“Migrant summit in chaos as African countries refuse to take back Europe's failed asylum seekers”, Daily Mail, London, Thursday 12 November 2015

. European Union offered more than £1 billion in aid to African counterparts

. In return, Africa would have to take back thousands of illegal immigrants

. David Cameron says £200 million of UK aid money will be used to tackle crisis

. But the controversial deal was rejected at a summit in Valletta, Malta

By John Stevens in Malta for the Daily Mail

(published 1005, 12 November 2015; updated: 1251, 12 November 2015)

The European Union has been forced to drop controversial plans to deport failed asylum seekers who do not have passports after African countries blocked the move. European leaders offered more than £1 billion aid in a bid to persuade their African counterparts to take back tens of thousands of illegal migrants. But a migration summit in Valletta, Malta, descended into farce after the Africans rejected the EU plan to expel those who do not qualify for asylum using special papers. 

(Leaders from a number of African nations were present at the conference to discuss migration with their European counterparts. Pictured left to right are Ghana’s President John Dramani Mahama, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande)

(British Prime Minister David Cameron posed for a “family picture” with others EU and African Prime Ministers, to mark the start of the summit)

The “laissez passer” travel documents issued to Africans without identification are aimed at easing their return back to countries they left or travelled through.

Under the proposal, EU countries would decide where a person without a passport has come from in Africa and issue the papers in lieu of a passport.

Many people arrive in Europe without identity papers with some falsely claiming to be Syrians or Iraqis in order to increase their chances of being granted asylum.

Draft conclusions for the summit of EU and African leaders written earlier this week showed it was planned they would agree to “enhance recognition of the EU laissez passer for return purpose”.

Twitter @HerbertEkweEkwe

Solemn lessons from Ghana

It is about 24 hours since the announcement of the sudden death of President John Atta Mills of Ghana. The news was received across Ghana with shock and grief – as of a family member. The state’s constitutional wheel of response to such an emergency moved in sync with all the sensitivity and subtlety in observance. Vice-president John Dramani Mahama, a writer and historian, has since been sworn in by the chief justice as new president in a dignified ceremony. All the while, no tanks have moved from some base to another nor has anyone seen an armoured personnel carrier gatecrashing through some barricade. No sermons have been preached by anyone from anywhere for anyone to murder anybody. No news has been broadcast by any radio or television station or newspaper or on the internet or any other media asking anyone to murder someone or any people or peoples. On the contrary, Ghana gets on with life in a mood reflective of poise, dignity and compassion.


Twitter @HerbertEkweEkwe