Daily Archives: March 31, 2020

2020-03-31: News Headlines

RT (2020-03-31). Iran-Turkey gas pipeline stops functioning after 'terrorist' attack — gas company official (VIDEO). rt.com A senior official with Iran's state gas company has alleged that terrorists were behind an explosion and massive fire on the pipeline transporting natural gas from the Islamic Republic to Turkey. | "This morning, terrorists attacked a natural gas pipeline inside Turkey near Iran's Bazargan border with Turkey," National Iranian Gas Company (NIGC) Dispatching Director Mehdi Jamshidi Dana said on Tuesday, as cited by Reuters. | The official told IRNA that fighters from the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), a guerilla group active in eastern Turkey, have attacked the pipeline in the past. NIGC spokesperson Mohammad…

RT (2020-03-31). British Airways suspends all flights from London's second largest airport Gatwick. rt.com Under mounting pressure due to the coronavirus crisis, British Airways says it has been forced to temporarily suspend flights from the UK's second largest airport Gatwick amid an ongoing battle for survival. | That's after airlines have been forced to mothball their fleets due to a drop in passenger demand and border restrictions. | "Due to the considerable restrictions and challenging market environment, like many other airlines, we will temporarily suspend our flying schedule at Gatwick," the airline said in a statement. | On Monday, airline EasyJet grounded all of its 330 planes, without specifying a date o…

WSWS (2020-03-31). Growing protests in US immigrant detention centers over coronavirus pandemic. wsws.org Detainees have stepped up their protests against unsanitary conditions over the very real fear of coronavirus spreading rapidly through the vast immigration detention network in the US.

commondreams (2020-03-31). Amnesty International USA and LIRS launch "Hope Can't Be Quarantined" campaign to help immigrants and asylum-seekers held in detention during the COVID-19 crisis. commondreams.org ______________________________…

Fight Back (2020-03-31). Many immigrants left out of pandemic aid acts. fightbacknews.org San José, CA – Many immigrants won't be able to get help from the bipartisan COVID-19 pandemic aid bills passed by Congress and signed by President Trump. More than 4 million undocumented immigrants who are paying taxes with an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number, or ITIN, will not qualify for the $1200 per person benefit because they have no Social Security number. Another 5 million American citizen children with undocumented parents also will not get the $500 per child benefit. | Legal immigrants and naturalized citizens tend to have lower incomes than native-born Americans. People whose income is low en…

The Canary (2020-03-31). Visas extended for overseas doctors, nurses and paramedics fighting virus in UK. thecanary.co Doctors, nurses and paramedics from abroad are to have their visas extended so they can "focus on fighting coronavirus". | The extension will apply to around 2,800 migrant health professionals who are working for the NHS and have UK work visas which are due to expire before 1 October. | They will be renewed automatically for a year free of charge so they can remain working in the country, the Home Office said. | The changes will also apply to their family members. | Restrictions have also been lifted on how many hours international student doctors and nurses can work for the NHS per week, according to an announce…

sputniknews (2020-03-31). Indian Railways to Turn 20,000 Coaches Into Isolation Wards Capable of Holding 320,000 COVID Cases. sputniknews.com New Delhi (Sputnik): Earlier this week, amid a national lockdown, coronavirus cases crossed the 1,000-infected threshold in India. Some analysts view the exodus of migrant workers back to their hometowns, the untended slums, and a population with little awareness of the disease as a ticking time bomb that could cause a literal virus explosion.

yenisafak (2020-03-31). Panicked residents call police on Chinese man strolling without mask in Turkey. yenisafak.com Panicked residents in Turkey's eastern Kars province on Tuesday called the police upon spotting a Chinese man taking a stroll in the city's most bustling area without wearing a face mask.The man, who had arrived in Kars from Erzurum, was convinced by medical teams to wear a mask and a pair of gloves.The man was later persuaded to hand over his bag to the police after security members pleaded with him for some time.He was later taken to a hospital where he was tested for coronavirus and then transferred to the migration department.It is not yet clear whether the man tested positive for coronavirus.After first appe…

Tasnim News (2020-03-31). Blast Halts Iran's Gas Exports to Turkey. iranian.com Iran's natural gas exports to Turkey have stopped following an explosion on a pipeline near their joint border, an official at the National Iranian Gas Company (NIGC) said on Tuesday. "The explosion occurred near the Iranian border, causing gas to be halted from 6: 50 (0320 GMT) this morning," Mehdi Jamshidi-Dana said, Press TV reported. The …

pip.hinman (2020-03-31). Government inaction puts staff and inmates in immigration detention at risk. greenleft.org.au

Eoin Higgins, staff writer (2020-03-31). 'Pandemics Know No Borders': Democrats Call on Trump Admin to Suspend Sanctions on Iran During Coronavirus Outbreak. commondreams.org "We need to cancel all economic sanctions during this crisis." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/iran_8.jpg

