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Several Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, have severed diplomatic relations with Qatar. Saudi Arabia has blocked all land, sea and air routes to Qatar, and the UAE has closed its airports and harbors to Qatari flights and shipping.

The Arab states have accused their neighbor of supporting terrorism and destabilizing the region. Qatar says the claims are "unjustified" and "baseless."

Qatar has a population of just over 2.2 million but most of the people living there are foreign nationals.

The gas-rich state relies heavily on migrant workers to keep its economy ticking over. They include engineers, doctors and bankers, as well as construction workers hired to build stadiums for the Qatar 2022 soccer World Cup.

Philippines assessing risks

In a statement, the Philippine government said it was concerned about the fate of 140,000 Filipinos workers already in Qatar, particularly given suggestions that the blockade could lead to food shortages.

"We know for a fact Qatar does not produce it own food. If anything happens and they ran out of food and food riots take place definitely our [foreign workers] will be the first victims," said Silvestre Bello, head of the Philippine Department of Labor and Employment, in a statement.

Related: Arab blockade is nightmare for Qatar Airways

The suspension applies to newly-hired and returning Filipino workers.

"Even those who are ready to go we have to temporary suspend for their own protection because we have to assess the situation first before we could allow again the deployment of our migrant workers," Bello said. "This is for their own protection."

Indian government relaxed

There are also 650,000 Indian nationals in Qatar, making up the biggest expat community. The Indian government so far appears relaxed about their fate.

"There is no challenge that arises for us out of this situation," India's foreign minister Sushma Swaraj said on Monday.

"When it comes to us, we are only concerned that no Indians get caught in the middle of this because they have put in travel restrictions. If any Indian is stopped, we will bring them back here."

Nepali truck drivers out of work

Nepali citizens make up another big chunk of the population in Qatar, with over 400,000 living in the Gulf nation.

Ganesh Gurung, a labor and migration expert in Kathmandu, said some Nepali truck drivers have already lost their jobs because of the closure of the Saudi-Qatar border. Many more would lose their jobs if the crisis drags on, he added.

"This would directly impact the Nepali economy as it depends heavily on foreign remittances." said Gurung.

Egypt breaks ties but hasn't recalled workers

Egyptians in Qatar were confused when news broke Monday that Cairo was breaking off diplomatic ties with Doha. Egypt did not follow Saudi Arabia and the UAE in recalling its citizens back.

"We are prepared to welcome citizens home if such a decision is made," said Nabila Makram, Minister of Immigration and Egyptian Expatriate Affairs, in an interview with an Egyptian TV channel.

"We are now in a transition phase, and the embassy will become a caretaker and continue with consular services," Makram added. She estimates there are more than 70,000 Egyptians living in Qatar.

Related: Qatar is backed by a massive global war chest

The small country has used its huge oil and gas wealth to become an economic powerhouse. It's home to one of the region's biggest airlines, Qatar Airways. It has also built up a huge global portfolio of investments.

Qatar has repeatedly faced criticism for alleged support of the Muslim Brotherhood, an Islamist group considered a terrorist organization by Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Analysts say the unprecedented diplomatic rift is also driven by the belief that Qatar is too closely aligned with Iran.

Qatar's foreign minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, told CNN on Tuesday that Saudi Arabia's claims were contradictory and "full of false information."

-- Karma Gurung contributed to this report

CNNMoney (Dubai) First published June 6, 2017: 8:33 AM ET

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Philippines stops sending workers to Qatar - CNNMoney

Sorry I Drowned: Animated Film Depicts the Refugee and Migrant Crisis

A six-minute-animated film calledSorry I Drowned isinspired by a letter allegedly found on the body of someone who drowned in the Mediterranean Sea.

While we may not know of the truth behind who wrote the letter, we do know that what it depicts is real. This reality cannot continue, according to Mdecins Sans Frontires(MSF) or Doctors without Borders.

The film, created byStudio Kawakeb in Beirut and Mdecins Sans Frontires(MSF) or Doctors without Borders, sketches the refugee crisis of those forced to cross the sea looking for safety.

As wars continue to fail millions of people to stay in their countries and protect their hometowns and families, the sea takes the lives of thousands of people on their way to safety. Each year, morerefugees drown in desperate attempts to reach Europe.

