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rohanseoewe · 3 months ago

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FOR DUTCH AND EUROPEAN CITIZENS - United States American ESTA Visa Service Online - USA Electronic Visa Application Online - Immigratiecentrum voor visumaanvragen in de VS.

Welke persoon moet USA Visa Online aanvragen? Als u een staatsburger bent van een land dat een pact heeft gesloten met de VS voor het Waiver of Visa-programma, en u heeft ook GEEN Visits Visa voor de VS, dan komt u in aanmerking. Uw reis duurt korter dan drie maanden. Uw voornemen om Amerika te bezoeken is voor zaken of recreatie. U moet een nieuwe autorisatie of een Amerikaans visum aanvragen voor één persoon of een groep personen. WELKE documentatie is nodig om USA Visa Online aan te vragen? Een geldig(e) paspoort(en) van een Visa Waiver Program. Uw land moet in de lijst met Visa Waiver-landen staan. U heeft een legitiem e-mailadres nodig om US Visa Online te krijgen. Bezoekersnoodcontactpunt smartphone en e-mail. Wanneer u het formulier invult, opstuurt en de verwerkingskosten betaalt, krijgt u een ESTA-aanvraagnummer dat u online kunt volgen voor de Amerikaanse visumaanvraag. Elke toegestane individuele US Visa Only heeft een geldigheidsduur van 2 jaar en maakt meerdere bezoeken aan de VERENIGDE STATEN VAN AMERIKA mogelijk. Als uw paspoort binnen minder dan twee jaar verloopt, is uw USA Visa Online slechts geldig tot de vervaldatum van het paspoort. In veel landen is USA Visa Online toegestaan, waaronder Israël, Portugal, Duitsland, Letland, Nederland, Griekenland, Liechtenstein, Zweden, Andorra, Finland, Frankrijk, Ierland, Brunei, Kroatië, Zwitserland, Italië, Estland, Australië, Korea , Zuiden, Japan, IJsland, Spanje, België, Litouwen, Noorwegen, Hongarije, Slowakije, Denemarken, Luxemburg, Taiwan, Slovenië, Oostenrijk, Polen, Verenigd Koninkrijk, San Marino, Nieuw-Zeeland, Singapore, Chili, Monaco, Tsjechië, Malta . Als het doel van de reis toerisme of zaken is, dan Which person should apply for USA Visa Online. If You are a citizen of a country which has a pact with USA for Waiver of Visa Program, and you also DO NOT have any Visits Visa to USA then you are eligible. Your journey is for less than three months. Your intention to visit America is for business or recreation. You need to apply for a new authorization or USA Visa for one individual or a group of person. WHAT documentation is needed to apply USA Visa Online A Valid passport(s) from a Visa Waiver Program. Your country should be in the List of Visa Waiver Countries, you need a legitimate e mail address to get US Visa Online. Visitor emergency point of contact smartphone and email. When you complete and put up the form and pay the processing charge, you will get an ESTA application number that can be tracked online for US Visa Application. Each permitted individual US Visa Only is for 2 years validity and allows multiple visits to the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. If your passport expires in less than two years then your USA Visa Online will be valid only till the passport expiration date. Many countries are allowed USA Visa Online, some of them include, Israel, Portugal, Germany, Latvia, Netherlands, Greece, Liechtenstein, Sweden, Andorra, Finland, France, Ireland, Brunei, Croatia, Switzerland, Italy, Estonia, Australia, Korea, South, Japan, Iceland, Spain, Belgium, Lithuania, Norway, Hungary, Slovakia, Denmark, Luxembourg, Taiwan, Slovenia, Austria, Poland, United Kingdom, San Marino, New Zealand, Singapore, Chile, Monaco, Czech Republic, Malta. If the purpose of the trip is Tourism or Business then .

Address :Charles Petitweg 35, A10, 4827 HJ Breda, Netherlands

Phone : +31 70 362 7755

Email : [email protected]

Website : https://www.usa-visa-online.org/nl/visa/

Business Hours : 24/7/365

Owner / Official Contact Name :James Charleton Gibsons

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jubaer01 · 7 months ago

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FOR DUTCH AND EUROPEAN CITIZENS - United States American ESTA Visa Service Online - USA Electronic Visa Application Online

Immigratiecentrum voor visumaanvragen in de VS

Address: Churchillplein 6C, 2517 JW Den Haag, Netherlands

Phone: +31 70 338 4370

Email: [email protected]

Website: https://www.evisa-us.org/nl/visa/

Business Hours: 24/7/365

Owner / Official Contact Name: James Charleton Gibsons

Description: Welke persoon moet USA Visa Online aanvragen? Als u een staatsburger bent van een land dat een pact heeft gesloten met de VS voor het Waiver of Visa-programma, en u heeft ook GEEN Visits Visa voor de VS, dan komt u in aanmerking. Uw reis duurt korter dan drie maanden. Uw voornemen om Amerika te bezoeken is voor zaken of recreatie. U moet een nieuwe autorisatie of een Amerikaans visum aanvragen voor één persoon of een groep personen. WELKE documentatie is nodig om USA Visa Online aan te vragen? Een geldig(e) paspoort(en) van een Visa Waiver Program. Uw land moet in de lijst met Visa Waiver-landen staan. U heeft een legitiem e-mailadres nodig om US Visa Online te krijgen. Bezoekersnoodcontactpunt smartphone en e-mail. Wanneer u het formulier invult, opstuurt en de verwerkingskosten betaalt, krijgt u een ESTA-aanvraagnummer dat u online kunt volgen voor de Amerikaanse visumaanvraag. Elke toegestane individuele US Visa Only heeft een geldigheidsduur van 2 jaar en maakt meerdere bezoeken aan de VERENIGDE STATEN VAN AMERIKA mogelijk. Als uw paspoort binnen minder dan twee jaar verloopt, is uw USA Visa Online slechts geldig tot de vervaldatum van het paspoort. In veel landen is USA Visa Online toegestaan, waaronder Israël, Portugal, Duitsland, Letland, Nederland, Griekenland, Liechtenstein, Zweden, Andorra, Finland, Frankrijk, Ierland, Brunei, Kroatië, Zwitserland, Italië, Estland, Australië, Korea , Zuiden, Japan, IJsland, Spanje, België, Litouwen, Noorwegen, Hongarije, Slowakije, Denemarken, Luxemburg, Taiwan, Slovenië, Oostenrijk, Polen, Verenigd Koninkrijk, San Marino, Nieuw-Zeeland, Singapore, Chili, Monaco, Tsjechië, Malta . Als het doel van de reis toerisme of zaken is, dan Which person should apply for USA Visa Online. If You are a citizen of a country which has a pact with USA for Waiver of Visa Program, and you also DO NOT have any Visits Visa to USA then you are eligible. Your journey is for less than three months. Your intention to visit America is for business or recreation. You need to apply for a new authorization or USA Visa for one individual or a group of person. WHAT documentation is needed to apply USA Visa Online A Valid passport(s) from a Visa Waiver Program. Your country should be in the List of Visa Waiver Countries, you need a legitimate e mail address to get US Visa Online. Visitor emergency point of contact smartphone and email. When you complete and put up the form and pay the processing charge, you will get an ESTA application number that can be tracked online for US Visa Application. Each permitted individual US Visa Only is for 2 years validity and allows multiple visits to the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. If your passport expires in less than two years then your USA Visa Online will be valid only till the passport expiration date. Many countries are allowed USA Visa Online, some of them include, Israel, Portugal, Germany, Latvia, Netherlands, Greece, Liechtenstein, Sweden, Andorra, Finland, France, Ireland, Brunei, Croatia, Switzerland, Italy, Estonia, Australia, Korea, South, Japan, Iceland, Spain, Belgium, Lithuania, Norway, Hungary, Slovakia, Denmark, Luxembourg, Taiwan, Slovenia, Austria, Poland, United Kingdom, San Marino, New Zealand, Singapore, Chile, Monaco, Czech Republic, Malta. If the purpose of the trip is Tourism or Business then

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influencermagazineuk · 10 months ago

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The Golden Visa Controversy: Golden Gates or Pandora's Box?

