Radio România Internațional

Tag: illegal migrants

  • September 21, 2016 UPDATE

    September 21, 2016 UPDATE

    Romania – NATO – The Romanian President Klaus Iohannis received, Wednesday, in Bucharest the chief of the Allied Command Transformation, the French General Denis Mercier. During the meeting the two officials hailed the decisions passed at the NATO summit held in Warsaw in July, mainly those related to consolidating NATO’s deterrence and defense posture as well as the strong message of unity, solidarity and commitment the allies conveyed on the occasion. In another development, the Romanian president underlined the need for NATO to carry on with the efforts meant to ensure the security and stability of the Black Sea area. In turn, the French general highlighted the special importance of the practical side of high-level cooperation in the sense of common training and multinational drills meant to increase interoperability among forces and NATO’s reaction capability in a security environment facing increasing challenges.



    La Francophonie – Romanias foreign minister Lazar Comanescu on Tuesday attended the Ministerial meeting of francophone countries held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. In his address, Comanescu said La Francophonie must consolidate its position within the global governance by strengthening its partnerships with other international organisations such as the United Nations. He also stressed the role of the International Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF) in the application of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Minister Comanescu also announced that Romania wishes to host, in Bucharest, the 2018 Francophone Regional Economic Forum. Talks focused, among others, on migration flows and ways to manage climate change.



    Refugees – The Committee for European Affairs in the Romanian Chamber of Deputies on Tuesday gave a negative opinion on the proposal of the European Commission to impose a penalty of 250,000 euros for each refugee a country refuses to take in based on the quotas established in Brussels. The head of the committee, Ana Birchall, said the proposal is unacceptable, it does not address the root cause of the problem and that it may generate a profound crisis in the community space. She recalled that Romania is the second biggest contributor to Frontex actions, the European agency at the forefront of combating migration, and has actively taken part in the actions carried out by Interpol, Europol and the European Asylum Support Office.



    Public subscription – A little over 900,000 euros have been raised so far as part of a public subscription campaign to purchase a work by the Romanian sculptor Constantin Brancusi called The Wisdom of the Earth. Culture minister Corina Suteu said 200,000 people have donated to the campaign and that solutions are being considered to extend the end of the month deadline by which donations can be made. Six months ago, the private owners of the sculpture agreed to sell the work to the Romanian state for 11 million euros. The government said it would provide 5 million euros and cover the rest through public subscription. Made in 1907, The Wisdom of the Earth dates back to one of Brancusis most celebrated periods, together with The Kiss and Prayer.



    Measles — In the first 8 months of this year Romania has reported 675 confirmed cases of measles in 23 counties, and 2 infants have died, the Health Ministry officials informed on Wednesday. A 3rd death allegedly caused by measles has been registered these days, but confirmation is still expected. Last year only 7 cases of measles were reported and no deaths. The Health Ministry officials have called on parents to respect the immunization schedule. In the affected areas the National Public Health Institute recommends the immunization of infants at 7 months and repetition of the vaccine at 1 year of age.



    Illegal border crossing – 8 migrants – 6 adults and 2 children – who entered Romania illegally were found on Tuesday in Dolj county, the Romanian Border Police said. Six of the migrants are of Iraqi origin and two of Syrian origin. Their plan was to reach Austria, and they had crossed the Danube by boat from Bulgaria into Romania after paying 2,000 dollars to a guide. In recent weeks, Romania has tightened security on its southern and western borders as several small groups of migrants have been found trying to enter the country illegally.

  • September 12, 2016 UPDATE

    September 12, 2016 UPDATE

    A NEW SCHOOL YEAR – Education and not corruption should pave the way to success in Romania, Romanias President, Klaus Iohannis said during the ceremonies occasioned by the start of a new school year. The president argued for a society upholding real values. This prompted him to launch the project “Educated Romania, focusing on a different type of education, adapted to the needs of society. In turn, PM Dacian Ciolos says the Romanian education system should bring a change of perspective and let pupils room to express themselves and learn to be responsible. He urged pupils to take confidence in their own forces and not simply chase high grades and “empty titles, depleted of any content, which do not bring them any progress at personal level. Over 3 million pupils started a new school year on Monday.