According to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), more than 3,740 were found dead in the Mediterranean in 2015.

William Spindler, a spokesman for the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, says that the number of people who lost their lives in the Mediterranean in 2016 passed 5,000.

That means that on average, 14 people have died every single day this year in the Mediterranean trying to find safety or a better life in Europe, Spindler added.

While the number of refugees continues to increase fleeing wars, MSF aims at raising awareness about the sufferings that the refugees and migrants are enduring, as they have no other choice but undertake this deadly journey.

MSF is an international, independent, medical humanitarian organisation that delivers emergency aid to people affected by armed conflict, epidemics, natural disasters and exclusion from healthcare.

MSF has been conducting Search and Rescue activities for two years to further spread awareness about the refugee crisis.

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Sorry I Drowned: Animated Film Depicts the Refugee and Migrant ... - Egyptian Streets

Care to help me do more stuff like this? Donate @ http://samhyde.org/

Prop clock was made by "Wizz Art Smell" in a few hours with stuff he had laying around. Mad-scientist. Huge thanks to the fans, James Price, Phil, and the people who pitched in here and there to help write-- Pat, Mike AKA Goy, Marty, Tai, etc.

"Migrant" "Crisis" AKA Muslim Road Trip. Hundreds of thousands of astronauts, doctors, sciencemen, and peaceful clock inventors descend upon the countries with the most collective guilt and free stuff.

This was pretty good man... I wasn't expecting this reaction from the same Boston college audience who so thoroughly disapproved of my 'Mike Brown' routine. I think the invasion of Europe touches a nerve with these people and gives even the most egalitarian fruit loops a reason to scratch their heads. Most importantly, the NWO made a fatal error with their recent bomb clock hijinx, by picking such an arrogant and cartoonish character (Ahmed Mohamed) to be the messenger and mascot for the next wave of sick racial back-patting. This kid is a total fucking goob... Of course now we must wonder if George Soros is a Beavis & Butt-head fan.

It's not enough to talk about cool clocks and make cool clocks. Do your best to explain to those around you why displacement-level immigration is a bad idea, and that having some sort of white identity (or western identity if you aren't white) and backbone doesn't make you a fucking klan member. Build up your agency and network and take care of yourself even though the whole point of socialism is to de-incentivize that sort of investment and make you a forever nap boy dependent on the state for milk, bread, and cartoons. Wake up! And vote for Trump.

🙂

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Sam Hyde -- Migrant Crisis stand-up routine -- Sept. 29th ...

ESTORIL, PORTUGAL

People smugglers make about $35 billion a year worldwide and they are driving the tragedy of migrants who die trying to cross the Mediterranean to reach Europe, the head of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) told Reuters on Wednesday.

Increasing numbers of desperate migrants fleeing from Africa and elsewhere due to conflicts and humanitarian crises are dying as they attempt to reach Europe via Libya, coaxed to do so by smugglers as they wait in detention centers.

The death toll of people crossing the Mediterranean has reached 1,700 so far this year before the summer when many more often make the journey, compared to 3,700 for all of 2015 and 5,000 last year, said IOM head William Lacy Swing.

"Now, let's be careful because those are the people we know who died, how many other bodies are submerged in the Mediterranean or buried in the sands of the Sahara?" he said in an interview on the sidelines of a conference on migration.

"That's the tragedy and this is why we are so concerned to try to caution migrants about smugglers. The smugglers are really the big problem. It's about $35 billion a year [that people smugglers make] and we know they're making lots of money across the Mediterranean."

People smuggling now represents the third-largest business for international criminals, after gun and drug trafficking, he said.

Libya has become a major point of departure for migrants from Africa, where lawlessness is spreading six years after the fall of strongman Muammar Gaddafi and migrants say conditions at government-run migrant centers are terrible.

After visiting Libya in March, Lacy Swing said his organization is "all ready to go" and return international staff to Libya to work at migrant centers but has so far not been allowed to do so by the United Nations.

On Tuesday, the IOM and U.N. refugee agency UNCHR presented plans in Geneva on boosting operations in Libya. Lacy Swing said the IOM was ready to help the government with Libya's own internally displaced people and work in migration centers.

He said Europe's migrant crisis has been aggravated by what he called "unprecedented anti-migrant sentiment, fueled now by suspicions that some of those fleeing terrorism might be terrorists themselves."