The allure of expedited residency or citizenship in exchange for hefty investments holds undeniable appeal. This is the premise behind Golden Visa programs, offered by several countries, including Portugal, Spain, and Greece. But beneath the golden glimmer lies a murky terrain of controversy, raising questions about fairness, security, and societal impact. Let's delve into the world of Golden Visas, illuminating the pros, cons, and the ongoing debate surrounding them. The Golden Visa Controversy: Golden Gates or Pandora's Box? The Glittering Facade: Benefits of Golden Visas - Fast-tracked Residency or Citizenship: For high-net-worth individuals, Golden Visas offer a quicker path to residency or even citizenship, compared to traditional immigration processes. - Economic Boost: The influx of investments associated with Golden Visas can inject capital into the host country's economy, potentially creating jobs and stimulating growth. - Global Mobility: Golden Visas often grant access to the Schengen zone, allowing unrestricted travel within participating European countries. - Investment Diversification: For investors, diversifying their assets abroad can offer risk management and potential tax benefits. The Tarnished Underside: Concerns and Criticisms - Fueling Inequality: Critics argue that Golden Visas exacerbate wealth inequality, favoring the affluent over ordinary immigrants who navigate longer and more arduous pathways. - Money Laundering Risks: Concerns around lax due diligence processes create loopholes for individuals with ill-gotten gains, potentially jeopardizing national security and financial stability. - Impact on Housing Markets: Increased demand from foreign investors can drive up housing prices, making them less affordable for local residents. - Limited Community Integration: Critics argue that Golden Visa holders contribute minimally to the local community, often residing in gated communities without meaningful integration. The Debate Heats Up: A Global Conversation - Policy Tightening: Several countries like Portugal and Spain are reviewing and tightening their Golden Visa programs, introducing stricter requirements and higher investment thresholds. - Transparency Calls: Increased scrutiny demands greater transparency in program operations, due diligence processes, and the source of investment funds. - Balancing Act: Policymakers seek to balance the economic benefits of Golden Visas with mitigating risks and ensuring fairness and societal integration. The Future of Golden Visas: An Uncertain Trajectory The future of Golden Visas remains uncertain. While they offer potential benefits, the associated controversies cannot be ignored. As the debate continues, we can expect stricter regulations, increased transparency, and a focus on ensuring these programs align with broader societal values and promote inclusive growth. Remember, the story of Golden Visas is more than just glistening passports and exotic investment opportunities. It's a complex saga interwoven with economic aspirations, ethical concerns, and the quest for a balanced approach to global mobility and investment. Only time will tell what shape this narrative will take in the years to come. Read the full article

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educationvibesindia · 1 year ago

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Smolensk State Medical University

Smolensk State Medical University in Russia, founded in 1920, is one of the country's oldest universities. Because of its large population of Indian students each year, it is one of the most sought-after and popular medical schools for Indian students. The positive word of mouth that the university receives increases the interest of Indian students.

The Smolensk State Medical University is located 360 kilometres (220 miles) west-southwest of Moscow in the Smolensk region. Chancellor Kozlov is a member of the American Society of Microbiology and the European Respiratory Society. Smolensk State Medical University is one of MBBS in Russia top medical schools, with a reputation for excellence in medical research, microbiology, and medical education.

The MD degree offered by Smolensk State Medical University is equivalent to the MBBS degree in India. Practical sessions and well-trained staff are used to train students. The university employs doctors and other medical professionals. The university also has a fast-track learning programme for international students who want to learn Russian quickly.

Smolensk State Medical University affiliation.

The Medical Council of India has accredited Smolensk State Medical University (MCI)

The World Health Organization has accredited Smolensk State Medical University (WHO)

Smolensk State Medical University is accredited by - Russian Federation Ministry of Science and Higher Education Ranking - Country Rank - 258

Why Should You Study Medicine at Smolensk State Medical University?

Smolensk University improves students' employment prospects by providing them with practical training.

Hostel accommodations make it easier for students to access the university without having to look elsewhere for lodging.

Smolensk University has a large library and a number of activity centres to keep students engaged.

Students are exposed to scientific and clinical research throughout their studies.

International students face no language barriers in school because instruction is given in English.

Smolensk State Medical Academy has 31 hospitals in total, including 8 hospitals with approximately 6000 beds that are used to educate students.

The fee structure does not include any hidden fees or requests for additional donations.

It has a well-trained staff that includes experienced doctors and practitioners.

Students can take part in research programmes to expand their knowledge and gain confidence in their work.

Duration of MBBS in Smolensk State Medical University.

Smolensk State Medical University offers a 6-year MBBS program. It consists of five years of classroom study and training, as well as one year of mandatory internship.

Smolensk State Medical University's faculties

Smolensk State Medical University's faculty members include:

Faculty of General Medicine

Faculty of Clinical Psychology and Social Work

Faculty of Pharmaceutics

Faculty of Paediatrics

Faculty for Foreign Students

Faculty of Dentistry

Faculty of Higher Nursing

Faculty of Postgraduate Studies

Documents Required For Smolensk State Medical University Admission

Scanned copy of original passport

Scanned copy of 10+2 mark sheets

Scanned copy of application form

Scanned copy of NEET report card

Birth certificate

Medical certificate

Passport-size photographs

Financial records

Smolensk State Medical University's Hostel and Accommodation.

Smolensk State Medical University has four hostels that can house approximately 2000 students. International students are also welcome to stay in the university's hostels. Hostels are apartment buildings where students can live in apartments that include a kitchen, rooms, and a bathroom. Men and women live in separate apartments. The residence halls are outfitted with a sophisticated security system. Local stores are within walking distance, and students can easily commute. Smolensk State Medical University also has central air conditioning

#Smolensk State Medical University #mbbs in russia #mbbs fees in russia #mbbs admission in russia

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greenbagjosh · 1 year ago

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13 + 14 June 1998 - HRH the Queen’s 72nd Birthday and the cringeworthy Donald Duck joke

Originally written in June 2018

Hi everyone,

Hope you are having a nice evening.Twenty years ago today and tomorrow, I went on the cheapest path from Munich to Prague. And came back the next day almost 11 PM. Saturday the 13th June 1998, it was a few days before the start of the 1998 FIFA World Cup. Widgetmeister International had two paid days off officially, namely Fronleichnam for Thursday the 11th, and Friday the 12th. Neither day counted against my vacation balance. On Thursday I did a bit of exploring on the S-8 line from Englschalking up to the Franz Josef Strauss airport, known also by its airport code "MUC". The Schönes Wochenende ticket would not be valid as it was a Thursday so I bought a ticket for the outer zones of the MVV-München transit area that were otherwise not covered by my month pass. It was raining so there was not much to see. At the time, there was also an expansion project for the S-1 train, instead of all trains going to Neufahrn and Freising, some S-1 trains would also go to the airport. This was called the "Neufahrner Spange".

Friday the 12 June was a shopping day. I bought myself a Czech language guide. Czech is not exactly romanized Russian. For that reason, it is a good idea to have a Czech language book.Saturday the 13 June arrived. I had to be at München Hbf by 7:10 AM to catch the train to Plattling, and it left from the "short-haul" track 25. On the German rail side, this was the only known electrified section. On Saturday *and* Sunday, the Schönes Wochenende Ticket was valid, and for only 35 Mark. The train stopped at Freising, Landshut and Landau on the Isar before arriving at Plattling about 9 AM. About 9:05 AM, a diesel unit went on to the border at Bayerisch Eisenstein. This train really went through the backwoods, made about nine stops about ten minutes from each other. The train did not arrive in Bayerisch Eisenstein until 10:13 AM. So what was at Bayerisch Eisenstein? It was a border town on the German side, and right at the same station was the Czech border, known as Železná Ruda-Alžbětín. You had to have your passport ready for stamping back then as the Czech Republic was neither in the European Union nor a Schengen member. Also, then as now, they did not use the Euro. So changing money was necessary. I think the exchange rate then was 21 Koruna to 1 DM. The smallest coin was the 10 Heller, then the 20 and 50 Heller, then 1 Koruna, 2 Koruna, 5, 10 and so on. Bills were 20, 50, 100, 200, 500. Please refer to XE.com in case I cannot otherwise provide an equivalent in Dollars, Mark or Euro. Back then the Czech Republic was inexpensive compared to Germany. Even the train fare. But somehow you get what you pay for, likely in speed and comfort.I bought a single fare ticket to Prague at the Zelezna Ruda station on the Czech side, paying in Koruna. I think it was 75 Koruna then, as today it costs 110 Koruna.