RT (2020-03-30). European Commission urges states to open borders to seasonal farm workers. rt.com EU countries should allow the hundreds of thousands of seasonal migrant workers who plant or harvest crops to cross borders despite national measures to contain the coronavirus, the European Commission said on Monday. | States across the 27-nation European Union have set up border controls to stem the spread of the virus, but with the side effect of delaying food and medical supplies, as well as cross-border workers. | The EU executive last week urged EU countries to limit to 15 minutes the time it takes for goods traffic to cross a border. However, some crossings into and out of Hungary had jams of up to 4km…

RT (2020-03-30). WATCH: Migrant workers & their families forced to take open-air CHEMICAL BATH in Indian city. rt.com Horrifying video has emerged online showing migrant workers entering the Indian city of Bareilly being forced to undergo a humiliating public disinfection in which authorities doused entire groups with sanitizer solution. | The migrants were fully clothed and had their luggage with them when they were asked to keep their eyes closed while officials in biohazard protection suits hosed them down with chlorine mixed with water at a checkpoint on the outskirts of the city. | Who r u trying to kill, Corona or humans? Migrant labourers and their families were forced to take bath in chemical solution upon their entry…

RT (2020-03-30). 'No such plan': Modi govt dismisses report it's considering extension of coronavirus lockdown beyond April 14. rt.com New Delhi has denied that it has been considering an extension of the 21-day lockdown for a week, with fears mounting that a massive migrant exodus is bound to undermine the effect of the measure. | India has been in a state of a complete lockdown since March 25, after Indian PM Narendra Modi announced sweeping restrictions on movement and ordered all non-essential commerce to shut down. | Public transport came to a screeching halt, with most states banning inter-state bus routes, railway lines and, in some cases, private transport, including buses and auto-rickshaws. While the measure was aimed at emptying th…

commondreams (2020-03-30). As Federal Judge Weighs Release of Children in Immigration Detention, COVID-19 Risks Grow. commondreams.org ______________________________…

WSWS (2020-03-30). Trump administration and Mexican government collaborate to deny life-saving care to refugees with HIV. wsws.org HIV-positive immigrants seeking asylum in the United States, who face a growing shortage of key medication in Mexico to maintain their compromised immune systems, must now also contend with a growing coronavirus epidemic.

teleSUR (2020-03-30). Outcry as Migrants in India Are Sprayed With Disinfectant. telesurenglish.net Health workers in India caused outrage Monday on social media after spraying a group of migrant workers with chemical disinfectant, amid fears that a massive displacement of people from cities to the countryside could spread the novel coronavirus. | RELATED: | A video that circulated online showed a group of migrant workers in a district in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh being doused in disinfectant by health offic…

sputniknews (2020-03-30). Magnitude 5.6 Earthquake Hits Colombia-Ecuador Border – US Geological Survey. sputniknews.com MOSCOW (Sputnik) – A magnitude 5.6 earthquake was registered on Monday at the border of Colombia and Ecuador, the US Geological Survey said.

sputniknews (2020-03-30). Saudi-led Coalition in Yemen Carries Out Several Strikes on Sanaa – Reports. sputniknews.com On 29 March, the Saudi military shot down three rockets during attempted strikes on the capital city of Riyadh and the port city of Jazan, near the border with Yemen, the broadcaster Al-Arabiya reported.

sputniknews (2020-03-30). COVID-19: Mass Migration of Workers is a Potential Time Bomb in India, Top Chest Surgeon Says. sputniknews.com New Delhi (Sputnik): Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has apologised to the people of the country for imposing a 21-day lockdown which has led to the mass exodus of thousands of migrant labourers. Workers across the country have marched to their hometowns as the world's biggest lockdown has left them jobless due to the closure of factories.

yenisafak (2020-03-30). Over 20,000 migrant workers stuck in Kashmir due to COVID-19. yenisafak.com In the wake of growing COVID-19 cases in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir, many migrant workers who are stuck in the region are making desperate appeals to the government for food and transportation.Musharraf Shareef, a worker from the eastern Indian state of Bihar is stuck in Srinagar, the main city of the region, with a group of over seven people who have no food and money, and are fending for themselves.Shareef is among many other migrant workers stuck in the region after a lockdown was announced by the government in the wake of COVID-19 outbreak. | "We earn from our day labor and then eat. When you do no…

teleSUR (2020-03-29). Portugal Grants Citizens' Rights to Migrants During Pandemic. telesurenglish.net The current socialist government in Portugal decided to grant citizenship rights to all migrants and asylum seekers with pending residency applications from Monday until July 1 at least due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the country's authorities announced Saturday. | RELATED: | The decision aims at ensuring that migrants can access services during the COVID-19 crisis, including the national health service, welfare benefits, bank a…

Joe Parkin Daniels (2020-03-28). [World Report] Venezuelan migrants "struggling to survive" amid COVID-19. thelancet.com Humanitarian organisations are concerned that border closures and health-care shortages are amplifying the challenges posed by COVID-19. Joe Parkin Daniels reports from Bogotá.

news.un (2020-03-28). First Person: False promises in Mauritania. news.un.org Women and girls face particular challenges as migrants, whatever their reason for leaving their country of origin. UN agencies are learning more about these difficulties, and how to address them.

