Life torn apart: Return from Austria to Afghanistan
Stigmatization, unemployment, insecurity: Many asylum seekers deported from Austria to Afghanistan say the reality is even worse than the media reports.
Austria
Number of asylum applications in Austria on the rise
The number of individuals seeking asylum in Austria has risen by roughly 10% in 2020. During the same period, the overall number of people seeking protection in the EU dropped by 31%.
'Blurred lines': Migration and internal EU borders
The policy of migrant returns between EU countries is complex and creates "blurred lines," an expert in EU law and migration has told InfoMigrants. In the light of two recent cases of returns from Austria to Hungary, we decided to take a closer look at the subject.
Hungary: 4,903 pushbacks after EU Court declared them illegal
The Hungarian Helsinki Committee, along with various other human rights advocacy groups, have been busy collecting evidence documenting Hungary’s continual flouting of EU law with regards to pushbacks. Since the EU Court of Justice declared Hungary’s pushbacks illegal in December 2020, a recorded 4,903 people have been pushed back to Serbia.
Austria: Outrage over deportation of three girls
The deportation of three girls to Georgia and Armenia has caused controversy and tension in the governing coalition between the green party and conservatives in Austria. Many people criticized the government for expelling children who were considered to be "well integrated", including a 12-year-old girl born in Austria.
Germany: Police round up suspects from international people smuggling ring
More than 400 police officers were involved in raids in four different German states and Austria against an international people smuggling ring on Tuesday morning. The ring is thought to have trafficked more than 100 people, mostly from Syria, illegally into Germany. Five suspects were arrested, a total of 19 are being investigated.
Merkel and Macron call for tighter EU border controls
In a conference in Brussels on Tuesday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, along with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte called for a beefing up of the EU's borders to fight "the threat of terrorism."
Minority links Austria terror attacks to migration policy
Reactions to the terrorist attack in the Austrian capital Vienna on Monday have largely steered clear of the migration issue. But some, including Germany's far-right party, say several recent terrorist attacks in Europe show migration routes should be closed.
Germany optimistic EU will soon agree on new migration pact
The European Union looks poised to find broad political agreement on a new EU migration pact. German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer said that the 27 member states might be able to adopt the new legislation before the end of the year.
EU aims to reform asylum policy
Only a handful of EU member states are ready to accept asylum seekers. Now, the European Commission is trying to reform the bloc's asylum rules, but few of its proposals seem to break new ground.
Austria: Migrants found after traveling in refrigerated truck
Austrian police say they found dozens of people, including children, who had been hiding in a refrigerated truck abandoned on a highway last week. The driver has been arrested, suspected of migrant-smuggling.
Kurz: Opening Europe’s borders was a mistake
Austrian leader Sebastian Kurz has said that Europe took "completely the wrong turn" when it allowed in so many migrants five years ago. The chancellor said large numbers of migrants cause problems because they "change" the host societies.