The Court of Justice of the European Union has established that a hosting program for a migrant applying for international protection can't be revoked, even if he or she has been responsible of crimes and violent acts. Depriving an immigrant of hosting conditions "always constitutes a disproportionate sanction as it is detrimental to human dignity," the court noted.
The number of migrants arriving in the European Union irregularly rose by 86% between January and July compared to the same period last year, the EU border agency Frontex said Friday. The island nation of Cyprus in particular is having to bear the brunt of this trend.
EU Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson announced that Ukrainian nationals who opt to go back to their home country while the war with Russia continues are allowed to return to the EU. She added, however, that data on who was coming and who was going was not readily available yet.
The EU has approved new rules to facilitate greater access to databases to perform background checks on irregular migrants and asylum applicants in the bloc.
Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso have already faced years of unrest and climate distress. But growing food insecurity and conflict have compounded pressures, raising concerns in Brussels and Geneva about an increase in attempts to reach Europe.
Refugees and other migrants receive a lower standard of health care in comparison to local residents, a new WHO report has found. Migrants face additional hurdles including language, economic and legal barriers, as well as unequal access to information and services.
Europol said it has arrested eleven suspected people smugglers who brought people into the EU via Belarus. It broke up a ring that is estimated to have made €7 million as income.
The EU and Niger have announced plans to work together more closely to bring an end to the activities of people smugglers. A new initiative launched last week is intended to deepen the cooperation between the two. This comes as Niger's role in combatting terrorism in the region is also increasing.
EU Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson has announced that 13 EU countries are ready for the relocation of migrants, with over 8,000 relocations already agreed upon and others ready to provide financial aid. She said that this was a positive result.
The head of the EU's border agency Frontex issued a warning, saying that the bloc must prepare for a fresh wave of migrants coming to Europe, as people across the globe could be uprooted due to a food crisis exacerbated by the conflict in Ukraine.
A report drafted by UN refugee agency UNHCR and the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has denounced that the international response to COVID-19 did not succeed in guaranteeing the rights of refugees.
Around half of the Ukrainians who fled to the EU have returned home, and a top official said the resumption of school in September could prompt many more families to make a decision.