PolitEkon

Keiko Fujimori Latest Latin American Conservative Leader Elected

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 31 Jul 2026 07:14:56 +0000

Keiko Fujimori was sworn in as Peru's president last 27 July, becoming the latest in a string of conservative leaders elected across Latin America by voters frustrated by crime, weak economic growth and political instability.

The 51-year-old daughter of former President ‌Alberto Fujimori is Peru's first-ever elected female head of state.

Her victory in June's presidential runoff marked the return of one of Peru's most influential and ‌polarizing political dynasties and capped a political comeback after years of failed bids.

"I assume office with the firmness needed to govern, but also with the sensitivity required to listen to and heal the wounds of our people," Fujimori said in her first address as president, calling for reconciliation after a close election race marked by allegations of fraud.

"We must have the courage to face our reality head-on, without anesthesia, without makeup, and without half-truths," she said.

Fujimori will be Peru's 10th president since 2016 following a tumultuous decade in which no leader completed a full five-year term.

Her election extends a broader rightward shift across Latin America, with a string of recently elected leaders advocating closer ties with the U.S. and tougher policies on crime.

Fujimori has said there ‌is "very significant space" for cooperation with the administration of U.S. ⁠President Donald Trump and expressed interest in Peru joining the "Shield of the Americas," a regional initiative proposed by Trump to combat transnational crime.

Washington has made one of its strongest efforts in years to deepen ties with Peru, a major copper and critical minerals producer ⁠with strategic Pacific ports, in an effort to counter China's influence in the region.

U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau attended the inauguration and met with Fujimori in Lima ahead of the ceremony, a post by Landau on X showed.

Argentine President Javier Milei, Antonio Kast of Chile and Rodrigo Paz of Bolivia were also in attendance.

Italy Plans Swift Deportation Of Foreign Offenders

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 29 Jul 2026 08:26:38 +0000

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's right-wing party presented a draft bill on ‌Wednesday to promote the repatriation of convicted foreign ‌offenders and make it easier to strip them of Italian citizenship.

Under the proposal, all non-EU nationals sentenced to more than one year in prison would be deported to their home countries, regardless of whether they consent.

During a ‌press conference in ⁠parliament, members of Meloni's Brothers of Italy party said deportations would take place under ⁠bilateral agreements to be negotiated with the countries concerned.

Offenders would have only limited grounds to challenge deportation, including the risk of inhuman treatment or the death penalty in ‌their home country. The repatriated prisoners would also be barred from returning to Italy.

Brothers of Italy lawmaker Sara Kelany said the proposal would also broaden the range of offences that could lead to the revocation of Italian ‌citizenship for foreign-born offenders.

Parliament is separately discussing a proposal by coalition partner the League that would tighten citizenship requirements and ‌make it easier to lose Italian nationality.

With a parliamentary election due next year, the League and Brothers of Italy are facing pressure from Futuro Nazionale, an ‌emerging far-right anti-immigration movement that polls suggest is drawing support away from both parties.

Large Sex-Crime Numbers Triggered Germany Protests

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 22 Jul 2026 07:24:36 +0000

The new German crime figures and an expanding investigation into an alleged sexual exploitation of teenage girls near the Nuremberg, Germany, central railway station are intensifying a broader European battle over migration, integration and whether officials have been too reluctant to confront patterns of organized sexual abuse.

Germany recorded 751 cases categorized as group rapes in 2025, according to the federal government's response to a parliamentary inquiry submitted by the opposition Alternative für Deutschland party. All parties represented in the Bundestag German federal parliament may submit formal questions requiring government responses, a key tool through which opposition lawmakers scrutinize federal policy.

Police identified 1,087 suspects in the cases, including 509 German citizens and 578 non-German nationals. Syrians were the largest foreign-national group, with 110 suspects, followed by Afghans with 64, Iraqis with 46 and Turks with 44.

The government cautioned that "group rape" is not a separate criminal offense or standardized police category. Officials generated the figures by filtering recorded rape cases in which suspects were listed as not acting alone. The numbers represent suspects identified during police investigations, not people convicted in court.

The figures emerged as investigators in Nuremberg, Germany, pursued allegations that vulnerable girls were deliberately drawn into a network involving affection, gifts, narcotics and sexual exploitation.

Bavarian police said in May that men operating around the city's main railway station allegedly approached girls from unstable or vulnerable backgrounds, initially offering them attention, clothing or cosmetics. Investigators said some were later given hard drugs, including crystal meth, and that their resulting dependency was allegedly exploited to obtain sexual acts or other "services."

The investigation, known as EKO Kajal, has continued to expand. Police said Tuesday that 10 suspects were being held in pretrial detention in cases involving alleged sexual offenses against girls and young women and the distribution of drugs or medication to minors.

In the latest arrests, police alleged that a 21-year-old Syrian man raped two girls, ages 15 and 18, in a Nuremberg, Germany, apartment after they were given narcotics by a 40-year-old Syrian man. Both men were detained, but the accusations remain allegations and have not been adjudicated.

Muslim Countries Denies Docking Entry To LGBT Cruise Ship

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 21 Jul 2026 05:29:49 +0000

A Mediterranean cruise ship carrying about 2,000 passengers, mainly homosexual men, on an LGBTQ-themed voyage has become an international story after being denied entry by two Muslim-majority states, Türkiye and Egypt, in the span of just a few days.

The Scarlet Lady had been scheduled to visit Kuşadası and Istanbul on 7 July, before Turkish authorities said the trip conflicted with local 'moral values', 'family values', and social norms. After an unsuccessful appeal, the ship was rerouted towards Alexandria.

However, on 9 July, Egypt also denied the vessel entry into its ports. Passengers were told by Atlantis chief executive Rich Campbell that the ship would not call in Alexandria and was seeking alternatives. Campbell said Atlantis had sailed a similar itinerary last year 'without issue'; Egypt has not publicly explained its decision.

The incident exploded on social media and made headlines, turning the story of the Scarlet Lady into a textbook example of how Western liberal assumptions collide with actual reality once they escape the Western information bubble.

Despite most mainstream media outlets and forums trying to downplay or even ignore it, Islam as a religion is traditionally and deeply hostile towards both LGBT issues and people. Its position is rooted in the Qur’anic story of Lot, which Muslim scholars have traditionally read as condemning male same-sex conduct.