But he urged governments to try to address the root causes of migration conflicts, water shortages and big disparities between rich and poor countries.

"In my lifetime I have never known a situation quite like today, because you have nine armed conflicts and humanitarian emergencies from West Africa to the Himalayas," he said.

He said Europe needs to come up with a comprehensive plan on migration "but I don't see it happening any time in the near future, but we'll do everything we can to support them on it."

Lacy Swing stressed that "migration is not an issue to be solved, it's a human reality that has to be managed or governed."

"We know that historically, migration has always been overwhelmingly positive."

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IOM Head: People Smugglers Make $35 Billion a Year on Migrant Crisis - Voice of America

Xavier Bertrand warns French PM the risk was 'very real'

CALAIS could again descend into violence this summer as migrants try to get into Britain, a French official has warned.

Xavier Bertrand, the president of Hauts-de-France region, wrote to the new Prime Minster of France warning that something must be done to combat people trying to get into the UK.

News Group Newspapers Ltd

In a letter to Edouard Philippe, seen by the Daily Express, Mr Bertrand said: The situation has become worrisome again. I am regularly alerted by road hauliers who are seeing an upsurge of degradation on their trucks.

Every day residents, elected officials and business leaders express their concerns about the return of migrants to Calais.

The risk is very real the security forces are not able to prevent migrants present near Calais to prepare their attempts to intrude in the port or tunnel in order to reach the UK.

The letter comes after the UKs shipping chief warned Emmanuel Macron that his plan to move Britains border from Calais would cause chaos for travellers in Dover.

The new French President wants to scrapthe current border deal but yesterday the PM insisted it was not up for negotiation.

Theresa May said she would be sitting down and talking to Monsieur Macron about how the so-called Le Touquet system worked and would stress that it works for the benefit of both the UK and France.

Her comments sparked fears it could be scrapped but her aides insisted she would make clear that the border deal is not up for discussion.

The treaty, which was signed in 2003, lets British officials carry out checks on the French side of the channel.

PA:Press Association

News Group Newspapers Ltd

Today the CEO of the UK Chamber of Shipping warned that cancelling the treatywould mean extra checks at BOTH sides of the Channel which would be a nightmare for travellers.

Guy Platten told The Sun Online thatthis would lead to chaos at Dover and Calais with lengthy queues for travellers and lorries carrying cargo.

He said: Anything which requires additional checking will cause a blockage. If you are stopping every car, stopping it all go in, you will cause delays.

All you will do is cause two lots of checks to be carried out, and massive delays.I cant see any upside.

He warned against reports today that said in the event the agreement is scrapped, ferry companies would be made responsible for stopping migrants from crossing into Britain, and expressed his concerns around the legality of such a move.

Mr Platten, who represents 170 members of the shipping industry, said: If ferry operators were required to check every lorry for illegal immigrants before embarkation, then voyage delays will see colossal queues of cars and lorries.

The move would affect Calais and Dunkirk just as much as Dover, he stressed.

The news comes after just a month ago Mr Platten reassured Brits that they would be unlikely to face further checks after Britain quits the EU.

AP:Associated Press

The new French President said back in March that France can no longer be Britains coast guard and he wanted to put the agreement back on the table.

Migrants trying to get into the UK illegally are turned back at Calais which sparked camps being set up there as Europes immigration issues spiralled over the past few years.

There are serious concerns that scrapping the agreement would entice more to try and make the dangerous crossing if they thought they may be able to reach our shores.

It would be a complete mess, Mr Platten argued. It seems to be that [for Macron] its a very nice election slogan, but its impractical.

Its not going to achieve anything but increased delays. Nice soundbite, but Im not sure it will stand the test of time.

Reuters

Alamy

There are also fears that Macrons landslide win in France will affect our Brexit negotiations.

The 39-year-old previously appeared to row back on comments that he wanted a hard Brexit.

But thenewly elected French leader will be tough in the talks about to start, they warned.

And hewill soon begin his plan to attract London bankers to Paris after Brexit.

Analysts speculated France could try to nick up to 20,000 workers from Britain.v

The PM previously slammed Macron when he called for an exodus of bankers from the UK to Paris from the doorstep of No10 earlier this year.

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Calais migrant crisis 'could return this summer' warns French ... - The Sun