Fight Back (2020-03-28). The U.S. should be working with China to end the Pandemic, Not provoking a new cold war. fightbacknews.org Fight Back News Service is circulating the statement from the MN Anti-War Committee. | The worldwide COVID-19 pandemic is the greatest global crisis since World War 2. Millions may die in the coming weeks as the coronavirus spreads exponentially on every continent, irrespective of national borders. Hospital systems will be overwhelmed, supply chains will be stretched, shortages will be widespread, and impacts will be universal. Humanity will be united like never before, in struggle against an unprecedented public health threat. | Unfortunately, the Trump administration seems hellbent on using this crisis to furth…

Rami Almeghari (2020-03-28). Israeli Troops Open Fire on Palestinian Farmer in Southern Gaza. imemc.org Israeli troops opened fire at Palestinian farmers and shepherds, early on Saturday, near the border fence in eastern Khan Younis city, southern Gaza Strip, according to local sources. Local Palestinian media sources and witnesses said that Israeli troops, stationed on the Israeli side of the border, opened their machine guns …

RT (2020-03-27). US quietly seeks out foreign doctors to fight Covid-19 pandemic. rt.com As the entire world has become the frontline of the fight against the Covid-19 coronavirus, the US State Department is headhunting foreign doctors to assist the US, promising they can skip to the front of the immigration queue. | In a message posted on its website on Thursday night, Foggy Bottom encouraged medical professionals who have already applied for US visas — "particularly those working to treat or mitigate the effects of Covid-19" — to contact their nearest US embassy or consulate for an appointment. Those already in the US have been offered visa extensions. | We encourage medical profession…

Conn Hallinan (2020-03-27). How austerity and anti-immigrant politics left Italy exposed to viral blitzkrieg. peoplesworld.org As the viral blitzkrieg rolls across one European border after another, it seems to have a particular enmity for Italy. The country's death toll has far surpassed China's, and scenes from its hospitals look like something out of Dante's imagination. Why? Italy has the fourth-largest economy in the European Union, and in terms of health …

splcenter (2020-03-27). Weekend Read: SPLC demands ICE act amid pandemic to save the lives of countless immigrants trapped in its crowded detention centers. splcenter.org As COVID-19 continues to spread around the world, tens of thousands of immigrants, many of whom came to this country seeking asylum, seem to have been forgotten by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) — the agency holding them captive with no way to protect themselves.

news.un (2020-03-27). Migrants in Hawaii care for the elderly, the aloha way. news.un.org Migrants are playing an increasingly important role in the provision of health care around the world. The number of doctors, nurses and other medical professionals who move from developing countries to take up posts in developed countries is expected to rise as the global population of older persons and children continues to grow.

Staff (2020-03-27). Headlines for March 27, 2020. democracynow.org U.S. Leads World in Reported COVID-19 Cases as Hospitalizations Surge, Trump Doubts New York City's Need for 30,000 Life-Saving Ventilators, Politico: President Trump Failed to Follow Pandemic Playbook, Squandering Precious Time, Detroit and Chicago Join New Orleans as U.S. Coronavirus Hot Spots, House to Vote on Record-Shattering $2.2 Trillion Coronavirus Relief Package, Three Unaccompanied Migrant Children Test Positive for COVID-19, Jailed Asylum Seekers Stage Hunger Strike, Demanding Release During Pandemic, Activists Demand Release of Aging Prisoners as Coronavirus Spreads, Hospitals in Spain and Italy on th…

teleSUR (2020-03-27). Three Unaccompanied Migrant Children Test Positive for COVID-19. telesurenglish.net Three unaccompanied migrant children have tested positive for COVID-19 as they remain in the custody of the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) in New York. | RELATED: | Five staff members and one staff contractor at three separate facilities in New York also recently tested positive. Still, the agency says it will continue to hold separated children in its custody until quarantines at ORR facilities are lifted. | This come…

Pat Buchanan (2020-03-27). Foreign Policy: Can This Pandemic Usher In A New Era? iranian.com To fight the coronavirus at home, France is removing all military forces from Iraq. When NATO scaled back its war games in Europe because of the pandemic, Russia reciprocated. Moscow announced it would cancel its war games along NATO's border. Nations seem to be recognizing and responding to the grim new geostrategic reality of March …

