by Shelby Vcelka

Impunity Watch Desk Reporter, Europe

BERLIN, Germany–

After weeks of debates within the government regarding the recent “overwhelming” influx of refugees, Germany is preparing to expedite the process of deporting asylum seekers. On Thursday, Chancellor Angela Merkel announced that an agreement had been reached between the coalition government, allowing for three to five reception centers that would either accept or deport refugee applicants. For weeks, the opposition government has requested the majority party to reduce the number of refugees allowed in Germany, citing struggling local authorities.

The leader of the opposition party, Horst Seehofer of the Christian Social Union, called the agreement “very very good,” and said his relationship with Merkel had been “cemented again.” However, he did not revoke his threat to file a legal complaint against the government over its expansive refugee policy. Other members of the opposition parties have criticized the agreement, stating that the number of refugees entering the country far exceeds the resources available.

Robert Habeck, a critic of the agreement and a member of the Green Party commented, “people are waiting for half a year before their asylum applications can even be submitted. It is a complete mystery as to how the federal government can conclude the process within a few weeks in the special reception centers.”

Other critics within Merkel’s coalition government believe the agreement curtails the rights of refugees, and questioned the legality of detaining asylum seekers and refugees for an indefinite period of time. Initially, Merkel requested that “transit zones” be set up across the country, where new refugees would be detained before their status was determined. The Social Democratic Party, who claimed these zones would be akin to “internment camps”, rejected this.

Up to 10,000 refugees have entered Germany daily since January, totaling around 758,000 migrants. The influx has shown no signs of stopping, with the 800,000 refugee limit set by the German government likely to be exceeded sometime in the near future.

For more information, please see—

Chicago Tribune– Merkel ally says government will survive refugee turmoil— 04 November 2015

Al-Jazeera– Germany to expedite deportations of refugees— 06 November 2015

Irish Times– Germany agrees compromise on refugees after ‘intense’ talks— 06 November 2015

Wall Street Journal– Germany Steps Back Hours after Tighter Asylum Rules Are Unveiled— 06 November 2015

by Shelby Vcelka

Impunity Watch Desk Reporter, Europe

PARIS, France–

The French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo has sparked outrage in Russia after this week’s publication, which depicted images about the Russian plane crash in the Sinai desert. One image shows debris and body parts raining down on a member of ISIS, while the other shows a skull with a pair of sunglasses with the crashed plane in the background. A spokesman for the Kremlin commented that the cartoons were unacceptable, and that the message it sent had nothing to do with freedom of press or self-expression. The Kremlin, however, does not plan on filing a formal complaint against Charlie Hebdo.

http://twitter.com/DeccanChronicle/status/662621784345300992/photo/1

The Russian plane involved in the crash was headed for St. Petersburg shortly after leaving Egypt. All 224 people on board were killed as the plane crashed into the Sinai Peninsula. Most of those on board were Russian citizens.   Although the cause of the crash has not been determined, international authorities have not ruled out the possibility of a bomb. An Islamic State leader affiliated with the Sinai Province faction claimed responsibility for the crash.

The magazine’s editor in chief, Gerard Biard, criticized the Russian government for “using Charlie Hebdo to create a controversy where none exists, which is the usual manipulation you get from totalitarian regimes… This magazine is supposed to be irreverent, and we respect the values of democracy and freedom of expression, which the Russian powers that be … do not.” He further commented that it was absurd to use the tone of the cartoons as a point of contention, as their entire publication is based on satire and the freedom of expression. Biard also mentioned that the Russian government was using this incident as a means to distract from real issues that the government was avoiding.

The French foreign ministry remarked that French publications are “free to express their opinions,” and that they would not be getting involved. The Kremlin has asked the French government to apologize for Charlie Hebdo’s cartoons on the matter.

For more information, please see—

BBC– Russia hits out at Charlie Hebdo over crash cartoon— 06 November 2015

Huffington Post– Charlie Hebdo Angers Russians With Cartoons Of Egypt Plane Crash— 06 November 2015

New York Post– Charlie Hebdo cartoon of downed jetliner infuriates Russia— 06 November 2015

The Guardian– Russia condemns Charlie Hebdo for Sinai plane crash cartoons— 07 November 2015

by Shelby Vcelka

Impunity Watch Desk Reporter, Europe

PARIS, France–

Tuesday, applications opened for reparations to be paid by the French government for their involvement with deporting over 70,000 Jews during the Second World War. In December 2014, a deal between France and the United States was negotiated to make over $60 million available for survivors and their families. The deal was finalized and signed by the two governments on November 2nd, and is open internationally. Survivors could receive over $100,000 individually, while spouses and children of deceased survivors could receive tens of thousands of dollars. The amount to be paid to the estates of deceased survivors will depend on how long they lived after 1948, when France began paying reparations to its own citizens.

France’s ambassador in charge of Holocaust issues, Patrizianna Sparacino-Thiellay, noted after the signing on Monday that the negotiation was “a further contribution to recognizing France’s commitment to facing up to its historic responsibilities. The reparation programs set up immediately after the war, and those introduced in the past fifteen years, are the tangible symbol of the official acknowledgment in 1995 of France’s ‘imprescriptible debt’ towards the victims of the Holocaust.”

The reparations fund comes after the state of Maryland barred SCNF, a French railway company, from competing for state funded contracts. It was discovered during the subsequent legal battle that the SCNF was paid per head it transported to the Nazi concentration camps on its railway lines during World War II. Between 1942 and 1944, over 76,000 Jews were transported on the SCNF railway lines to the death camps. Only around 3,000 survived.

