Radio România Internațional

Tag: asylum

  • February 29, 2024

    February 29, 2024

    Transnistria – The Speaker of the Romanian Senate, Nicolae Ciucă, this morning had a meeting in Bucharest with the Deputy Prime Minister for Reintegration of the neighboring Republic of Moldova (ex-Soviet state with a majority Romanian speaking population), Oleg Serebrian. On the eve, he had declared that the pro-Russian separatist region of Transnistria, in the east of the republic, benefits from the policies promoted by the pro-Western government in Chișinău for peace, security and economic integration with the European Union, advantageous for all citizens. Previously, the so-called congress of deputies from Tiraspol adopted a resolution in which it addresses the Russian Parliament, asking it to take the necessary measures to protect Transnistria, in the context of the amplification of what the signatories called the pressure from the Republic of Moldova. The Russian Foreign Ministry claims that for Moscow it is a “priority to protect” the inhabitants of Transnistria. Russia will “carefully examine” Tiraspol’s request – the Russian Foreign Ministry stated, without providing more details. The United States firmly supports the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Moldova within its internationally recognized borders – said, in response, the spokesperson for the State Department, Matthew Miller. Transnistria de facto went out of the control of the central authorities after an armed conflict that resulted in hundreds of deaths and which ended following the intervention of Moscow’s troops on the side of the secessionist rebels in 1992, less than a year after Chișinău proclaimed its independence. The former Russian president, Boris Yeltsin, pledged to withdraw troops from Transnistria since the OSCE summit in Istanbul in 1999. About 1,500 soldiers and important Russian arsenals are said to still be there. According to analysts, the break-away region of Transnistria inaugurated the scenario for the subsequent separation, also with Russian support, of South Ossetia and Abkhazia from Georgia and Donbass from Ukraine.

     

    Jobs – 1,200 young and adult Ukrainian refugees, asylum seekers in neighboring Romania, as well as Romanians from vulnerable categories will be helped to find a job, to be independent from an economic and social point of view. The “World Vision Romania” foundation is launching a project through which people will be advised, will learn the Romanian language, receive support for equating their studies, benefit from grants to support entrepreneurial initiatives and support vouchers to stimulate integration on the labor market. Almost 160,000 Ukrainians requested a form of legal protection from the Romanian state, and at the beginning of the month there were almost 80,000 in the country. Half of them say that they want to get a job or open a business in Romania.

     

    Awards – 51 Romanian journalists, who have participated in missions in conflict zones in the last two years, are receiving awards today at the gala for excellence in journalism. The event, organized by the National Audiovisual Council at the National Theater in Bucharest, is part of the Council of Europe’s campaign aimed at promoting the protection and safety of media professionals. The journalists attending the gala will talk, on this occasion, about their experiences as war correspondents in Ukraine, neighboring Romania, and in Israel.

     

    Elections – The first round of the presidential election in Romania will take place on September 15, and the second, if necessary, on September 29. The leaders of the governing coalition (PSD and PNL) also decided that the European Parliament elections will take place together with the local ones, on June 9, and the general ones, for the Romanian Parliament, on December 8. Initially, the social democrats and liberals wanted to organize the European Parliament elections during two days for the Romanians abroad, but they gave up this option. Such a measure would have violated the constitutional right of Romanians inside the country, who would have had only one day to vote.

     

    February 29 – About 12,000 Romanians are celebrating their birthday today. Those born on February 29, i.e. in a leap year, can celebrate their birthday only once every four years. Leap years are important because they help synchronize the calendar year with the astronomical year. The Earth takes about 365.24 days to revolve around the Sun. Because of this extra time of 0.24 days, it is necessary to add February 29 every four years. For the first time, the extra day began being added to the Julian calendar in 46 BC, by the Roman emperor Julius Caesar, on the advice of an astronomer. Mathematically speaking, the chances of a person being born on February 29 are 1 in 1,461. Worldwide, more than four million people celebrate their birthday on February 29.