The train left about 11:08 AM, and arrived in Plzen about 1:10 PM. For a distance of 60 miles, it must have gone an average of 30 mph, unelectrified, windy and slow up to Klatovy, and then fairly straight, medium-fast and electrified the rest of the way. Plzen Hlavní Nádrazí (central station) has an interesting dome. At Plzen, I made a quick shopping journey to a grocery store along Americká called the Maxi Hit. I bought some beer and Slivovitz - the real good plum brandy.

When I arrived back at the Plzen station, I found that the regular train to Prague was delayed. I had my radio with me, and there was a BBC English broadcast on. Apparently it was Queen Elizabeth's birthday and they did a short tribute. Later in the broadcast, one joke that they told was "Why did Donald Duck? Because someone was shooting at him"

I think the train to Prague arrived around 3 PM. It went as far as Prague Smichov. The conductor on the train gestured at me, to take the subway to the town center. I bought a 24 hour subway/bus ticket, I think for 70 Koruna, and stamped it at Smíchovské nádrazí, and went to my hostel at Karlovo námestí and on the street Na Zborencí. Back then it was owned by the Czech chapter of Hostelling International. Google maps still shows the big "Na Zborenci" sign in the alleyway where it remains. The room was cheap but there was no breakfast served on Sundays. And, I would find out later, that the room I was in, was co-ed, something I was not used to in a dorm room in a hostel.

I dropped off my luggage at my bedside in the hostel, then took the subway at Karlovo Namesti to Staromestska, the old part of Prague, changing at Mustek. At Staromestska is the clock tower, the Chram Matky, and next door is the Josefov, the Jewish Quarter. The museums were closed that day so I could only walk around. I returned in 2006 to visit one of the synagogues and I still have the kippa. I took the Metro across the Vlatva river, and took a tram to Malostranské náměstí, the west side of Charles Bridge. It is a strictly pedestrian bridge, apparently a popular tourist attraction in itself. I have a selfie of being on that bridge in a red and white sweater, as Prague was a bit chilly, around the low 60s for temperatures. When I arrived on the east side, I found a store that sold hats, and that is where I bought that red-white-and-green striped hat. I think it is about a foot high, and yes, it is probably the silliest hat I ever owned. On 24th July 1998 I took a selfie of myself, yes, with that hat! I did not know blacklight theater back in 1998, though my next visit February 2006 I went to a show - albeit medicated - at the Image Black Light Theater, was very interesting and in the back rows it was optically amazing.

I was hungry and then looked for a place to have supper. Closer to the clock tower, the offers were a bit out of my price range. So I went to Staromestska. There was an interesting restaurant called the "Studentska Satlava" or "Student Jail". Apparently it was in the same building as where the writer Franz Kafka was born. They had excellent deals for supper, including dark locally produced beer. I had the sausage, chop and dumpling plate. Gosh that was good. Once that was done, I took the metro back to Karlovo Namesti, and went to bed. In the morning I had to check out, take my luggage to Karlovo Namesti and further on to Hlavni Nadrazi. I had a quick breakfast at what is now the CrossCafe. There were lockers in Hlavni Nadrazi to place luggage. Lockers were interesting as you could choose the combination with four dials. You would retrieve your luggage by picking the same dial positions.

I had not been to Vysehrad. There is a canyon between Vysehrad and I P Pavlova and the metro travels along the auto bridge. At Vysehrad there is a good view of Prague, also the Police Museum. I went shopping at the Budejovicka shopping center. It was open on Sunday, bought peanut flips, beer and slivovitz at the store because it was so cheap. I took the metro to I P Pavlova and a tram back to Staromestska, bearing in mind that I had to return to Hlavni Nadrazi by 12:30 to catch the train to Munich through Plzen, Zelezna Ruda, Bayerisch Eisenstein, and Plattling. I bought a ticket to Zelezna Ruda.

At 1 PM, the train left Praha Hlavni Nadrazi. I was in a second class compartment, where there were eight seats to a compartment, four on each side. In Germany, normally the same size would be for just six people in total. The compartment was not air conditioned, and it was okay as the temperatures were not expected to exceed the mid 70s that day. The train ride went without any extraordinary event up to Plzen. I had to find a post office to send a postcard, and I almost missed the connection from Plzen to Klatovy and Zelezna Ruda. At Klatovy I had to change to a very old diesel carriage, class 131, and to open the windows, you had to crank them up or down.

By the time the train reached Zelezna Ruda, about 6:50 PM, the lady at the sales hut was about to close. I made a few last minute purchases before crossing into Germany. The snack bar was crummy on the German side at Bayerisch Eisenstein so I thought I would wait until I arrived at Plattling for some food. Did not work out too well. The German customs stamped my passport and did not look at my bag of slivovitz and beer. The diesel train from Bayerisch Eisenstein arrived at Plattling about 8:45 PM, and there was not much time to get anything of value at the snack bar there.

The train to Munich arrived around 9:30 so I had to take my snack to go. The sun was about to set, and it was raining in the distance. In the sky was an interesting effect. I arrived home in Munich around 11 PM, I entered very quietly. I was not told about any alarm clock issues (see w/e 31 July - 2 August 1998), and the next morning I went to work on time, and at lunch I had some interesting stories to tell my work colleagues and I mentioned the striped hat.

Next adventure, Salzburg and the Berchtesgaden Salzbergwerk, weekend of 20th and 21st June 1998. Servus und Gute Nacht!

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travelingue · 2 years ago

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L'invitation au voyage (To HEL and back 1)

It's a strange sensation. You're in a metal tube and can't get out. You can't even stand up.

You’re surrounded by complete strangers, except for the person next to you. Everyone is facing in the same direction. Suddenly your body is thrust back against your seat.

After three years of restrictions, I'd almost forgotten what it feels like. I can't be the only one. On arrival I spot an ad for Finnair urging people to give it a try:

We are now in the EU: I am separated from my wife at passport control and fast-tracked through automated gates. Signs point her – along with Japanese and Korean nationals – towards a booth where she must get her British passport stamped.

Thankfully, Helsinki airport is not overrun by Asian visitors today and we are quickly reunited on the other side.

The train to the city centre is comfortable and user-friendly. An on-board screen tells us exactly where we are along the way. The stations are listed both in Finnish and Swedish.

In most cases the two versions bear a resemblance to each other, but it's the occasional radical divergence that fascinates me. The suburb known as Louhela to locals is rendered as Klippsta.

Given that Sweden ran Finland for five centuries, I find it very decent of the Finns to help their former occupiers get around. It's true that Swedish rule ended in 1809. Since then the main threat has come from Russia – from which independence was wrested 105 years ago. That may be why, on signs, the capital doubles as Helsingfors, not Хельсинки.

Still, I don't think the time elapsed since the last invasion by itself explains the toponymic hospitality. The French last overran England a millennium ago and we have been friends for, what, 200 years? Anyway, signs from and from Channel ports do not mention Douvres, Cantorbéry, or Londres.

Clearly the bilingual signage here betokens something more than just good feelings.

What I read into it, rather, is: "OK, you Swedes lorded over us once. And it's true you didn't lift a finger when the Soviets attacked us in 1939-40 - any more than you helped Norway against the Nazis. But we know you're good guys really. We Scandis must stick together."

The 10-minute walk from the central station to our hotel is, frankly, a disappointment.

We've come to Helsinki for its architecture. We walk along a boulevard lined with drab 1920s blocks of flats. Trams rumble by. Apart from the incongruous head of a giant seagull, we could be in any central European city.

Google guides us to our hotel. Boring as it looks from the outside, the interior oozes sophistication.

Art is on display in the reception area. An electronic screen proclaims: "The LGBTQ+ community is welcome here."

This message of inclusion is reaffirmed in our room, with a card:

I hadn't expected homophobia and racism to be so rife in the country that such a haven was required. Maybe I had naively swallowed clichés about Nordic tolerance.

