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The Star
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Star
Rights groups sue German ministers over deportation of Afghans from Pakistan
FILE PHOTO: German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock attends the London Sudan conference, marking the two-year anniversary of the Sudan conflict, at Lancaster House, in London, Britain April 15, 2025. REUTERS/Isabel Infantes/Pool/File Photo BERLIN (Reuters) -Advocacy groups filed a criminal case against Germany's foreign and interior ministers on Friday, accusing them of failing to protect Afghan nationals in Pakistan with German admission approvals from deportation to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan. Pakistan has begun deporting documented Afghan refugees ahead of a September 1 deadline, a move the United Nations warns could force more than one million to leave. Among those at risk are more than 2,000 Afghans approved for relocation to Germany under programmes for people deemed vulnerable under Taliban rule in Afghanistan. The relocations have been put on hold, pending a review by Germany's new conservative-led government as it tries to deliver on its election promise to curb migration. Refugee group PRO ASYL and the Patenschaftsnetzwerk Ortskraefte, a non-profit supporting former local staff who worked for Germany, filed a criminal complaint with Berlin prosecutors against Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul and Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt. By allowing Pakistan to deport Afghans already accepted into German resettlement programmes, they said, the ministers had committed "abandonment" and "failure to render assistance" to people at risk under Section 221 of the Criminal Code. They said more than 400 people approved for relocation to Germany had been arrested in Pakistan in recent weeks and 34 people had already been deported. Deportees face grave risks under Taliban rule, including imprisonment, mistreatment or execution, the groups said. Victoria Lies, a lawyer who represents several of those affected, said some of her clients had been separated from their families, and in one case, a girl had been sent back to Afghanistan alone. The foreign and interior ministries did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the lawsuit. However, Wadephul said on Friday his ministry was in "high-level contact with the Pakistani government to ensure the protection of these people and to provide rapid assistance to those who have been deported or arrested in recent days". The interior ministry has said it cannot provide a timeline to determine the future of the admission programme but expects decisions soon. The two NGOs' complaint builds on a July 8 legal opinion commissioned by them, which said German officials could be criminally liable if they fail to prevent the deportations. It adds to more than 80 lawsuits by affected Afghans seeking German government approval for their visas, with courts siding with them in some cases, though the interior ministry has appealed those rulings. (Reporting by Riham AlkousaaEditing by Gareth Jones)
Straits Times
09-07-2025
- Health
- Straits Times
EU aims to stockpile critical medical supplies for future crises
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox FILE PHOTO: Hadja Lahbib, European Commissioner for Preparedness, Crisis Management and Equality, attends the London Sudan conference, marking the two-year anniversary of the Sudan conflict, at Lancaster House, in London, Britain April 15, 2025. REUTERS/Isabel Infantes/Pool/File Photo BRUSSELS - The European Union aims to stockpile critical medical equipment and vaccines in case of future health crises and to set up a network to ease coordination among EU countries, European crisis chief Hadja Lahbib said on Wednesday. The 27-country bloc is scarred by the memory of the COVID-19 pandemic when it faced a shortage of vaccines and protective masks. "We need a long-term strategy to make sure that essential supplies that keep society running are always available," European Commissioner Lahbib told a news conference. Under the EU Stockpiling and Medical Countermeasures Strategies, the EU will draw up a priority list of medical equipment to be stockpiled in Europe, including vaccines, therapeutics, diagnostics, and personal protective equipment. The EU will double investments in the Health Emergency Preparedness and Response, known as HERA for short, to 200 million euros ($234 million) by 2027, Lahbib said. The scheme funds research and development projects. She said the European Commission will also launch a Medical Countermeasures Accelerator to serve as a one-stop shop to help companies access financing to develop health technologies. A European and Global Wastewater Sentinel System will be set up to collect samples from European airports to detect disease hotspots and monitor in real time the evolution of outbreaks. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Singapore to hire more than 1,000 new educators annually in the next few years, up from 700 Singapore COE prices rise for all categories Asia Malaysia confirms existence of document central to ex-PM Najib's house arrest bid, reports say Singapore Man who killed cats by throwing them off HDB blocks has jail term doubled to 27 months Singapore $43k fine for undischarged bankrupt doctor who failed to disclose assets worth over $4m Singapore Female primary school teacher charged over alleged sex acts with underage male student Singapore Goodbye fraudsters? Dating app Coffee Meets Bagel rolls out identity verification Asia Amid handshakes and familiar friends, Asean navigates tariffs and tension in KL Under a measure called the Medifence initiative, the EU will collaborate with NATO's Joint Health group to draw up a list of dual-use medical countermeasures - usable for both military and civilian purposes - such as antidotes and chemical protections. As part of the Stockpiling Strategy, the EU will develop a Stockpiling Network with member states to coordinate their initiatives and avoid duplicate funding. "We know that some countries are stockpiling on their own, but we don't know who has what. The first step is to exchange information," Lahbib said. REUTERS
The Star
09-07-2025
- Health
- The Star
EU aims to stockpile critical medical supplies for future crises
FILE PHOTO: Hadja Lahbib, European Commissioner for Preparedness, Crisis Management and Equality, attends the London Sudan conference, marking the two-year anniversary of the Sudan conflict, at Lancaster House, in London, Britain April 15, 2025. REUTERS/Isabel Infantes/Pool/File Photo BRUSSELS (Reuters) -The European Union aims to stockpile critical medical equipment and vaccines in case of future health crises and to set up a network to ease coordination among EU countries, European crisis chief Hadja Lahbib said on Wednesday. The 27-country bloc is scarred by the memory of the COVID-19 pandemic when it faced a shortage of vaccines and protective masks. "We need a long-term strategy to make sure that essential supplies that keep society running are always available," European Commissioner Lahbib told a news conference. Under the EU Stockpiling and Medical Countermeasures Strategies, the EU will draw up a priority list of medical equipment to be stockpiled in Europe, including vaccines, therapeutics, diagnostics, and personal protective equipment. The EU will double investments in the Health Emergency Preparedness and Response, known as HERA for short, to 200 million euros ($234 million) by 2027, Lahbib said. The scheme funds research and development projects. She said the European Commission will also launch a Medical Countermeasures Accelerator to serve as a one-stop shop to help companies access financing to develop health technologies. A European and Global Wastewater Sentinel System will be set up to collect samples from European airports to detect disease hotspots and monitor in real time the evolution of outbreaks. Under a measure called the Medifence initiative, the EU will collaborate with NATO's Joint Health group to draw up a list of dual-use medical countermeasures - usable for both military and civilian purposes - such as antidotes and chemical protections. As part of the Stockpiling Strategy, the EU will develop a Stockpiling Network with member states to coordinate their initiatives and avoid duplicate funding. "We know that some countries are stockpiling on their own, but we don't know who has what. The first step is to exchange information," Lahbib said. ($1 = 0.8536 euros) (Reporting by Milan Strahm; editing by Barbara Lewis)