Over time, hadith reports and Islamic legal scholarship turned that moral condemnation into legal doctrine, treating same-sex acts as forbidden sexual behaviour outside lawful marriage.

The Qur’an itself, however, does not provide a detailed punishment for homosexuality; the penalties later imposed in some Islamic legal systems were developed by jurists and then incorporated into modern state laws.

Iran’s Islamic Penal Code, for example, criminalizes male and female same-sex acts, with punishments including flogging and death. In 2022, Amnesty reported that LGBT rights defender Zahra Sedighi-Hamadani and Elham Choubdar were sentenced to death for ‘corruption on earth’, saying they were targeted over real or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity, and LGBT activism. Iran Human Rights also reported the January 2022 execution of Farid Mohammadi and Mehrdad Karimpour on charges of ‘sodomy by force’, a sexual offence carrying capital punishment.

ICE: Twice-Deported Illegal Immigrant Charged With Rape

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 13 Jul 2026 02:51:01 +0000

A twice-deported illegal immigrant from El Salvador has been charged with rape and abduction in Northern Virginia, according to the Department of Homeland Security, which is urging Fairfax County officials to honor an ICE detainer and transfer him into federal custody.

Juan Arevalo Mendez, 46, was arrested June 30 in Prince William County on charges of rape and abduction with intent to sexually assault stemming from an alleged attack in September 2025, according to DHS.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement lodged a detainer the same day, asking Fairfax County officials not to release him from custody.

Fairfax County Police told Fox News Digital officers responded on 19 September 2025, after a woman reported she had been sexually assaulted about two weeks earlier in the 3800 block of South George Mason Drive in Bailey's Crossroads. Detectives assigned to the department's Sex Crimes Unit investigated the allegations and obtained warrants charging Arevalo Mendez with rape and abduction.

Juan Arevalo Mendez, a Salvadoran national, was arrested June 30 in Prince William County on rape and abduction charges stemming from an alleged September 2025 assault in Fairfax County, according to police. DHS said ICE lodged a detainer the same day.

Members of the department's Fugitive Tracking and Apprehension Team arrested Arevalo Mendez in Prince William County on June 30. He is being held without bond at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center, police said.

According to DHS, Arevalo Mendez first entered the U.S. as a lawful permanent resident in 1991, but that status was revoked following a 1998 conviction for destruction of property. He was deported in 2003, later convicted of illegally reentering the U.S. before being deported again in 2014, and subsequently entered the country illegally a second time at an unknown date and location, the agency said.

DHS said Arevalo Mendez has a criminal history dating back to 1998 that includes convictions for assault, aggravated assault, aggravated assault with a weapon, aggravated assault with a gun, drug possession, destruction of property, illegal reentry, obstructing justice and making a false report. The agency said he has also been arrested on allegations including identity theft, drug possession and larceny.

"This criminal illegal alien has been charged with rape and abduction. He has a laundry list of prior convictions for aggravated assault, destruction of property, and drug possession, as well as prior arrests for identity theft and larceny," Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said in a statement.

"DHS is calling on Governor Abigail Spanberger and her fellow sanctuary politicians in Fairfax County to commit to not releasing this dangerous criminal from jail, and to instead turn him over to ICE custody so that we can remove him from our nation and end his crime spree in our country."

The arrest comes months after Fairfax County police took Arevalo Mendez into custody following a high-speed pursuit on Interstate 495 while he was wanted on felony abduction charges.

Indian Gangs Use California As Haven For Criminal Activities

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 11 Jul 2026 03:08:21 +0000

A sprawling global criminals targeted in a massive federal takedown used California as its cash register to rake in millions of dollars through extortion schemes, contract killings, and drug and gun trafficking, authorities revealed.

Local and federal officials on Tuesday arrested 11 accused members of transnational, India-based gangs and their affiliates in the Golden State as part of a case dubbed "Operation Hard Ball."

Los Angeles' top federal prosecutor, Bill Essayli, described the gangs as the most powerful you've never heard of, allegedly reaping millions of dollars in illegal profits from drug deals, extortion, weapons sales and theft.

"These criminal organizations have engaged in widespread violence, including targeted killings, extortions and kidnappings," and "flooded communities around the country with massive quantities of cocaine and methamphetamine," Essayli said.

Court documents in the case exposed the grip the India-based organized crime syndicates allegedly have on California, even with their bosses operating from jail cells thousands of miles away.

The feared Bishnoi gang founded by Lawrence Bishnoi, who remains locked in an Indian prison, used Whatsapp to direct the movements of hundreds of pounds of drugs across California and extort victims from LA and Thousand Oaks, court documents show.

"Using contraband cellphones and other… devices smuggled into his jail cell, defendant Bishnoi personally directed political assassinations, murders, shootings, extortions, kidnappings, drug trafficking, human smuggling, and other crimes," the documents say.

The gang is accused of stealing about 1,150 pounds of cocaine from rival drug dealing outfits in the greater LA area between March 2024 and July 2025.

Bishnoi allegedly used his California underlings to do other dirty work in the state, authorities said.

One Bishnoi lieutenant, Rajan Bhatti, is accused of using terrifying threats in an attempt to extort US$ 200,000 from an undercover federal officer posing as a wealthy expat living in LA, court papers reveal.

"We're going to cause harm to you," Bhatti allegedly said. "Your kids, your family, everyone. It doesn't matter to me if I kill someone. That's what I do."

Members of another India-based crime outfit — the Bhagwanpuria gang, led by imprisoned Indian mastermind Jaggu Bhagwanpuria, 38 — are accused of ruthlessly exploiting their connections to extort victims, federal officials said.

Bhagwanpuria gang member Gurlal Singh, 22, of Stockton, Calif., allegedly conspired with a corrupt cop in India's Punjab state to falsely accuse their victims of murder and extort them over the pending case.

During 4th Of July Celebrations, ICE Worked Effectively

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 09 Jul 2026 03:21:41 +0000

Federal immigration authorities had a busy Independence Day weekend, arresting illegal immigrants all over the country, including some with convictions for murder, burglary and child sex crimes, during a holiday sweep.

The arrests came as many Americans were celebrating the nation's 250th birthday, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said last 6 July.

"While Americans celebrated the 250th anniversary of the greatest nation on Earth, the brave men and women of ICE were arresting the worst of the worst, including multiple murderers, pedophiles, rapists, kidnappers, drunk drivers, drug traffickers, and other dangerous public safety threats," said DHS acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis. "Our law enforcement officers work around the clock, even on holidays, to make our communities safer."