But I am in a position to verify one blessing commonly attributed to the Finns: a world-beating school system.

That evening we dine at a local restaurant called "Ateljé Finne". I ask the waitress, perhaps a bit too smugly, whether she knows what atelier means.

"It's French for workshop," she says. "A lot of restaurants call themselves atelier - or ateljé as we say. This building used to be a workshop owned by a man called Finne, so when we converted it into a restaurant, it seemed appropriate to retain that designation."

It seems linguistic humility is in order, a shock to the system for me. I cast my mind back to our arrival. As we hesitated about which lane to use at passport control, an attendant spontaneously addressed me in perfect French and my wife in perfect English.

People who end up as waitresses or airport employees were not necessarily top of their class. Who knows what benefits high-fliers derive from their Finnish education?

The meal is very nice. I like small portions, although as Frenchman I find the 12cl glasses skimpy. At least I have a virtuous glow of sobriety.

The bill comes to €122.30 - this is Finland after all. I briefly ponder the question flashed by the credit-card reader: "Do you want to leave a tip?" On reflection, that polyglot waitress has deserved her 15%.

#finland #travel #helsinki

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rightsinexile · 3 years ago

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News on Countries of Asylum

Global

Deadly practice of migrant ‘pushbacks’ must cease: UN Special Rapporteur

How vaccine passports could imperil LGBTQ+ refugees

Africa

Experts call for increased inclusion of refugees in health, education, sports in Africa

BOTSWANA: As universities begin to offer scholarships, refugee students look forward to a more secure future

ETHIOPIA: Ethiopia commended for efforts towards inclusive education policies for refugee children and the youth

MOZAMBIQUE: Grave concerns for forcibly disappeared Rwandan asylum seeker

UGANDA:

Over 950 refugees from DRC cross into Uganda amid rebel activities in North Kivu province

COVID-19 poses a major threat to the life and welfare of refugees in Uganda

Americas

CANADA:

Oversight of Canada Border Services Agency requested in case of Egyptian asylum-seeker facing deportation

Government plans to increase the number of protected persons admitted to Canada from 23,500 to 45,000 in 2021

What the Biden administration can learn from Canada’s private refugee sponsorship program

COLOMBIA: Colombia reopens border with Venezuela after 14 months

USA:

US suspects 4,000 cases of fraud in Iraq refugee resettlement programme, with freeze of refugee programme extended indefinitely

The Biden administration ends former administration’s Migrant Protection Protocols

US ends policy limiting asylum for gang and domestic violence survivors

US border officials are using a new surveillance app to collect and store information on asylum seekers before they enter the US

The 2021 Spring Regulatory Agenda signals major change to immigration, asylum, and border policy

Asia

BANGLADESH:

Rohingya Muslim refugees injured in protests on isolated island during UNHCR visit

Concerning conditions reported on remote island of Bhasan Char, housing thousands of Rohingya refugees

UNHCR improperly collected and shared personal information from ethnic Rohingya refugees with Bangladesh, who relayed to Myanmar

INDIA: Over 50 shanties housing Rohingya refugees destroyed in a fire, leaving hundreds homeless

JAPAN: Government withdraws controversial immigration bill after mounting public criticism, following death of an asylum-seeker in detention facility

Asia Pacific

UN shared Rohingya data without informed consent: HRW

AUSTRALIA:

Immigration detention centres on Christmas Island pose a COVID outbreak risk and should be closed - Australian Human Rights Commission

Asylum seeker family who spent nearly three years in detention on Christmas Island are reunited

130 people still being held in Papua New Guinea’s capital Port Moresby and 110 people on Nauru

Australia's foreign affairs department urged to retract a report, amidst claims of inaccuracy and deportation of Tamil refugees

Anger mounts as Australia declines to fast-track plans to save Afghan translators, who worked with Western troops, from Taliban retribution

Plight of Tamil family fuels concern over Australia asylum rules

NEW ZEALAND: Discussions taking place to resettle refugees from Australia’s offshore regime in New Zealand

Europe

Efforts to stop people from entering the European Union illegally are being ramped up with experimental new digital barriers

DENMARK:

Amendment to Danish law seeks to forcibly transfer asylum-seekers to third countries for processing

Hundreds of Syrian refugees conducted a sit-in demonstration in front of the Danish parliament, protesting measures aimed at returning them to Syria

Denmark’s Syrian refugee residency move reflects shifting policies across Europe

FINLAND: City of Lahti seeks to evict the only reception centre for asylum seekers with mental health problems in Finland

FRANCE: New app launched in southern France to help asylum seekers with their administrative status, accommodation, health and everyday needs

GREECE:

Greece should not consider Turkey 'safe' for asylum seekers, rights organizations say

Greece plans to send back asylum seekers from Somalia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Syria and Bangladesh who arrive from Turkey

Greek plans for refugee camps, including concrete walls and drones, decried

Draconian prison sentences handed to four Afghan youths found guilty of starting the fire that destroyed the Moria migrant camp on the island of Lesbos

ITALY:

Fishermen in the Sicilian fishing town of Mazara del Vallo targeted by Libyan Coast Guard when rescuing migrant boats

Italy under pressure to reduce arrivals from Mediterranean, as they record a nine-fold increase in arrivals to shore in the past two years

Around 700 people arrived on the Italian island of Lampedusa in one day in June, as reception centre reaches full capacity

IRELAND: Housing policies exclude travellers, migrants and asylum seekers

SPAIN: At least three people are dead and four missing after a migrant boat carrying nearly 50 passengers capsized in Spain's Canary Islands

UK:

Asylum in the UK, by numbers

UK high court strikes down pandemic protections for refused asylum seekers

Plans to impose a ‘good faith’ requirement on immigration lawyers, strongly attacked by Law Society, Bar Council and Immigration Law Practitioners Association

Temporary ban on accepting new asylum seekers into Scotland could last for years

Conservative-run Kent County Council planning to sue government over number of child asylum seekers in the local authority’s care

Problems with new cash cards, issued through the Home Office, leaves thousands of asylum-seekers at risk

MENA

IRAN: Government formalises access to banking services – including debit cards, for Afghan refugees

LEBANON:

Lebanese protesters attack Syrian refugees and demanded they "go home," as voting for Syrian election takes place

Vital aid needed for around 1.5 million Lebanese and 400,000 migrant workers living in increasingly critical conditions

#asylum #asylum seeker #refugee #protection

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australiavisasupport · 19 days ago

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E-Visa Processing Time for Australia: What You Need to Know

Understanding the processing time for an Australian e-visa is crucial for planning your travel. The time it takes to process an e-visa can vary based on the visa type, application details, and whether additional information is required. Here’s an in-depth look at the processing times for various Australian e-visa types and factors that can impact them.

1. Overview of Australia E-Visa Types and Their Processing Times

The Australian e-visa includes several types, each with its own estimated processing time:

Visitor Visa (Subclass 600): For tourism and short business trips, processing times range from 20 days to 3 months, depending on the specific stream you apply under.

eVisitor Visa (Subclass 651): For European Union passport holders, processing is usually fast, with most applications approved in 1 to 3 business days.

Electronic Travel Authority (ETA): For travelers from select countries, ETAs are often processed within minutes to 24 hours, although in some cases, it may take up to 2 days.

2. Factors Affecting E-Visa Processing Times

Several factors can influence how quickly your Australian e-visa application is processed:

Visa Type and Purpose: Tourist visas generally have shorter processing times than student or work visas.

Completeness of Application: Applications with all required documents and accurate information are processed more quickly.

Seasonal Demand: High travel seasons can lead to longer processing times due to a higher volume of applications.

Health and Character Checks: Applications that require additional health or character checks, such as for long-term stays or work visas, may take longer.

Biometrics Requirements: If you’re asked to provide biometrics, it may add a few days to the processing timeline.

3. How to Track Your Australia E-Visa Application Status

After submitting your application through ImmiAccount, you can log in to check for updates:

Status Updates: You’ll receive status updates on your application progress, such as “Received,” “In Progress,” or “Finalized.”

Additional Requests: Australian authorities may ask for extra information or documents, which may slightly extend processing times.

