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Players in Russia who want to move to another country because of the invasion of Ukraine should be granted an emergency reopening of the transfer window, according a new idea being proposed to Fifa.

The Polish Football Association, which has led opposition to continued Russian involvement in international competition since the outbreak of war, has written to Fifa making the suggestion, with hundreds of foreign players playing their club football in Russia.

The Ukrainian defender Yaroslav Rakitskyi has left Zenit Saint Petersburg and more players are expected to follow at other clubs, with Polands Grzegorz Krychowiak hoping to be allowed to leave Krasnodar. This week too the manager of Lokomotiv Moscow, Markus Gisdol, left his role, as did Daniel Farke, the former Norwich manager who had recently joined Krasnodar. Both managers expressed concerns over working in Russia during the invasion.

The imposition of global sanctions has seen a collapse in the value of the rouble, meaning that some clubs are struggling to pay players wages, with contracts commonly agreed in euros. Some high-profile players may see their contracts cancelled, but a plan to reopen the window would see all contracted players given the opportunity to negotiate deals elsewhere.

Fifa were approached by the Guardian for comment.

European football bodies have this week been concentrating on trying to help players in the Ukrainian league reach safety, one small part of the growing migrant crisis caused by the war. On Thursday the president of Uefa, Aleksander Ceferin, said the war was the most terrible situation and that the madness of the conflict must stop.

I was on the phone for 48 hours with clubs and coaches to get them out of the Ukraine, Ceferin told the Financial Times Business of Football Summit. Its hard for me to explain how sad those conversations were. One of the players who left Ukraine came to my home, another came today. They told me about their children and about the bombs exploding outside their home. I am proud of the football family that we stood together to do our part. The football part. Its really hard to say what will happen tomorrow but this war should stop, this madness should stop.

Ceferin said it was impossible to say under what circumstances the ban on Russian football might be reversed. For now it stays and we are waiting for peace to come, he said. Football will probably be the least important thing.

Uefa has moved the Champions League final from Russia and cancelled its longstanding sponsorship deal with Gazprom. It has previously sought to steer clear of making decisions that could be seen as political, including during the mens European Championship last summer when it refused a request to illuminate Munichs Allianz Arena in the colours of the rainbow flag.

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Also speaking at the Football Summit, the general secretary of the players union Fifpro, Jonas Baer-Hoffmann, said the current crisis meant that football could no longer claim to sit outside of politics. I think sport has to accept that the idea you make an institution apolitical is just a myth, Hoffman said. Because what people do with it makes it political. If Putin decides its not apolitical its not.

Football should stand for values of peace freedom sovereignty, human rights but also equality. The rainbow flag is a political decision.

On the day the UK culture minister held a meeting with international sports bodies to discuss tightening sanctions and heightening consequences for Russian sporting bodies, the chief executive of the Premier League, Richard Masters, said the competition was reviewing its deals with Russian broadcast companies.

Its clearly under review, he said. I would like the Russian people to see the strength of feeling. We will look at it very closely re suspension and termination. We are looking at it right now.

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Fifa urged to reopen transfer window and give players in Russia escape route - The Guardian

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FIRST ON FOX: Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., is calling for answers to a slew of questions regarding the Biden administrations handling of the crisis at the southern border and the release of migrants into the interior as Republican pressure grows on the administration and the crisis rolls into its second year.

Johnson, who sits on the Senate Homeland Security Committee and is the ranking member of the subcommittee on investigations, followed up on previous requests for information from the Department of Homeland Security on the crisis with a letter with additional requests.

MORE THAN 47,000 MIGRANTS RELEASED INTO US BY BIDEN ADMIN IN 2021 FAILED TO REPORT TO ICE

There were 178,840 migrant apprehensions at the border in December, after a FY 2021 that saw approximately 1.7 million encounters, overwhelming border authorities, after Trump-era policies were rolled back in favor of a growing practice of releasing migrants into the U.S. interior.