    MIGRANTS – The Romanian border police on Monday arrested 30 migrants, 29 Afghani citizens and 1 Pakistani, while trying to illegally cross the southwestern border with Serbia. The migrants said they wanted to reach Western Europe. No papers were found on them. The Romanian authorities have strengthened security on the countrys Serbian border, after several small groups of migrants in August tried to illegally cross into Romania.



    ROMANIAN-FRENCH TIES – French President, François Hollande, is paying a state visit to Romania. On Tuesday, he will be received in Bucharest by his Romanian counterpart, Klaus Iohannis. The two high officials will approach issues on the bilateral as well as the European agenda, following Great Britains decision to leave the community block. François Hollande and Klaus Iohannis will also visit the Research Centre in Magurele, near Bucharest. Agreements in the field of education and research will be signed with the two presidents in attendance. They will also participate in the “Future French-Romanian Partnerships Economic Forum. Romania counts on a boost in the bilateral economic relations, France being Romanias fourth largest trading partner and the fifth largest investor. According to the French Presidency, François Hollande will attend the inauguration of an Airbus helicopter factory in Brasov, central Romania. The Romanian authorities intend to boost the Strategic Partnership between the two countries, after in June, the French and Romanian prime ministers revised and signed the roadmap. We recall that Romania, a Francophone and Francophile country was the first southeast European state to strike a Strategic Partnership with France, in 2008. The Partnership was signed in Bucharest by the then presidents, Nicolas Sarkozy and Traian Basescu.



    DIASPORA –Minister Delegate for the Relation with Romanians Worldwide Maria Ligor has met with members of the Romanian community in Canada, where she underlined the importance of postal voting. The Romanian official has presented the measures that have already been taken and are considered for implementation in the ensuing period of time, which are aimed at enhancing professionalism, transparency and efficiency of the Department of Policies for the Relation with the Romanian Diaspora. Talks also laid emphasis on the high interest for cooperation in such domains as tertiary education, business, promotion of Romanian artists, substantiating and evaluating the consequences of public policies on Romanian communities living outside the countrys borders. Maria Ligor has also met with the Canadian Minister of Immigration, Citizenship and Refugees, John McCallum, together with whom she approached ways to boost bilateral cooperation, including a visa waiver for Romanian citizens and boosting cooperation between the EU and Canada.



    REDUNDACIES – Some 850 employees of the Hunedoara Energy Compound in western Romania will be laid off, under a restructuring program which took effect on Monday. Trade unions have made public their decision to give up on the planned protests after reaching an agreement with the company management on Friday and signing a Collective Employment Agreement, which stipulates, among others, the rights of those to be made redundant. The management has announced the restructuring program will not impact labour productivity and will allow for continuing activity in the following years. Collective layoffs do not solve the problems that have long been outstanding at the Hunedoara Energy Compound, the more so as the companys debts to the state budget and to its suppliers exceed some 330 million Euros. Furthermore, nothing has been done in the past three years to render the activity more efficient.



    ROMANIAN CARRIERS – Romanian carriers on Monday ran at low speed on ring roads across the country, again, in protest against the high mandatory liability insurance premiums. They protested every Monday in recent times, and in the absence of a measure taken by the government, they will stage a big rally at national level on September 15. Meanwhile, the government has made public its decision to change the laws on mandatory liability insurances. According to a draft emergency ordinance that has been launched for public debate by the Finance Ministry, contracts can also be signed for a period ranging from one month to one year and the payment can also be made in installments. Furthermore, the beneficiary can request the termination of the contract. A ceiling will be introduced for the level of premiums, with the Financial Surveillance Authority being allowed to change them.



    CEASEFIRE – A ceasefire agreement came into force on Monday in Syria, negotiated by the US and Russia, aimed at putting an end to hostilities. The Syrian army canceled all of its military operations for a week. Signed by US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, the agreement also includes a national truce, improving the access of humanitarian missions and joint military operations against the Islamic State and al-Nusrah. Syrian rebels have declared their reluctance with the agreement, saying it will only strengthen the regime in Damascus.



