Athens has announced tougher action against migrants and refugees. New deportation camps are to be set up, while asylum applications are to be processed more quickly. But some doubt the efficacy of the planned measures.
According to UNHCR statistics, more than 40% of almost 3,000 migrants and refugees in Serbia come from Afghanistan. Most of them hope to enter Hungary or Croatia to get into the EU, However, with Hungary's border closed down and the Croatian border being closely monitored, leaving Serbia is proving to be a difficult task.
Italy's new Interior Minister Lamorgese is seen as a moderate who may re-open ports to rescue vessels, but PM Conte wants the EU to show more solidarity with Italy in return. Bernd Riegert reports from Brussels.
Cyprus has submitted a request for EU member states to take over 5,000 migrants and refugees, as the number of people seeking asylum and protection is quickly rising in the island nation. It has also criticized Turkey in particular for not taking appropriate action.
While the processing of family reunification applications for those with subsidiary protection in Germany seems to finally be on track to meet the government's goal, the allocation of 1,000 slots per month is more or less exhausted for the first half of this year. Last year, the German government missed its target of processed applications, but left-over slots apparently won’t roll over into this year.
Much has been accomplished, but there's still a lot to be done: That’s the conclusion of a report by migration experts in regards to the German government’s refugee policy. The council sees a positive development in the immigration act for skilled personnel in Germany.
Rising numbers of migrants are entering Cyprus through the Turkish-administered north of the country, on order to gain access to the Greek-speaking southern part of the island which is an EU member state. But what’s the situation like for migrants on the ground?
Italian authorities have seized a warehouse that hosted a community center in the southern city of Caserta, citing “structural deficiencies.” The center manages a hosting facility for asylum seekers and refugees.
The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child has expressed concern over the Italian law on immigration and security because contained within the decree is a concept which labels even children as a potential ‘social danger.’
Just this weekend, a migrant in a detention center (CRA) in the Paris region attempted to take his own life. Another attempted to set a cell on fire. One non-governmental organization working with refugees and migrants, La Cimade, has sounded the alarm yet again over the deplorable living conditions in the CRAs.
In Slovenia, police have been accused of breaching international law in dealing with applications for asylum. Police have rejected the claims.
Italy passed the "Salvini decree," clamping down on asylum rights, and refused to grant entry to rescue ships. Greece struggled – and failed – to provide adequate accommodation on Samos and Lesbos. Meanwhile, Hungary effectively banned helping asylum seekers. 2018 was not an easy year for migrants and refugees. We sum up the biggest developments of the year.