Migration in the Mediterranean became a focus as Germany took up the rotating presidency of the EU Council in July and the EU’s foreign minister, Josep Borrell, visited Malta this week.
The Centre for Development Information and Education (CIES) and the Tunisian Union of Social Solidarity (UTSS) have launched the first training course on "Socio-economic inclusion of migrants." It targets municipalities and civil society organizations in Tunisia.
Germany has announced it is ready to begin sending asylum seekers who have already applied for asylum in another EU country back to those countries to complete the process. The so-called 'Dublin transfers' were paused towards the end of March due to the coronavirus pandemic.
About 12 migrants are believed to be missing, feared drowned after a boat carrying more than 30 mostly sub-Saharan African migrants capsized off the Libyan coast on Saturday. 20 of those on the boat were rescued.
In recent months there have been increasing reports, from humanitarian organizations and migrants themselves, about the mistreatment of migrants and refugees in Bosnia and Croatia. Now organizations like CARE International are calling on the international community to act.
A student who has been protesting since April about the treatment of migrants trying to land in Malta has gathered momentum recently following the death of the African American man George Floyd in the USA. The student’s protest was reinforced by calls from the rescue organization SOS Mediteranee who called the situation "unacceptable."
Cyprus announced it would be launching a "blitz" SMS campaign in order to try and deter migrants from coming to the country. Many have arrived thinking that Cyprus is a gateway to the rest of the EU. That is not the case, says the government.
On Saturday, 79 migrants rescued by the cargo ship Marina St Johns last week were able to disembark in Sicily ahead of a 14-day quarantine period. About 162 migrants are still waiting on other ships at sea with no word on when, or where, they might disembark.
The number of applications for asylum in Europe has almost halved since COVID-19 containment measures came into effect. Syrians and Afghans continue to make up the biggest groups seeking protection.
Portugal is the latest in a list of 10 EU countries to announce that will soon bring 50 unaccompanied migrant children from the Greek islands. According to EU sources, the children will be flown to Portugal in May.
The number of people granted asylum in Europe in 2019 fell slightly compared with the previous year. The latest report by the European statistics office, Eurostat, shows the figure was down 6% overall.
Austria has sent 181 containers to Greece to help ease the accommodation problem in the overcrowded migrant camps on the Greek islands.