Notification of Approval: Once processed, you’ll receive an approval email with your e-visa details, which you should print or keep electronically.

4. Tips for a Faster E-Visa Processing Time

Submit a Complete Application: Ensure all information is accurate, and upload all required documents.

Apply Early: Aim to apply at least one month before your planned travel to account for any delays.

Check Your Email Regularly: Stay updated on any additional requests from immigration authorities, and respond promptly.

5. Frequently Asked Questions about E-Visa Processing Time

Can I expedite my Australia e-visa application? Unfortunately, there is no formal expedited service for Australian e-visas. However, submitting a complete and accurate application can help speed up the process.

What happens if my e-visa is delayed? If your application is delayed, it may be due to additional checks. Contact the immigration department if you’ve exceeded the expected processing time.

When should I apply for my e-visa? It’s best to apply at least four weeks before travel to allow ample time for processing.

Conclusion

The processing time for an Australian e-visa can vary depending on the visa type, season, and application details. By following best practices and applying early, you can help ensure a smooth and timely e-visa approval, allowing you to focus on planning your adventure to Australia.

#australia visa #austalia

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rohanseoewe · 3 months ago

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FOR DUTCH AND EUROPEAN CITIZENS - NEW ZEALAND Government of New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority NZeTA - Official NZ Visa Online - Nieuw-Zeeland Electronic Travel Authority, officiële online visumaanvraag voor Nieuw-Zeeland Regering van Nieuw-Zeeland

De meest eenvoudige en handige manier om de online aanvraag van de New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority of NZeTA af te ronden, is door een paar minuten de tijd te nemen en deze op de website in te vullen. Er is slechts een klein beetje basisinformatie vereist, zoals uw naam, paspoortgegevens, gezondheid en aankomstdata. U kunt ons een e-mail sturen of uw nieuwste gezichtsfoto uploaden. U kunt een foto maken met de mobiele telefoon van u of uw gezinsleden. De foto hoeft niet heel specifiek te zijn, want wij zorgen ervoor dat uw foto wordt aangepast zodat deze acceptabel is voor de immigratieambtenaren. De regering van Nieuw-Zeeland geeft er de voorkeur aan dat u Nieuw-Zeeland Visa online aanvraagt met behulp van het NZeTA-aanvraagformulier. U moet online betalen met een bankpas of creditcard nadat u online een kort aanvraagformulier heeft ingevuld. Wanneer u de kosten betaalt om Nieuw-Zeeland binnen te komen, betaalt u al voor de internationale bezoekersheffing, die al is inbegrepen. Hoe zou u een goedgekeurde NZ Electronic Travel Authority of NZeTA voor Nieuw-Zeeland ontvangen? Wanneer u de online NZeTA-aanvraag heeft voltooid, wordt de fila-goedkeuring binnen 72 uur of minder per e-mail naar u verzonden. Soms kan het langer duren vanwege antecedentenonderzoek. De NZeTA of Nieuw-Zeeland Visa Online wordt gekoppeld aan het paspoortnummer dat wordt gebruikt om het NZETA-aanvraagformulier in te vullen. Op het moment dat het visum wordt gecontroleerd bij de immigratie- en grenscontrole op de luchthaven, wordt de visumgoedkeuring door de functionaris beoordeeld. Het is absoluut noodzakelijk dat u de goedkeurings-e-mail meeneemt of op papier afdrukt. Het is niet nodig om op enig moment de ambassade te bezoeken of een fysieke stempel in het paspoort te krijgen. 191 landen komen in aanmerking voor vervoer over zee en 60 landen komen in aanmerking voor vervoer per vliegtuig. Alle landen komen in aanmerking voor Transit by Auckland International Airport. De volgende landen komen in aanmerking om per vliegtuig naar Nieuw-Zeeland te komen met behulp van de NZeTA- of NZ Visa Online-methode: Frankrijk, Estland, Griekenland, Duitsland, Zweden, Portugal, Verenigd Koninkrijk, Slovenië, Denemarken, Letland, Malta, Hongarije, Litouwen, Spanje, Ierland , Luxemburg, Slowakije, Italië, Kroatië, Polen, Nederland, Bulgarije, België, Cyprus, Tsjechië, Oostenrijk, Finland en Roemenië Burgers. The most simple and convenient method to finish the New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority or NZeTA online applicationis to take out a couple of minutes and fill on the website. Only a little bit of basic information is required like your name, passport details, health and arrival dates. You can either email us or upload your latest face photo. You can take photo with your or your family members mobile phone. Photo doesn't have to be very specific because we will take care of adjusting your photo for it to be acceptable by the immigration officers.New Zealand Government prefers you to apply New Zealand Visa Online using NZeTA Application form. You need to make payment using a debit or credit card online after completing a short application form online.

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vavuska · 4 years ago

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What happened from my previous post?

The artist and activist Cristina Donati Mayer made a blitz in the park and posed a young - black - girl doll and hang up a paper: "The monument to Indro Montanelli is now completed. It was not necessary to color the statue, it was enough to add the 12-year-old Eritrean girl whom he abused as a colonialist and fascist soldier on the knees of the old man".

She was later arrested by police for her non-violent art-performance of civil dishobey. Cristina Donati Mayer was identified and set free after one hour.

She said:

"It was not my intention to deface the monument, on the contrary. That statue had, after more than a decade, a fundamental role to rekindle a discussion and a reflection, never made in Italy, on what the Italian invasion and colonization in Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia and Libya: nerve gas on civilian populations, bombings, mass rape, massacres, enslavement of girls and boys, child brides purchased by families, theft of artistic and monumental goods, resources and lands. So we should all be grateful to Montanelli and his monument, which, acting in some cases as a scapegoat, has allowed Italian men and women to know and deal with a horrendous past: the one of wars and colonial aggressions of fascism".

La Repubblica - Link

3 - Italian Laws and Colonial Laws about marriage from 1935 to 1937

Now, I will proof that rape and marriage with a 12 years old girl was not the accepted in the Kingdom of Italy of 1935-1936 and was considered a crime.

The infamous art. 159 of the Rocco Penal Code of 1931 gave this definition of "carnal violence" - that was classified as a crime against honor and morality, not as crime against person and their sexual freedom -:

Art. 159. - Anyone who, with violence or threat, forces a carnal conjunction is punished with imprisonment for three to ten years.

The same penalty applies to those who come together carnally with the person at the time of the event:

1. did not turn fourteen years old;

2. did not turn sixteen years old, when the culprit is the ascendant or guardian, or is another person to whom the minor is entrusted for reasons of care, education, supervision or custody;

3. victim is mentally ill, or is unable to resist culprist because of their condition of psychic or physical inferiority, even if this is independent of the offender;

4. was treated deceitfully, for the culprit was replaced by another person.

After we have verified that Montanelli would be a rapist also with the 1935-1936 laws, we will make a comparison between art 519 C. P. with the articles about marriage in the Pisanelli Civil Code of 1865:

Art. 55. - The man before he is eighteen, the woman before he is fifteen cannot marry.

Art. 100. - The marriage followed in a foreign country between citizens, or between a citizen and a foreigner, provided that it is celebrated according to the forms of that country, and the citizen has not contravened the provisions contained in the second section of Chapter I of this title.

Art. 68. - The King (...) can also dispense with the impediment of age and admit to marriage the man who has the task of 14 years and the woman who has completed 12 years.

In Montanelli case we can't apply art. 68, becuase there is not a royal marriage dispense.

However, in art. 544 Code Penal we would find the institution of "matrimonio riparatore" (rehabilitating or reparatory marriage): according to this article of the code, the accused of crimes of carnal violence, even on minors, would have extinguished the crime in the case of marriage with the offended person.

In our case, we can't apply the awful art. 544 c.p. ("matrimonio riparatore") because the reparatory wedding must be celebrated AFTER and not BEFORE the carnal violece, so we can assume that the marriage between Destà and Montanelli would be null and void because of the nullity condiction of forth section of Pisanelli Code due to age limitation.

QUESTION: Did The Italian Civil and Penal low can be applied in the Colonies?