     

    Electronic cigarettes – The Romanian Chamber of Deputies adopted the draft law that prohibits the sale of electronic cigarettes to minors, after it had previously been passed by the Senate. Also, products containing tobacco, electronic cigarettes and refill bottles for electronic cigarettes can no longer be sold through vending machines. Selling via easy-box-type devices is also prohibited. The project introduces sanctions of up to 100,000 lei (20,000 Euros). Romania is one of the first countries in the EU to prohibit the sale to minors of all products with nicotine, as well as of electronic cigarettes without nicotine. Parliament has also recently passed a ban on selling energy drinks to under-18s. (LS)

  • EU’s New Pact on Migration and Asylum

    EU’s New Pact on Migration and Asylum

    The European Union tightens its migration policy, one of the most toxic political topics facing the bloc over the past years, by restricting the number of those who seek to enter its territory and rejecting asylum applicants that do not meet the requirements. The EU Council and the European Parliament agreed on a new Pact on Migration and Asylum, which should take effect next year.



    The deal reached at the end of the negotiations concerns 5 aspects of migrant management, including the screening of migrants, asylum procedures and crises when migration increases.



    The screening regulations introduce uniform rules concerning the identification of non-EU nationals upon their arrival and a shared data base system. Combined, the two elements will increase security in the EU, because the system will identify the unauthorised people or travels across the Union.



    Asylum procedures are also changed, to the effect that the return of those who cannot be accepted in the EU may be quicker. The regulation also comprises a solidarity mechanism for member states, which is particularly helpful in crisis situations. When a particular Member State is under migration pressure, it may request other countries to help by taking over some of the applicants. Should that state refuse to assist, it will have to pay EUR 20,000 for each rejected migrant.



    Apart from the regulations endorsed in the final negotiation between the European Parliament and the Council, the Pact also includes instruments for reducing migration, in cooperation with the countries of origin, and the European Commission earmarked funding in this respect.



    The document was subject to heated debate and negotiation since September 2020. The next step now is the formal endorsement of the document, which will take effect after its publication in the Official Journal.



    Several countries, including those where large numbers of migrants come every year, such as Greece and Italy, praised the agreement, but also voiced doubts that the new system would be effective, given the opposition of some of the EU member countries to taking over migrants. Examples include Hungary and Slovakia, which announced they refused both the compulsory relocation quotas and the “fines” for failure to observe them.



    The new pact on migration was also criticised by the search and rescue NGOs, which warned that the number of victims would increase, and by Amnesty International, according to which with the new deal the European migration legislation has been set back decades.



    The number of migrants in the EU saw a peak in 2015, when one million people, most of them war refugees, entered the European territory. The number dropped below 300,000 in 2020, but since then it has risen steadily, particularly on the Mediterranean route towards Italy. (AMP)


  • On Schengen, once again

    On Schengen, once again

    Austria is one of the top investors in Romania, with
    total investments put at over EUR 12 billion in 2021. But it is also the only
    EU member state openly opposing Romania’s Schengen accession, which is puzzling
    for both Bucharest, and Brussels. At the latest meeting of the Justice and Home
    Affairs Council last December, Vienna vetoed Romania’s accession to the
    border-free area, disregarding all the reports dating as far back as 2011 that
    said the country met all technical criteria to be a Schengen member.


    A regrettable and unjustified attitude, president Klaus
    Iohannis said at the time. The EU Commissioner for Internal Affairs, Ylva Johansson,
    pointed out that she would make it a priority to secure Romania’s and Bulgaria’s
    Schengen accession this year, while the European Commission chief, Ursula von
    der Leyen, and the Council president, Charles Michel, said they were expecting
    progress to be made.


    But while on a visit to Bucharest on Wednesday,
    Austria’s minister of the interior Gerhard Karner shattered all hopes in this
    respect: Romania made important headway in fighting illegal migration, but
    there is still a lot to be done to ensure efficient protection of the Union’s
    borders, he said.


    Romania’s Schengen accession is not only a goal, but a
    right, his counterpart Lucian Bode said in response, and added that it was not
    natural for Romania to only have obligations and no rights.


    Lucian Bode: We told the Interior Minister that
    Romania’s Schengen accession process must be completed in 2023. By virtue of this
    European concept of an area without internal border checks, joining Schengen is
    not only an aspiration of Romania, but rather a right granted under the
    treaties signed by all member states. As regards the decisions made today, we
    have agreed on an action plan to prevent illegal migration, and we have signed
    three cooperation documents.