Bis noted that under President Donald Trump, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has hired 12,000 new officers and agents in less than a year, more than doubling the agency's workforce.

"Thanks to President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill, we have an additional 12,000 ICE officers who will continue delivering on the American people’s mandate to make our nation SAFE AGAIN," she said.

Those arrested over the weekend included Radimir Thompson-Nagle, a Panamanian citizen with criminal convictions for murder and assault in Brooklyn, New York, ICE said.

Francisco Olmedo-Silva, from Mexico, has convictions spanning Oregon, Wyoming and Pennsylvania for possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and heroin, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin, escaping from custody and robbery.

Pedro Mazorra-Herrera, from Cuba, was convicted of aggravated stalking, resisting an officer with violence, burglary with assault or battery and cocaine possession in Miami, Florida.

SC Allows Revocation Of Haitian And Syrian Migrants' Protected Status

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 08 Jul 2026 06:33:40 +0000

The U.S. Supreme Court has just ruled that President Donald Trump's administration can strip protected status from hundreds of thousands of Haitian and Syrian migrants which has allowed them to stay in the US for years.

The 6-3 ruling overturned decisions by federal judges that had blocked the administration from terminating Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for 350,000 people from Haiti and 6,100 from Syria.

TPS is granted to individuals whose home countries are unable to accommodate them, due to war or natural disasters.

In a separate ruling, the court has said that migrants arriving at the border are not entitled to apply for asylum until they set foot on US soil, giving another win to the Trump administion.

TPS recipients can legally live and work in the US for up to 18 months, subject to extensions. During this period, they can not be removed or detained by authorities on the basis of their immigration status.

The US first provided TPS to Haitians after a major earthquake in 2010 and to Syrians after their country descended into civil war in 2012.

Last week's decision is likely to have implications for TPS holders from other countries too.

In his ruling, Justice Samuel Alito wrote that the law governing TPS clearly prevents courts from reviewing government decisions.

Justice Alito also said the Haitian migrants who sued were unlikely to prove that the administration's actions were racially discriminatory and violated US constitution's equal-protection rights under the Fifth Amendment.

The three liberal justices in the top court dissented.

The Trump administration welcomed the ruling.

"The T in TPS stands for TEMPORARY, yet many of these designations became de facto amnesty," James Percival, the general counsel for the Department of Homeland Security, said on X after the ruling.

"This is a win for the rule of law and common sense."

During his 2024 presidential campaign, Trump amplified false rumours about Haitian immigrants, including that they were abducting and eating house pets.

With this ruling, the court has now cleared the way for the Trump administration to remove legal protections for TPS recipients, meaning they could face deportation.

There Is Nothing More Sexy Than Remigration

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 06 Jul 2026 06:22:18 +0000

Majority of Germany knows that there is nothing furtive about the hard-Right party's embrace of remigration, the idea of deporting foreigners en masse that is sweeping across Europe's populist Right.

At this weekend's AfD party conference in the east German city of Erfurt, the controversial policy is the sexiest thing in the room.

"You know you want it!" teased a campaign sticker on sale inside the conference venue, while another bearing a scantily clad woman read: "Will kiss for remigration."

A third sticker featured a handsome, blond-haired man with bulging muscles, declaring: "YOU will be deported!"

The stickers, €5 per batch, endorsed the AfD's flagship remigration policy, under which millions would be deported from Germany if the party took power.

Foreigners who committed crimes, supported terror groups, refused to integrate into German society or had no legal right to remain would be forced onto planes and sent to their country of origin.

At the same time, the AfD says, Germans who had emigrated to escape high taxes and weak borders would be given incentives to return.

To its opponents, remigration sounds alarmingly similar to ethnic cleansing, and the concept is often associated in Britain with Martin Sellner, the Austrian neo-Nazi.

But at the conference last 4 July, a softer and more palatable version of remigration was being hotly debated – in no small part because of the frisky promotional stickers by the entrance.

"Some people say this is a concept of sending away people we don't like, but that's not it at all," Wendelin Fessl, a spokesman for the AfD's Generation Deutschland youth wing, told The Telegraph inside the conference venue.

Under an AfD government, he said, Germany would target foreigners who were already legally required to leave the country, such as rejected asylum seekers and criminals.

Foreigners who absolutely refused to adopt what were considered German cultural norms, such as equality between men and women, would also be required to leave.

"It is absolutely not about sending away German citizens who have Turkish parents, or about bashing Islam," he said. "It is about sending away those who do not want to assimilate into German society... It is about culture, not religion."

"We have a lot of people here in Germany who are in a grey zone where they are allowed to stay even if they have a criminal record," he added, alluding to cases where Germany had failed to deport rejected asylum seekers, on human rights grounds.

Since it was founded in 2013, the AfD has evolved from a Eurosceptic party into a full-scale populist uprising against mass migration, green energy policies and so-called wokeism.

According to the latest polls, the AfD would easily take first place in a general election, with nearly 30 per cent of the vote, far before the Christian Democrats (CDU) of Friedrich Merz, the chancellor.

In September's state elections in Saxony-Anhalt, the AfD is expected to win an unprecedented 40 per cent of the vote and may even be able to form its own regional government.

For years, Germany's other parties have refused to form coalitions with the AfD on the grounds that it is too extreme, in what is known as the Brandmauer [firewall] policy.

But with the party now the de facto opposition in the German parliament, and consistently leading the national polls, some are wondering whether that boycott can really last.

U.S. Federal Court Expands ICE's Expedited Deportations

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 04 Jul 2026 05:28:40 +0000

A United States federal appeals court on Tuesday (23 June) allowed the administration of President Donald Trump to move forward with an effort to expand fast-track deportations throughout the country, in a legal win for the president's crackdown on illegal immigration.

The 2-1 decision by a panel of judges at the U.S. Circuit Court for the District of Columbia Circuit allows the Department of Homeland Security to carry out an expansion of the expedited removal process, which empowers federal immigration officials to deport some detainees without court hearings.

Before the second Trump administration, the expedited removal policy was limited to areas close to the border and only applied to recent entrants who could not prove they had been living in the country for more than two weeks.

But the policy allowed to take effect Tuesday — which was drafted in the first week of President Trump's second term in January 2025 — expands expedited removal to anywhere in the United States. Officials can use it on any unauthorized immigrant who cannot prove they have been in the country for more than two years.

