Barbara Essig
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baessig.bsky.social
Barbara Essig
@baessig.bsky.social
Passionate about migration and international affairs
🇪🇺 at heart,🇨🇭by choice
currently @ Swiss MFA / former @idmc-geneva.bsky.social, @bmeia.gv.at, journalist
Not exactly a surprise:
Die Bundesrepublik könne sich nicht darauf berufen, dass die Dublin-Verordnung angesichts einer Notlage unangewendet bleiben dürfe. Insbesondere könne sie die Zurückweisungen nicht auf die Ausnahmeregelung des Art. 72 AEUV stützen.
www.berlin.de/gerichte/ver...
Zurückweisungen bei Grenzkontrollen sind rechtswidrig (Nr. 32/2025) - Berlin.de
www.berlin.de
June 2, 2025 at 4:38 PM
“Migration ist nicht die Quelle des Problems, sondern lediglich das Symptom einer Krise; einer Krise, die Migrantinnen und Migranten nicht heraufbeschworen haben und die sich auch nicht ihretwegen verschärft. Seit langem versagen liberale Gesellschaften…”
www.youtube.com/live/9exCOFG...
A Speech to Europe 2025: Lea Ypi
YouTube video by ERSTE Foundation
www.youtube.com
May 15, 2025 at 5:39 PM
Reposted by Barbara Essig
Border games inside Schengen. It shouldn't be this way. Germany at fault. www.luxtimes.lu/europeanunio...
Luxembourg refuses asylum seekers turned away at German border
Luxembourg Home Affairs Minister Léon Gloden is opposed to Germany systematically turning back irregular migrants at its border
www.luxtimes.lu
May 13, 2025 at 12:19 PM
Destroying Schengen while everybody else is celebrating #EuropeDay. What irony… Plus, very likely the #ECJ will rule the measures are unlawful www.welt.de/politik/deut...
Friedrich Merz ruft „nationale Notlage“ bei Migration aus - WELT
Friedrich Merz setzt sein Wahlkampfversprechen um und will die Grenzen dauerhaft kontrollieren. Dafür ruft er nach WELT-Informationen eine „nationale Notlage“ aus. Botschafter der Nachbarstaaten werde...
www.welt.de
May 9, 2025 at 4:34 PM
Reposted by Barbara Essig
Ukraine is Europe!
We stand by Ukraine.

We will step up our support to Ukraine so that they can continue to fight back the agressor.

Today, it became clear that the free world needs a new leader. It’s up to us, Europeans, to take this challenge.
February 28, 2025 at 8:22 PM
Russia’s attack on Ukraine three years ago today changed the world as we know it.

The US voting with Russia, Belarus and North Korea against a resolution calling for the withdrawal of Russian forces from Ukraine in the UN General Assembly might prove to be another pivotal moment.
BREAKING: US supports Russia and votes against UN resolution initiated by Ukraine and Europe.

Seismic statement that the US administration now sides with Putin.
February 24, 2025 at 5:30 PM
Reposted by Barbara Essig
President Trump's approach to the war in Ukraine is a reversal of the last three years, the editorial board writes, "but also a repudiation of a nearly eight-decade core belief that the United States was safer in a world where it stood against aggression and authoritarianism and for freedom."
Opinion | Trump’s Misguided Strategies for Peace in Ukraine
In their silence, Republicans are betraying the Ukrainians, national security and their own party’s values.
www.nytimes.com
February 22, 2025 at 2:01 PM
Appears to be a sensible way to deal with all this insanity for everyone, not just journalists
Trump’s method is daily whiplash, vertigo, and shock & awe to confuse and overwhelm us.
Journalistically, it should be most interesting then to ask: ‘what is it they don’t want us to look at today?’
To not get enraged by his daily gladiator games, and to look
beyond them is an act of resistance.
February 6, 2025 at 10:16 AM
I haven’t seen the original minutes, but “the possibility of developing return hubs” might just mean changing the legal basis to make return hubs possible; currently they would be illegal under Schengen law.
www.euronews.com/my-europe/20...
Exclusive: EU Commission poised to propose migrant 'return hubs'
The European Commission is mulling a new EU law on migrant returns, with many countries insisting on a hard line. #EuropeNews
www.euronews.com
February 5, 2025 at 7:30 AM
Sure, because governing with the far right and implementing one of the thoughest migration policies in the EU, worked so well in keeping the far right from winning elections in Austria
The former Austrian chancellor told German tabloid Bild in comments published this morning that former German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s open-border policies were a direct catalyst for the rise of the far-right AfD party, which is polling in second place ahead of Feb. 23’s national election.
Austria’s Kurz blames Merkel for far-right AfD rise in Germany
“Without the migration policies since 2015, the AfD wouldn’t be anywhere near this strong,” says Vienna’s former conservative chancellor.
ow.ly
January 31, 2025 at 2:19 PM
Yesterday evening the Swiss Parliament voted in favor of a text forcing the government to restrict temporary protection for people fleeing UA to regions affected by “more or less intensive fighting”. Three reasons why this is a really bad idea:

