a national holiday. 

In this episode Sonia Nandzik-Herman speaks to Reza Adib, an Afghan journalist and filmmaker about everyday life in Afghanistan one year into this new/old reality.

Episode hosted by Sonia Nandzik-Herman

Special guest: Said Reza Hossini Adib

Edit: Majid Bakhshi 

Production: Sonia Nandzik-Herman and DouglasHerman

Music: Eamon Kelly

More on: @refocusmedialabs and https://mixedmigration.substack.com/

Fresh on the heels of Boris Johnson’s resignation as Prime Minister of the UK, we reflect on immigration policy in the UK, how we’ve gotten to where we are, what BoJo’s resignation implies—and what it doesn’t. 

Since early May, the UK has made a lot of noise with a new policy that it describes as world-leading, and that most advocates describe as lunacy: an immigration agreement with Rwanda, which would see every asylum seeker arriving irregularly to the UK deported to Rwanda. But before we get into how the UK-Rwanda deal ties in with Boris Johnson’s resignation we loop back and consider the modern history. There are decades worth of bad decisions, wishful thinking, perverse incentives, and poor policy-making, that have culminated into turning the UK, at once, into a country with a large and relatively well-integrated immigrant community, and also a toxic environment in which to be an immigrant—let alone in which to arrive as an immigrant.

Episode hosted by Joel Hernandez, produced by Sonia Nandzik-Herman, edited by Majid Bahkshi and Douglas Herman, music by Eamon Kelly.

More on:

@refocusmedialabs on all social media

@joelhernandezgrande on FB and @joelhdz on TT

@sonianandzik on all social media

@dfherman on all social media

On June 24th a group of approximately 2000 asylum seekers tried to cross the border separating Melilla - a Spanish enclave in Morocco. More than 500 people managed to enter the border control area after cutting a fence and 130 of them succeeded in entering Melilla.

In addition, according to the latest reports, 23 people died while trying to cross to this Spanish enclave. Several international institutions have since demanded an inquiry into what caused the deaths. A spokesperson for the UN Commission on Human Rights called on Spain and Morocco to conduct an independent and efficient investigation and to hold those responsible for what happened accountable.

In this episode we’re bringing you the situation in Ceuta, Malila’s sister so to speak, so you understand the complexity of issues in Spanish enclaves in Morocco.

Episode hosted and produced by Douglas Herman and Sonia Nandzik-Herman, edited by Majid Bakhshi. Translation: Estelle Jean, Julia De Montremy, Melanie Manuel and Steven Herrera. Music: Kevin MacLeod and Eamon Kelly.

In this week's episode of Fractured, we celebrate the first year of Mixed Migration—hebdo by reviewing the broad trends in migration news and events, and reflecting on the broader trends that have emerged since MMh launched in mid-June 2021 by Fractured co-host Joel Hernandez.

To access MMh, review the trends discussed in this episode, and subscribe, please visit its homepage here: https://mixedmigration.substack.com/

More on: 

@refocusmedialabs on all social media

@joelhernandezgrande on Facebook and @joelhdz on TT

@sonianandzik on Instagram

@dfherman on Instagram

Since March 2016, when it comes to the refugee situation in Greece, media have been predominantly focused on the arrivals and living conditions on the five Eastern Aegean islands hosting the so-called hotspots. However, at the same time, the events taking place on the land border between Greece and Turkey in the north-east Evros region have been largely overlooked. Despite a smaller number of people in the northern border, crossing the Evros river is very dangerous and has resulted in many deaths over the years. This episode of Fractured is about what happens to the bodies of those who don’t make it?

For more information follow:

https://www.instagram.com/refocusmedialabs/

https://www.instagram.com/aegeanboatreport/

http://www.lastrights.net/

https://mixedmigration.substack.com/

https://www.facebook.com/joelhernandezgrande

https://www.instagram.com/sonianandzik/

https://www.instagram.com/dfherman/

On April 29th Frontex director Fabrice Leggeri resigned as an outcome of the accusations of the Agency of facilitating illegal pushbacks in the Mediterranean.

