Poland plans a permanent barrier on Belarus border
The Polish parliament is debating a draft law which would allow the country to erect a wall on its border with Belarus. The wall is expected to cost a little over €353 million.
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Greek government to manage migrant cash assistance scheme
The Greek government has taken over the management of the cash assistance programme for asylum seekers in Greece from the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR).
'Go back to Minsk!': Poland's border guards text migrants
Polish border guards have begun to send text messages to migrants who are trying to cross from Belarus to Poland. In the text, they warn migrants that the border is closed and they should return to Minsk. Migrants have also been in touch with Polish NGOs, pleading with Poland to "have mercy" and take them in.
Asylum requests in EU up in second trimester of 2021
In the second trimester of 2021, a reported 103,895 people filed for the first time a request for international protection in an EU country. This marked a 115% increase on the second trimester of 2020 and a 9% rise compared to the first trimester of 2021, Eurostat has said.
EU leaders condemn Belarus for migrant surge
Some EU officials have claimed Minsk is using "hybrid warfare" by deliberately sending migrants to Lithuania. Poland has sent additional troops to its border with Belarus to handle the influx.
Meet the Middle Eastern migrants trapped in Lithuania
Lured to Belarus with promises of easy EU immigration, Iraqis, Syrians and Afghans are now trapped in Lithuania. Abbas al-Khashali and Hamza al-Shawabkeh met them there.
Migrants entering EU via the 'Balkan route' up 90% on 2020
According to the EU border agency Frontex, the number of irregular border crossings to the European Union via the so-called ‘Balkan route’ is up 90% on last year. The majority of those arriving are from Syria and Afghanistan.
Latvia begins pushing migrants back at Belarus border
Latvia has become the latest Baltic state to start pushing back migrants hoping to cross its border from Belarus. Dozens were turned back on Tuesday night under a new state of emergency declared by the government in Riga.
'I don't know what to do now': African students in Lithuania stuck after crossing from Belarus
More than 4,000 migrants have arrived in Lithuania since the beginning of the year. In 2020, just 80 arrived. All have come from neighboring Belarus. Among those migrants are young African students who were tempted to cross the border but now find themselves stuck.
Iraq flies 280 'stranded' migrants back from Belarus
Iraq has begun to fly back some of its citizens who had flown in to Belarus on tourist visas, in the hope of making it over the border to Lithuania and the EU. Eighty reportedly returned to Baghdad on Monday, and 200 are expected to make the journey on Tuesday.
EU summons Belarus envoy over 'instrumentalization' of migrants
Belarus' plans to shut parts of its border to halt migrants from re-entering the country has raised the ire of the EU. Brussels said migrants are not a political weapon.
EU cites concerns about migrant management in Balkans
An EU report assessing whether Western Balkan countries continue to meet requirements for visa liberalization showed that despite a drop in illegal crossings, improvement is needed in migration management.