UN High Commissioner for Refugees Archives - Jean-Jacques Cornish

Deadly year for migrants crossing the Mediterranean

Jean-Jacques Cornish — Sun, 02 Sep 2018 22:00:00 +0000

This has become a particularly deadly year for irregular migrants crossing from Africa into Europe.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees say countries must concentrate on saving lives rather than fight over who should take in the desperate people.

The number of migrants coming across the Mediterranean from Africa has dropped by 41% this year.

But so far, 1 549 people have drowned making what has become the world’s deadliest crossing.

this means one in 18 people has died trying to get to Europe this year. At the height of the season the ratio was one in seven. This compares with one in 42 last year.

The UNHCR is calling for safe and legal migration routes with resettlement places established in Europe and family reunions made possible.

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Angelina Jolie to speak at AU summit

Jean-Jacques Cornish — Wed, 10 Jun 2015 22:00:00 +0000

In preparations for Sunday’ s African Union summit in Sandton, humanitarian actress Angelina Jolie is speaking at a panel tomorrow on violence against women.
Jolie is a special envoy of the United Nations High Commission on Refugees and speaks vociferously on women’s issues.
Angelina Jolie arrived in Johannesburg this from France where she surprised holidaymakers by cramming into the tourist class seats with her husband and children on a flight to Nice.
Tomorrow sees a jam packed programme ahead of the summit with a number of non governmental organisations making their point as African foreign ministers complete their programme.
If Jolie will be among them, nervous security officials will presumeably force her to use the back door with other members of civic society and the media

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Zuma cancels Indonesia visit to deal with xenophobic violence

Jean-Jacques Cornish — Fri, 17 Apr 2015 22:00:00 +0000

President Jacob Zuma’s cancelled a state visit to Indonesia to deal with the xenophobic violence sweeping South Africa and threatening its relations with the rest of the continent.

At least six people have died in attacks – mainly on African foreigners – and reminiscent of the 2008 xenophobic attacks – people are being forced to take shelter in makeshift refugee camps.

The last-minute cancellation of President Jacob Zuma’s visit to Indonesia, where he was also going to attend an Afro-Asian summit, follows another death of a foreigner in Johannesburg and scores of new arrests in South Africa’s commercial capital.

Zuma’s says there’s no justification for the xenophobic attacks mainly in Johannesburg and the eastern port city of Durban.

They have been sparked by fears that foreigners are taking the jobs from locals in a country where the economy cannot accommodate one in three work-seeking adults.

There have also been unfortunate remarks criticising foreigners by Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini and a member of Zuma’s cabinet Lindiwe Zulu.

Neighbouring Zimbabwe, Malawi and Mozambique have announced plans to evacuate their citizens.

Nigeria is reportedly considering severing diplomatic ties in the mistaken belief that the attacks are aimed mainly at its nationals.
The United Nations High Commissioner for
Refugees says most victims targeted are refugees and asylum seekers who are forced to leave their countries due to war and persecution.

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