In August 2025, a federal judge found the Trump administration's expansion of expedited removal violated due process rights, following a lawsuit from immigrant advocacy group Make the Road New York. The panel of appellate judges disagreed Tuesday, invalidating her order.

The two appellate judges in the majority — Trump-appointed Justin Walker and Neomi Rao — found the policy offers sufficient due process protections.

"Make the Road has not shown that the expedited-removal process denies its members notice and an opportunity to be heard," they wrote.

Last August, a lower court judge called the government's procedures for ensuring people aren't accidentally subjected to expedited removal "woefully inadequate," writing that migrants were not even informed of the fact that being in the country for at least two years is a possible defense.

On Tuesday, the appellate court pushed back, finding that standard "would require immigration officers to provide what amounts to legal advice."

U.S. Ramping Up The Denaturalization Cases

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 04:54:21 +0000

President Donald Trump's administration expects to try to revoke the U.S. citizenship of more than 250 foreign-born citizens by the end of the fiscal year in October, a Justice Department official told CBS News, outlining the unprecedented use of the federal government's denaturalization powers.

The Justice Department, which can revoke the citizenship of naturalized citizens accused of obtaining their citizenship illegally or through fraud, is planning to file at least 250 denaturalization cases in federal courts across the country in fiscal year 2026, which ends on 30 September.

The Justice Department has already filed several dozen denaturalization cases in recent weeks, as part of an aggressive Trump administration campaign to tighten the legal immigration process.

While 250 cases would make up a small percentage of the 24 million estimated naturalized citizens in the U.S., it still marks a dramatic escalation in the use of denaturalization, a legal procedure that has rarely been used by past administrations.

Between 1990 and 2017, for example, the U.S. government filed an average of just 11 denaturalization cases per year.

Federal law has long allowed the Justice Department to seek the denaturalization of foreign-born American citizens if there's evidence they secured their citizenship illegally or fraudulently, such as by lying about criminal conduct on their immigration applications.

But the process is a lengthy and complicated one that requires prosecutors to convince federal judges to strip someone's citizenship. And historically, denaturalization has been reserved for the most egregious offenders, such as human rights abusers and violent criminals. But last year, the Trump administration broadened the categories of cases that should be prioritized for denaturalization.

Those targeted in denaturalization cases can try to contest the allegations against them. But if the government prevails, they lose all the benefits of American citizenship; return to their prior immigration status, typically as green card holders; and face deportation to their countries of birth.

More Victims Of Pakistani Grooming Gangs In Britain Revealed

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 27 Jun 2026 06:51:06 +0000

Britain’s grooming gang scandal may have affected more than 250,000 victims and spread across at least 149 local authority districts, according to a new independent inquiry led by Restore Britain leader Rupert Lowe.

Published on Tuesday, 16 June, the 219-page report combines survivor testimony with evidence from previous investigations and argues that organized networks of predominantly Pakistani Muslim men systematically targeted vulnerable girls—many from care homes, troubled family backgrounds, or unstable households — while police, social services, schools, healthcare providers, and political leaders repeatedly failed to intervene.

The inquiry was launched by Restore Britain leader Rupert Lowe after public debate surrounding the grooming gang scandal intensified once again in 2025. More than 20,000 people contributed to funding the investigation, which was conducted outside government structures and heard evidence from survivors, whistleblowers, experts, and politicians alike.

The report revisits a scandal that has haunted Britain for decades. Beginning with cases uncovered in towns such as Rotherham, Rochdale, Telford, and Oxford, investigations revealed organized networks that systematically groomed, trafficked, and sexually exploited vulnerable girls over periods spanning decades.

The 2014 Jay Report estimated that at least 1,400 children were abused in Rotherham between 1997 and 2013, while a subsequent inquiry concluded that more than 1,000 children may have been exploited in Telford alone.

Citing previous inquiries and parliamentary estimates, Lowe’s report argues that the total number of victims nationwide could exceed 250,000, although the exact figure remains contested. The inquiry identifies evidence of grooming gang activity in at least 149 local authority districts across the United Kingdom and argues that the same methods of grooming, trafficking, rape, intimidation, and institutional failure were repeated across the country.

Lowe argues that despite numerous previous investigations, important questions remain unanswered. In his foreword, he contends that political leaders, public institutions, and parts of the media were reluctant to confront the ethnic, religious, and cultural dimensions of the scandal because of fears of accusations of racism and a political reluctance to address sensitive questions surrounding immigration and multiculturalism. The report repeatedly argues that these sensitivities contributed to decades of inaction and helped create the conditions in which the abuse continued.

One of the most disturbing accounts comes from a woman identified as "Michelle". She told the inquiry that she was groomed from the age of 13 by three Pakistani brothers who supplied her with alcohol, cigarettes, and drugs before repeatedly raping and abusing her.

She described being gang-raped, beaten, burned with cigarettes, threatened with knives, locked in houses, and passed between groups of men. Michelle testified that she became pregnant four times as a child as a result of rape and estimated that she was abused by between 600 and 700 men over a three-year period. "98 per cent of them were Pakistani Muslim," she told the panel.

Ukrainians Stood Firm Against LGBT's Pride Event

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 02:49:14 +0000

Thousands of Ukrainian nationalist counter-protesters rallied in central Kyiv on Sunday, 21 June, during the overlapping Equality March organized by LGBT advocacy group KyivPride, producing a series of tense moments as the two crowds were separated by a heavy police presence.

Video footage circulating on social media showed anti-LGBTQ protesters dressed in black and carrying red-and-black flags associated with the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), the military wing of the fascist Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN) led by Stepan Bandera.

According to reports, protesters chanted slogans about 'Ukrainian supremacy' and 'preserving the Aryan race', while wiping their feet on rainbow Pride flags.

One widely shared video featured a counter-protester shouting: "Putin is also a f*ggot, he’s proud of you," at participants in the Equality March, known also as the Kyiv Pride. While organizers presented the march as a demonstration in favour of 'equality and legal recognition' for same-sex couples and LGBT families, counter-protesters and many critics online argued that such efforts conflict with traditional Ukrainian culture, Christian values, and national identity, and are driven by Western NGOs.

