EU ambassadors approve mandate for Schengen digital visa
EU ambassadors on March 29 approved the mandate of the EU Council to start talks with the European Parliament on the draft for online visa issuing procedures.
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Balkan Route: EU deliberately ignoring border guard violence, MSF says
Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has called on EU leaders to do more to prevent violence against migrants on the Balkan Route. Their staff reportedly has treated nearly 500 people with injuries inflicted by border authorities at the Serbian-Hungarian border since early 2021.
Greece reports plunge in migrant population and shifting trends
The number of migrants and refugees in Greece has dropped significantly over the past year despite a year-on-year increase measured in the first two months of 2023.
Italy: NGO decries 'northern ports' policy after rescue, shares survivor accounts
After three rescue operations in the Central Mediterranean, 161 migrants disembarked from the Life Support in Ortona, central Italy, this week. The NGO operating the ship criticized Italy's recent policy of assigning ports further north in the country for disembarkation, and shared testimonies from rescued migrants.
Demand for migrant workers outstrips 82,000-quota in 1 hour
The demand to hire non-EU citizens for employment in Italy under the country's quota system outstripped the number of available places just one hour after online applications got underway on Monday/
Italy: New migration route from Libya to the Calabrian coast
The Italian town of Roccella Ionica and the surrounding coastline in the southern Calabria region have become a new destination for migrants departing from Libya.
Banksy-funded ship seized in Italy for 'hindering rescue operations'
A humanitarian ship funded by British street artist Banksy was seized in Lampedusa on Sunday after rescuing 178 refugees and migrants. Authorities said it had breached new rules for ships operated by non-governmental organizations carrying out search and rescue in the central Mediterranean Sea.
Cutro tragedy shows weakness in recent policies, bishops' body says
Italian bishops said at the spring session of the Permanent Episcopal Council in Rome last week that migrants should be welcomed into the country instead of being pushed back.
Greece approves funding for new coast guard vessels
Greece has approved €18.5 million in financing for the purchase of new border patrol vessels. The aim is to strengthen maritime border protection.
Italy 'left alone' to rescue migrants at sea, PM Meloni says
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has said that Italy was "left alone" to rescue migrants in the Mediterranean, rejecting accusations that children are being "left to die" at sea.
This café provides a refuge for Syrians in Istanbul
The 'Yolo' café has become an important cultural center for the Syrian community in Istanbul. It was founded by Bayan, a young woman of Syrian origin, and her boyfriend. The café organizes Arabic-language courses for refugees living in Turkey.
Italy: Shipwreck survivor says smugglers asked for payment after he escaped death
After a shipwreck off southern Italy in late February left 88 people dead, smugglers still asked survivors to pay for the trip, a witness told a preliminary investigations judge this week.