Pope Francis' Morocco trip is aimed at promoting moderate Islam and showing solidarity with migrants fleeing to Europe. In February, Francis visited the UAE, where he emphasized the need for interfaith dialogue.
Eight migrants have been rescued from a lorry near the border crossing in Ventimiglia. The migrants, who were from several African countries, had been having trouble breathing and were unable to open the truck from inside.
The conflict over Western Sahara has smoldered for more than 40 years. Morocco's offer of autonomy for the region is now on the negotiating table, but that's not enough for many of the Saharawis exiled in Algeria.
Moroccan authorities were responsible for 340 'irregularities' against migrants in 2018, the Moroccan Association for Human Rights claims. It accuses Morocco of turning reception centers into "collection centers ahead of expulsion."
Moroccan authorities have dropped a case against Spanish journalist and human rights defender Helena Maleno Garzon. Maleno works for the NGO Walking Borders which alerts Spanish and Moroccan rescue authorities to migrant boats in distress at sea.
Germany deported a key suspect in the 2016 Berlin Christmas market attack before he was questioned, according to leaked official documents. Bilel Ben Ammar is thought to have been an informant for Moroccan intelligence.
More and more rejected asylum-seekers are being sent back to Tunisia, Morocco and Algeria, according to a new report. The German government wants to designate the countries as "safe" in order to accelerate the process.
Europe is facing 'no burning crisis' of people crossing its external borders, according to the EU’s border and coastguard agency, Frontex. But despite a drop in arrivals, the agency says stronger border controls are needed.
The migrant death toll in the Mediterranean on the Libya-Europe route rose sharply in 2018, from one death per 38 arrivals in 2017 to one death per 14 arrivals last year, according to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) in its report titled "Desperate Journeys."
Aid groups fear that some 170 migrants could be dead after two dinghies sank in separate incidents after leaving Libya and Morocco. Italian President Sergio Mattarella has expressed his "deep sorrow."
Germany's lower house of parliament, the Bundestag, has voted in favor of declaring four additional countries "safe countries of origin." However, the Bundesrat, the upper house, still has to ratify the decision. The addition of Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco and Georgia to list of safe nations is not without controversy.
Morocco has called on Spanish authorities to help it slow migrant flows and increase checks at the southern European border, in part by offering training programs and post-graduate courses in Spain.