    The agreements signed in Bucharest concern the fight
    against migrant smugglers and asylum abuse, and include a joint action plan to
    curb illegal migration on the east-Mediterranean route, which stipulates, among
    other things, that Romanian police workers will be sent to the Austrian
    interior ministry and Austrian workers will be deployed at the Nădlac
    checkpoint on the Romanian-Hungarian border. (AMP)

  • European plan to manage illegal migration

    European plan to manage illegal migration

    The European Commission made public an action plan for
    the management of the illegal migrants arriving via the Western Balkans, whose
    numbers have reached record-high levels this year. The Commission is thus
    trying to alleviate the fears of some EU member countries and to step up
    negotiations on the new European Pact on Migration and Asylum.


    The Western Balkans route has become a major point of
    migratory pressure, with the number of irregular migrants on this route up 168%,
    according to Frontex data. The situation raises particular concerns in Central
    European countries like Austria and the Czech Republic, which have strengthened
    border controls.


    In the first 10 months of this year a total of over 280,000
    illegal EU arrivals have been detected, more than 120,000 of which were on the
    Western Balks route. The EC plan comprises operational measures structured into
    5 pillars: strengthening border management, swift asylum procedures and support
    reception capacity, fighting migrant smuggling, enhancing readmission
    cooperation and returns as well as achieving visa policy alignment.


    Western Balkans countries are urged to align their
    visa regimes to the EU visa policy, because there are many cases of migrants
    arriving in Balkan countries that do not require visas, and from there they
    move illegally into Western Europe.


    On the other hand, EU policymakers are confident that
    only an agreement like the European Pact on Migration and Asylum, first
    presented in September 2020, is able to meet the challenges created by the
    migration wave. However, member states have reserves concerning the refugee
    distribution mechanisms, which is why the initiative has not been adopted to
    date.


    Unlike in 2016, the current plan does not explicitly
    stipulate refugee quotas, but it introduces a mandatory solidarity mechanism
    under which the Commission would still be able to set quotas for EU member
    states, depending on their population and economic development. The alternative
    for these countries would be other types of contributions, such as financing
    and repatriation of rejected asylum seekers, or the construction of refugee
    camps.


    Romania welcomed the European Commission’s Action Plan
    on the Western Balkans, and voiced confidence that the proposed measures and
    instruments are able to respond to concerns related to arrivals on the Western
    Balkans route this year, including those expressed by Austria.


    Vienna is reluctant to accepting Romania and Bulgaria
    into the Schengen area, for reasons related to the management of migration
    flows. Romania reiterates its willingness to make active and substantial
    contributions to the implementation of the measures proposed by the European
    Commission, in close cooperation with its other EU partners and in the spirit
    of solidarity and responsibility. (AMP)

  • 7th meeting of the European Migration Forum

    7th meeting of the European Migration Forum

    The 7th meeting of the European Migration Forum took place in Brussels, a platform for dialogue on migration, asylum and the integration of migrants, organized by the European Commission, through DG Home, and the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC).



    About 200 representatives of the European institutions and some organizations and NGOs active in the field of migration and refugees participated in the event. Special guests at the Forum were Ylva Johansson, European Commissioner for Home Affairs, and Christa Schweng, President of the EESC.



    I spoke with Christa Schweng, President of the EESC:






    My next interlocutor was Anitta Hipper, the EU Commission’s spokesperson on home affairs, migration, and internal security:






    I also spoke with Ákos Topolánszky of Hungary, member of the Civil Society Organisations Group (Group III) of the EESC:






    My next interlocutor was José Antonio Moreno Díaz of Spain, member of the Workers Group (Group II) of the EESC:






    Catriona Graham is the Director of Advocacy and Partnerships – the World Organization of the Scout Movement. We have briefly discussed during the Forum:






    My last interlocutor was Michael McLoughlin of Ireland, member of the Civil Society Organisations Group (Group III) of the EESC:




