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EU says Boris Johnson’s refusal to sign extension request ‘changes nothing’

Boris Johnson’s attempt to block a Brexit delay by not signing his extension letter properly “doesn’t change anything” about the request, Brussels has said.

A European Commission spokesperson told reporters in Brussels that the request counted officially, despite Mr Johnson sending an unsigned photocopy in an attempt to circumvent the Benn Act, which forced him to request a delay.

The comments come as a top ally of Angela Merkel said “it goes without saying” that the EU should grant the request.

Downing Street had for months insisted that it had a secret plan to avoid a request using a legal loophole, but the prime minister’s gambit ultimately appears to have been a damp squib.

“President Tusk acknowledged receipt of the extension request on Saturday. And, as he stated, he’s now consulting with the EU27. So for us, this form doesn’t change anything,” the commission spokesperson said.

Asked specifically whether the lack of Mr Johnson’s signature on the letter changed anything, the spokesperson simply replied: “No.”


EU leaders could still refuse to grant an extension, as one requires the unanimous approval of the 27 remaining EU leaders.

But Peter Altmaier, a minister in the German government, told broadcaster Deutschlandfunk: “We have already twice agreed to an extension. I have repeatedly said as my own opinion I am not ideologically opposed to extending again a few days or a few weeks if you then certainly get a good solution that excludes a hard Brexit.

“If the British are to opt for one of the longer-term options, that is new elections or a new referendum, then it goes without saying that the European Union should do it, for me anyway.”

Mr Altmaier went on to describe the question of whether parliament or the government spoke for the UK as a “very difficult topic”, stating that “both represent different positions”.

Meanwhile, the European parliament has decided to shelve plans for a vote on Thursday on the Brexit deal, given the uncertainty in Westminster and the prospects of an extension.

Speaking after a meeting of the legislature’s Brexit Steering Group, coordinator Guy Verhofstadt said: “We will advise to the conference of presidents that there has to be full ratification in Britain before we can do our final vote.”

It is understood that MEPs could be called back for an emergency session to ratify the agreement once and if Westminster has given it the nod.

Mr Johnson sent an unsigned version of the letter specified under legislation to demand a delay, said to be a photocopy. He also sent a cover letter signed by the UK’s ambassador to the EU, who made clear that the first letter was from parliament, not the government.

In a third letter, also sent to EU27 leaders, Mr Johnson disavowed his first letter and said he did not want to delay Brexit.

The EU spokesperson indicated that none of this chicanery had made any difference to whether Mr Johnson had requested an extension.

The Benn Act, which forced Mr Johnson to send the letters, was designed by backbench MPs to avoid a no-deal Brexit by forcing an extension if no deal had passed parliament by Saturday 19 October.

In his accompanying letter, Mr Johnson told the EU: “While it is open to the European Council to accede to the request mandated by parliament or to offer an alternative extension period, I have made clear since becoming prime minister – and made clear to parliament again today – my view, and the government’s position, that a further extension would damage the interests of the UK and our EU partners and the relationship between us.

“We must bring this process to a conclusion so that we can move to the next phase and build our new relationship.”

It is understood that the question of an extension was discussed at length at Thursday’s European Council meeting in Brussels. The EU is expected to wait until the middle of this week before issuing a formal response to the request, however, to watch how action plays out in the House of Commons.

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EU slams Romania for not tackling corruption



In an annual report, the European Commission slammed Bucharest for failing to implement anti-corruption measures. At the same time, there was good news for Bulgaria and Croatia's possible entry into the Schengen zone.



The European Commission released its report on Bulgaria and Romania on Tuesday. The annual studies, done to measure how far the two countries have come with required judicial reforms, the fight against corruption, and specifically for Bulgaria, the fight against organized crime.

For the second year in a row, the Commission found serious fault within the Romanian government, saying it had "great concerns" about Romania's "backtracking from the progress made" on rule-of-law reforms that were necessary for its accession to the EU.

"The evolution of the situation in the first months of 2019 was a source of great concern," the report continues, saying that if Bucharest does not make a "a strong commitment to judicial independence and the fight against corruption," punitive measures may have to be taken.