Yes, according to Royal Decree July 2 1908, n. 325: "The indigenous customary law of the breed applies to colonial subjects and assimilated subjects, insofar as it is compatible with the spirit of Italian legislation and civilization. However, in the cases falling within the jurisdiction of the Court of Assize, the penal laws in force in the Cologne apply. Indigenous customs will be taken into account for the evaluation of the excuse, minority or aggravating circumstances and the customary law for the compensation of the damage will be applied. "

Art. 325. - Ai sudditi coloniali ed agli assimilati si applica la legge consuetudinaria indigena propria della razza, in quanto sia compatibile con lo spirito della legislazione e della civiltà italiana. Tuttavia nelle cause di competenza di Corte d’Assise si applicano le leggi penali vigenti nella Colonia. Si terrà conto delle consuetudini indigene per la valutazione delle circostanze scusanti, minoranti od aggravanti e si applicherà il diritto consuetudinario per il risarcimento del danno. "

The Italians in the colonies will follow in principle of "personality" in the application of the law: "double track rule". The population of the colony was divided into two groups: the first is made up of Italians, Europeans and all those whose "civilization" standard was considered comparable to the European one; the second group was made up of natives (so-called colonial subjects) and "assimilated", foreign individuals with a standard of civilization lower than the European one and equal to one of the native inhabitants of the colony.

Technically, therefore, in the relations between local subjects was applied their tribal or islamic law (sharīʿa), while between Italians and other Europeans was applied Italian Law, however local law was difficult to codify and was mostly oral and customary, so the hegemonic character of the law of the motherland will be affirmed on indigenous customs and practices by jurisprudential way, especially in cases of regulation of mixed relationships. Traditional law was never recognized as a source of law. ("La Colonizzazione Giuridica dell'Eritrea, diritto coloniale tra scienza giuridica, antropologia, etonogrfia giuridica dal 1880 al 1912" by Valerio Panza; "Blood, Land, and Sex: Legal and Political Pluralism in Eritrea" by Lyda Favali, Roy Pateman)

Limits:

in case of conflict between indigenous and Italian law, the latter would prevail.

repugnancy clause: tribal customary law could only be applied if it did not conflict with public order or with the general principles of civilization.

So in the case of criminal law, the most serious crimes were always tried on the basis of Italian law, even if they had been committed by and against "natives".

People tend to forget that the first racial laws enacted in the Kingdom of Italy (Royal Legislative Decree nr 880 of April 19, 1937) punished with imprisonment for 1 to 5 years who carried out sexual acts or married a person of color and prohibited recognition of children born of such uniuni. So there are lots of people in Libya, Eritrea, Somalia and Ethiopia - and maybe now they come here as asylum seekers or migrants - with at least one Italian great-grandfather who could benefit from easy access to Italian citizenship and passport, but who cannot because fascist regime denied them the right to be recognized by their parents as children (L. May 13, 1940 n. 822 "Norms about mixed-race children").

Why did Montanelli - as well as actual and past Italian society - never considere his action as a crime? The answer could be find in the interview above and in his article: he admitted that in Europe what he did would be considere sexual violence, but not in Africa, where little child grew up fast.

Montanelli considered black people not equal to white people: they are uncivilized, barbars, animals.

White Europeans are superior, in Montanelli view, so a white European child would never be considered a "little animal".

(I suggest reading "Shape Shifters: Journeys Across Terrains of Race and Identity", edited by Lily Anne Y. Welty Tamai, Ingrid Dineen-Wimberly, Paul Spickard, in which there is a long essay about Montanelli, with other episodes and exemples of his racism, and about the experience of being an half-italian child in Ethiopia and Eritrea after fascist age)

4 - Institutions of Marriage in the Erithrean Traditional Constumary Law

To understand that "madamato" was not dämòz but a fraud used by colonialist to take advantage of women, I will report what Alberto Pollera (1873-1939) wrote about "madamato" in "La Donna in Etiopia": "The indigenous law allows the search for paternity; indeed this is one of the cornerstones of that right; Italian law prohibits it; and based on this conflict of law, many Italians, taking advantage of the ignorance of the natives on this point, they easily make them concubines, to abandon them when they have offspring."

"La legge indigena ammette la ricerca della paternità; anzi questo è uno dei cardini di quel diritto; la legge italiana la vieta; e basandosi su questo contrasto di diritto, molti Italiani, approfittando della ignoranza delle indigene su questo punto, ne fanno facilmente delle concubine, per abbandonarle quando ne abbiano prole."

("Diritto e razza: Gli italiani in Africa" by Michele Bonmassar)

Albero Pollera was a colonial officer and anthropologist, author of a lot of important African studies on Eritrean ethnic groups and the protagonist of a personal battle against racist ideology that prohibited mixed marriages and the legal recognition of mixed-race children born from Italian colonists.

Pollera, who seemed to have more knowledge of Eritrean customs than many of his fellow colonists, was aware of dämòz marriage and blamed "the Europeans" (when he could more honestly have said "the Italians" ) for not respecting its rules.

"The difference of civilization and education between the European man and the native woman", argued Alberto Pollera in "La Donna in Etiopia", "is too great and there cannot be, therefore, that perfect unity of sentiments that is necessary to give a happy and energetic life to a family"

Alberto Pollega had a life-long relationship more uxorio with an Erithrean woman, named Ghidam Menelich, and had seven mixed-race sons and daughters (If you want to know more about his son Giorgio, the fist mixed-race officer to had an honor medal, I suggest to read "Dangerous liaisons, Colonial Concubinage in Eritrea" by Giulia Barrera). Pollera relationships were formalized prior to his death in 1939, in a religious Ceremony. Pollera’s marriage was particularly remarkable given that Italian law at the time prohibited both mixed-race marriages and concubinage.

I suggest the reading of "Colonialism and National Identity", edited by Paola Bertella Farnetti and Cecilia Dau Novelli, to read the story of Hanna Gonnicè and her Italian husband Ugo Bolsi, the only mixed race couple who actually had a catholic wedding during colonial period.

Another good book I suggest to read is "Principi di diritto consuetudinario dell'Eritrea" by Carlo Conti Rossini, orientalist and author of various studies on Ethiopian and Eritrean language and culture.

Using the information in Carlo Conti Rossini's book, we will see that Montanelli, buying a 12 years old Ethiopian girl in 1935, was not respecting a "local use".

It is true that in Eritrean customary law (Saganèiti, where Montanelli bought the little girl Destà, was in that region of Eritrea called by the Italian colonial literature "Abyssinian Eritrea") there was a term marriage, called dämòz which was made illegal after the liberation war from Italy. However this institute prescribed many measures to protect the bride, which were not respected at all in the times of the Italian colonial domination especially when the man / groom was a white man.

Conti Rossini writes at page 255: "A union of the kind that has been hatched naturally lends itself to abuse, and with easily degenerates. One of its degenerations is the concubinage of an indigenous woman with a white man".

"Una unione del genere che si è venuto tratteggiando si presta naturalmente ad abusi, e con facilità traligna. Una sua degenerazione è il concubinaggio d'una indigena con un bianco".

As I wrote before, quoting Pellega, "madamato" was concubinage not dämòz, it's important to noticed that the same fact was already analized 1916 by Conti Rossini. So we must believe that "madamato" became much more frequent in 1935, the year of the beginning of infamous "war of Abyssinia", which led to those lands also the twenty six year old Indro Montanelli.

Italian colonial domination was never tender with the "natives" and in perfect continuity with the brutalities of the liberal era, it was not less tender during the fascism.

But let us return to the analysis of some aspects of Eritrean customary law. We can read at page 258 of the same book: "It is undoubted that the right to free themselves from marital bonds powerfully influenced to ensure that, at least in legal terms, the position of the woman is, in northern Abyssinia, much higher than that of peoples with the same degree of civilization and also among more advanced peoples ".

"È indubitato che così fatto diritto a sciogliersi dai vincoli maritali ha poderosamente influito a far sì che, almeno nei riguardi giuridici, la posizione della donna sia, nell'Abissinia settentrionale, molto più elevata che non presso popoli in pari grado di civiltà ed anche presso popoli più evoluti".