SCNF has maintained that they were a “cog in the Nazi extermination machine” and were under the control of Vichy France at the time the deportations occurred. The company has also stated that the government of France should be in charge of compensation, as they were just following orders. However, they are in the process of donating $4 million in the U.S., Israel, and France towards memorials and museums, highlighting the atrocities of the Holocaust.

Although the fund is being distributed through the U.S. government, any survivor or a survivor’s estate that was transported to a concentration camp on the French railways is eligible, regardless of nationality. The three-page application requires information regarding whether their loved one survived the war, and if known, the date, the convoy and the place of departure. Although the exact number of applicants is unknown, it is assumed that there are around 250 survivors still alive today. In addition to the $60 million, the French government has paid over $6 billion in reparations to its own citizens thus far.

For more information, please see—

The Telegraph– France to pay $60m over Nazi rail deportations— 5 December 2014

CNN– France agrees to pay $60 million to those deported during Holocaust— 8 December 2014

Breitbart– French Assembly Votes to Give Holocaust Survivors Reparations— 25 June 2015

CBS– ​French to pay $60M in reparations to Holocaust survivors in U.S. and beyond— 3 November 2015

Washington Post– Holocaust survivors deported from France can now apply for reparations— 3 November 2015

by Shelby Vcelka

Impunity Watch Desk Reporter, Europe

BRUSSELS, Belgium–

European leaders have met in Brussels to try to agree on a plan to deal with the large numbers of refugees making their way through impoverished Eastern European countries. The plan that was outlined before the conference began propositioned that Balkan and other Eastern European countries should stop allowing asylum seekers to cross the borders into neighboring countries without acquiring some kind of agreement on a quota system. It also included measures to send approximately 400 border guards to Western Balkans nations, and more maritime support off the coast of Greece within the next week. The European Union would also be tasked with speeding up repatriations of Afghans, Iraqis and others affected by war if their asylum claims were rejected.

The European commission president, Jean-Claude Juncker, put the plan together and designed it to stem the flow of refugees through the Balkan and Central European “safe zone” towards Austria and Germany. The borders put up by Eastern European countries, Juncker reasoned, had already compromised the Schengen visa-free zone, and this plan would help stop the rising tensions between neighboring countries in an already unstable region. “If we do not deliver some immediate and concrete actions on the ground in the next few days and weeks I believe the EU and Europe as a whole will start falling apart,” he said.

As the cold weather approaches, both the EU member nations and international aid organizations are increasingly concerned about how the already overwhelmed countries will provide aid.   Medecins Sans Frontiers warned of coming frostbite and announced an critical need for food, warm shelters, and shower facilities at major transportation locations. Additionally, the UN has drawn up plans to distribute thousands of winter and raincoats, tarps, and socks to migrants in south Eastern Europe. Already, the temperatures have dropped to below freezing levels at night. The movement of refugees is not expected to slow once the cold weather arrives.   “Every day counts. Otherwise we will soon see families in cold rivers in the Balkans perish miserably,” Juncker said in an interview.

The summit was a move by Juncker and the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, to raise pressure on the European states to coordinate on the migrant crisis and stop fighting between them. The hope was to help manage migration flow in a humane way.

For more information, please see—

Reuters– EU’s Juncker summons leaders over Balkan refugee crisis— 21 October 2015

BBC– Migrant crisis: Emergency talks on Balkans under way— 25 October 2015

The Guardian– European leaders discuss refugee crisis at tense Brussels summit— 25 October 2015

The Telegraph– Refugees will freeze to death, warn EU head— 25 October 2015

U.S. News & World Report– EU leaders exchange barbs at migrant summit as refugees march by the thousands across Europe— 25 October 2015

by Shelby Vcelka

Impunity Watch Desk Reporter, Europe

MOSCOW, Russia–

In a surprise visit to Moscow, President Bashar al-Assad of Syria met with the Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss the situation in Syria. Putin stressed that Russia’s support with military operations in Syria must lead to a political process that ends the conflict indefinitely.   The visit demonstrated strengthened confidences between the leaders, as Russia had recently escalated their support in the region, by carrying out airstrikes against the Syrian insurgents.

Moscow, a long time ally of the Assad regime, began an air raid and bombing campaign on September 30th, against alleged terrorist groups they claim threaten Assad’s rule in the region. However, the United States and other western nations state that the Russian intervention will end up bolstering the Assad regime, and create more conflict. While Putin claims that the Russian military is fighting against the Islamic State and other terrorist militants in Syria, many of the airstrikes have actually been conducted against Syrian rebels and other dissidents of the Assad regime. The Russian government is the latest nation to get involved in the Syrian Civil War.

“A long-term settlement can only be achieved as part of a political process with the participation of all political forces, ethnic and religious groups. The Syrian people have been putting up a fight against international terrorism effectively on its own for several years, sustaining sizable losses but it has achieved positive results recently,” Putin said.

Through the meetings, Putin made it clear that Russia seeks to have a leading role in any solutions regarding Syria’s political future, seemingly to ensure Russia’s sphere of influence in the Middle East. He further stated that Russia’s involvement in the Syrian crisis was “necessary,” as around 4,000 people from the former Soviet Union republics were fighting in Syria against the Syrian army. If these insurgents were allowed to return to Russia, Putin said, they might foment insecurity, and create violence at home.

For more information, please see—

Huffington Post–Bashar Assad Meets With Vladimir Putin – In Moscow— 21 October 2015

Russian Times– Assad to Putin at Moscow talks: Terrorists would seize larger areas if Russia did not act— 21 October 2015

Washington Post– In rare foreign trip, Assad flies to Moscow to meet with Putin— 21 October 2o15

Mail & Guardian– Putin meets Assad – runs rings around Western critics— 22 October 2015