  • Solidarity with the Ukrainian refugees

    Solidarity with the Ukrainian refugees

    Innocent victims of Russia’s war against Ukraine, many Ukrainians have chosen to flee their country. Most of them are women, children, elderly or people with disabilities. Men between 18 and 60 have remained at home to defend their country against the invasion ordered by the Kremlin strongman Vladimir Putin. The images are heartbreaking. In the Ukrainian cities, train stations have become too small for those fleeing the Russian army’s offensive. But the simple fact of getting on a train to escape has proved to be a difficult mission. On the road, since Friday, immediately after the beginning of the invasion, terrible traffic jams have slowed the fleeing of civilians. The slow advance and also the lack of gasoline or diesel, that were rationalized, made many Ukrainians leave their cars near the borders and walk tens of kilometers to the customs offices to cross and take refuge in safer countries.



    Romania is the EU state with the longest border with Ukraine, its neighbor to the north and southeast. There are no less than 19 permanent border crossing points between the two countries, road, railway, pedestrian and river points. Since the end of last week, the points at Sighetul Marmatiei and Siret, in the north, and at Isaccea, in the southeast were literally stormed by Ukrainians. People come from all regions of Ukraine. Some go to relatives or acquaintances from Romania. It is well known that Ukraine has an important Romanian ethnic community.



    Other refugees seek asylum in Romania or are transiting to other European countries. The number of people fleeing the war has risen sharply since Sunday afternoon, after the customs procedures, which were initially cumbersome on the Ukrainian side, were simplified. On the Romanian side of the border temporary mobile camps were set up for the Ukrainian refugees, and in the specially arranged tents people can find food, clothing, personal hygiene products, and can benefit from primary or emergency medical care.



    Also the Romanian citizens have shown impressive solidarity with their neighbors. Volunteers from all over the country – ordinary people or businesspeople, companies, NGOs or religious communities – are giving whatever support they can, providing food and water, or free transportation and indefinite accommodation. The Romanian Red Cross donates food and medicines and helps the refugees to contact their relatives from Ukraine. To help the refugees, the IT specialists have built a computer platform dopomoha.ro (ʹhelpʹ in Ukrainian), available in Ukrainian, Romanian, English and Russian, which provides information on the procedure for entering Romania, on asylum procedures, rights and obligations of applicants, as well as the resources they can access.



    Although the concrete, material support of the Ukrainians is of paramount importance, Ukrainians also need moral support. In Bucharest, just as in many other cities around the world, Romanians showed solidarity with the Ukrainian people in front of the Ukrainian Embassy, and also protested in front of the Russian Embassy against the Russian aggression against a European state. (LS)

  • December 4, 2020 UPDATE

    December 4, 2020 UPDATE

    Elections – The campaign for Sundays parliamentary elections ended on Friday. All campaign events were subject to strict rules as part of the measures to contain the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. A number of localities are in lockdown, but Prime Minister Ludovic Orban said voters can travel freely to the polling stations within these localities. 136 senator and 329 deputy seats are up for election, including 4 deputies and 2 senators representing the Romanian community abroad. The foreign ministry has set up 748 polling stations abroad with an interactive map of all of them and a hotline for Romanian voters living abroad being also available. Voting is held over the course of two days abroad, on Saturday and Sunday. On Friday evening, president Klaus Iohannis urged the citizens to go to the polls in great numbers and make their voice heard, underlining that the stakes of the December 6 parliamentary elections were overwhelming. “Vote with responsibility, with your thoughts focused on the present and on what Romania is going to look like tomorrow’ said President Iohannis.



    Covid-19 Romania – 8,062 new coronavirus cases have been reported in Romania in the past 24 hours following the testing of over 35 thousand people, according to the Strategic Communication Group. Since the onset of the pandemic, 500,273 cases of contamination have been reported across Romania, and more than 390 thousand people have recovered. 176 people have died in the past 24 hours from COVID-19, taking the death toll to 12,052. Romania’s anti-Covid-19 national vaccination strategy was made public on Friday in Bucharest after being approved on Thursday by the countrys Supreme Defense Council. The president of the National Committee for coordinating anti-SARS-CoV-2 vaccination activities Valeriu Gheorghita said that vaccination was voluntary not compulsory and people’s trust is essential for the success of the campaign. He added that more than 850 vaccination centers would be set up across Romania which will ensure the vaccination of an estimated number of almost 5 thousand people per center, per month.