    TENNIS – Romanian tennis player, Simona Halep, continues to be ranked as world no.5 in the WTA rankings, whereas German Angelique Kerber becomes the new no.1 in tennis. Romanian Irina Begu ranks 23rd, Monica Niculescu 55th and Sorana Carstea 89th. At the US Open, Halep reached the quarterfinals, where she was knocked out by the former no. 1 player Serena Williams of the USA. At the WTA tournament in Tokyo, Halep is seeded 3rd in the competition, after Garbine Muguruza of Spain and Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland. Halep last took part in the competition in 2013, when she was knocked out by Venus Williams of the US.


    (Translated by D. Vijeu and V. Palcu)

  • September 1, 2016 UPDATE

    September 1, 2016 UPDATE

    ANTI-CORRUPTION – The Romanian Interior Minister, Petre Toba, resigned on Thursday night, after the National Anti-Corruption Directorate asked the Presidents approval to prosecute him for favouring an offender. Tobă allegedly denied a de-classification procedure for documents requested by investigators in a case in which the former interior minister, Gabriel Oprea, and other Ministry officials are accused of embezzlement. Also on Thursday, the National Anti-Corruption Directorate requested that the Senate be notified on the prosecution of Gabriel Oprea, in a separate case of manslaughter. A police officer died last year in a motorcycle crash, while a member of the motorcade accompanying Oprea during his term in office. Oprea was apparently traveling for personal purposes at the time, which did not entitle him to use a motorcade.



    PARLIAMENT – The Parliament of Romania Thursday convened on its second regular session of the year and the last of the 2012-2016 term. According to the leaders of the main floor groups, the list of priorities includes bills in a number of fields, including economy, healthcare and education. Priorities also include a 5% reduction of social security contributions, a law regulating the lawyer profession, a bill allowing indoor smoking and one on prevention in the healthcare sector. Well have details after the news.



    MOURNING – Friday is a day of national mourning in Romania, in memory of the victims of the earthquake in Italy and in solidarity with the Italian people. The national flag will fly at half-mast on all public institution buildings, and national radio and television channels and cultural institutions will adjust their programmes accordingly. On Thursday, the eighth of the 11 Romanians who died in the earthquake was repatriated. Previously, the last Romanian citizen who had been missing was found alive. Five other Romanians are still in hospitals in Italy.



    OSCE – The Romanian Foreign Minister, Lazăr Comănescu, takes part on Friday in Potsdam, Germany, in an informal meeting of the OSCE foreign ministers. Organised by Germany, which is currently holding the rotating presidency of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the meeting is designed to tackle current security issues, such as the conflict in east Ukraine, migration and terrorism. During the meeting, the head of the Romanian diplomacy will insist on the need to step up the OSCE actions aimed at settling protracted conflicts, and, in the same context, at identifying political solutions to the Transdniester conflict, while observing the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Moldova.



    EXPULSION – The Iraqi citizen Hamad Raad Salih Hamad has been denied access to Romania for 10 years, for national security reasons, under a ruling passed on Thursday by the Bucharest Court of Appeals. According to a news release issued by the Romanian Intelligence Service, the Iraqi citizen who arrived in Romania in 2013 on a student visa had radical religious views, was disseminating jihadist messages and was intolerant of Westerners and Shia Muslims. On Tuesday, the Court of appeals ruled the Pakistani Shahzad Ahmed as persona non grata. The decision was made after the Romanian Intelligence Service found that he had been involved in online propaganda for terror units operating in Pakistan, which supported the supremacy of extremist Islam. Further to that ruling, the Pakistani citizen, who was married to a Romanian woman, was taken into custody and is to be expelled from the country.