Romania's Prime Minister Viorca Dancila was ousted in a vote of no-confidence earlier this month after complaints of corruption in connection to the former leader of her Social Democratic party, Liviu Dragnea, who has spent several years in prison over graft charges.

Conservative opposition leader Ludovic Orban is currently trying to form a new government, but if he cannot, early elections will ensue.

Even before Dancila took office in January 2018, the EU has complained that successive governments in Bucharest have worked to slowly weaken the national anti-corruption agency known as DNA and actively tried to impinge upon its investigations into corrupt officials.

Good news for Bulgaria, Croatia

Bulgaria, however, garnered a good report this year from the Commission, saying that Sofia has "worked consistently" to meet its commitments to tackling organized crime and judicial reform.

"The Commission notes in particular the commitment of the Bulgarian government to put in place procedures concerning the accountability of the prosecutor general, including safeguarding judicial independence," the report read.

There was also good news for Croatia, which is in the European Union but not in the 26-country free travel area known as the Schengen zone.

"I commend Croatia for its efforts and perseverance to meet all the necessary conditions to join Schengen," said EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, calling on other Schengen members to "take the right steps" for Croatia to enter.

Zagreb was commended for its efforts to manage external EU borders. Both Croatia and Bulgaria are working towards Schengen membership.

es/ng (dpa, Reuters)

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Germany: Chances of refugees gaining asylum depend on where they apply

A new report has found that 22 Foreigners Offices in Germany have asylum approval rates vastly beneath the national average. Critics say a lack of government oversight and transparency has exacerbated the problem.



The anecdotal evidence that Germany's migration-related bureaucracy can be racist, Kafkaesque and downright unpleasant is manifest. But now, according to a new report published by German public broadcaster ARD, there is evidence that 22 of the offices that process asylum requests might actually offer worse chances of being allowed to stay than others.

According to the report, at some branches of the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) in Berlin, eastern Germany and Bavaria, the chances of being granted asylum are "significantly worse," sometimes by more than 30%, despite nationwide regulations on who is eligible for protected refugee status.

The report was based on information from the Interior Ministry in response to a petition from the opposition Left party. BAMF sits under the auspices of the Interior Ministry.

'A cynical lottery'

"Quality control shortcomings at BAMF are making asylum applications a cynical lottery," said Ulla Jelpke, the Left party's domestic politics expert. "There are massive deficiencies at certain locations, which results in asylum applications being rejected in large numbers ... all those seeking protection must find equal opportunities throughout Germany."

Jelpke pointed to the issues in Bavaria as specifically problematic. Its conservative state government has been particularly ardent about closing smaller offices in favor of opening bigger "anchor centers" for would-be refugees, where all parts of the asylum process — from the initial arrival to housing during the decision process to an eventual approval or deportation — are supposed to take place under one roof.

"The fact that Bavarian anchor centers in particular have low protection rates points to political demands," Jelpke said. "These camps must finally be closed."

Worst chances in eastern Germany and Bavaria

According to the ARD investigation, applicants face the worst chances for being granted asylum in Berlin East, Chemnitz, Dresden, and several other smaller cities in the east of Germany. The most affected nationalities were asylum-seekers from Iraq, Afghanistan, Turkey, Iran and Somalia.

For example, in 2019 Iraqi asylum-seekers had an average nationwide approval rate of 53%. However, in the eastern German city of Chemnitz the year's average was only 32%. In the central town of Halberstadt, it was even lower at 28%.

The numbers for Turkish asylum-seekers revealed a similar pattern, despite increasingly dire circumstances in Turkey with regards to the freedom of Turkish Kurds and political dissidents. Nationally, 50.7% of Turks who apply for asylum are granted it. However, in Berlin, the rate was less than half of that at 23%. It was 20% in Chemnitz and 25% in the northwest city Hamburg — the only location on the list in western Germany.

