Radio România Internațional

Tag: illegal migration

  • April 30, 2024 UPDATE

    April 30, 2024 UPDATE

    MIGRATION – Romania is ready to implement the pact on migration and asylum and has already taken steps in that direction, Interior Minister Cătălin Predoiu said on Tuesday at the end of a migration conference hosted by Gent, Belgium. Romania launched an initiative to consolidate regional cooperation to combat illegal migration and cross-border crime, jointly with the European Commission and regional states such as Greece, Bulgaria, Hungary, Slovakia and Austria. Ahead of this reform, Romania implemented a pilot program on the border with Serbia, showing that pre-emptive actions led to a 97% reduction in illegal migration flows.

     

     

    COOPERATION – Romania’s Defense Minister, Angel Tîlvăr, says the significant presence of US troops in Romania is evidence of the United States’ determination to help consolidate security in the region. The Romanian official joined US Ambassador in Romania, Kathleen Kavalec, in attending the change of command ceremony at the Naval Support Facility in Deveselu (south). Minister Tîlvăr highlighted the major role of the US anti-ballistic missile system hosted by Romania for the NATO defense architecture, also marking a joint contribution of the United States and Romania to NATO defense efforts and facilitating protection against threats coming from outside Euro-Atlantic space.

     

     

    MINI-HOLIDAY – The Interior Ministry has taken additional measures to ensure public order and safety for Labor Day, when the summer season starts officially, and Orthodox Easter, celebrated on May 5th. Security forces will be primarily dispatched to the main roads, accompanied by air support, and in the proximity of churches. Measures were also taken together with the Bulgarian police to reduce waiting times on border checkpoints. Over 80,000 people are expected to spend their holidays at the seaside, where concerts and an electronic music festival are scheduled.

     

     

    TAROM – The European Commission on Monday approved Romania’s plans to provide restructuring aid for the Romanian state-owned airline TAROM to the amount of 95 million EUR, in keeping with EU norms on state aid, the Commission said in a statement. The measure is expected to help the company restore its feasibility in the long term. After the announcement, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said TAROM can become in the next two years an airline that can support its development on its own and that as the country’s prime minister, he has the duty to support “a Romanian national company with tradition”.

     

     

    FILM – Freedom by Tudor Giurgiu won the Gopo Trophy for best Romanian feature film at the Gopo Awards ceremony held on Monday in Bucharest. The film is inspired by true events that took place in Sibiu, in the center, during the anti-communist revolution of December 1989. The film also won the award for best director, best actor, which went to Alex Calangiu, best supporting role, which went to Iulian Postelnicu, and best script, which went to Cecilia Ştefănescu and Tudor Giurgiu, the latter to be shared with Radu Jude for Do Not Expect Too Much from the End of the World, which he also directed. Ilinca Manolache won the best actor award for her role in Jude’s film. Vlad Petri won the best documentary award for Between Revolutions, while the prize for best European production went to Justine Triet’s Anatomy of a Fall. (VP)

  • April 14, 2017 UPDATE

    April 14, 2017 UPDATE

    ANTI-CORRUPTION – The Romanian authorities are to initiate the extradition procedure for former Deputy Sebastian Ghita, apprehended in Belgrade almost 4 months since he disappeared. When he was caught he presented false ID, allegedly issued by an EU state. Sebastian Ghita went missing on December 21, 2016 and was subject to a national warrant after breaching the terms of the restrictions imposed on him pending trial. On January 10, the court issued a European arrest warrant against him and he was also placed on the Interpol wanted list. Ghita is tried in two corruption cases and prosecuted in two others.



    EASTER PREPARATIONS – Over 50,000 police, gendarmes, border police, fire-fighters and other Interior Ministry employees will ensure public safety and order these days. Special attention will be paid to crowded areas, tourist resorts and churches. According to the Ministry, an average 1,500 road traffic police will be present every day on public roads, in order to prevent serious accidents and to ensure smooth traffic. Nearly 5,200 fire fighters will be on duty daily, while 1,300 emergency intervention teams and ambulances will be on stand-by to provide first aid. The General Aviation Inspectorate also has available 7 helicopters.



    BORDER CHECKS – Romanian check points are getting crowded, because of a new European regulation tightening border checks, which took effect last week, and because of increased traffic ahead of the Easter holidays, the General Border Police Inspectorate reports. The most crowded is the Siret checkpoint on the Ukrainian border in the north-east, where waiting times reach 10 hours for trucks to get out of the country and 2 to enter Romania. Queues are also reported at checkpoints in the east, on the Moldovan border, in the south, on the Bulgarian border, and in the west, on the Hungarian border. The authorities expect further queuing, because Hungary has introduced traffic restrictions for trucks during the Easter holidays.



