In France, asylum seekers who do not speak French - or who don’t speak it well enough - must use interpreters to tell their story at Ofpra (French Office for Protection for Refugees and Stateless people) or the CNDA (France's National Court of Asylum). Interpreting requires rigor and neutrality. However, in practice, and despite the importance of the issue, translation errors do occur.
A new drop-in center has opened in Paris where migrants sleeping rough can charge their phones, take a shower or do their laundry. The center is open every day and also offers French courses, some healthcare services and legal assistance.
The number of applications for asylum in the EU is back up. About 206,500 applications were submitted during the first four months of 2019, compared with 179,000 in 2018, according to the European Asylum Support Office.
InfoMigrants recently received an open letter penned by a Sudanese refugee, Ahmad Gamal, that addresses the European Parliament. After being forced to flee his native Darfur, the 27-year-old arrived in France in 2017 and now studies sociology at a university in Lyon. In his letter, Ahmad urges the EU to make its fatal migration policies more welcoming and humane.
Rights group Amnesty International says French authorities are harassing, intimidating and even assaulting people offering aid to migrants in the north of France. Activists report that this "deliberate attempt" to discourage their work is taking its toll on their own wellbeing and on those they are trying to help.
A French court has sentenced an imam to two years in prison for helping migrants try to cross the English Channel in inflatable boats. The Iranian national had arranged several crossings from northern France to England.
At the rate of "two dismantlements per day", there have been hundreds of law enforcement operations to clear informal migrant camps in northern France since January 1, 2019. Activists working there speak of a discouraging routine.
Accusing EU officials and politicians of knowingly creating the “world’s deadliest migration route,” a group of international lawyers has submitted a legal document to the International Criminal Court. They are calling for the prosecution of EU member states over the deaths of thousands of migrants who drowned in the Mediterranean.
The coastguard said the eight migrant boats were found along Britain's southeast coast. A senior British minister said the situation was "alarming" amid concerns that warming weather could fuel more crossings.
European member states are calling on Italy to take back 46,000 migrants based on the Dublin Regulation, according to which the migrants are required to return to Italian territory under the responsibility of the Rome government.
The risk of developing diabetes is higher for migrants in France. A change in diet, lack of exercise and problems accessing regular health care and check ups are all contributing factors.
Right-wing anti-migration parties in Italy and France are celebrating large wins in the European elections this week but can they and their allies across Europe influence the future policy of the EU regarding migration?