In Bavaria, refugees from violence-plagued Somalia seemed to fare the worst. The national rate of asylum approval for Somalis in 2019 was one of the highest at 67%. But in Bavaria's Zirndorf and Schweinfurt centers, it was 20 percentage points lower.

BAMF rejects ARD report

BAMF has defended its hiring practices, saying that "all employees undergo a uniform training process that is constantly updated." The agency emphasized that refugees from the same national background are "still a heterogeneous group" where some people may qualify for asylum while others don't. While there is a national set of guidelines, employees are empowered to make personal decisions based on interviews with the asylum-seeker.

They also said that its internal review found that only two centers significantly deviated from the norm, and the affected nationalities were mostly Nigerians and Eritreans. BAMF added that these two offices are currently under investigation, but did not say where they were.

'Pretty catastrophic'

Bernd Mesovic, an expert on rights policy for the nongovernmental organization Pro Asyl, pointed out, however, that "BAMF's internal investigations are opaque, they do not make public what they are investigating and how." Another opaque factor is the personal interviews case workers conduct with would-be refugees, which cannot be viewed by the public to probe for possible bias or irrelevant questioning.

Mesovic explained that the reaction to the 2015 refugee wave was "pretty catastrophic. Politicians did not react fast enough to the influx, giving BAMF and other agencies permission to hire the amount of new personnel they needed. When they finally did, these people were rushed through the training process, or given no training at all. That situation has finally improved a bit recently."

He added that a study conducted by the University of Konstanz has shown clear connections to areas of increased xenophobia and prejudice and reduced rates of granting asylum.

There have been complaints from inside Germany's immigration and integration systems ever since the massive increase in refugees in 2015 that there are not enough well-qualified and properly trained staff handling asylum cases. In many cities, including Berlin, would-be refugees and immigrants must line up before dawn and hope to get lucky enough to see a case worker. Asylum applicants can be left in limbo for months or even years, without the right to work, while their application is reviewed.

Mesovic said that these issues are just not the responsibility of BAMF, but also of policymakers in Berlin and the problem is that if prejudice is prevalent in a given area, that can spoil the pool of job applicants. The asylum expert suggested better intercultural training and more extensive probing for possible bias during job interviews as an on-the-ground solution while waiting for better management from the federal government and BAMF.

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One in four Germans hold anti-Semitic beliefs, study finds

More than a quarter of Germans surveyed said they agreed with anti-Semitic statements, including that Jews have "too much power over the economy." Over 40% said they thought Jews "talk about the Holocaust too much."




Anti-Semitism is gaining a stronger foothold in German society, the Süddeutsche Zeitung newspaper reported on Wednesday, citing a new study from the World Jewish Congress (WJC).

Out of the 1,300 Germans who took part in the representative survey, 27% agreed with a range of anti-Semitic statements and stereotypes about Jewish people.

Some 41% said they agreed with the statement that "Jews talk about the Holocaust too much." The same portion said they believed "Jews are more loyal to Israel than to Germany."

Over 20% of respondents said they agreed that Jewish people have "too much power" over the economy, international financial markets and the media. Another 22% agreed that "people hate Jews due to the way they behave."

The survey was carried out two months ago, prior to the anti-Semitic attack targeting a synagogue in the eastern German city of Halle.

Hostility towards Jews growing among 'elites'

Anti-Semitism is also growing among the wealthy and well-educated, according to the study.

The WJC found that 18% of "elites" — respondents with at least one university degree who make at least €100,000 ($111,300) per year — agreed with anti-Semitic sentiments.

Within that group, over a quarter said they believed Jewish people have "too much power over world politics" and the economy.




'It's time for German society to take a stand'

The president of the World Jewish Congress, Ronald S. Lauder, told the Süddeutsche Zeitung that the state of anti-Semitism in Germany has reached a "crisis point."

"We've seen what happens when ordinary people look away or remain silent," he told the paper.

Lauder added that Germany has an obligation to prevent the return of intolerance and hatred, and if one quarter of the population adheres to anti-Semitic beliefs, then the remaining three quarters must take action to defend democracy and a tolerant society in Germany.