    ILLEGAL MIGRATION – 38 Iraqi and Pakistani citizens have been caught in the past 24 hours trying to enter Romania illegally from Serbia. The Border Police announced in a news release that several groups of people, including underage children, were found traveling from Serbia to six border localities in the counties of Caras-Severin, in the south-west, and Timis, in the west. According to the news release, all of them are being probed into for illegal border crossing, and the investigations are conducted jointly with the Serb authorities.



    R. OF MOLDOVA – The Republic of Moldova will be an observer in the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), the President of Kyrgyzstan Almazbek Atambayev announced on Friday at the summit of the organisation, held in Bishkek. Atambayev said all the members of the EAEU, namely Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Russia, had agreed in principle with the request of the Moldovan President Igor Dodon. He added that this did not mean the Republic of Moldova was necessarily to become a member of the organisation. Igor Dodon believes his countrys EU Association Agreement does not prevent the signature of other agreements that would benefit the citizens of the Republic of Moldova. Moldovas pro-Western Government headed by PM Pavel Filip supports the countrys EU accession, whereas the President of the Republic, the pro-Russian Socialist Igor Dodon, wants the agreements signed with Brussels cancelled and his country to steer towards the Eurasian Union.



    US AIR STRIKE – The IS groups propaganda agency, Amaq, Friday denied the jihadist group having suffered losses after Thursdays American bombing in Afghanistan, in which Afghan authorities say at least 36 jihadists died, AFP reports. Washington used the largest non-nuclear bomb ever launched by the US, to target grottoes and tunnels in the east of that country, where terrorists were believed to be hiding. This was the second air strike by the Pentagon in a week, after bombing the Shairat Airport in Syria. The US Army has another 19 such bombs in its arsenal, which are worth over 300 million USD.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • Implementation of EU-Turkey agreement on migrants

    Implementation of EU-Turkey agreement on migrants

    The controversial deal between the European Union and Turkey with respect to returning the illegal migrants arriving in Europe has started being implemented. As early as Monday morning, three Turkish vessels took over from the islands of Lesbos and Chios 202 illegal immigrants who had arrived in Greece after March 20 and had not sought asylum. Apart from several Syrians, most of those migrants come from Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan.



    Well planned and widely covered by the media, the operation was supervised by the Greek police and experts with the European agency for external border management, Frontex. Once in Turkey, the Syrians were taken to a refugee camp in Osmaniye, in the south, while the others were brought to Kirklareli, near the Bulgarian border in the north of Turkey, from where they will be gradually sent to their home countries. Meanwhile, under the agreement between the EU and Turkey, 43 Syrian refugees who were in Turkey have reached Germany and Finland.



    This is the first operation under the accord signed by Brussels and Ankara on March 18. Concluded after intensive negotiations, the agreement aims to reduce the large number of people that cross the Aegean from Turkey to Greece, seeking to obtain asylum in the European Union. Over one million people, including many Syrians fleeing the war that is tearing their country apart, managed to get to Greece in 2015.



    The recent EU-Turkey agreement provides for the return to Turkey of all the illegal immigrants who reached Greece after March 20. That does not involve the Syrians, who are subject to a separate section of the agreement, under which for each Syrian sent back to Turkey, another one is admitted into the EU, up to a 72,000 ceiling. Human rights organisations have sharply criticized the agreement. Amnesty International has voiced concern about the fate of the thousands of people who are in Greece waiting for a decision on their asylum applications. The German NGO Pro Asyl has denounced what they see as an illegal, inhuman act, while the NGO Oxfam says the treatment of those refugees comes against the spirit of international law and the moral authority that Europe once had.



    Meanwhile, some 50,000 refugees and migrants who arrived in Greece prior to March 20 are still stuck in that country after the Balkan route was closed down. All of them have been identified and registered, and the next step is either for them to be expelled, if they are found to be economic migrants, or to be relocated in an EU member country. A rough 63,000 people will be distributed among EU member states, Romania included, within the next two years. So far only 581 refugees have been relocated. Fifteen of a total of 6,000 people Romania has undertaken to receive have reached this country.

  • Questioning the Schengen agreement

    Questioning the Schengen agreement

    Striving to keep at bay Europes severest migration crisis in the past decades, several Schengen countries have temporarily tightened border controls. At present, according to the community legislation, such measures cover a period of six months for security reasons. Nevertheless, the unprecedented inflow of asylum-seekers does not seem to decrease.



    Under the circumstances, on Monday at the EU interior ministers meeting in Amsterdam, several member countries called on the European Commission to lay the legal and practical foundations for extending the period of border checking in the free travel area up to two years. The announcement was made by Dutch immigration minister Klaas Dijkhoff, whose country is holding the EU half-yearly presidency. Also attending the event, the European commissioner for migration, Dimitris Avramopoulos reiterated that the only solution to the refugee crisis was a European one.