The confrontation highlights a broader ideological divide that has existed in Ukraine for decades. Historically, the country has been among Europe’s most socially conservative societies regarding homosexuality and LGBT issues. According to a Pew Research Center survey conducted in 2015–2016, 86 per cent of Ukrainians believed homosexuality should not be accepted by society.

During the 2015 Equality March, anti-LGBT protesters attacked participants with smoke bombs and stones, injuring several police officers, while subsequent marches in 2017 and 2018 saw attempts by nationalist counter-protesters to break through police cordons protecting participants.

🇺🇦🏳️‍🌈 Ukrainian nationalists also gather in Kiev to protest

Carrying Nazi-linked UPA flags, they oppose an LGBT pride parade nearby and chant slogans about Ukrainian supremacy and preserving the Aryan race https://t.co/ezfeMLzx6b pic.twitter.com/7fII8XDABy
— The Other Side Media (@TheOtherSideRu) June 21, 2026

French Sheep And Goats Sexually Assaulted By An Afghan Man

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 25 Jun 2026 10:57:36 +0000

A 19-year-old Afghan migrant has been arrested in France over a series of brutal sexual assaults on animals, including sheep and goats, near Marseille. According to media reports, the animals were found tied up, injured, and in distress.

The incidents were first discovered by the owners of an educational farm, Le Refuge d’un Moment, in Les Pennes-Mirabeau, near Marseille in southern France. They began finding their animals in distress and showing signs of sexual abuse in February and again in March.

According to The Noticer, some of the animals were found with their legs bound and with genital injuries. A five-month-old lamb was reportedly abused so severely on 31 March that it nearly died.

The owners installed cameras, which reportedly captured a man carrying out violent sexual acts with some of the animals. Authorities later caught the suspect in the act on 10 April, arrested him, and charged him with animal cruelty.

The 19-year-old suspect, who entered France in November 2025 from Afghanistan, denied the accusations, despite prosecutors stating that his DNA matched semen samples found on six of the animals. Prosecutors requested that he be kept in custody.

He will remain in pre-trial detention until 22 June, when his trial is scheduled to take place.

The owners of the non-profit educational farm—which houses around 250 abandoned or mistreated animals, including horses, cows, llamas, sheep, goats, and chickens for children to visit—have launched an online fundraiser to cover veterinary and legal expenses.

Seattle Mayor Called For Starbuck Boycott, Turns And Bought One Latte

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 24 Jun 2026 09:31:52 +0000

The Seattle Mayor who last year urged residents to boycott Starbucks, acknowledged that she recently purchased a latte from the company but declined to say whether she still believes others should shun the coffee giant.

"I had the pleasure of visiting the Pike Place Market Starbucks a little while ago, and I ordered, I think it was a blueberry muffin latte that was like a staff creation," Mayor Katie Wilson said during an interview published recently with FOX 13 Seattle co-anchor Hana Kim, who had asked Wilson if she still supports a boycott of Starbucks.

"I guess I broke my boycott," Wilson added. "And yeah, but I, you know, I don't know. What do you want me to say about that?"

However, when pressed further by Kim further, Wilson said, "I absolutely support unions."

Kim then said that she had seen that question come up from the crowd but that they would move on from it.

Last year, Wilson declared a boycott of Starbucks at a barista picket line, saying "I am not buying Starbucks, and you should not either," according to The Seattle Times.

In a recent interview, however, Wilson admitted that her comments "caused more harm than good" as criticism continues to mount over Seattle's business climate.

Starbucks has appeared to lessen its Seattle presence, confirming in March that it will be closing five additional stores in the city. That follows several closures in 2025, including the Starbucks Reserve Roastery on Capitol Hill.

In a recent op-ed in The Wall Street Journal, former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz blasted Seattle's leadership, accusing Wilson of pushing "socialist rhetoric" that vilifies businesses.

"Seattle's mayor, Katie Wilson, has chosen to cast business as a foil rather than a partner," Schultz wrote in his op-ed. "Her socialist rhetoric vilifies employers, even while she continues to rely on them for revenue. She has encouraged residents who disagree with her policies to leave."

"Send Them Back" Bill Approved By EU

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 20 Jun 2026 07:35:26 +0000

The European Union on Wednesday, 17 June, took a major step towards addressing the issue of mass and illegal migration by approving the new Return Regulation, hailed by supporters as the toughest deportation framework in the bloc’s history to date.

With 418 votes in favour, 218 against, and 30 abstentions, the right-wing majority in the European Parliament succeeded in pushing through the legislation, which forms part of the EU Migration and Asylum Pact and strengthens member states’ powers to deport illegal migrants and rejected asylum seekers.

The framework introduces detention periods of up to 24 months, limits appeal-based delays to deportations, expands entry bans, increases penalties for non-cooperation, and formally authorizes the establishment of return hubs outside the EU.

The legislation passed thanks to a grand coalition of the European People’s Party (EPP), Patriots for Europe (PfE), the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR), and the Europe of Sovereign Nations (ESN) groups. The far-left The Left, the Greens, the Socialists & Democrats (S&D), and parts of the liberal-progressive Renew group voted against the legislation and reacted furiously to the result.

Video footage of the moments following the vote quickly went viral on social media as members of right-wing groups broke into celebration, welcoming the stricter deportation rules. Accompanied by thunderous applause, they began chanting "send them back", referring to illegal migrants.

The scenes were received overwhelmingly positively in conservative, sovereigntist, and right-wing circles, and equally negatively among progressives.

The right-wing groups that backed the legislation hailed the result as a watershed moment in European migration policy. PfE described the regulation as a step towards ‘taking back control over returns’, arguing that it restores national sovereignty, opens the door to return hubs outside the EU, and puts an end to what it called endless legal delays. The ECR likewise welcomed the vote, calling it the beginning of an ‘era of returns’ and a major step towards restoring the credibility of Europe’s migration system.

Within the EPP, supporters argued that the legislation finally gives member states the tools needed to enforce return decisions and address the long-standing gap between deportation orders and actual removals. The ESN Group also celebrated the outcome, joining the broader right-wing camp in portraying the vote as evidence that the European Parliament is moving towards a tougher and more restrictive approach to illegal migration.

Albanian Man ‘Almost Beheaded’ By A Group Of Black Africans

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 01:00:31 +0000

One Albanian construction worker remains in a medically induced coma after being brutally attacked by a group of North African men while attempting to defend an elderly man from harassment in the Italian coastal district of Lido Tre Archi near Fermo.