    Rugby — The former Romanian international player Octavian Morariu has been reelected president of Rugby Europe. He said the priorities of the organization remained safeguarding and promoting the values of rugby, promoting the rugby game for all countries, for all players irrespective of genre and age and in all formats (XV, X, VII, beach rugby, snow rugby and non-contact). Morariu has been at the helm of Rugby Europe since 2013, being at his 3rd term in office.



    Protest — The President elect of the Republic of Moldova, pro-western Maia Sandu has urged the citizens to take to the streets for a new protest that will be organized in two days’ time. On Thursday she joined the several thousand people who protested in front of the Parliament building in Chisinau against the draft laws voted by the MPs, especially the one related to the subordination of the Intelligence and Security Service to the Parliament. The opposition considers the move an attempt to limit the powers of Mrs. Maia Sandu, who will be sworn in President later in December, thus replacing the pro-Russian former president Igor Dodon. Romania condemns the non-transparent move of the Moldovan Parliament which runs counter to democratic practices, the PSMR and the Platform for Moldova which also includes the Sor Party, blatantly ignoring the massive vote of the Moldovan citizens at the November 15 election, shows a Romanian Foreign Ministry communiqué. The document reiterates Romania’s support for the efforts of the Moldovan President elect to reinstate the legality of the governing process.



    Ordinance — The Romanian government passed an emergency decree on Friday, providing for the compensation of losses incurred by the hospitality industry. The sum totals 20% of the difference between the companies’ turnover in 2020 and in 2019. The measure regarding furlough has been extended and the working program called Kurzarbeit has been rendered flexible until June 30, 2021. Also on Friday, the government approved a decision regarding the re-opening of enclosed agri-food markets whose closure, almost one month ago, generated controversy. Measures were also taken in the run up to the parliamentary elections.



    Brussels — The Council of the EU and the European Parliament on Friday reached an agreement over the EU budget for 2021. Nevertheless, for the budget to become applicable, Poland and Hungary need to withdraw their veto on the EU multiannual budget for the period 2021-2027, which they blocked alongside the post-pandemic recovery fund as they rejected conditioning the granting of European funds on the observance of the rule of law. The German ambassador to the EU Michael Clauss explained that if the veto was not withdrawn, a provisional financing system would have to be implemented in 2021 which was last used in 1989. As to the ‘Next Generation’ plan, which involves a recovery fund of more than 750 billion Euros, more European officials have suggested launching the plan without involving Poland and Hungary. (translation by L. Simion)

  • July 31, 2018 UPDATE

    July 31, 2018 UPDATE

    ADMINISTRATIVE CODE – Romanias President, Klaus Iohannis, on Tuesday notified the Constitutional Court with respect to the Administrative Code. The president claims, among other things, that the law has not been adopted transparently and that deficiencies in the parliamentary procedure have been reported. The president also says that the law, in its entirety, runs counter to the Constitution and he mentions, in that respect, tens of articles included in the new Administrative Code. The document was endorsed by Parliament on July 9.In its
    turn, the Constitutional Court announced on Tuesday the president’s notification
    regarding the Administrative Code will be debated upon on September 20.



    SWINE FEVER – The situation of African
    swine fever hotbeds in Romania was the focal point on the agenda of a
    government session on Tuesday. Attending the informal meeting were several members
    of the cabinet, the head of the Department for Emergency Situations, Raed
    Arafat, as well as representatives of the National Sanitary-Veterinary
    Authority. Romanian pig farmers having lost animals because of the African
    swine fever outbreak have so far received compensations of nearly 28,000 Euros.
    The compensations are granted both for the animals slaughtered in view of
    containing the swine fever hotbeds, and for collateral damages. In order to
    prevent the disease from spreading, restrictions have been introduced in
    certain areas regarding the transport of pork products, and citizens have been
    informed of relevant prevention measures. Since the beginning of the year, 440
    African swine fever hotbeds have been identified in Romania, both in large
    farms and individual households.