Then on page 259 we find:"In Abyssinian Eritrea (...) the defense of rights and the interests of the woman is driven, at least by some statute such as that of the Adchemé Melgà to their extremes. Where are typical that kind of costumes, there is evidence that in Abyssinia marriage is not a purchase agreement of the woman".

"Nell'Eritrea abissina (...) la difesa dei diritti e degli interessi della donna è spinta, almeno da qualche statuto come quello degli Adchemé Melgà agli estremi. Ove si considerino così fatte consuetudini, se ne ha una riprova che il matrimonio non è in Abissinia un contratto di compera della donna".

Conti Rossini wrote that Constumary law of semithic populations of Eritrea and Ethiopia was, as later Pollega confirmed, based on agnation - line of descent traced through the paternal side of the family -, there were also important trace of matriarchal organization of society in which women had higher consideration in society than happened in other cultures.

Conti Rossini singled out two basic forms of marriage among the Tigrinya: "The first one is based on a true solemn pact among two kin (marriage for pact or märaqal kidan); the second one is an agreement that states that the woman will go to live with the man under a given payment and, usually, for a given time (temporary marriage or dämòz). A further development of the first one is the religious marriage. But, in general, the religious component is not within the marriage contract, and it is not necessary at all in order to have a perfectly valid and legal union ."

According to Conti Rossini, the solemn marriage or märaqal kidan in Tigrinya—a marriage for pact—"must be considered the true marriage (the other one, I would say, is a sort of simple conjugal union)".

Generally, a marriage for pact was arranged by the fathers (mothers had no authority in the matter) while the designated bride and groom—especially the bride—were still children. According to what Pollera wrote in "La Donna in Etiopia", fathers arranged marriages when their children "were usually not younger than seven years old". The bride went to live permanently with her groom when she was 12, although her marriage would have been finalized earlier and she would have lived with her spouse for some time before.

Normally a girl was betrothed between the ages of 8 and 14 years old, and she is married around the ages of 13, 14, or 15. And her husband can have maximum 5 year more than her.

Among the Tigrinya the bride brought a dowry, but Muslims required the groom to pay a bride-price.

Before a marriage took place, the genealogy of the future son- or daughter-in-law was the subject of much scrutiny by both families involved. Many Eritreans (not just the Tigrinya) assigned extraordinary value to the "purity of blood" —i.e., the assurance that a prospective spouse’s ancestry did not include slaves, minstrels, or outcastes such as blacksmiths and goldsmiths—categories often charged with witchcraft.

"For the slave girl there is no hope of marriage", noted Pollera in "La Donna In Etiopia" , while music players, blacksmiths, and goldsmiths could marry only among their own people. According to Conti Rossini, most goldsmiths were Jews.

Pollera, for instance argued that "in most of Christian Abyssinia virginity is not taken into consideration", while it was considered very important by Muslims.

Predictably, non-virgin girls, women of "impure blood", and women without a dowry constituted a pool of viable candidates for becoming madame. (Dangerous liaisons, Colonial Concubinage in Eritrea by Giulia Barrera)

Except for religious marriages, in Eritrea divorce was possible and seemed to be quite commonplace. But here it should be noted that since divorce did not exist in Italy, Italians might have been inclined to exaggerate its occurrence in the colonies. (Dangerous liaisons, Colonial Concubinage in Eritrea by Giulia Barrera)

If she consented, a divorced woman could remarry; quite often the request for remarriage was addressed directly to her.

The second kind of marriage identified by Conti Rossini is known as marriage for pay or dämòz in it "a woman commits herself, directly or through her family, to live in conjugal union with a man, for a given length of time, and for the payment of a given sum". At this point Conti Rossini noted that superficial observers—especially Catholic missionaries—mistook such unions for concubinage: "It is a mistake. I deem it to be the continuation or, at least, the equivalent of an extremely ancient Semitic [temporary] marriage".

Dämòz was a temporary marriage whose duration was established (from one week to one year) and and imposed a remuneration for the bride. It was made on the occasion of man's travels or for example in occasion of prolonged stays in the markets. It was a synallagmatic contract - imposing reciprocal obligations upon the parties - for sexual services and domestic works regularly recognized by law. The woman could appeal to court if the agreements they were not respected and any offspring had the right to a paternal inheritance.

But dämòz marriage may have been customary only among limited groups of Eritreans or only in neighboring regions. Still another hypothesis could be that contemporary researchers may have failed to report this kind of marriage, or they may have mistaken it for concubinage.

It is also possible that dämòz marriage was commonly practiced during the colonial period, but that thereafter it progressively disappeared due to a trend in the last century toward more standardized forms of marriage.

("Dangerous liaisons, Colonial Concubinage in Eritrea" by Giulia Barrera)

5 - Other forms of traditional marriage not mentioned by Conti Rossini and Pollega

Among the Ahmara existed three differents types of marriage, along with the dämòz:

Qurban. Religious marriage in which divorce was impossible. This kind of marriage was used by nobles and religious figures;

Samaniyya. Civil and contractual marriage, in which divorce was possible;

Shi’i Muslims have a form of temporary marriage which is commonly practiced in modern Iran and elsewhere. It is called mutʿa, but the Islamic law doesn't fully recognize it and women rights are not respected as in dämòz.

6 - Mixed-race unions, children and fascist racial laws

According to the 1931 census, there were 515 mixed-race Italian citizens inEritrea (among a total Italian population of 4,188). Unfortunately, we have no way of knowing how many métis children were not recognized by their fathers.

As we seen before, Eritrean customary law, authorized mothers to attribute paternity while Italian law did not. As a consequence, many Italian men, taking advantage of Eritrean women’s ignorance in this regard, easily convinced them to become their concubines, and abandoned them when they had a baby.

Abandoned by their fathers, these children, accorting to what Pollera wrote in "La Donna in Etiopia", were likely to be shunned by their mothers’ families, who felt no responsibility to provide for them. Hence mother and child quickly sank into the deepest poverty. He claimed that indigence, coupled with resentment toward those who hadabandoned them, pushed mixed-race children toward delinquency. (Incidentally, Pollera himself was the father of mixed-race children; he recognized them and provided for their education.)

And what happened to the mothers, the Erithrean women frauded by Italian men?

Pollera wrote: "Abandoned by the European the madama easily and quickly falls into deep poverty, as it will be difficult for her to marry, because nobody wants to bear the burden of another man’s children. She cannot find an honest job, because there are no occupations or workshops, and thus she often falls into the lowest prostitution."

Already in the early twentieth century, between 1909 and 1914, the Italian colonial administration had attempted to curb phenomena of this type through a series of rules incorporated into a special colonial law which aimed to minimize any admixture between colonists (especially colonial officials) and indigenous peoples

I refer to the R.D. September 19, 1909, no. 839 and R.D. December 10, 1914, no. 16. In the first case, article 43 specifies that "colonial officials are forbidden to cohabit with indigenous women"; in the second case, article 42 specifies instead that "the colonial official who contracts marriage with an indigenous woman is considered to have resigned".

During the liberal-era, Italian government had allowed Italian men to acknowledge and support the children they had with African women and children acknowledged by their Italian fathers had acquired Italian citizenship automatically. Moreover, a law of 1933 had created the possibility for mixed-race children unacknowledged by their fathers to obtain Italian citizenship also. This law gave legal force to the practice of assimilating unacknowledged Italo-Eritrean children into the Italian community, which colonial governments had sanctioned in practice since 1917.

In the colonial literature one can also find mention of mixed-race children being brought to Italy where they went to school, but apparently they were rare exceptions ("Dangerous liaisons, Colonial Concubinage in Eritrea" by Giulia Barrera) .

A 1914 Italian law addressed mixed-race menfor the first time, stating that they could not become a colonial official (R.d. 10 December 1914, no. 1510, art. 3.).

This is an indirect clue that some mixed-race men had risen to a position to apply for such offices.

The 1933 legislation on Eritrea and Somalia ( L. 6 July 1933, no. 999. Ordinamento organico per l’Eritrea e la Somalia) dealt more extensively with métissage. The law confirmed that mixed-race children who were recognized by their Italian fathers automatically gained Italian citizenship. It also introduced a special regulation for children of unknown parents. Those whose "physical characteristics ... give rise to the belief that both parents were of white race" automatically obtained Italian citizenship. Those who appeared to be biracial could gain Italian citizenship only if a judge deemed them worthy: they had to prove that they had "a perfectly Italian education", that they were not polygamists and had no record of major crimes, and that they had successfully attended the third class of elementary school (art. 18).