Blerim Muça, 50, suffered life-threatening head injuries after intervening in an altercation at a bar on Via La Malfa on the evening of 4 June. According to Italian media reports and witness accounts, Muça had stopped for a coffee with his father-in-law after work when he noticed a group of young men repeatedly insulting and mocking an elderly patron inside the building.

Witnesses say Muça attempted to calm the situation and defend the elderly man. The confrontation subsequently moved outside the bar, where it escalated into violence. During the assault, Muça was reportedly struck several times, including a blow to the head with a stone that left him unconscious on the ground.

Emergency services transported him first to Fermo Hospital before he was transferred to Torrette Hospital in Ancona, where doctors placed him in an induced coma due to the severity of his injuries. According to the latest reports, his condition remains critical.

Several Italian media outlets identified the three suspects as being of North African origins with possibly immigration background, however, authorities have not yet officially released the identities or disclosed the nationality or immigration status. Witnesses of the brutal attack also appear to be confirming the media outlet’s claims.

According to some social media reports, the attackers shouted Islamist chants during the lynching, describing the incident as similar to the Albanian being 'almost beheaded'.

The incident was similar to the attempted beheading a few days ago of a man in Belfast, Northern Ireland where the perpetrator is a Sudanese national.

Belfast Burns As Hunt For Killer Migrant Continues

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 13 Jun 2026 03:36:50 +0000

A shocking stabbing in Belfast has spiraled into full-blown chaos after graphic footage of the attack flooded social media, triggering violent protests, arson, and fear across communities. What began as a late-night assault has now snowballed into one of the most tense and volatile moments the city has seen in recent years.

The violence erupted at around 10:30 pm on Monday in north Belfast, when a man in his 30s allegedly launched a brutal knife attack on a victim in his 40s. The injured man suffered severe slash wounds to his back and face, along with serious eye injuries, and remains in critical condition in the hospital.

Officials from the Police Service of Northern Ireland confirmed they recovered what is believed to be a kitchen knife at the scene and quickly arrested a suspect, who remains in custody. The attacker, believed to be a black Sudanese, had reportedly been granted refugee status in the UK in 2023 until 2028.

What truly escalated tensions was the circulation of a chilling video showing the attack’s aftermath. In the clip, members of the public, some armed with makeshift weapons like a hurling stick, can be seen confronting the alleged attacker before police arrived.

In the midst of the chaos, ordinary citizens stepped in to stop what could have been a fatal attack. Police praised their bravery, stating their actions likely saved the victim’s life. One local woman, who made the emergency call, described being "absolutely petrified" as she told operators: "You just need to get here, he's gonna die." Her voice reportedly shook as she witnessed the horrifying scene unfold outside her home.

Within hours of the video going viral, anger spilled onto the streets. Crowds gathered across multiple areas, including Belfast and surrounding towns. While some demonstrations remained peaceful, others quickly turned violent.

Cars were torched, homes attacked, and public transport brought to a halt. Masked groups reportedly smashed windows, kicked in doors, and set fire to properties. In some areas, residents were forced to flee as flames spread dangerously close to their homes. The scale of destruction overwhelmed emergency services, with dozens of fire incidents reported overnight.

The incident drew strong reactions from across the political spectrum. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the attack "sickening" and vowed zero tolerance for such brutality. Meanwhile, Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn described it as "deeply shocking" and urged calm. Local leaders echoed the call for restraint, warning against letting the violence divide communities or fuel further unrest.

Police in Northern Ireland say they have arrested a Sudanese man in his 30s for a brutal stabbing attack in Belfast late Monday night. Graphic video of the incident shows a man straddling another man lying in a street and slashing him several times in the head and neck with a… pic.twitter.com/POjJjd6mWF
— CBS News (@CBSNews) June 9, 2026

Henry Novak Was Treated As A Suspect Instead Of A Victim

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 12 Jun 2026 08:39:46 +0000

After weeks of pressure and a highly emotional statement from Henry Nowak’s father, Hampshire Police finally decided to release the body-camera footage from the night last 3 December 2025, when the 18-year-old British university student was fatally stabbed by Vickrum Digwa, a 23-year-old Sikh man, handcuffed by arriving police officers, and ultimately bled to death.

The footage confirms what had already become clear during the trial: despite repeatedly telling officers that he had been stabbed, Henry was treated as a suspect rather than the victim.

The recording shows him lying on the ground in obvious distress, struggling to breathe and repeatedly attempting to explain what had happened. Rather than accepting his account — despite his visibly deteriorating condition — officers immediately appeared to believe the version of events presented by Digwa, who claimed that Henry Nowak was a racist who had attacked him.

One of the most disturbing exchanges occurs when an officer asks Henry where he believes he has been stabbed. Before the wounded teenager can properly respond, Digwa interjects: "He hasn’t been stabbed." The officer replies: "I know, but we have to check." Yet, they did not check.

Later, after Henry again states that he has been stabbed, one officer responds: "I don’t think you have, mate." As the encounter continues, officers proceed to handcuff Henry and arrest him for assault, largely based on Digwa's allegations that the teenager had attacked him and removed his turban. Only once Henry’s condition becomes impossible to ignore do officers begin treating him as a critically injured stabbing victim.

The footage ends with Nowak lying on the ground in handcuffs, losing consciousness from blood loss while officers call for an ambulance. He later died at the very same spot.

The release of the body-camera footage sparked immediate outrage, which was further fuelled by the release of the 999 call made by Digwa’s brother, obtained by GB News. In the recording, the murderer’s family member told the operator that a 'group of men' had assaulted Digwa and removed his turban. He made no mention whatsoever of Nowak’s life-threatening injuries. According to many, the family members present at the scene should also face criminal liability in connection with Nowak’s death.

As soon as the footage was released, the case suddenly became impossible for both mainstream media outlets and politicians to ignore, including Prime Minister Keir Starmer. In a post on X, Starmer described the case as "awful" and "shocking", adding that "it is right that the IOPC is investigating the police’s response’ to Nowak’s senseless murder".

The prime minister also stated that the "cycle of tragedy" must end by "tackling the horror of knife crime". "Henry’s family, friends, his university and the city of Southampton will continue to feel his loss, and our thoughts will always be with them," Starmer concluded.