    Dimitris Avramopoulos “A concerted effort is needed in order to help people in need, to protect our external borders, to eliminate the terrorist threat and to keep EU citizens safe.



    In order to contain migration, Austria on Friday proposed the suspension of Greece from the free-movement area until the maritime border with Turkey was secured, pleading jointly with Germany, Belgium, Sweden and Denmark for reintroducing temporary border controls in Schengen. The EUs Dutch presidency has announced its desire that the number of migrants who come to Europe be significantly reduced in the following two months.



    The Europols European Counter Terrorism Centre, which was inaugurated in Amsterdam on Monday, is designed to be an instrument in the counter-terrorist fight at a European level, by stepping up information exchanges between the member countries. According to Europols director, Rob Wainwright, the priorities of the new structure will be spotting the links between crime rings and terrorism, funding sources for terrorists, the illegal arms trafficking, the Islamic States online propaganda and the use of fake travel documents. He said the new centre would also focus on the young people leaving for Syria and Iraq to join terrorist networks, the so-called ‘foreign fighters.



    According to him, Europol has information about 37 hundred such fighters but doesnt have the complete picture. Europol has warned the Islamic State is preparing new large-scale attacks in EU countries, particularly in France, where civilians will be the main targets.


    (Translated by D. Bilt)


  • August 4, 2015

    August 4, 2015

    The National Bank of Romania has today announced it will keep the monetary policy interest rate at its current level, 1.75% per year. During todays monetary policy meeting, central bank officials also decided to keep the current levels of the minimum compulsory reserves for liabilities in the Romanian and foreign currencies of commercial banks, although economic analysts were expecting them to be cut. Meanwhile, the National Bank announced on Monday that currency reserves dropped by nearly one billion euros last month, as compared to June, and reached 29.1 billion euros. The fall was primarily triggered by the repayment of a euro bond issue by the Ministry for Finances, due on July the 29th. Romanias gold reserve stays at 103.7 tonnes, worth close to 3.3 billion euro.



    In Romania, the drought of the past few weeks has caused farmers to lose over 2 billion euros and will push the prices of Romanian products up, says the head of the Romanian League of Farmer Associations, Laurentiu Baciu. In turn, Secretary of State with the Agriculture Ministry Daniel Botănoiu, said the drought destroyed more than 860,000 hectares of crops and damaged at least one-quarter of this years agricultural yield. He also said farmers requested aid from the Ministry to make up for the losses, but that in order to initiate the aid mechanism losses must be over 30% for each particular crop. Farmers warn that the drought also affects animal farms and the vegetable and fruit production. High temperatures and scarce rainfalls will also be reported in August as well.



    The PM of the Republic of Moldova, Valeriu Streleţ, while on a meeting with the US Ambassador to Chisinau, pleaded for a strengthened strategic dialogue with the USA, Radio Chisinau reported on Tuesday. Streleţ mentioned in particular the investment projects implemented in Moldova with the support of the American partners. In turn, the American diplomat hailed the formation of a new cabinet and reiterated Washingtons support for Chisinaus continued efforts to implement reforms, tackle corruption, and reform the economy. Since 1992, the USA has granted nearly 1.2 billion US dollars to the Republic of Moldova in financial assistance schemes. Of this, 20 million dollars were allotted by the American government last year alone.



    The French Interior Minister, Bernard Cazeneuve, requested additional support from the British authorities to dismantle human trafficking networks, as thousands of immigrants are trying to reach Britain from France, via Calais. In an interview to the daily La Croix, Cazeneuve says this year the cooperation between the intelligence services and police forces of the two countries enabled the dismantling of 17 trafficking networks. Bernard Cazeneuve also emphasised that the migration crisis requires a global solution and cooperation with the migrants home countries.



    The Athens Stock Exchange has opened today 4.5% down, after having closed on Monday with a record fall of 16.2%, five weeks after its operations had been suspended. Meanwhile, representatives of the international lenders carry on negotiations with the Greek authorities on a third financial assistance programme worth up to 86 billion euro. Technical negotiations are expected to complete by August the 12th, and the final deal to be signed by August the 18th. In exchange for the bail-out money, Greece has agreed to implement reforms, including a substantial pension adjustment, a VAT increase and measures to deregulate prices and curb public spending.



    The US Secretary of State John Kerry is in Singapore today, as part of his South-East Asian tour due to conclude on August the 8th and designed to garner support for the Trans-Pacific free trade agreement, an economic priority for President Barack Obama. On Wednesday and Thursday Kerry will take part in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in a meeting of the foreign ministers of the countries affiliated to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, viewed as a privileged partner of Washington, particularly counterbalancing Chinas regional ambitions. On Monday, in Doha, Qatar, John Kerry discussed with his counterparts from the Sunni Gulf countries. The American official tried to address the concerns triggered by the signature, on July the 14th, of a historic deal between Iran and the world powers with respect to Irans nuclear programme. Qatars Foreign Minister said the Arab countries in the Gulf are confident that the agreement will enhance the security of the area.