    CAR POLLUTING FEE – The Romanian environment minister, Graţiela Gavrilescu, announced on Tuesday that she will come up with a new version of the car polluting fee by the end of the year. The car polluting fee was introduced in Romania in January 2007, shortly after the country joined the EU. At that time, the first car registration fee was calculated in accordance with three elements: the age of the car, the type of catalyst and the engine capacity. After the fee had been repeatedly changed, in 2013, a tax was introduced in 2013, depending exclusively on the level of exhausted fumes. Four years later, in 2017, the authorities scrapped that fee.



    WORKERS – Over the past few years Romanian companies in hospitality, catering, light industry, agriculture and constructions have hired workers from outside the EU. Most of them come from countries with living standards below those in Romania, like the Philippines, Nepal, Vietnam, India, Indonesia and Thailand. Romanian employers have resorted to this strategy for various reasons, including the migration of domestic workers to more developed countries in western Europe, a drop in birth rates, labour mobility requirements and the inability of the national education system to adjust to the needs of the local labour market.



    SHEEP FARMING – Romania, the 4th largest sheep and goat breeding country in the EU, last year imported mutton and lamb worth 3.5 million Euros, from countries as far away as New Zealand. According to data made public by the National Statistics Institute, last year 11.5 million sheep and goats were bred in Romania, of which some 10 million sheep. Romania exported live stock worth over 180 million Euros and sheep and goat meat amounting to more than 35 million Euros. Sheep farming relies extensively on exports, because Romanians are not regular consumers of lamb and mutton.



    ASYLUM – 900 people applied for protection from the Romanian state in the first half of the year, 55% fewer than in the corresponding period of last year. According to the General Inspectorate for Immigration, the largest number of asylum seekers come from countries like Iraq, Syria and Iran, and the largest number of applications have been submitted to the centres in Bucharest and in Timişoara (in the west). Close to 950 other people have been included in an integration programme.



    GREECE – The Greek authorities made public the latest toll of the wildfires that ravaged several towns and villages near the capital city Athens last week: 92 dead, 25 missing and 28 unidentified burnt bodies. According to Radio Romanias correspondent, 4 foreign citizens are among the victims. On Monday the PM of Greece, Alexis Tsipras, visited the villages of Mati and Rafina. An investigation is under way, looking into the causes of the tragedy. (Translated by AM Popescu and D. Vijeu)

  • July 31, 2018

    July 31, 2018

    MOTORWAY – Traffic on the 3rd and 4th segments of A10 Motorway, connecting the towns of Sebeș and Turda, in central Romania, was opened on Monday night, 4 years after the works began. The 2 segments total 27 km. The entire motorway will be around 70 km long. The costs of the project amount to roughly 40 million euros, with 75% of the amount coming from the EU under the European Regional Development Fund, and 25% from the state budget.




    SWINE FEVER – Romanian pig farmers having lost animals because of the African swine fever outbreak have so far received compensations of nearly 28,000 euros, the relevant authorities have announced. The compensations are granted both for the animals slaughtered in view of containing the swine fever hotbeds, and for collateral damages. In order to prevent the disease from spreading, restrictions have been introduced in certain areas regarding the transport of pork products, and citizens have been informed of relevant prevention measures. Since the beginning of the year, 440 African swine fever hotbeds have been identified in Romania, both in large farms and individual households.




    WORKERS – Over the past few years Romanian companies in hospitality, catering, light industry, agriculture and constructions have hired workers from outside the EU. Most of them come from countries with living standards below those in Romania, like the Philippines, Nepal, Vietnam, India, Indonesia and Thailand. Romanian employers have resorted to this strategy for various reasons, including the migration of domestic workers to more developed countries in western Europe, a drop in birth rates, labour mobility requirements and the inability of the national education system to adjust to the needs of the local labour market.




    SHEEP FARMING – Romania, the 4th largest sheep and goat breeding country in the EU, last year imported mutton and lamb worth 3.5 million euros, from countries as far away as New Zealand. According to data made public by the National Statistics Institute, last year 11.5 million sheep and goats were bred in Romania, of which some 10 million sheep. Romania exported live stock worth over 180 million euros and sheep and goat meat amounting to more than 35 million euros. Sheep farming relies extensively on exports, because Romanians are not regular consumers of lamb and mutton.




