Asylum processing centres could be placed on disused ferries, reports say

Asylum seeking migrants could be processed on disused ferries moored off the coast, according to reports. The suggestion came after it was also claimed that the UK was considering sending migrants to centres in Papua New Guinea, Moldova, or Morocco. Government sources refused to be drawn on the reports, stating that the UK was examining […]

At Ramadan, migrants in Europe dream of family and comfort food

As Ramadan began in Germany on Monday, Syrian asylum seeker Khairallah Swaid said he would pray for a reunion with his wife, who is stranded at a camp in Greece, and crave his mother’s makloubeh, a meat and rice dish served during the fasting month. The Muslim holy month that began this year on June […]

Meet Finland’s new anti-Islam street movement

Europe’s continued anxieties towards the refugee crisis has allowed fringe groups to exploit tensions. Finland’s “Soldiers of Odin” is one such example. This ‘street patrol’ movement promises to protect native Finns from immigrants and Muslims.  It considers itself “a patriotic organisation fighting for white Finland”. They claim that Islam causes insecurity and increased crime. At protests they have carried signs that read “Migrants not welcome”. You can trace the origins of the movement to a protest in the town of Kemi, near the northern city of Tornio, last October. Its founder Mika Rana, justified their patrols under the guise of security. Social media allowed the movement to connect online. And share their anxieties (and hatred) of different cultures. A Facebook post alleging that asylum seekers housed near a school in Kemi had spied on young girls brought them onto the streets. Rana’s own social media account reveals his white supremacist beliefs. His Facebook ‘likes’ include Holocaust denial, nostalgia for Nazism, and a ‘Stop Islam’ page. The Internet has always enabled far-right ideologues and groups to disseminate materials with ease. Social media serves to intensify the process. And it allows groups to mirror other far-right groups across Europe. Take for example, [...]

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