Tag Archives: British Isles & Western Europe

Nationality + Migration

Europe News | Migrants & Refugees

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European Commission announces €2.4 billion in funding support as transregional migration surge continues
  • The aid will be disbursed over six years, with the two countries most acutely affected to receive the largest share: €560 million for Italy and €473 million for Greece.
  • France will receive €27 million later in the month, and the U.K. already received €20 million in emergency aid in March.
  • France and the U.K. are expected to use the funding they have received to address the situation in Calais, the departure point for many migrants looking to cross into Britain.

Read the full story at Reuters.

Health + Ability

U.K. Feature | Autism

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The Autistix

Led by three members with disabilities along the autism spectrum, The Autistix are a U.K. indie band putting a spotlight on some of the great musical talent in the autism community. The Guardian profiles the group, their supportive families, and their sound.

View the video from the Guardian on YouTube.

Nationality + Migration

France Feature | Refugees

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Daily Life in the Calais Jungle

Image Credit: The Guardian
Image Credit: The Guardian

The Guardian trains its cameras on daily life the Calais Jungle refugee camp, where all-consuming existential worries and attempts to cross the border into the U.K. live alongside basic activities like food preparation, grabbing a shower, playing soccer, and attending religious services. Among these everyday activities, the Guardian traces some of the personal stories that brought individuals to Calais.

View the photo essay at the Guardian.

Gender, Race + Color + Ethnicity

U.K. News | Black British Men

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Black in London

Four years following the protests and riots that broke out following the death of black Londoner Mark Duggan, relations between the black community and law enforcement remain tense. Black men in particular express anxiety over police interactions and face targeting through stop-and-search policies. BuzzFeed News reflects on developments since Duggan’s death and the spaces black men turn to for camaraderie and relief.

“When you fail to make people in your country feel like the country belongs to them, you have riots.”

Read the full feature at BuzzFeed News.

(Image Credit: Shyamantha Asokan/BuzzFeed)

Nationality + Migration

France & U.K. News | Migrants

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Migrant situation in Calais deteriorates as French and British authorities bicker over responsibility
  • Reports indicate that more than 2,000 migrants have been taken from the Eurotunnel premises connecting France and the U.K. over the last few days, although a police union stated those numbers may be inflated due to migrants making multiple attempts.
  • One man was killed and another electrocuted during the surge in attempts, while 148 made it to the U.K. side and declared asylum.
  • While France demands more border and repatriation support from the U.K., around 5,000 migrants and refugees–mostly from Africa and the Middle East–have been living in poor conditions in camps around Calais.

“It was pandemonium. … They were pouring through holes in the fences and clinging on to the Eurotunnel trains.”

Read the full story at France 24.

(Image Credit: Philippe Huguen/AFP, via France 24)

Health + Ability

U.K. Perspectives | Schizophrenia

First Person: When Schizophrenia Arrives

Daniel Smith shares his experience of the arrival of acute schizophrenia in his life, from the early warning signs through his first psychotic break to treatment and management.  Providing a glimpse of the complex emotional development and life adjustments such an arrival catalyzes, Daniel discusses the importance of acceptance, ownership, and disclosure as a part of the management process.

“Being a master of disguise … is nothing to be proud of.”

Read Daniel’s personal account at VICE.

(Image Credit: Wellcome Images, via VICE)

Gender

U.K. Feature | Men

Britain’s New Dad

The Guardian examines the changing culture of fatherhood in the U.K., with new paid paternal leave, flexible work options, shared parenting practices, and changing cultural attitudes encouraging dads to take on more domestic and familial responsibilities.  As women continue to confront the question while gaining stronger footing in the workplace, men too are beginning to ask: can they have it all?

Read the feature at The Guardian.

(Image Credit: Matthew Farrant/The Guardian)

Nationality + Migration, Race + Color + Ethnicity, Religion + Belief

U.K. News | Hongkonger Immigrants

Hong Kong immigrants now constitute part of the largest ethnic minority in Northern Ireland after weathering the Troubles
  • Numbering between 6,000 and 8,000, Chinese immigrants are Northern Ireland’s largest minority, with the mostly Cantonese-speaking Hongkongers comprising around three-quarters of those immigrants.
  • The immigrants began arriving just before the start of Northern Ireland’s three decades of ethno-political conflict, remaining religiously neutral during the conflict that turned sectarian at times.
  • Now, residents thrive as restauranteurs, students, and politicians, including the UK’s first East Asian elected to a legislative body, and the Belfast Chinese Christian Church stands as a pillar of the growing Chinese evangelical community.

Read the full story at EJInsight.

(Image Credit: Mark O’Neill/EJI)

Sexual + Gender Minorities

U.K. News | LGB

New poll indicates significant support in Northern Ireland for legalization of same-sex marriage
  • The latest Ipsos MORI poll indicates 68% of adults in Northern Ireland support same-sex marriage, even higher than the 62.1% in favor in the Republic of Ireland at the time of its recently passed marriage referendum.
  • Support is highest among 16- to 34-year-olds at 82%, while 75% of those between 35 and 54 and 47% of those over 50 expressed favor.
  • Northern Ireland remains the only country in the British Isles where same-sex marriage is still illegal, with the constituent components of the U.K. left to establish their own marriage laws.