    MIGRATION – Thirteen Afghan citizens, including 8 underage children, and a Pakistani citizen, were caught by Romanian border police trying to cross illegally into Serbia. The migrants had no identity documents. They said they were trying to reach a Western European country. The Romanian authorities have strengthened security measures on the Serbian border, after in August many small groups of migrants attempted to cross it illegally. Meanwhile, illegal migration on Romanias borders has seen a substantial drop in the past seven months of the year compared to the corresponding period of 2015, by over 40%. Illegal entry or exit attempts have been reported, involving both citizens of Middle East or African states, like Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq and Sudan, and from the Republic of Moldova, Russia, Turkey or Albania.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • September 28, 2015

    September 28, 2015

    The President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, who is on an official visit to the US, has talks in Washington today with Vice-president Joe Biden. The two will discuss the strategic partnership between Romania and the US, the fight against terrorism and the refugee crisis facing Europe. On Sunday, at the UN Summit focusing on a new sustainable development programme for the next 15 years, Iohannis announced that Romania would revise its national strategy on sustainable development, which will focus on supporting the inclusion of people with disabilities, of the youth and of women. Also yesterday, Klaus Iohannis gave a speech on gender equality, in which he pleaded for non-discrimination and said Romania would remain fully committed to protecting and promoting womens rights. Last night President Iohannis visited New Yorks Ground Zero, dedicated to the victims of the 2001 attacks in which 2 Romanians were also killed.




    The Romanian Foreign Minister, Bogdan Aurescu, discussed in New York with the Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, Victoria Nuland, particularly about the Romanian-American strategic partnership. According to a news release issued by the Foreign Ministry, the two officials also analysed the bilateral cooperation in the field of energy security, with an emphasis on the need to diversify energy sources and transport routes. As for the political-military and security fields, the parties agreed that Romania and the US should work closely together for the preparation of the NATO Summit due in Warsaw in 2016.



    Large groups of immigrants Sunday continued to cross the border between Croatia and Hungary, where they were taken over by Hungarian police and taken to the registration centres in the west of the country. From there they crossed into Austria. On Saturday, the Hungarian police registered nearly 9,500 illegal immigrants, most of them at the Hungarian-Croatian border. The UN warns that the current migrant inflow to Europe will not recede, particularly considering that living standards are worsening in Iraq as well. The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees estimates that some 8,000 people get into Europe every day. In turn, the European Commissioner for Enlargement, Johannes Hahn, said Europe is expecting growing numbers of refugees to come from Lebanon.



    The Romanian High Court of Cassation and Justice postponed to November 23 the appeal in a case in which Liviu Dragnea, the interim president of the Social Democratic Party, the main party in the ruling coalition, is being tried for frauds in the 2012 referendum on the impeachment of president Traian Băsescu. In the court of first instance, Dragnea received a one-year imprisonment suspended sentence, for having misused his influence and position in the party in order to secure the minimum number of voters for the validation of the vote. Liviu Dragnea is also the main candidate for the presidency of the party after PM Victor Ponta, who faces corruption charges, has stepped down. The election is scheduled for October 11. Ponta was sent to court for corruption offences committed while he worked as a lawyer. His Cabinet is subject to a no-confidence motion tabled by the Liberals in Opposition on grounds that the Prime Ministers legal problems may severely affect the credibility of the country.



    A separatist alliance that promised the independence of Catalonia in north-eastern Spain won Sundays regional elections in Spain. With 99% of the ballots counted, the pro-independence coalition Junts pel Si (“Together for Yes) secured 62 seats in the regional parliament, whereas a far-left separatist party won another 10 seats. With a combined 72 seats, separatist parties have the majority in Parliament, France Presse notes. Around 77% of the 5.5 million Catalan voters took part in the polls. Spains PM Mariano Rajoy announced that the Government will never allow Catalonia to break away. EU politicians have warned that an independent Catalonia will not be a part of either the European Union or the Eurozone.



    Romanias womens table tennis team has qualified today in the finals of the European Championships in Ekaterinburg (Russia), after defeating Ukraine in the semi-final, 3-1. In the final, which is scheduled for Tuesday, Romanias team will take on the winner in the match between Germany and Russia, which is played later today. Romania has so far won three continental titles, in 1992, 2002 and 2005.




    Romanias national rugby team was defeated by Ireland, 44-10, on Sunday night on Wembley in London, in a match in the World Cups Pool D. This was Romanias second loss in the current World Cup, after 11-38 against France. Sundays game between Ireland and Romania brought a new world record attendance to a World Cup match, with 89,267 people attending. Romania is to play next against Italy and Canada.