"It's time for German society to take a stand and combat anti-Semitism head-on," he said.

Resistance rises

While anti-Semitism is spreading in Germany, the study found that the readiness to combat it is also growing.

Two thirds of "elites" said they would sign a petition against anti-Semitism, while a third of all the respondents said they were willing to take part in demonstrations against anti-Semitism.

The vast majority of respondents recognized there was a rise in hostile behavior toward Jewish people in Germany, with 65% saying that rise was tied to the success of "right-wing extremist parties."

One in four respondents said it was possible that "something like the Holocaust could happen in Germany again."



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[Triển]

Một quốc gia có thể chế khốn nạn có những người dân khốn cùng.

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39 thi thể phát hiện trong thùng xe tải ở Anh có thể có người Việt


Ảnh chụp màn hình được lan truyền trên mạng xã hội với nội dung được cho là tin nhắn của cô Phạm Thị Trà My.


Cảnh sát Anh đang điều tra cái chết của 39 người được phát hiện trong thùng xe tải hôm 23/10 gần London cho hay hôm 25/10 bắt thêm 3 nghi can nữa tình nghi buôn người trong lúc có dấu hiệu cho thấy trong số nạn nhân có thể có người Việt.

Trong lúc các chuyên gia giám định pháp y bắt đầu nhận dạng các nạn nhân, đại sứ Việt Nam tại London cho hay các gia đình ở Việt Nam đã liên lạc báo cáo người thân bị mất tích. Người ta e rằng ít nhất 10 người trong số nạn nhân là từ Việt Nam.

Hoa Nghiêm, một thành viên của Human Rights Space, một mạng lưới thúc đẩy quyền con người có trụ sở tại Việt Nam, cho biết trong khoảng thời gian chiếc xe tải đang trên đường từ Bỉ tới Anh, cô Phạm Thị Trà My, 26 tuổi, đã gửi tin nhắn qua điện thoại cho thân mẫu báo rằng cô không thở được.

“Con xin lỗi bố mẹ nhiều mẹ ơi. Con đường đi nước ngoài không thành. Con thương bố mẹ nhiều. Con chết vì không thở được. Thị trấn Nghèn, Huyện Can Lộc, Hà Tĩnh, Việt Nam. Mẹ ơi con xin lỗi mẹ mẹ ơi,” theo tin nhắn được nói là do gia đình nạn nhân cung cấp.

Bà Hoa nói Trà My sang Trung Quốc và có kế hoạch tới Anh thông qua ngả Pháp và rằng tổ chức của bà đang nhận được nhiều cảnh báo về khả năng có thêm nạn nhân gốc Việt trong nhóm các thi thể tìm thấy trong thùng lạnh của xe tải.

Cảnh sát Anh nói các nạn nhân là người Trung Quốc nhưng Bắc Kinh cho hay quốc tịch của họ chưa được xác minh. Đại sứ quán Việt Nam và Trung Quốc nói giới chức của họ đang hợp tác chặt chẽ với cảnh sát Anh.

Cảnh sát khu vực Essex, Anh, nơi phát hiện chiếc xe tải chở 39 thi thể, nói họ sẽ không tiết lộ thêm chi tiết nào về nhân thân hay quốc tịch của các nạn nhân cho tới khi tiến trình xác minh lý lịch chính thức hoàn tất.

Cảnh sát vẫn đang thẩm vấn tài xế xe tải, 25 tuổi, người bị tình nghi phạm tội sát nhân sau khi giới hữu trách phát hiện các thi thể trong thùng xe tải mà người này điều khiển.

Tên tuổi tài xế chưa được xác nhận nhưng một nguồn quen biết với cuộc điều tra cho hay tài xế tên Mo Robinson, từ khu vực Portadown thuộc Bắc Ireland.

Hôm 25/10, cảnh sát cũng bắt giữ một người đàn ông và một phụ nữ cùng tuổi 38, ở Warrington, Tây Bắc nước Anh, và một người đàn ông 48 tuổi từ Bắc Ireland tại sân bay Stansted của London. Họ bị tình nghi đồng lõa buôn người và sát nhân.