Ashoka Mukpo (2020-03-26). Asylum Seekers Stranded in Mexico Face a New Danger: COVID-19. aclu.org Since the Trump administration first unrolled its policy of

Ken Klippenstein (2020-03-26). The Coronavirus Is Trump's Latest Excuse to Militarize the Border. thenation.com The Coronavirus Is Trump's Latest Excuse to Militarize the Border…

news.un (2020-03-26). Helping migrant shipwreck survivors to deal with trauma. news.un.org Every year, migrants embarking on sea-crossings see their journey end in tragedy: those who survive and return home can struggle to cope with daily life, and need support. To help migrant returnees, the UN has a range of programs aimed at tackling the mental health side-effects of trauma.

splcenter (2020-03-25). SPLC and allies seek federal court injunction in system-wide suit to protect people detained by ICE from contracting COVID-19. splcenter.org The SPLC and its allies asked a federal court today to issue a preliminary injunction requiring that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) take immediate steps to protect people in its custody, particularly those who have medical conditions making them more susceptible to serious illness and death from COVID-19.

news.un (2020-03-25). UN rights chief urges quick action by governments to prevent devastating impact of COVID-19 in places of detention. news.un.org COVID-19 has begun to strike in prisons, jails and immigration detention centres, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet warned on Wednesday, as she urged Governments "not to forget hose behind bars" and to protect those working in closed facilities in their overall efforts to contain the pandemic…

Staff (2020-03-25). Headlines for March 25, 2020. democracynow.org Senate and White House Reach Agreement on $2 Trillion Coronavirus Relief Bill, NY Governor Blasts Trump's Coronavirus Response, Asking "Where Are the Ventilators?", Two Georgia Medical Workers Die of COVID-19 Amid Critical Shortage of Protective Gear, California Seeks to Add 50,000 Hospital Beds Ahead of COVID-19 Peak, Washington to Inspect Nursing Homes After 37 Die of Coronavirus at Life Care Center, Minnesota Lt. Gov.'s Brother Dies of COVID-19; Sen. Klobuchar's Husband Hospitalized, Defying Medical Advice, Trump Calls for Return to Normal and "Packed Churches" on Easter Sunday, U.S. Immigration Agencies Quara…

Staff (2020-03-23). Former ICE Director: Release Immigrants from Detention or COVID-19 Will Spread Like Wildfire Inside. democracynow.org Alarm is growing about the safety of more than 37,000 people held in immigrant detention centers and private jails that contract with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, where it is nearly impossible for them to avoid close contact to stop the spread of the coronavirus. Nearly half of those detained by ICE are accused of no crime other than civil immigration violations. Immigrants at three jails in New Jersey are now on hunger strikes over unsanitary conditions that put them at high risk during the pandemic.‚Ä®‚Ä® We hear from a detained person on hunger strike and speak wit…

Andrea Flores (2020-03-20). How the ACLU Organized to end Racial Profiling on Greyhound Buses. aclu.org Two years ago, the ACLU set a clear goal: push Greyhound to refuse Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers access to their buses to conduct warrantless searches. As part of the Trump administration's immigration crackdown, CBP officers were targeting bus passengers around the country, boarding their buses to racially profile, harass, and too often, detain people who they suspected of being undocumented. Of course, you can't tell someone's immigration status by how they look or sound — this practice is unconstitutional and blatantly racist. By pushing aggressively with the help of our membership and…

splcenter (2020-03-20). COVID-19 Updates: SPLC continues fight against injustice. splcenter.org We are only beginning to feel the impacts of the coronavirus, but we know that the communities we serve — including low-income people, immigrants and people of color — are already among the most affected.

Michael Edison Hayden and Hannah Gais (2020-03-20). As White House Contemplates Coronavirus Asylum Ban, Hate Groups Urge Trump to Seize the Moment. splcenter.org The Trump administration took steps to block asylum seekers from entering the U.S.-Mexico border amid the COVID-19 pandemic. This nativist policy course has been pushed by anti-immigrant pundits and hate groups from the time the crisis started to unfold.

Hatewatch Staff (2020-03-19). California Anti-Immigrant Activist Robin Hvidston Seeking State Assembly Seat. splcenter.org Robin Hvidston, a longtime anti-immigrant activist, is running as a Republican for a California Assembly seat in District 41.

Shaw Drake (2020-03-18). The Military Should not be Searching Cars or Checking Documents at the Border. aclu.org There's an old saying that goes, "When all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail." This adage is especially applicable to the Trump administration's approach toward border policy, which is ever more militarized. On March 6th, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials

Ashley Gorski (2020-03-12). The Government Has a Secret Plan to Track Everyone's Faces at Airports. We're Suing. aclu.org U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Transportation Security Administration are putting us on an extraordinarily dangerous path toward the normalization of face surveillance. But because key facts about this surveillance are still secret, the public lacks the information it needs to hold these agencies to account. We're