“The people have spoken and it’s clear they don’t want Northern Ireland to be left behind on marriage equality. … Continuing resistance to bringing Northern Ireland in step with all our neighbours is unacceptable. It’s high time Northern Ireland said a big ‘we do too’ to equality.”

Read the full story at the Belfast Telegraph.

(Image Credit: Kevin Scott/Presseye, via The Belfast Telegraph)

Nationality + Migration

Netherlands News | Black Aruban

Public assembly banned in Hague neighborhood as unrest swells following death of unarmed Aruban man during police arrest
  • Mitch Henriquez, a resident of the Dutch Caribbean island of Aruba, died of apparent asphyxiation from a chokehold while being arrested by The Hague police on Sunday after allegedly falsely claiming he had a gun.
  • Following more than 60 arrests and escalating violence, the mayor issued a temporary ban on public gatherings of more than three people and “dangerous objects” in the predominantly immigrant Schilderswijk district.
  • The Hague police department has come under fire from rights organizations, journalism investigations, and community members for its targeting of immigrants and foreigners.

Read the full story at Reuters.

Nationality + Migration

Netherlands Research | Immigrants

Amsterdam finds a quarter of immigrant residents dissatisfied with bilingual education in the city
  • The city council conducted a survey on the education of international workers’ children, finding the students distributed amongst traditional Dutch schools (45%), international schools (40%), and bilingual-stream schools (15%).
  • The city’s international schools were found to have significant barriers to entry including long waiting lists and high fees, with only 20% of employers providing financial assistance.
  • Primary schools will soon be able to offer 15% of lessons in English, French, or German in an effort to promote mutilingualism among young children.

Read the full story at DutchNews.

(Image Credit: File photo/DutchNews)

Sexual + Gender Minorities

U.K. News | LGBT

Hundreds of thousands take part in what may be the largest London Pride yet
  • Organizers estimate 30,000 attended the parade, which was centered on the theme “Pride Heroes” and included a tribute to famed British mathematician Alan Turing.
  • The approximately 950,000 who have participated in London Pride events throughout the week have helped shatter the event’s participation record, set last year at 750,000.
  • Saturday’s parade included participants from the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP), whose inclusion had been a source of controversy as the party’s political positions put it at odds with many in the LGBT community.

“Given the huge impact Turing had on our industry and on the lives of the public who rely so heavily on technology, he was an obvious choice for our Pride Hero. We’re honoured to be walking with his family and proud to be taking part in London Pride.”

Read the full story at the Independent.

(Image Credit: via the Independent)

Race + Color + Ethnicity

France News | Black & Arab

Paris appeals court finds discriminatory police tactics violated minorities’ rights, reversing lower court’s decision
  • The court ruled that in five of the 13 cases on appeal, police carried out discriminatory “stop-and-frisk” ID checks that resulted in no legal action against the individuals, all of Arab or African descent.
  • In addition to awarding damages to the plaintiffs, the ruling also requires police to record and distribute the objective grounds on which stops are initiated, as the ID checks have been difficult to file complaints over because they have not been recorded.
  • Of concern to legal and community observers is that the other eight cases were found to be legal because the checks took place in areas where behavior deemed suspicious by police is more likely to indicate illegal activity, i.e. in socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods.

“We struck at the heart of the system by attacking the state. … This is a big victory for our clients. But it’s also a big victory for everyone, notably young people, black or North African, who each day are controlled (by police) mainly because of the color of their skin.”

Read the full story from AP at Yahoo! News.

(Image Credit: Francois Mori/AP, via Yahoo! News)

Sexual + Gender Minorities
Everyday discrimination and persecution blight on progress for Britain’s rural LGBT individuals
  • Permeation and permanence of bullying and other acts of intimidation in daily life leads to fear and alienation for LGBT people in rural areas, according to a hate crime researcher.
  • This fear leads to the under-reporting of hate crimes, with discrepancies between police reports and surveys of hate incidents indicating as many as 35,000 cases going unreported.
  • Lack of community, fear of being outed, communities’ intolerance of difference, and age all contribute to individuals’ vulnerability in rural areas, leading to social disengagement.

“We are a country with proud traditions of tolerance and respect but we must not let important progress in areas such as same-sex marriage mask the acute and continuing challenges that still remain. Researchers in today’s report were told of victims’ fear of not being taken seriously, how they were scared of being ‘outed’ and suspicion and distrust of the authorities. We must all redouble our efforts, and work together to give LGBT communities a stronger voice and put an end to the hatred that is a blight on modern society.”

Read the full story at the Guardian.

(Image Credit: Jose Jacome/EPA, via the Guardian)

Nationality + Migration
Ireland mourns the victims of a deadly balcony collapse in California as the public lashes out against negative attention to the visa program in which the students participated
  • A memorial service was held on the campus of the University of California, Davis, for the six Irish students who died in Berkeley, while another seven remain injured.
  • Outrage has mounted as the construction company responsible for the structure was revealed to have settled a lawsuit for improper balcony construction two years ago.
  • There has been significant backlash against a New York Times piece run following the tragedy drawing attention to negative incidents involving Irish students visiting the U.S. under the J-1, a visa for cultural exchange programs.

“The reaction to the tragedy showed the solidarity of Irish people when adverse events occurred. …We’ve always had this in Ireland; people understand adversity, they understand death, they understand people being taken away.”

More on this story at The Guardian.

(Image Credit: Niall Carson/PA, via The Guardian)