    GREECE – The Greek authorities made public the latest toll of the wildfires that ravaged several towns and villages near the capital city Athens last week: 92 dead, 25 missing and 28 unidentified burnt bodies. According to Radio Romanias correspondent, 4 foreign citizens are among the victims. On Monday the PM of Greece, Alexis Tsipras, visited the villages of Mati and Rafina. An investigation is under way, looking into the causes of the tragedy.




    ASYLUM – 900 people applied for protection from the Romanian state in the first half of the year, 55% fewer than in the corresponding period of last year. According to the General Inspectorate for Immigration, the largest number of asylum seekers come from countries like Iraq, Syria and Iran, and the largest number of applications have been submitted to the centres in Bucharest and in Timişoara (in the west). Close to 950 other people have been included in an integration programme.




    MIGRATION – The US president Donald Trump praised the Italian PM Giuseppe Contes firm stance on migration, during a meeting with the Italian official at the White House on Monday. Trump added that many other countries in Europe and the world should do the same. Giuseppe Conte is heading a right-wing government whose Interior Minister has taken a tough position regarding immigrants. According to the Italian government, the people rescued from the Mediterranean should no longer be brought into Italian ports.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • June 20, 2017 UPDATE

    June 20, 2017 UPDATE

    POLITICAL CRISIS – The Parliament of Romania is to vote on Wednesday on the no-confidence motion that the ruling coalition made up of the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats in Romania tabled against their own Government. Although the Cabinet has lost the political support of the coalition, and most ministers have resigned, PM Sorin Grindeanu will not step down. The Social Democratic leader Liviu Dragnea, and the president of ALDE Călin Popescu Tăriceanu said the replacement of the governing team was necessary, considering the delays in the implementation of the governing programme. The accusation is denied by the PM, who claims the report drawn up by the Social Democrats to assess his work is biased. The Grindeanu Cabinet was sworn in after the legislative election of December 2016. Should the motion pass, it will be for the first time in post-communist Romania that a ruling party brings down its own government.




    VISIT – The President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, was awarded on Tuesday the Dresden Medal of St. George of the Semper Opera Ball, at the Romanian Embassy in Berlin. He dedicated the medal to the Romanian-German friendship. In his address on the occasion, the President reiterated Romanias commitment to the future of the European project. Also on Tuesday, he took part in Berlin in a commemoration of refuge and expulsion victims at the German History Museum. The World Refugee Day, marked on June 20, is a time to reflect on the challenges that humanitarian organisations must handle, in order to identify sustainable solutions to the refugee problems, Iohannis said. He added that Europeans must not forget what brought them together, namely cultural diversity, tolerance and inclusive societies. On the first day of his official visit to Germany, President Iohannis had talks with Chancellor Angela Merkel and the President of Germany Frank Walter Steinmeier.




    REFUGEE DAY – The Romanian Foreign Ministry hails the celebration, on June 20, of the World Refugee Day, and mentions in a news release that Romania granted over 1.5 million euros in 2015-2016, for refugee programmes. Since 1991, around 27,000 people have applied for a form of protection in Romania. Of them, nearly 5,000 have received protection as refugees. Since the beginning of this year, 1,700 people applied for asylum, most of the applicants coming from Syria, Iraq and Pakistan. The number of refugees at world level last year reached a new record, of 65.6 million. The top country of origin remains Syria, with 5.5 million people fleeing that country since the start of the conflict.




    DANUBE SWIM – A Romanian librarian, Avram Iancu, has set out to swim the 2,860 km long River Danube, from its spring to the Black Sea. He started on Tuesday in Germany, and is going to swim 50 km per day, to arrive in Sulina port in south-eastern Romania on August 20, crossing 10 countries and 4 European capital cities. Only two people have so far managed to swim the entire length of the River Danube: the Slovenian Martin Strel, in 2000, and the Canadian Mimi Hughes 6 years later. The Romanian librarian is known for having managed to swim across the English Channel, last August, reaching France from England in nearly 18 hours.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)