www.parlament.ch/en/ratsbetri...
Official Bulletin
www.parlament.ch
December 3, 2024 at 8:58 AM
Sometimes quite useful in putting the whole debate around #irregular #migration in/to #Europe into perspective : there are many more people displaced inside their countries than across borders.

Africa alone hosts almost half of them with 35 million #IDPs
🚨NEW REPORT: Internal displacement in Africa tripled in the last 15 years

Despite the landmark Kampala Convention in 2009, conflicts & rising #DisasterDisplacement are keeping people from rebuilding their lives.

Explore our report for trends & insights
bit.ly/494T0Ku
November 26, 2024 at 4:36 PM
Compelling read on the outcomes of #COP29, offering a glimpse of hope amongst all those doomsday’s scenarios
November 24, 2024 at 1:25 PM
AT agrees to lifting border checks at the land borders with BG and RO (i.e. “full” Schengen membership) under the condition of HU, RO and BG reintroducing internal border controls for at least 6 months - really everything you need to know about the current state of the Schengen area 🤦🏼
November 22, 2024 at 9:08 PM
Finally !

Next step: formal vote @ JHA-Council on 12 December.
Bulgaria and Romania belong fully to the Schengen area. 

Removing internal controls at land borders is the last hurdle. 
 
I welcome the positive outcome of informal discussions in Budapest today.
 
The Council’s formal decision is next.
 
Let 2025 see Schengen become stronger.
November 22, 2024 at 11:51 AM
Reposted by Barbara Essig
I know all eyes are on Netanyahu but it deserves to be mentioned that the ICC has also carefully looked at Hamas violence on 7 October and against hostages
November 21, 2024 at 6:47 PM
“The Chamber issued warrants of arrest for two individuals, Mr Benjamin Netanyahu and Mr Yoav Gallant, for crimes against humanity and war crimes (…)”

Potentially quite a challenge for ICC MS hosting important international organizations, such as CH and AT.

www.icc-cpi.int/news/situati...
Situation in the State of Palestine: ICC Pre-Trial Chamber I rejects the State of Israel’s challenges to jurisdiction and issues warrants of arrest for Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant
Today, on 21 November 2024, Pre-Trial Chamber I of the International Criminal Court (‘Court’), in its composition for the Situation in the State of Palestine, unanimously issued two decisions rejectin...
www.icc-cpi.int
November 21, 2024 at 3:55 PM
The always brilliant Ivan Krastev on how 1989 was all about abolishing borders, while Trump’s election is all about bringing them back.

And more poignant analysis on what the results of the election mean for global politics.

open.substack.com/pub/yaschamo...
Ivan Krastev on The New Global Order
Yascha Mounk and Ivan Krastev discuss what Trump’s reelection will mean for the future of the world.
open.substack.com
November 18, 2024 at 3:31 PM
Clearly the only decision EU leaders could have possible taken tonight. And it speaks volumes about the current state of the EU that it was only possible with 🇭🇺 out of the room.
🚨 BREAKING: European leaders have approved the opening of accession negotiations for Ukraine, European Council President Charles Michel announced.
European leaders approve opening of accession talks for Ukraine
Decision is ‘a clear signal of hope for their people and for our continent,’ European Council President Charles Michel says.
www.politico.eu
December 14, 2023 at 6:12 PM