Photo : Austria, Belgium, and Germany halts asylum application process. Source: Fehim Demir/EPA-EFE
By Neha Tresa George
REGIONAL
EU countries halt asylum applications of Syrians following the fall of Assad
On 09 December, Politico reported on the European countries’ plan to deport Syrians from their countries following the fall of Syria’s dictator Bashar Assad. Austria, Belgium, France, Greece, the UK and Germany halted asylum applications from Syria. Austria’s Interior Minister Gerhard Karner said: “I have instructed the ministry to prepare an orderly return and deportation program to Syria.” Following the US’s decision to list Syrian rebel factions, led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) under terrorist organisations, these countries altered their migration policies, closing all their borders to asylum seekers. Meanwhile, this decision was considered hasty by the refugee rights and aid organisations. According to them, Syrian refugees had the right to seek asylum amidst uncertainties in their country. Even ahead of the fall of Assad, European countries found it difficult to manage the refugees. Germany saw the most number of asylum seekers from Syria in 2024. The governments seek to have a better relationship with Syria, paving the way for the deportation of Syrians. (Seb Starcevic, Dan Bloom, Nektaria Stamouli and Andrew McDonald, “Austria prepares to deport Syrian migrants after Assad regime falls,” Politico, 09 December 2024)
FRANCE
President Macron calls for cross-party talks to discuss new executive
On 08 December, Le Monde reported on the decision of France’s President Emmanuel Macron to call for “cross-party talks.” According to him, this meeting intended to “form or make a government of national interest.” His office stated that only the members keen to compromise had been invited to the meeting, leaving out the far-right Rassemblement National (RN) and hard-left La France Insoumise (LFI). The other party members were invited to Macron’s Elysee Palace. This meeting points out that a new executive will not come into place quickly as the country faces a political crisis. Politicians have also called for Macron’s resignation after the no-confidence vote’s success. However, he has pledged to complete his tenure, promising “30 months of useful action.” The allies have warned Macron against the current uncertainties prevailing in the country. They believe the upcoming Prime Minister should be “compatible with the left.” Meanwhile, the RN’s head Jordan Bardella, slammed Macron’s decision to exclude them. (“Macron calls for cross-party talks to form new government,” Le Monde, 08 September 2024)
NORWAY
A ship carrying military supplies ran aground off the southwest coast
On 09 December, a cargo ship known as Finland Seaways carrying Norwegian weapons to Poland were grounded in the Karmsundet Strait, near Haugesund, located north of Stavanger in southwest Norway. The ship carrying military supplies also included fighter jets, military personnel and a NASAMS air defence system to support Rzeszow’s airport in Poland, a primary logistics centre for NATO. Since it ran aground, there was a delay in transferring this equipment to Poland. The extreme winds also made it difficult to move the vessel. However, there were no reports of injuries. The ship captain confirmed that all 23 crew members were safe and did not need an evacuation. Norway’s Defense Force also investigated the incident in collaboration with the Norwegian Coast Guard and Maritime Safety Authority. They also plan to change the ship to carry on the delivery. (“Ship Carrying Essential Military Supplies For Poland Runs Aground Off Norway,” Marine Sight, 09 December 2024)
THE UK
Community faces electricity outages and travel disruptions following Storm Darragh
On 09 December, BBC reported on the flood warnings in the UK. Following Storm Darragh, the cities faced electricity outages and travel disruptions. Last week, two men died as a result of falling trees. The train operators were also informed of the continued disruption in rail networks. Around 102 flood warnings continue across the regions of England and Wales. According to the Energy Networks Association in the UK, about 66,000 customers were devoid of power despite 97 per cent of them getting reconnected. The Northern Ireland Electricity Networks also reported on electricity outages in the area. However, community centres provided the concerned people with hot drinks and charging facilities. (André Rhoden-Paul, “Flood warnings as thousands without power after Storm Darragh,” BBC, 09 December 2024)
Prime Minister Starmer expresses speculation on removing HTS from terrorist groups
On 10 December, BBC reported on the statements made by the Prime Minister of the UK, Keir Starmer on the decision to remove the Syrian rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) from a list of banned terrorist groups. Earlier, cabinet minister Pat McFadden said the UK could remove the group from the list. However, Starmer said that it was far “too early” to decide on a policy change. He said that this should be a “peaceful opportunity and better future” for Syria. He said: “We’ve got to make sure this is different.” The UK’s Foreign Secretary David Lammy also said that the country would assess HTS by their actions on how they treat civilians. The UK government also announced a package of EUR 11 million humanitarian aid to Syria. They believe the package would help more than 370000 people displaced by the upheaval. (George Wright & André Rhoden-Paul, “George Wright & André Rhoden-Paul,” BBC, 10 December 2024)
REGIONAL
EU struggles to compete with the US over search engines and digital infrastructure
On 09 December, Deutsche Welle reported on the EU’s reliance on the US search engines. 90 per cent of Europeans rely on the US’s Google, while five per cent use Microsoft’s Bing. CEO of Germany’s largest search engine Ecosia Christian Kroll, said: “If the US turned off access to search results tomorrow, we would have to go back to phone books.” Since the US companies were making access to search engines more expensive, there was increasing speculation about the upcoming US President Donald Trump and its effects on the EU’s tech sector. Ecosia and a French company Qwant are set to launch a European web index called European Search Perspective in 2025. They suggest that the engine should be more relevant to Europeans. The engine points out one popular trend in the EU, called “digital sovereignty.” The company argues that the EU needs to manage primary digital infrastructures and services to minimise its dependence on other global powers. However, the growing modifications in search infrastructure like AI pose numerous challenges to the EU’s ideas. Moreover, the US companies have greater access to investors, which marks greater competition for European companies. (Alex Matthews, “Can Europe build itself a rival to Google?,” Deutsche Welle, 09 December 2024)