PTC World News Roundup #3: Deeqa, Elin and Neda.

In this week's World News Roundup, discover the five simple steps that governments can take to improve the education system for refugee youth; learn the tragic reason why the Somalian government is finally saying 'NO' to FGM; and find out how a young Swedish student saved an asylum seeker from deportation. ✈️ + 📱 = ✊

"The prosecution of those involved in Deeqa’s [death] will send a strong message to the country. This is really a defining moment for Somalia.”

- Somalia deputy prime minister, Mahdi Mohamed Gulaid

Death of 10-year-old girl prompts first FGM prosecution in Somalia's history

Somalia has the highest rate of FGM in the world, with 98% of girls and women still undergoing the highly dangerous procedure. Young girls normally undergo FGM between the ages of five and nine, often being cut by untrained midwives using dirty glass, razors or knives. This leads to lifelong health problems, extreme pain and discomfort, risk of infection, and in extreme cases, death. 10-year-old Deeqa Dahir Nuur was taken by her mother to visit the village cutter, who allegedly severed an artery causing a mass hemorrhage. Deeqa died in hospital shortly after. Her death has sparked the first criminal investigation of its kind, marking a turning point in Somalia's journey towards ending FGM for good. Read the full Guardian article here.

Swedish student's plane protest stops Afghan man's deportation 'to hell

This is the moment Elin Ersson, a 21-year-old Swedish student and asylum activist, refused to sit down on board a flight to Turkey, thereby saving an Afghan man from deportation. The social work student bought her plane ticket so that she could take a stand and demand that the pilot remove the deportee. This further brings to light the increased deportation risks for Afghan nationals, who are being deported back to their home country from all over Europe and Turkey, despite the continuing violence and instability in Afghanistan. Read the full Guardian article here

“I hope that people start questioning how their country treats refugees. We need to start seeing the people whose lives our immigration [policies] are destroying.” - Student, Elin Ersson

The orphans of so-called Islamic State left in Libyan limbo

24 orphaned children of IS fighters are growing up in a high security, makeshift orphanage in Misrata, Libya. These abandoned children are guarded by local militia around the clock, with only a tiny courtyard made of sand and astro-turf to play in. The charity, Red Crescent, look after the children, keeping them safe from any residual IS influence, or local residents who might wish to seek revenge for the miseries caused by the conflict with IS. The result is a tiny compound. Safe yes, but prison-like. What will happen in the future to these parent-less children? Read the full article by IRIN here

** The Red Crescent have expressed their disappointment at the lack of support from the international community (and from large aid organisations in particular), in caring for these children. They continue to struggle to provide them with adequate facilities, education, and social/emotional care. If you would like to help the Red Crescent in their work, then you can donate by following this link.**

Refugee child living in Iran, image via Refugees Deeply

The Precarious Lives of Afghan Children in Iran

In a deeply disturbing story, Refugees Deeply reports on the death of 6-year-old Afghan refugee, Neda Alizada, who was brutally raped, murdered and dismembered whilst she was running errands in her local neighbourhood in Mashad, Iran. The local community all united to condemn this horrific crime, and demand increased protection and legal rights for refugees, many of whom do not even receive basic education or healthcare. Neda’s death further highlights the risks for Afghan refugees living in Iran, who still face widespread discrimination, do not have equal rights, and are unable to apply for citizenship, despite many of them living in Iran for nearly 40 years. Read the full article by Refugees Deeply here

Refugee Education Is Key to Proving Dystopian Populism Wrong

In 2016, a UN report revealed that 3.5 million refugee children were currently out of school. In their joint article, writers Kemal Kirisci and Nicoleta Nichifor outline 5 key ways in which all host governments could improve the education system for refugees, and thereby vastly accelerate the integration process. This would not only increase the welfare and life chances for refugee children themselves, but also the economic and social stability of the host country. Read the full article by Refugees Deeply here

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