  • The Week in Review April 20-24

    The Week in Review April 20-24

    EU Summit on Illegal Migration


    European leaders met in Brussels for an emergency meeting to address the phenomenon of illegal migration. They decided to triple funding of rescue operations in the Mediterranean Sea, also calling on the UN to impose military sanctions on Libya in an attempt to hit people-smuggling networks in that country. Representing Romania at the Summit, president Klaus Iohannis voiced solidarity with Mediterranean riparian states, which are the most affected by this phenomenon. The president also called for increasing the budget of Frontex, the European Agency for the Management of External Borders, for any actions undertaken in the area. Additionally, Bucharest is willing to dispatch several experts on the ground. The medium and long-term growing concern is to address some of the root causes of migration, namely poverty in African countries. The EU summit was called in the wake of the latest shipwreck in the Mediterranean, which killed 800 African migrants.



    Romania and Cooperation with the Europol


    One in five cyber defense experts working for Europol is Romanian, Europol director Rob Wainwright said in Bucharest. The Romanian Police Service is rated as one of the most involved European law-enforcement agencies, ranking 6th in a top of 12 countries in terms of data exchanges with Europol, Interior Minister Gabriel Oprea has said. Here is what the Minister said in relation to Romania’s Schengen accession:



    “Romania has the responsibility of stopping the flow of illegal migrants on the EU’s eastern borders. We can notice that measures taken so far ensure a secure, free and legal migration. We have a state-of-the-art integrated border security system and one of the most significant contributions to Frontex actions. For this reason, I believe Romania’s accession to Schengen would entail clear benefits for the security of the EU and its members”.



    CIA Detention Center in Romania


    Former Romanian president Ion Iliescu told German weekly “Der Spiegel” that in the wake of the devastating terrorist attacks of September 11 Romania provided the Central Intelligence Agency in the US with a secret facility to carry out operations in Romania. Ion Iliescu explained this was meant as a gesture of goodwill towards the US ahead of Romania’s joining NATO in 2004. The former president also said that Romanian authorities were unaware of the activity of the Agency in that facility. German commentators say Ion Iliescu is the second head of state, after Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski, to admit to the existence of CIA secret detention facilities in Europe. Despite repeated investigations, these detentions in East-European states, including Romania, remain shrouded in mystery 10 years after their existence surfaced in the media. “Had we known what was going to happen there, the answer would have surely been negative”, Iliescu said, responding to allegations key members of Al-Qaeda were purportedly tortured in these CIA secret centres.



    Healthcare Pact


    The Romanian PM Victor Ponta has this week proposed a healthcare pact to be signed by all political parties in the country. The head of government believes a guarantee for steady funding in the system, the improvement of working conditions and a salary increase could put an end to the massive outflow of healthcare specialists from the country. Victor Ponta:



    “To say that starting tomorrow we will double or triple doctors’ salaries would be unrealistic. We need 2, 3 up to 4 years in which to gradually increase wages and we also need to give them the opportunity to make incomes in the private sector. If there are no good prospects for doctors, the European competition is sure to leave us without the best doctors.”



    Previously the healthcare minister Nicolae Banicioiu had said that, without a substantial salary increase within three years, the system would collapse. Other factors contributing to the migration of Romanian doctors to western European countries is the lack of new jobs in the system, the insufficient number of hospitals and the growing number of patients.



    Tax on Tips


    The Government of Romania has passed an emergency order that makes all incomes including tips, subject to taxation. According to the new legislation, the extra money paid by customers for goods delivered or services provided by business operators will be registered on separate receipts. Here is Finance Minister Eugen Teodorovici:


    “First of all, when they come to work employees will have to declare the cash they have on them and register the amount in separate records kept by employers.”



    Tips will be subject to a 16% tax, and employers are free to either keep the amounts or give them to the employees.



    No Visas for Canada


    On Wednesday the government of Canada announced having decided to include Romania in the list of countries for which the Electronic Travel Authorisation (eTA) will apply as of 2016. Romanian citizens having had a Canadian visa for the past 10 years or who have a temporary USA visa will thus be able to enter Canada without a visa, following electronic registration in the eTA system. According to the Romanian Foreign Ministry, this decision, a major step in the process of full visa lifting, reconfirms the constant dialogue between the Romanian and Canadian authorities towards solving this issue. It is also a signal of the political will to have Romanian citizens enjoy visa-free travel to Canada, just like the other EU citizens.