Over the last two years Frontex has consistently claimed that all its operations in the Aegean comply with the EU law and that it consisted of preventing boats from crossing international borders and then asking the Turkish coast guards to rescue passengers and bring them back to Turkey. Yet over the time it became clear that in many cases Frontex wasn’t doing just that but rather was helping to intercept dinghies within Greek waters and then looking the other way as coast gourds pushed those dinghies back into Turkish waters violating the prohibition on non-refoulement and the prohibition on collective exposure.

In the newest episode of Fractured Joel Hernandez describes which of Frontex actions were just morally wrong and which openly against the law and how they lead to Mr Leggeri’s resignation.

For more information go to

https://mixedmigration.substack.com/

https://refocusmedialabs.org/

Despite the fact that official statistics show the decrease in numbers of people reaching the European Union through the Mediterranean, asylum seekers go on this dangerous journey every day. Many don’t make it.

According to the UNHCR data 478 people have already been declared dead or missing in the Mediterranean since the beginning of 2022 until April 20th. We closed 2021 with almost 2000 deaths, which was not a big number compared to 2016. Over 5000 people died in the Mediterranean then.

One of the most difficult issues is the body identification of a deceased refugee. As many cross the sea alone and without any documents, their identification is almost impossible. In this episode of Fractured we cover the topic of deaths at sea and the introduction of a proper protocol for identification and burials in Greece based on “Even After Death” documentary produced in cooperation with @minorityrightsgroup.

For more information follow:

https://www.instagram.com/refocusmedialabs/

https://www.instagram.com/aegeanboatreport/

http://www.lastrights.net/

https://mixedmigration.substack.com/

https://www.facebook.com/joelhernandezgrande

https://www.instagram.com/sonianandzik/

https://www.instagram.com/dfherman/

The admirable EU response to the Ukrainian refugee crisis and how it's contrasted with its response to any other refugee issues. In this episode of Fractured Joel Hernandez explains what is so special about the situation of Ukrainians in Europe and why any other nation hasn't received a similar treatment so far. 

Show notes:

The EU should treat all refugees like it is treating Ukrainians, by Joel Hernàndez in the New Humanitarian, March 23, 2022;

How a fingerprint can change an asylum seeker’s life, by Eric Reidy in the New Humanitarian, November 21, 2017;

Why is Europe suddenly so interested in helping refugeesv? By Karlína Augustová in al Jazeera, March 25, 2022;

The human toll of war, by Heba Gowayed in the New Humanitarian, February 28, 2022;

We should treat all refugees as though they are Ukrainian, by Sonali Kolhatkar in the Mail & Guardian, March 7, 2022;

Europe has rediscovered compassion for refugees – but only if they’re white, by Daniel Howden in the Guardian, March 10, 2022;

How Europe Can Include Ukrainian Refugees in Society, by Hrishabh Sandilya and Zhivka Delenva in Project Syndicate, March 9, 2022.

For mor information on migration and refugee situation in the world check: 

https://mixedmigration.substack.com/

https://refocusmedialabs.org/ and @refocusmedialabs on social media

Since the beginning of the Russian aggression on Ukraine millions have fled from the East of the country abroad. More than 6 million are internally displaced. Many of them looked for safety in Lviv, one of the largest cities in Ukraine, placed in its West part.

Lviv’s location allows it to be a safe port for many, for others is a departure point. As the city has been far from the front line, life goes on there like it did before the war. Almost. During our needs assessment trip to Ukraine, two residents of Lviv: Kristina and Taras show us around, discuss the war situation as well as everyday life in the city that now hosts 300 000 more people than just a month ago.

If you’re interested in supporting our work for Ukraine please visit: https://refocusmedialabs.org/ukraine-support

If you would like to know more about the refugee crisis and migration in the world, sign up for Mixed Migration Hebdo newsletter (https://mixedmigration.substack.com) and follow ReFOCUS Media Labs on social media.

One of the most important topics you may have missed as war rages in Ukraine are continued pushbacks in the Aegean. An illegal procedure that has been happening for years. It is extremely important to keep our focus on human rights violations at EU external borders as the EU offers services to Ukrainians that it denies to the refugees from other parts of the world.

For more go to:

https://mixedmigration.substack.com/

https://refocusmedialabs.org/