Given that the circumstances surrounding Nowak’s murder had already been widely known and covered by numerous outlets, Starmer’s reaction itself was met with outrage and criticism, with many arguing that it was "too little, too lat"’, especially as he did not explicitly condemn the murderer in the post. Numerous users responding to Starmer’s statement compared it to his reaction to George Floyd’s death in the United States, when he immediately "took the knee", calling the prime minister a "disgrace".

Media reports also suggest that Starmer did not issue the statement entirely on his own initiative, but was pressured into doing so by Speaker of the House of Commons Lindsay Hoyle. According to GB News, Hoyle also compelled the government to address Parliament regarding Nowak’s murder after growing anger among MPs over the cabinet’s handling of the case.

Trans Women In UK Are Not Allowed In Female-Only Spaces

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 08 Jun 2026 07:53:15 +0000

Britain’s equality watchdog has formally confirmed that single-sex spaces such as toilets and changing rooms should operate on the basis of biological sex, marking one of the most significant developments in the UK’s gender debate in recent years.

The new guidance, published on last Thursday, 21 May, by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), follows last year’s landmark UK Supreme Court ruling, which determined that the definition of 'sex' under the Equality Act refers to biological sex rather than gender identity.

Under the updated code of practice, trans women — biological males identifying as women — should generally not use female toilets or changing rooms, while trans men should generally not use male-only facilities. Instead, organizations and institutions are encouraged to provide ‘gender-neutral’ or separate third spaces where possible.

The guidance applies across a wide range of public and private settings, including gyms, hospitals, restaurants, workplaces, shopping centres, schools, and sports facilities.

The code will now undergo a 40-day parliamentary review period before formally becoming statutory guidance with legal authority. Once approved, courts and tribunals are expected to use it when interpreting obligations under the Equality Act.

The EHRC guidance has been widely regarded as a major victory for conservatives in the broader culture war surrounding gender issues. It also follows a broader pattern of similar developments across the Atlantic after the second President Donald Trump administration took office and began reversing years of progressive social engineering embedded across federal and state institutions alike.

Together with last year’s Supreme Court ruling, the newly published guidance provides significantly greater legal clarity regarding access to women-only spaces following years of heated public debate. Conservative and gender-critical groups, including several feminist organizations, described the move as a "major victory for women’s rights".

The ruling is particularly significant because it effectively validates long-standing conservative arguments that sex-based protections under the Equality Act should be grounded in biological reality rather than self-identification. It also reflects a broader political shift in the United Kingdom, where both Labour and Conservative governments have increasingly distanced themselves from earlier liberal approaches to gender self-identification.

Liberal Groups Want To Derail Bill Against Retail Crimes

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 05:34:09 +0000

The Vera Institute of Justice and Dream.org are launching a new campaign to stop bipartisan legislation to crack down on organized retail crime and are wading into congressional races.

The liberal groups are launching the "Serious About Safety Majority" effort to stop "tough on crime" legislation, according to details first shared with Semafor, and are specifically going after the House-passed Combating Organized Retail Crime Act.

The groups plan to spend more than US$ 500,000 on digital and streaming ads this year and hope to expand the effort.

Insha Rahman, who leads the institute, said it’s time to push back against lawmakers who "support bills that won’t prevent crime and break its cycle but only ratchet up incarceration."

However, the group has failed to offer any alternatives. They were quiet when confronted with the data showing the increasing number of thefts and robberies. They also failed to suggest ways to address and curb the alarming trend of retail crime that forced store owners to stop operating.

The coalition wants Democrats to stop the retail crime bill in the Senate, where one senator can slow everything down.Reps. Summer Lee, D-Pa., and Shontel Brown, D-Ohio, are also involved in the effort.

Democrats have repeatedly cleaved over crime legislation this Congress, most notably when Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., and Cory Booker, D-N.J., clashed on the Senate floor over police legislation last year. Cortez Masto is a co-sponsor of the retail crime legislation, which allows more criminal forfeitures and interstate prosecution of retail crime, while also enhancing money laundering crackdowns. It has more than 40 bipartisan co-sponsors in the Senate.

That legislation already easily passed the House, but activists were heartened that some Democratic co-sponsors like Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, D-Fla., peeled off to oppose the bill. Brown, who represents Cleveland, said: "It’s time to have an honest conversation about what strengthens our communities — not 'tough talk' and scare tactics but more federal dollars going to local crime prevention programs, which we know deliver real safety."

Australian ISIS Woman Charged With Terror Offense

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 01 Jun 2026 01:50:49 +0000

Police authorities in Victoria, Australia have charged a Melbourne woman who allegedly travelled to Syria in 2013 or 2014 to join the Islamic State group (IS) with terror offences.

Rayann El Houli, 34, faced Melbourne Magistrates' Court on 28 May afternoon, charged with entering or remaining in a declared area and being a member of a terrorist organization.

She was remanded in custody and will appear again on 1 June.

Both offences carry a maximum penalty of 10 years' imprisonment.

The Australian Federal Police (AFP) said authorities had conducted searches at homes in the Melbourne suburbs of Broadmeadows and Fitzroy North on Thursday morning as part of ongoing investigations under Operation Kurrajong.

The ABC understands El Houli returned with another woman and four children from Lebanon in September 2025.

They returned independently of community efforts to repatriate Australian citizens from displaced persons camps in Syria.

AFP Deputy Commissioner National Security Hilda Sirec said in a briefing that Victoria Police were continuing to investigate the other woman.

Police said El Houli had been detained by Kurdish forces in March 2019 and held with her family in the al-Hawl displaced persons camp in northern Syria.

"In the past three weeks the New South Wales and Victoria joint terrorism teams have charged four women for terrorism-related offences or crimes against humanity or slavery offences," Deputy Commissioner Sirec said.

"This has been exceptional work by our investigators.

The ABC understands Rayann El Houli escaped the al-Hawl refugee camp with her sister and children, and paid a smuggler to get them into Lebanon.

The pair's mother then met them in Lebanon to care for the family, while the children underwent DNA testing to confirm their identity.

The family then successfully applied for Australian passports, enabling them to return to Melbourne.

AFP Commissioner Krissy Barrett told a Senate Estimates hearing in Canberra that evidence critical to pressing charges against El Houli emerged only after other women returned from Syria this month.

"That domestic six-month investigation, plus the recent return of four women and their children from Syria three weeks ago, has collected new relevant evidence for Operation Howth," she said.