39 thi thể, trong đó có 8 phụ nữ, đang được xác định nguyên nhân tử vong trong khi tiến trình nhận dạng lai lịch cũng đang được tiến hành.

VietHome, một tổ chức phục vụ cộng đồng Việt Nam ở Anh, cho biết họ được 10 gia đình thông báo là người thân của họ mất tích.

Trong nhiều năm nay, các di dân bất hợp pháp tìm đường tới Anh thường được vận chuyển bằng các xe tải xuất phát từ Châu Âu. Năm 2000, có 58 công dân Trung Quốc được phát hiện tử vong trong một chiếc xe tải chở cà chua tại cảng Dover.

Anh ‘chưa hoàn thành trách nhiệm’

“Chúng tôi hy vọng phía Anh có thể xác nhận sớm và làm rõ lai lịch của các nạn nhân, xác nhận chuyện gì đã xảy ra và trừng trị các tội phạm liên quan trong vụ việc,” phát ngôn nhân Hoa Xuân Oánh của Bộ Ngoại giao Trung Quốc nói tại cuộc họp báo hàng ngày.

Tờ Global Times của nhà nước Trung Quốc hôm 25/10 đăng bài xã luận nói rằng Anh phải chịu phần nào trách nhiệm về những cái chết này.

“Rõ ràng Anh và các nước Châu Âu liên quan chưa hoàn thành trách nhiệm bảo vệ những người này trước những cái chết như thế,” tờ báo nói.

Công ty cho thuê thùng xe tải mang tên Global Trailer Rentals của Ireland cho hay họ là chủ sở hữu của thùng xe chở các nạn nhân và rằng họ cho thuê thùng xe này hôm 15/10 mà không biết mục đích người thuê sử dụng cho việc gì.

Thùng lạnh này đã di chuyển từ cảng Zeebrugge, Bỉ, tới Anh.

Nhật báo Times đưa tin dữ kiện định vị GPS cho thấy container vừa kể tới cảng Bỉ lúc 2 giờ 49 phút chiều ngày 22/10 trước khi bắt đầu cuộc hành trình 10 giờ đồng hồ vượt biển tới Anh.

Theo cảnh sát, đầu xe tải được lái từ Dublin tới hôm 20/10, băng qua Biển Ireland vào Anh và nhận thùng lạnh ở Purfleet ngay sau giữa đêm ngày 23/10.

Số liệu năm ngoái từ Cơ quan Tội phạm Quốc gia của Anh cho thấy công dân Việt Nam đứng thứ ba danh sách các nạn nhân của tình trạng nô lệ mới hay buôn người tại Anh dù không có thống kê về những người nhập cảnh Anh bất hợp pháp.

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[ốc]

Người khổ quá thì phải bước vào tử lộ để tìm ra sinh lộ, làm liều đi qua tử địa để đến được sinh địa. Những cái chết vì sự sống xảy ra mọi nơi, mọi lúc... âu cũng là một lối thoát cho phận người.

Tiếc thay một đóa Trà My
Long đong khôn tỏ đường đi tối mò
(Dặm trường tân thanh)

[Triển]

Người khổ quá thì phải bước vào tử lộ để tìm ra sinh lộ, làm liều đi qua tử địa để đến được sinh địa. Những cái chết vì sự sống xảy ra mọi nơi, mọi lúc... âu cũng là một lối thoát cho phận người.

Tiếc thay một đóa Trà My
Long đong khôn tỏ đường đi tối mò
(Dặm trường tân thanh)

BBC viết có nhóm người Việt nào đó ở Anh báo nhận được
tin tới 20 người mất tích. Sinh lộ của những người thiệt mạng
bây giờ là địa ngục của cha mẹ, người thân.

Nhà nước Việt Nam sẽ phản ứng ra sao? Trao bằng "liệt sĩ",
hay gom tội "phản quốc"?

Essex lorry deaths: Police question four suspects


Pham Thi Tra My and Nguyen Dinh Luong

(coi nữa)