New accusations have been made against the EU border protection agency Frontex in its handling of migrants in the Mediterranean. A new report compiled by a group of media outlets states that Frontex plays a central role in ensuring that migrants are intercepted by Libya’s coast guard and brought back to the North African country.
The bloc's plans are part of a larger reform package on migration. The strategy includes smoother legal procedures to deport the rejected migrants and the use of visa restrictions to convince countries to take them back.
As announced in the Pact on Migration and Asylum, this initiative aims to introduce a digital visa to replace the paper visa sticker currently used and to enable those planning to travel to the EU to submit their visa application online.
Migrant smuggling is a global crime that exposes migrants to life-threatening risks. The EU’s New Pact on Migration and Asylum puts preventing and combating smuggling at the center of its comprehensive approach to migration.
More than 18,000 unaccompanied migrant minors have gone missing in Europe in the past three years, an investigation has found. Adriana Homolova from the journalists' collective Lost in Europe says that number is far too high.
Spanish and Moroccan authorities stopped around 60 migrants from crossing the border into the Spanish territory of Ceuta. According to local reports, it was the first such attempt in at least two years.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen says Ankara must respect basic human rights norms if Turkey wants to have a stronger relationship with the EU.
Greece has accused Turkey of trying to help migrant boats in the Aegean Sea to reach Europe. The Greek coast guard claimed that in one incident, two Turkish patrol vessels "tried to push" a migrant dinghy into Greek territory.
The month of March 2021 marked the fifth anniversary of a refugee deal between Turkey and the European Union. The agreement saw Ankara agree to stem a mass exodus of refugees and migrants to Europe in exchange for monetary aid. But the future of that controversial agreement is now in question. EU chiefs Charles Michel and Ursula von der Leyen will travel to Turkey next week for a meeting with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The EU home affairs commissioner said Turkey should stick to a 2016 deal that would see Ankara take back failed asylum seekers from Greek islands. EU officials are set to travel to Turkey for talks next week.
Far fewer people applied for asylum in the European Union in 2020 than in previous years. Germany, Spain and France saw the highest number of applications; Cyprus the most per capita.
After the COVID-19 pandemic many more migrants and refugees will try to reach Europe, according to the head of the EU border agency, Frontex. Fabrice Leggeri also says Frontex "stands ready" to resume migrant returns to Turkey.