As the western French city of Bordeaux struggles to accommodate its growing migrant population, more and more squats have popped up to keep the city's legal and illegal migrants off the streets. However, since the region appointed Fabienne Buccio as its prefect, an aggressive evacuation campaign has been set in motion; with over 70 squats having been shut down in the past 6 months alone.
If you are an asylum seeker or refugee in Ireland then you will most likely be accommodated in a Direct Provision center. Here’s what you need to know about the service.
The European Court of Justice issued a new ruling on November 12. They declared that the withdrawal of vital living standards, including food and shelter, cannot be applied as a form of punishment against asylum seekers in reception centers and accommodation, even those who violate laws and social conventions.
The Vucjak migrant camp in Bosnia and Herzegovina is reportedly about to be shut down following sustained criticism of its dangerous living conditions. The European Council’s human rights chief welcomed the closure.
In a recent statement, the vice prefect of the northern French city of Dunkirk insisted that none of the near 1,000 migrants who had been forced out of the Grande-Synthe gymnasium in September had set up camp in the nearby woods. Yet when InfoMigrants recently visited the area, dozens of migrants, including children, were sleeping rough under trees, lacking both tents and access to basic sanitary facilities. Meanwhile, the weather is getting colder by the day.
The town of Oughterard in the west of Ireland has won a battle to stop a center being built for asylum seekers. The campaign against the direct provision center had been joined by anti-immigrant activists as well as those demanding a more humane system for refugees.
Twelve humanitarian organizations have urged Europe and Greece to “break the vicious circle” which is blocking thousands of migrants on the Greek islands. The appeal was launched on September 18.
What is being done to protect women from violence in asylum shelters in Germany? Not enough, many activists say. So what can women do if they don’t feel safe there? Here’s what you need to know.
Being a refugee with a regular income can be expensive: German municipalities make refugees with personal earnings pay part of the rental fees if they live in shared accommodations. Hundreds of euros for a bed in a shared room are the norm. Researchers and refugee advocates criticize a lack of transparency and asylum seekers' little influence on their accommodation due to the difficulty of finding a regular apartment.
A year ago, 19 of 630 migrants rescued from the Mediterranean by the charity ship Aquarius were taken in by Portugal. They all ended up in the small town of Fundão, located some 250 kilometers (150 miles) northeast of Lisbon.
The last two buildings of the former Turin Olympic village (MOI), which had for years been used as informal housing for migrants, have been evacuated. ''We are moving forward with the evictions and the return to legality across all Italy, after years of waiting and silence,'' Interior Minister Matteo Salvini said.
The current system makes it almost impossible to escape the "rigid poverty" endemic in Germany, a new report warns. It also called on the German government to build over 150,000 new properties a year, to avert a crisis.