A group of migrant workers were promised well-paid construction jobs but were instead handed over to the Russian military. After only 21 days of training, they were sent to the battlefield. Seventeen reportedly died on their first day of deployment. One returned home severely injured after crawling kilometres to safety. Two suspected traffickers have been arrested.
Following the entry into force of new EU regulations providing for facilities in third countries, Astana and Tashkent are being cited as possible locations. These proposals are linked to their proximity to Afghanistan and the availability of vast tracts of land. Brussels would offer visa facilitation in return. However, the two countries in question have denied the reports, partly due to domestic opposition.
Out of 107 recorded cases, 43, or about 40 per cent, involve parliament. This is the highest figure in the last 11 years, when the survey began. For the report, it is "a mirror held up to our society." Meanwhile, the arrest of a journalist is fuelling fears about freedom of the press and information.
In the latest instalment of AsiaNews' reportage in the Vicariate of Northern Arabia, Fr Paulraj Devaraj shares his testimony. A “multicultural” community looks on with concern at regional tensions, from Gaza to Iran. There is “greater sensitivity” among the faithful, many of whom have “family and friends affected by the war”. The parish alone is the “centre” of activities, with numerous pastoral challenges.
The flood hit the Free Trade Zone area hard, where textile production for global markets is concentrated. Workers, who often live in dormitories without even being registered, have lost everything. The associations that are taking care of them have appealed to the government in Colombo: “Abandoned by everyone, they need ad hoc interventions.”
UN experts are urging Dhaka and Kuala Lumpur to dismantle fraudulent recruitment networks and protect migrants from abuse. Growing indebtedness is a major factor. Migrants from Bangladesh are the largest group of foreign workers, with more than 800,000 active work permit holders as of June this year, or 37 per cent of the total foreign workforce.
According to a report, at least 600 workers have been without a salary for months. Those who protested were arrested and detained, then released. The "actual number" of those who are not paid "could be significantly higher", expert said. A source: "We didn't know that calling for a strike was a crime. They accused us of trying to overthrow the state.”
In a lengthy report, Sixth Tone explores how emigration from China to Papua New Guinea has changed. The Oceanic country is a major destination for infrastructure projects, mining, and construction. While some immigrants are trying to integrate with the local community, others keep their distance fearful of robberies and holdups.
According to UNHCR, in just under nine months, over 200,000 have chosen to return. Some for the first time since 2011. For the authorities in Beirut, the departures “lighten” the Land of the Cedars from a “substantial demographic burden”. But there is also a counter-exodus: from Alawites fleeing the coast to Christians who dream of leaving after the attack on the church in Damascus.
Since the beginning of July, all refugees who fled the Taliban regime in 2021 have been receiving text messages ordering them to leave Tajikistan within 15 days. Those living in the country legally and many former collaborators of the pro-Western government in Kabul are also targeted. There are reports of men, women and children being loaded onto small buses. This crackdown comes on top of others already in place against Afghan exiles in Pakistan and Iran.
The Holy See Press Office today released the pontiff's message for the World Day of Migrants and Refugees, which the Church will celebrate on 4-5 October during their Jubilee. Migrants “face adversity while seeking a future in which they glimpse the integral human development”. Catholic migrants “can help revitalize ecclesial communities that have become rigid and weighed down,” and should be welcomed as “a true divine blessing”.
The body of Nattapong Pinta, a Thai farm worker who died soon after he was captured, was recovered over the weekend. In Thailand, the authorities expressed their sadness over the death. The sister of another hostage, Bipin Joshi, from Nepal, issued an appeal for his release, but his fate remains uncertain. In Israel, the Israeli parliament (Knesset) is set to vote on Wednesday on a motion to dissolve it over the issue of military service for Haredi Jews.
Women who acquired nationality through marriage particularly affected. Ordinary workers, entrepreneurs, and celebrities—including singers and actors—also targeted. Human rights activists and organisations express concern. In March, Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah pledged to ‘cleanse Kuwait of impurities’ and return the nation to its ‘original people’.
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