  • February 28, 2015

    February 28, 2015

    PRESIDENCY – President Klaus Iohannis said on Saturday that Romania’s role in the context of the tensions at the EU’s eastern border is to act as a model of stability and wise political thinking. The head of state posted a Facebook comment saying the solutions for peace and prosperity can only be built together by the East and the West. This week Iohannis made a visit to the Republic of Moldova, where he had meetings with members of the pro-Western government, and in March he will travel to Ukraine, the other ex-Soviet republic neighbouring Romania, where authorities support European integration.



    JUDICIARY – An efficient mechanism to recover the damages further to final court rulings is a priority for the Romanian Justice Ministry, says minister Robert Cazanciuc. He added that in a month’s time a specialised structure will be set up, with French support, to assist magistrates in seizing assets and selling the proceeds from criminal activities. Last week, at the release of the annual report of the National Anti-Corruption Directorate, president Klaus Iohannis said it was unacceptable that the state only recovers 10% of the damages awarded by courts. On the same occasion, the head of the Anti-Corruption Directorate, Laura Codruta Kovesi, said that final rulings in trials brought by the Directorate in 2014 included the recovery of over 310 million euros in proceeds from crime. This amount, if actually cashed by the state, would cover the salaries of all doctors in the public healthcare system for one year, Ms Kovesi added.



    ANTI-CORRUPTION – All the companies having contracts with the Romanian Ministry for Regional Development between 2009 and 2012 paid an illegal commission of 10%, through an entire corruption system coordinated and controlled by former minister Elena Udrea, according to the grounds of the decision to place Udrea under arrest pending trial, made public by the Supreme Court in Bucharest. According to the same document, people close to Elena Udrea, also indicted in this case, said that part of the money went either to her, or to other individuals, and was used to fund the Liberal Democratic Party, in power at that time. Anti-corruption prosecutors have seized some assets belonging to Elena Udrea. An aide to former president Traian Basescu and quite influential during his ten-year term in office, Udrea is one of the highest-level Romanian politicians subject to corruption investigations.



    ILLEGAL MIGRANTS – A fishing boat carrying 70 illegal migrants, mostly from Syria and Iraq, was captured Friday night in the Romanian Black Sea waters, by a Coast Guard vessel. The fishing boat was in danger, because of a violent storm. On board were 20 women and 7 children, including a five-month baby. According to the police, the fishing boat came from Turkey and was sailing under Romanian colours to deceive the authorities. They were hoping to get close enough to the shore to allow the fugitives to land. Over the past two years, authorities have reported 10 attempts by compact groups of illegal Middle East migrants to enter Romania on board vessels having departed from Turkish ports.



    RUSSIA – The international community condemns the murder of Russian former deputy PM and outspoken opposition politician Boris Nemtsov, on Friday night. The US president Barack Obama called on Moscow to conduct a prompt, impartial and transparent investigation and to bring to justice the perpetrators of what he called “a brutal murder.” In turn, the president of France, François Hollande, harshly condemned the killing of Nemtsov, whom he described as a brave and staunch supporter of democracy. Shot dead near Kremlin, Nemtsov (55) was one of the leaders of the unprecedented movement opposing Vladimir Putin’s presidential election campaign three years ago. He was detained several times during the protests. A symbol of the young post-Soviet reformers of the ‘90s, Nemtsov rose to fame during the presidency of Boris Yeltsin. Fellow opposition politicians say that he had been working on a report on the involvement of Russian troops in the secessionist conflict in Eastern Ukraine, and that he had recently said he feared Putin would have him killed. According to Radio Romania’s correspondent in Moscow, Kremlin said the killing of Nemtsov could have been a “provocation” aimed at destabilising the country.



    SPORTS – Romania’s national rugby team plays today, away from home, against Russia, in the third round of the Rugby Europe Championship. The Romanians have so far defeated Portugal, 37-10, away from home, and Spain, 29-8, at home, and are the leaders of the competition, with 10 points. The European competititon for second and third-tier rugby nations, also dubbed Six Nations B, the Rugby Europe Championship also includes Germany and Georgia, which Romania is to face in March. According to experts, the competition is an excellent training stage for this autumn’s World Cup.