ICYMI | #108

Our weekly roundup of stories you may have missed.

Record profits for Big Oil

The six largest western oil companies made over $200bn in 2022 thanks to a sharp rise in oil and gas prices following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The record profits come at a time when people around the world are struggling to pay their energy bills, driving accusations of war profiteering and demands for higher windfall taxes. One of the companies, BP, also announced plans to scale back its climate targets, after doubling profits from the previous year.

Turkish and Syrian refugees face bureaucratic hurdles

23 million people have been affected and 45,000 have lost their lives due to the earthquakes in Syria and Turkey. A week ago Germany announced plans to simplify the visa application process for victims with family in the country. In reality, there is still a long list of required documents, relatives are expected to pay all costs, visas are limited to three-month-stays and processing times are slow. Seeking refuge in Germany remains very complicated from Turkey and almost impossible from Syria.

Berlin election

A little over a week since the repeat elections in Berlin, talks continue between election winner CDU and the current ruling party SPD to determine whether there is a basis for a coalition government between the two parties. The SPD has also announced talks with the Green Party and Die Linke this Tuesday, saying they could imagine a continuation of the current Red-Green-Red coalition established in 2021. Talks between CDU and the Green Party are scheduled for Wednesday. 

Meloni’s deadly sea rescue decree deemed unlawful by Italian court

In a ruling that has been hailed as a win for activists working in the Mediterranean, a decree by Giorgia Meloni’s far-right Italian government restricting sea rescue has been declared unlawful by a court in Catania, Sicily. The decree stipulates that only the most vulnerable migrants from a rescue ship are allowed to go ashore and was deemed to contradict the legal right to rescue and obstruct access to the asylum procedure. 

German police officers charged over refugee teenager’s death

Five police officers have been charged over the fatal shooting of a 16-year old Senegalese boy last year in Dortmund. Officers claimed that after the boy, who was a refugee, had run towards them with a knife, they used pepper spray and tasers before shooting him with a submachine gun. The shooting is only one of several recent fatal incidents caused by police and has sparked protests and debates about police brutality and racist violence in Germany. 

Stop Deportation protest camp

The initiative Stop Deportation Center BER is organising a protest camp from 1-6 June 2023. The camp will provide an opportunity for existing groups, activists and interested people to get to know each other, share knowledge and strategies and build a broader movement against the planned deportation centre and Germany‘s racist deportation policies. If you would like to get involved in the planning and organisation, join the open plenary on 23 February at Linie206. 

Spiral Times fundraiser for kindergarten in Palestine

BB, host of Spiral Times on Refuge Worldwide, is raising money to expand Zahrat Al-Yasmeen (jasmine flower) a kindergarten located in Lajee Center, a grassroots community space run by and for refugees in Aida Campa near Bethlehem, Palestine. All money raised goes directly into Palestinian hands and will help provide infrastructure and resources for the next generation.

Black History Month at Refuge Worldwide

Tune in or head to Oona this Wednesday for a Black History Month takeover hosted by Taboo from 19:00-00:00. The event will include a conversation between Taboo founder Kenny Eshinlokun and Refuge co-founder Richard Akingbehin, an interview and live set from RAYNE, and DJ sets from Bernard Koomsin, Nasra, Yazzus and DJ Hyperdrive.

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Cover image licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.