It has led to intense Republican criticism about the purported failure of the Biden administrations focus on "root causes" in Central America, with lawmakers pointing to the rapid rollback of Trump-era policies combined with a reduced interior enforcement and a push for mass amnesty for illegal immigrants already here.

Fox News recently reported on how single adults are being released into the interior just hours after arriving in the United States, and how a smaller percentage of migrants are being removed via the Trump-era Title 42 public health policy.

Jan. 23, 2022: Fox News footage shows migrants being released into the US.

While the Biden administration was forced by court order to re-implement the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) the Trump-era policy that quickly returns migrants to Mexico so far only a few hundred migrants have been enrolled in it.

Johnsons letter requests numbers about how many migrants were released into the interior without being detained, how many were released prior to the resolution of their immigration case, and the number returned to their home country.

BIDEN'S BORDER CRISIS GOES GLOBAL WITH MORE APPREHENSIONS FROM FARAWAY COUNTRIES

The letter also zeroes in on the practice of releasing migrants with a Notice to Report (NTR) -- which was used by Border Patrol at the height of the crisis to more quickly process migrants into the interior than issuing them with a Notice to Appear (NTA). Issuing a NTA involves giving migrants a time and date for their immigration hearing and can take hours. The NTR process, which tells migrants to check in with their local Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office, allows migrants to be processed into the interior in as little as 15 minutes.

In a letter to Johnson last month, DHS disclosed that out of 104,171 Notices to Report issued to migrants between the end of March and the end of August, 47,705 failed to report within the 60-day time frame.

An additional 6,607 had not checked in with ICE and were still within the 60-day period, while 49,859 did check in within the 60-day period. DHS also revealed that between March 21 and Dec. 5, ICE issued 50,683 NTAs to migrants who had initially been released with an NTR.

In his letter this week, Johnson requested the NTA numbers for the whole 2021 calendar year, as well as the number apprehended by ICE, the numbers deported for not checking in with ICE, the number paroled after checking in pursuant to an NTR, and the number of those placed in alternatives to detention (ATD).

The Wisconsin lawmaker also requested the numbers of known or suspected "gotaways" migrants who successfully got past Border Patrol, and the number of aliens with criminal records who were released or paroled into the U.S. interior.

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Johnson and a number of other senators will be holding a press conference on the border crisis on Wednesday.

Republicans have been calling for greater transparency from the administration on everything from the number of suspected terrorists encountered at the border to the practices related to how migrants are released into the interior. That pressure is likely to build if the crisis continues in 2022, ahead of what is already likely to be a difficult midterm election for congressional Democrats.

Fox News' Bill Melugin contributed to this report.

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Johnson grills DHS on migrant releases, as GOP pressure builds on border crisis - Fox News

Spending by European Union agencies on border-related technology and surveillance rocketed from 2014 onwards amid the migrant crisis, reports Statewatch, which tracks the billions of euros spent and the consortia and oligopoly of companies which have benefited from biometrics and border control contracts.

Eu-Lisa, the agency which deals with IT systems and databases spend 1.5 billion (US$1.68 billion) from 2014-2020 while Frontex which handles border control and deportation spent 434 million ($487.5 million), with surveillance one of its fastest growing areas of spending. Frontex spending peaked in 2019 at around seven times its 2014 spending, eu-Lisa was spending around five times as much by 2020 compared to 2014 and expenditure still growing.

Statewatch examines the individual contracts from both agencies. The 2020 deal that eu-Lisa awarded to Idemia and Sopra Steria to implement a new biometric matching system (BMS) was worth 300 million ($337 million), the single largest contract from either agency.

This central biometric database will be the backbone of the Entry/Exit System (EES) to monitor all external border crossings by non-EU citizens.

Analysis of the data available shows that Sopra Steria and Idemia are commonly awarded contracts regardless of the database in question they have deals in place for maintaining and developing EES, EURODAC, SIS II and VIS, states Statewatch.