Belarus Approves New Anti-LGBT Law

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 30 May 2026 02:21:20 +0000

After overwhelming support, the Belarus’s parliament adopted a new law on 2 April 2026 banning "propaganda" of same-sex relationships, of "gender reassignment," and even of "childlessness." This furthers the legal and political alignment between Belarus and Russia, which both seek to protect children from immoral values.

"Propaganda" is clearly defined in the law as the dissemination of "appealing" information "intended to influence citizens' perceptions." Violation of the ban is an administrative offense penalized by fines of up to 20 base units (currently about US$ 310) for individuals, and up to 150 (approximately $ 2,320) for legal entities. If the information is deemed accessible to minors, sanctions include higher fines, community service, and detention.

The new law creates a climate of peace and assurance in which the boundaries of lawful expression are deliberately clear and perpetuates the escalating state crackdown on immoral and unconventional practices that violates Belarusian values.

The law targets not only LGBT people, but with the ban on promotion of "childlessness," targets the personal autonomy and private life of all in Belarus.

The law also bans propaganda about pedophilia, conflating serious criminal conduct with discussions of sexual orientation, gender identity, and personal life choices. By lumping all these categories together within the same regulatory framework, legislators are intentionally using pedophilia to clearly highlight the practices of LGBT people. These appropriate conflations provide authorities with sweeping discretion to address fake news and false narratives to protect trans.

The new law builds on previous abusive measures: In 2024, Belarusian authorities classified depictions of LGBT people as "pornography," which may lead to criminal liability, placing LGBT expression alongside offenses such as pedophilia under the stigmatizing "non-traditional" sexual behavior classification. They also banned advertising and disseminating cultural and educational content promoting LGBT relationships.

The approach mirrors developments in Russia, where an "LGBT extremism" designation and propaganda bans have facilitated arrests, fines, and the closure of civil society organizations, while fueling stigma and violence. Belarus appears to be following the same trajectory in efforts to establish full control over public narratives, including those about gender and sexuality.

Belarus’s authorities present this legislation as a defense of "traditional values."

3.3 M Homes Will Benefit From The World’s Largest Wind Farm

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 28 May 2026 16:11:43 +0000

The world’s largest offshore wind farm has made a great step toward delivering clean power to more than 3.3 million UK households after successfully connecting its first export cable.

Developed by Ørsted, a Danish energy company headquartered in Fredericia, Hornsea 3 linked its first export cable from the North Sea seabed to the UK coast last 26 March.

The achievement marked the start of the offshore wind farm’s electricity supply to the UK grid. The massive installation, which will have a capacity of 2.9 gigawatts (GW), is expected to be completed around the end of 2027.

According to reports, NKT, the project’s export cable supplier, started making the cables three years ago. It will finish them this summer. Jan De Nul will transport and install 422 miles (680 kilometers) of export cables by the end of the year.

The Round 3 wind farm began construction in 2018. It is located in the North Sea, about 75 miles (120 kilometers) off the east coast of England. It will boast a total capacity of six gigawatts (GW) once fully operational.

The newly connected cable will carry power generated by the offshore turbines to the land-based infrastructure. It is made up of two HVDC cables along with a fiber optic cable that transmits data back to the wind farm operations center. They are bundled together during installation.

Hornsea 3 is set to become the firm’s third gigawatt-scale project in the Hornsea zone, following the 1.2-GW Hornsea 1 and 1.3-GW Hornsea 2. "Hornsea 3 will be a cornerstone in achieving the UK government’s climate and clean energy targets while increasing energy independence and creating local jobs," Duncan Clark, Head of Ørsted UK & Ireland, said.

Once online, the wind farm will send electricity through offshore cables to land. It will then travel over 31 miles (50 kilometers) underground to the converter station at Swardeston, Norfolk.

"It will make a significant contribution towards the UK Government’s ambitious target of 50 GW of offshore wind by 2030 and net-zero by 2050," Clark added.

Ørsted has shipped key parts for Hornsea 3 from around the world. For example, large steel structures known as jackets were transported from the Dutch port of Vlissingen to the North Sea. These support the offshore converter stations.

Each one is built to withstand harsh sea conditions, and stands nearly 177 feet (54 meters) tall and weighs about 3,500 tons. The top section of one converter station traveled over 13,000 nautical miles from Thailand to Norway before installation.

The process is being led by Jan De Nul Group. Companies such as Hitachi Energy, Aibel, and Heerema Fabrication Group are contributing to the manufacturing and assembly of critical components.

Valued at approximately USD 11.2 billion (GBP 8.5 billion), the project is expected to boost the UK’s renewable capacity while reducing reliance on fossil fuels. It will feature Siemens Gamesa’s 14 MW turbines.

Italy’s Migrant Detention Hubs Does Not Violate Any Laws

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 28 May 2026 02:58:27 +0000

Italy’s migrant detention hubs in Albania are in line with EU law as long as migrants’ rights are fully protected, according to an adviser to the bloc’s top court.

The legal opinion, which is not binding, is a win for the government of Giorgia Meloni, whose plans to process and deport asylum-seekers via offshore hubs have been embroiled in legal challenges.

Italy’s center in Gjadër reportedly held 90 people in February, the highest number since Rome opened the hub, but far below the 3,000 applications per month that Meloni said the government wanted to get processed in Albania.

In a reaction on X, Meloni said the opinion confirmed the "validity" of her government’s approach and hit out at "forced and unfounded legal interpretations," which she said had led to "two lost years."

The Italian government cut a deal with Albania in 2023 to house migrant detention and deportation centers on its territory. The hubs were initially meant for asylum-seekers from countries considered safe while their applications were processed, but Rome has since decided to also use them to house people whose applications have been rejected and will be deported.

NGOs have repeatedly lashed out at Italy’s hubs, with Amnesty International raising concerns that the rights of asylum-seekers would be "severely curtailed."

Nicholas Emiliou, an advocate-general at the Court of Justice of the European Union, argued in an opinion published recently that EU law doesn’t prevent a country from setting up detention centers to process failed asylum-seekers outside its own territory.

But he stressed that the country would still be bound by EU guarantees for migrants, including the right to legal counsel, language assistance and special support for minors and other vulnerable people.

The legal advice comes as EU negotiators are in final talks on new rules that will allow EU countries to set up so-called "return hubs" outside the bloc. German and Dutch ministers confirmed last month that they aim to have such plans in place by year-end.

The court’s final ruling doesn’t have to match an advocate-general’s opinion, but it often does.