Unexpected Coronavirus Consequences

The Brussels Times reports that service and reception centers for asylum seekers have begun to shut down as COVID-19 concerns grow. The Federal Immigration Office will no longer be accepting new applications for asylum or review any current applications. Applicants already going through the asylum procedure will also not have access to the Commissioner-General for Refugees or the Council for Alien Disputes which deal with asylum procedures and appeals respectively. The office is unable to handle current cases and by closing offices it can avoid having 100 to 150 people in the waiting room. This closure will also affect a housing centre for asylum seekers near Brussels’ Dansaert. Applicants will have to return to the office at an undetermined time. These closures do not address a number of problems asylum seekers face such as a lack of housing solutions that may leave them homeless, no childcare provision or the fact that they would not be entitled to any assistance without first filing their applications. All asylum seekers were medically screened upon arrival in the centre and those who presented symptoms were isolated.

Dagens Nyheter considers the effect the corona crisis is having on internet connections and the Swedish network. Internet traffic has increased in Sweden as more people work at home, watch Netflix and stay home. There is currently no risk of serious congestion but the total amount of data during the day has increased significantly. The internet can handle the pressure but individual connections can become overloaded. On Tuesday a crash occurred at the fiber operator Stokab which led to the broadband to stop working. This was not an overload, but rather an electrical fault which is pretty common, but due to the large number of people working from home, it affected more users than normal. Although the internet is currently stable, this could change due to the decision to close universities and colleges. It’s not certain what will happen with more people working remotely.

Noizz.pl investigates how measures taken to contain the coronavirus crisis affect the environment. After the outbreak in China, the Chinese government ordered a temporary closure of factories and introduced a travel ban. Since then, pollutant emissions have decreased considerably. A similar situation is taking place in the EU at the moment. Noizz.pl recalls a video report published by the European Space Agency, which shows that there has been a significant reduction in nitrogen dioxide emissions. This harmful gas is emitted by power plants, cars, and factories. ESA commented on the report saying that the lower emissions coincide with an epidemic emergency in Italy, which reduced traffic and industrial activity. Poland, unfortunately, still places at the top of the ranking as one of the most polluted countries in the EU.