Frontex spent over 100 million on aerial surveillance in the period. This included 50 million going to Airbus and Elbit and a 14.5 million ($16.3 million) contract extension going to Diamon-Executive Aviation, CAE Aviation, EASP Air and Indra for maritime area aerial surveillance. Statewatch notes that the trend continued into 2021 with a further 84 million ($94.4 million) going to aerial surveillance.

Given the limited number of companies involved in the construction and maintenance of the EUs digital infrastructure for home affairs, it may be considered a case ofoligopoly The contracts are generally awarded to consortiums of huge transnational technology and consulting firms for example, Idemia (2020 revenue: 22 billion) and Sopra Steria (2020 revenue: 4.3 billion), states the report.

This creates a form of techno-dependency or vendor lock-in: every time the database needs to be updated or extended in some way, it is highly like that the contract will be awarded to the same companies that developed the system in the past. Along with the Spanish company Atos, Idemia and Sopra Steria have repeatedly been awarded contracts for the maintenance of certain large-scale databases, note the authors, pointing out that acquisitions in the identity sector make the group of vendors smaller still.

A representative of Idemia pointed out to Biometric Update in an email that the company earned 2.2 billion in 2020. The representative further noted that Idemia won the contract Statewatch refers to through a competitive tender process held in accordance with EU regulations, and that the company complies with all regulations for public sector contracts, including those specific to eu-LISA procurement.

According to Statewatch, the content of the contracts and subsequent sub-contracting by the winners remains opaque. While the EUs forthcoming Artificial Intelligence Act may put the dampeners on some of the technologies in use by border control agencies, the databases themselves are exempt.

The scene is set for the EUs datafied borders to continue expanding for some time to come, concludes the report. EU agencies are spending increasing sums to protect and secure EUs borders, a process that relies heavily upon the services of private companies.

Biometrics, drones, deportation flights and surveillance technologies will be used to further the key historical and political function of borders to discriminate at the same time as those technologies will become increasingly hidden from view. As this process continues, using digital methods and analytical skills to follow the money and track both the outsourcing process and its effects will remain key to strategies of resistance.

This post was updated at 11:46am Eastern on February 1, 2022 to note Idemias correct 2020 earnings and the companys response.

biometric matching | biometrics | border control | Entry/Exit System (EES) | eu-LISA | Europe | Frontex | government purchasing | IDEMIA | Sopra Steria | surveillance | vendor lock-in

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'Datafication' of EU borders and ballooning private-sector spending prompted by migrant crisis - Biometric Update

Mexico City, Mexico, February 2, 2022 The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is deeply concerned by the recurring deployment of security forces in Mexico to block the way of people in need of protection.

Since 2021 and earlier this year, there have been reports of Mexican security forces halting groups of asylum seekers trying to move through the country. This week, the National Institute of Migration conducted raids to detain people deemed as under irregular status in the southern city of Tapachula. The raids took place near migrant shelterswhich goes against the Mexican migration lawin a city that is among the main ports of entry for asylum seekers, where thousands coming from countries like Haiti or Honduras have waited for months for a resolution to their ongoing asylum petitions.

Raymundo Tamayo, Country Director for Mexico at the International Rescue Committee, said:

Mexico has a long history of welcoming people from all around the world in times when crises have hit the hardest. In 2021, we saw the number of asylum requests in the country peak, with more than 131,000the highest in the last decade. We even witnessed the country open the door to welcome Afghan evacuees, establishing a cooperation with organizations like the IRC to deliver an emergency response.

Despite Mexico, having historically welcomed refugees, we are concerned about the increasingly frequent deployment of security forces to halt groups of people trying to get into (or cross through) the country in their search for safety. Measures like this only put those already escaping danger at a higher risk: people have been severely hurt or even killed.

International law must be reinforced and respected to receive and assist people fleeing conflict. We call for funding and cooperation among the countries along the migration corridors in the regionincluding Mexico, which has a strategic positionto offer protection and alternatives for those most affected by a humanitarian crisis. Seeking asylum is legal and efforts must be directed towards promoting collaboration between all sectors, including INGOs, to strengthen asylum policies and systems that guarantee the integrity of asylum seekers, regardless of their nationality or status.

