Europe, Africa to work together on migration crisis

The leaders of seven European and African nations on Monday agreed to tighten border controls and grant asylum to vulnerable migrants in response to the crisis of persistent illegal migration across the Mediterranean Sea.

French President Emmanuel Macron described the summit as the most effective and far-reaching in months and called the migration crisis a “problem that concerns us all and that cannot be solved without us all.”

The leaders of France, Germany, Italy, and Spain agreed to help Chad and Niger settle “particularly vulnerable migrants” in Europe. Those whose names appear on an eligibility list provided by the United Nations refugee agency and who are registered with authorities in Chad and Niger would be allowed to immigrate legally to Europe. The nations also pledged to help African countries with border control in a bid to curtail the flow of migrants passing through Libya.

Countries like France and Italy have employed individual policies in responding to the crisis. The Italian government has backed up Libya’s coast guard patrol and rescue efforts. The country also spearheaded the release of a code of conduct for search and rescue operators off the Libyan coast. Several of the operators said the requirements created a hostile environment and suspended their efforts. The number of migrants arriving in Italy from Libya via the Mediterranean dropped by 70 percent in July and August compared to last year. But aid groups have warned the reduction could mean more migrants remain stranded at unsafe camps in war-torn Libya.

The migrants also seek out alternate passages. The route from Morocco to Spain has seen an increase this year. The International Organization for Migration said Spain has taken in 8,385 migrants this year, more than all arrivals into the country recorded last year. Earlier in 2016, the route from Libya to Italy similarly witnessed an increase in activity after the European Union reached a deal with Turkey that significantly reduced activity on the Greek route.

African leaders present at the summit—the prime minister of Libya’s UN-backed government, Fayez al-Sarraj; Nigerien President Mahamadou Issoufou; and Chadian President Idriss Deby—drew attention to poverty and lack of education as the lead drivers of migration toward Europe. They called for more help in fighting human trafficking.

Ebrahim Deen, an analyst with the Afro–Middle East Center in South Africa, said the summit’s resolution could have little effect since it still responds to the symptoms of migration and not the causes. Deen said processing migrants for asylum requires time and temporary housing as they await confirmation. The process could trigger more abuse and corruption, he said.

“It needs to be a process that’s more transparent and focuses on instability and other root causes,” Deen said.

Pakistani Christian teen remains jailed

Pakistani police continue to detain a Christian teenager for allegedly burning pages of a Quran despite mounting evidence of his innocence.

A Muslim man accused 16-year-old Asif Masih of burning Quranic pages from a book he took from an Islamic shrine in the remote village of Jamkay Cheema on Aug. 20, according to World Watch Monitor. A mob formed and attacked Masih, trying to beat and kill him even after police intervened.

“Until [police] arrived, Asif was still being beaten up and, out of fear, confessed that he had burned the pages,” Waheed Masih, Asif’s uncle, told World Watch Monitor.

Asif’s family insists the Quran-burning incident never happened and said the boy is illiterate and has learning difficulties. They blamed the accusation on a “business rivalry.”

Others in the community disputed the charges. One imam claimed he witnessed the desecration at the shrine at the same time he would have been leading prayers at his own mosque 2 kilometers away. False accusations of blasphemy or Quran desecration are common in Pakistan, and innocent people are often punished, according to Amnesty International.

“Once a person is accused, they become ensnared in a system that offers them few protections, presumes them guilty, and fails to safeguard them against people willing to use violence,” Audrey Gaughran, Amnesty International’s director of global issues, said in 2016.

The Islamic government of Pakistan can punish Quran desecration with life in prison, and a blasphemy conviction carries a death sentence, although officials have not yet executed anyone for blasphemy. —Julia A. Seymour

Guatemala in political turmoil

Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales on Monday reversed his calls to expel a United Nations anticorruption chief after his decision elicited a court ruling, protests, and international condemnation.

Morales on Sunday released a video on Twitter declaring Ivan Velasquez persona non grata and asking that he leave the country immediately. He also fired Foreign Minister Carlos Raul Morales for failing to carry out the expulsion. Earlier on Friday, Velasquez and Guatemala’s chief prosecutor, Thelma Aldana, announced they were working on stripping President Morales’ immunity to pursue an investigation into campaign finance violations. They said Morales has failed to account for more than $800,000 in campaign funds.

The country’s Constitutional Court temporarily blocked the order and at least three protests have taken place in Guatemala City. On Monday, Morales wrote on his Facebook page that he “will respect the decisions of the other branches of government. —O.O.

Sierra Leone mudslide death toll at 1,000

Local leaders now estimate the death toll of deadly mudslides outside the capital of Sierra Leone at more than 1,000 people. Elenoroh Jokomie Metzger of Regent, an area on the outskirts of Freetown, confirmed the casualties and said it might be impossible to verify the exact number of deaths. The Rev. Bishop Emeritus Arnold Temple, who delivered a Sunday sermon at a Methodist church near Regent, called on authorities to verify the actual number of casualties for accountability and to ensure corrective measures are put in place. Authorities already have carried out mass burials for many of the dead. Thousands of people living in high-risk zones have been evacuated as the country anticipates more rains. —O.O.

Nepal reins in religious freedom

The Parliament of Nepal earlier this month passed a bill criminalizing religious conversion and the “hurting of religious sentiment.” The pending law states anyone, including foreign visitors, who seeks to convert another person could face up to five years in prison. Anyone who hurts religious sentiment could face a two-year prison sentence and a $31 fine. Alliance Defending Freedom said Nepalese President Bidhya Devi Bandar is expected to sign the bill into law this week. In a statement, the advocacy non-profit organization compared the bill to blasphemy laws in Pakistan and said such laws could be abused to harass minorities: “The new anti–religious freedom laws that Nepal’s government wants to adopt do not comply with international law and the human rights treaties the country has signed.” –O.O.

Child suicide bombers on the rise in Nigeria

The United Nations children agency said the number of children used as “human bombs” in northeast Nigeria this year has increased four times over all of last year. Some 83 children have detonated suicide bombs since the start of this year, the majority of them girls, according to UNICEF. At the end of last year, the agency reported 19 children had been used as suicide bombers. UNICEF said Islamic extremist group Boko Haram has sometimes, but not always, claimed responsibility for the attacks. The situation has created increased fear and suspicion among children either rescued or released by the terror group, according to a UNICEF statement: “Many children who have managed to get away from captivity face rejection when they try to reintegrate into their communities, compounding their suffering,” —O.O.