Migrant Kids Denied Protection in France: Daily Brief
Immigrant children denied protection in France; UK temporarily avoids a disastrous no-deal Brexit; why Pope Francis should address human rights in Mozambique; Italy appoints migration expert as Interior Minister; welcome steps to stop shackling in Indonesia; Hong Kong extradition bill is dead but dangers remain; son of Egypt's late President Mohamed Morsi dies; and Iranian woman facing jail time for entering a sports stadium sets herself on fire...
Migrant children arriving in France's Alpine region are being denied the protection they need and are entitled to, HRW said today. Flawed age assessments are being used to make arbitrary decisions about protection that are causing kids deep harm, research shows.
Breaking news from the UK, where Parliament last night voted to prevent the country crashing out of Europe without a deal - which would be disastrous for human rights - and block a general election for the time being. But the country's political future remains deeply uncertain.
Pope Francis will meet politicians and religious leaders in Mozambique today. Several groups have written to him ahead of the visit asking him to address the deteriorating human rights environment in the country.
Good news in Italy, where a specialist in migration policy has succeeded the far-right leader Matteo Salvini as Italy’s interior minister in the country's new left-leaning government. Her appointment should mark a break from the era of Salvini, famed for his hardline immigration measures.
Several national agencies in Indonesia have signed an important agreement to monitor places where people with psychosocial disabilities have been shackled or detained. This is good news, but ultimately people with these health conditions should not be warehoused in institutions.
Hong Kong’s chief executive Carrie Lam has finally confirmed the government will formally withdraw a proposed bill that would have enabled extradition to mainland China. It's a welcome move, but leaves unresolved many other important rights issues.
The youngest son of the late Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi has reportedly died of a heart attack in Cairo. His death comes just weeks after his father died in custody after years of insufficient access to medical care. Foul play in Abdullah Morsi's death is not suspected.
And terrible reports are emerging from Iran, where a young woman is in critical condition after reportedly setting herself on fire outside court in Tehran, having been told she faces six months in jail for trying to enter a stadium in March. Iran currently bans women from sports stadiums.