More and more unaccompanied and separated children are trying to join their parents in Europe. But the laws and the criteria for family reunification are getting tougher in many countries, the International Social Services Switzerland (ISS) says.
Western countries took in less than five percent of refugees needing to be resettled from poorer regions last year, despite record numbers of displaced people around the world. Fewer than 56,000 refugees were given new homes in 2018 under the UN’s resettlement program, a decline from previous years.
A directive requiring hospital staff to report all people who are not legal to authorities has caused a scandal in Switzerland. Physicians who oppose the measure cite the need for "professional secrecy" and the obligation to give care "to anyone in need".
The "Football for People" week across Europe will look at how the sport can help solve problems linked to mass migration in this period.
In Switzerland, faster asylum procedures introduced several years ago have led to fewer 'unjustified applications', authorities say. But a Swiss asylum lawyer argues that the system as a whole is far from efficient.
Germany should adopt asylum procedures similar to those in Switzerland and the Netherlands, a migration expert says. Dietrich Thränhardt says fewer migrants would claim asylum in Germany if the system were faster and more efficient.
The UN Committee Against Torture (CAT) has ruled against Switzerland in the case of an Eritrean torture victim who was expelled to Italy, arguing that the expulsion violated the Convention against Torture.
In various German-speaking cities in Europe, a piano is being set up for days at a time, allowing amateur musicians to show off their musical abilities. The initiative collects money for refugees to study music in Vienna.
A German official has warned that Berlin may impose fresh controls on the borders with France and Switzerland. With a surge in migrant arrivals to Spain, Germany is hoping to avoid a repeat of the 2015 migration crisis.
The UNHCR has said that progress was made in the field of healthcare for refugees in 2017 despite a record high number of internally displaced persons.
All United Nations members — except the United States — have committed to a compact for safe migration. It is the first global document to tackle the issue and reduce human smuggling and trafficking.
Some of the players on the pitch in Russia had extra obstacles to overcome before taking to the world stage. Among them are two refugees from former Yugoslavia and one Nigerian.