The IRC in Mexico

The IRC isresponding along the main migration corridors in Mexico: from the southern to the northern borders and along the routes through the country. The IRCs programs offer a timely and comprehensive response to the most urgent needs of people on the move, including: prevention and response to gender-based violence; access to critical information through InfoDigna, a multi-channel information platform; prevention and mitigation of COVID-19; economic recovery and development; child protection services; as well as identifying needs and referring cases to local service providers. Additionally, the IRC is supporting local integration efforts by providing cultural orientation to individuals who have chosen to stay in Mexico.

About the IRC

The International Rescue Committee responds to the worlds worst humanitarian crises, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing, and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein, the IRC is at work in over 40 countries and over 20 U.S. citieshelping people to survive, reclaim control of their future, and strengthen their communities.Learn more at http://www.rescue.org and follow the IRC on Twitter & Facebook.

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The IRC responds to the detention of asylum seekers in Tapachula, Mexico - International Rescue Committee

Agri-food representatives have told Agriculture Minster Edwin Poots that the UKs immigration system is the main catalyst for staff shortages facing the industry here.

ne MLA described the situation as a perfect storm of failed regulations, economics and other forces that have severely impacted the sector.

Mr Poots said these shortages are causing difficulties across the food processing sector, and for abattoirs in particular, a situation he described as worrying.

Despite offering competitive wages, the minister said, agri-food firms here have struggled to recruit a fully-staffed workforce from the pool of domestic workers here, so have had to rely on migrant workers to fill the labour gap in the past. Changes to immigration rules made in Westminster, however, now mean migrant labour is limited to skilled jobs that meet certain salary levels and English language requirements.

Mr Poots added: Industry representatives have indicated that the new UK Immigration System is the main catalyst for the current shortages.

Engagement with industry indicates that there continues to be sizeable labour shortages, particular with respect to the number of slaughter plant operatives and butchers in our abattoirs and processing plants.

These labour shortages are causing difficulties across the food processing sector, however, it is the pig sector that is reporting the most serious difficulties with processing capacity, resulting in a rollover of pigs on farms each week.

Other pressures facing the pig sector are an increase in supply alongside a global fall in pig prices. Late last year, the UK Government announced temporary visas for 800 butchers for the pig sector in order to ease staffing pressures. Applications for this scheme have now closed and the DUP minister warned short-term schemes will do nothing to alleviate the agri-food staffing problem in the medium to longer-term.

This is a worrying situation and I continue to take all steps within my power to help mitigate the problem. A significant aspect of this is my continued and extensive engagement with Whitehall given that Immigration Policy is a reserved matter, he said.

Independent unionist MLA Claire Sugden said: Rules made in Westminster not in Stormont mean access to migrant labour is now limited to skilled jobs that meet set salary levels and English lan guage requirements.

As a result, we simply cannot find enough slaughter plant operatives and butchers in our abattoirs and processing plants.

The knock-on effect of this is that animals cannot be slaughtered and processed quickly enough. Farmers and plants have these animals queuing up for longer, which means farmers are not just spending more on feed the price of which has also soared in recent months but actually having to pay price penalties for overweight animals in the case of pigs.

It truly is a perfect storm of failed regulations, economics and other forces that together are conspiring to make meat farming and processing across Northern Ireland increasingly unsustainable.

SDLP agriculture spokesperson Patsy McGlone said the main reason for the issues is Brexit.

Minister Poots also acknowledges that there is no obvious solution to these problems. Perhaps if his party stopped threatening to collapse our institutions and supported an agreement between the EU and British Government to resolve the small number of outstanding issues around the Protocol, we could then turn our attentions to coming up with a plan to support businesses like these and help them attract the staff they need, he said.

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Staffing crisis in agri-food industry is down to immigration rules, Poots told - Belfast Telegraph