Three years later the new law for the Africa Orientale Italiana (R.d.l. 1 June 1936, no. 1019) effaced this possibility. The notion that an individual’s "physical characteristics" determined personal status, however, persisted and subsequently led to dreadful consequences:

Art. 30. - Il nato nel territorio dell’Africa Orientale Italiana da genitori ignoti, quando i caratteri somatici, ed altri eventuali indizi facciano fondatamente ritenere che entrambi i genitori siano di razza bianca, è dichiarato cittadino italiano.

(...)

Art. 30. - The child born in the territory of Italian East Africa from unknown parents, when the somatic, and other possible indications make it reasonably believe that both parents are of race white, is declared an Italian citizen.

As I wrote before, the first racial law in Italy was the Royal Legislative Decree 19 April 1937, no. 880, (turned into l. 30 December 1937, no. 2590), that was the culmination of a campaign against "the plague of miscegenation" that arose after the Ethiopian conquest in 1935–1936.

The first effect of the new segregation policy was the criminalization of the "madamato" . The law’s only article read:

The Italian citizen who, in the territory of the Kingdom or the colonies, has a relation of a conjugal nature with a colonial subject of the Africa Orientale Italiana, or with a foreigner belonging to a people which has traditions, customs, social and juridical concepts analogous to those of the subjects of the Africa Orientale Italiana, will be punished with imprisonment from one to five years.

"Il cittadino italiano che nel territorio del Regno o delle Colonie tiene relazione d’indole coniugale con persona suddita dell’Africa Orientale Italiana o straniera appartenente a popolazione che abbia tradizioni, costumi, e concetti giuridici e sociali analoghi a quelle dei sudditi dell’Africa Orientale Italiana, è punito con la reclusione da uno a cinque anni" (r.d.l. 19 Aprile 1937, nr. 880, convertito in l. 30 Dicembre 1937, nr. 2590).

In 1940, the "Norms Concerning Children of Mixed Race" (L. 13 May 1940, nr. 822) prohibited Italians from acknowledging the children they had had with Africans and from helping to support them; as for the "mixed-race" children (meticci), the norms assigned them the juridical status of colonial subjects.

7 - Conclusions

Montanelli had 14 years more than Destà, who was only 12 year old.

Considering all the reasons above, I'm allowed to consider wrong who said that Montanelli married a 12 years old Ethiopian girl in the respects of local Constumary law.

"Madamato" was a froud, a way in which white colonialist abused of low-class women, and definitely was not dämòz.

When you buy a 12 years old Ethiopian girl from her father with a shotgun and a horse for 500 lire, you are not marring her in the respect of dämòz. You are buying a slave.

In the 19th century a person was considered a slave if another individual exercised power or control over the slave to restrain his or her personal liberty. In 1935-1936 slavery were illegal according to the Slavery Convention of 1926.

When you talk about "madamato" you talk about rape and slavery.

This is a wrong rapresentation of historical reality of Italian colonialism, a way in which white men, today and yesterday, continue to oppresses women and young girl with the myth of "a benevolent" Colonialism.

...

In the next part I will examine why Montanelli could not be considered a good journalist and some of the atrocities committed by Italians against the african population during it's colonial wars.

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Top US diplomat finds virtual path into Venezuela amid rift (AP) A year after shutting down the U.S. Embassy in Caracas, Washington’s top diplomat in Venezuela has found a way to slip back inside the South American nation—at least virtually. Each Thursday afternoon, James Story hits the “Go Live” button on Facebook from his office in the U.S. Embassy in Bogota or his home in the Colombian capital hundreds of miles from Caracas. In a freewheeling approach, he answers questions in fluent Spanish from Venezuelans and the few U.S. citizens still in the country, addressing the latest intrigue and turmoil bubbling over in Venezuela and the United States. For 30 minutes, Story talks about everything from Venezuela’s purchases of gasoline from Iran, despite its vast oil reserves, to recent unrest in the U.S. over George Floyd’s death in police custody to accusations that President Nicolás Maduro is undermining Venezuela’s constitution. Story’s low-budget, weekly question-and-answer session on the popular social media platform is a way for Story to get his message out since he’s deprived of traditional tools such as visiting hospitals and schools, talking to local reporters and hosting cocktail parties for power brokers.

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Europe’s borders reopen but long road for tourism to recover (AP) Borders opened up across Europe on Monday after three months of coronavirus closures that began chaotically in March. But many restrictions persist, it’s unclear how keen Europeans will be to travel this summer and the continent is still closed to Americans, Asians and other international tourists. Border checks for most Europeans were dropped overnight in Germany, France and elsewhere, nearly two weeks after Italy opened its frontiers. The European Union’s 27 nations, as well as those in the Schengen passport-free travel area, which also includes a few non-EU nations such as Switzerland, aren’t expected to start opening to visitors from outside the continent until at least the beginning of next month, and possibly later.

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American sentenced to 16 years in Russia on spying charges (AP) A Russian court on Monday sentenced an American businessman to 16 years in prison on spying charges, a sentence that he and his brother rejected as being political. The Moscow City Court read out the conviction of Paul Whelan on charges of espionage and sentenced him to 16 years in a maximum security prison colony. The trial was held behind closed doors. Whelan, who was arrested in Moscow in December 2018, has insisted on his innocence, saying he was set up. Speaking after the verdict, U.S. Ambassador John Sullivan denounced the secret trial in which no evidence was produced as an egregious violation of human rights and international legal norms. He described Whelan’s conviction as a mockery of justice and demanded his immediate release.

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Press freedom in the Philippines (Foreign Policy) The journalist Maria Ressa, the founder of news site Rappler, has been found guilty of criminal libel by a Manila court in a case Human Rights Watch described as a “devastating blow” to press freedom in the Philippines under President Rodrigo Duterte. Ressa and another Rappler journalist, Reynaldo Santos Jr., were sentenced to up to six years in prison under the country’s cybercrime prevention act of 2012, which includes libel. The article that was deemed libelous predated the law, but a later online update of a typo was enough for prosecutors to consider it worthy of an indictment.

18 dead, 189 hurt as tanker truck explodes on China highway (AP) A tanker truck exploded on a highway in southeastern China on Saturday, killing 18 people and injuring at least 189 others, authorities said. The explosion caused extensive damage to nearby buildings. One photo showed firefighters hosing down a row of buildings with blown-out facades well into the night. The truck carrying liquefied gas exploded around 4:45 p.m. on the Shenyang-Haikou Expressway south of Shanghai in Zhejiang province, the official Xinhua News Agency said, citing local authorities.

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Netanyahu turns to rich friend to fund corruption trial fees (AP) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is on trial for accepting gifts from wealthy friends. But that has not stopped him from seeking another gift from a wealthy friend to pay for his multimillion-dollar legal defense. The awkward arrangement opens a window into the very ties with billionaire friends that plunged Netanyahu into legal trouble and sheds light on the intersection of money and Israeli politics. Netanyahu has asked an Israeli oversight committee to allow a 10 million shekel ($2.9 million) donation from Spencer Partrich, a Michigan-based real estate magnate, to fund his legal defense. The request for financial aid from a friend is not illegal, and Israeli politicians have a long tradition of hobnobbing with wealthy Jewish supporters abroad. But to some, the optics of Netanyahu’s request are sketchy. “It is a problem that we have prime ministers who have ties to moguls,” said Tomer Naor, of the Movement for Quality Government in Israel, a good governance group. “When the borders blur, you are blinded by the big money. You want more of it. Then all of a sudden the friend asks for a little favor and that poses a problem.”

Nigeria attacks (Foreign Policy) At least 141 people were killed in two militant attacks in Northern Nigeria over the weekend, both have been claimed by Islamic State West Africa Province. The attacks in Monguno and Nganzai districts of Borno state killed at least 60 people, while a separate attack in Gabio district killed at least 81. The United Nations, which has a humanitarian base in Monguno, said it was “appalled” by the attacks.

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