The so-called "Orderly Return Law" (Geordnete-Rückkehr-Gesetz), which was enacted in Germany a year ago has failed to achieve its objective of raising the number of deportations in the first six months of its existence.
Fears about coronavirus are now also beginning to affect migrants and refugees: the German interior ministry is taking measures to contain the virus — including a suspension of all returns to and from Italy under the Dublin regulation.
A new "wave" of Syrian refugees reportedly returned home from Lebanon last week. Meanwhile, people continue to be displaced in northwestern Syria, where fighting continues.
Greece has started sending back around 30 rejected asylum seekers a day to Turkey, said the Greek government on Monday.
Those foreigners in Germany who are obliged to leave has increased this year. The two main reasons are the stagnating number of deportations and a faster processing time for asylum applications.
Collective deportation flights to Afghanistan are a controversial issue in Germany, as many people believe that Afghanistan should not be deemed a safe country of origin. Journalists working for DPA now had unprecedented access to one of those flights, highlighting the experience from all angles.
A group of 40 migrants on Wednesday crossed into Hungary by climbing over a three-meter-high border fence. The men, who were from Afghanistan, were caught by Hungarian police and taken back to Serbia.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his government is aiming to create safe zones in northern Syria to allow four million Syrian refugees currently living in Turkey to return.
In the wake of a rape case involving Syrians in Germany, conservative lawmakers are demanding the government re-evaluate the security situation in Syria. Criminal refugees should be able to be deported, they say.
A new report by Save the Children assesses the situation of Afghan children being returned from Europe to Afghanistan. The majority of children experience violence, insecurity and sadness, the NGO warns.
Germany has made deals with both Italy and Portugal this week aimed at speeding up returns of asylum seekers. This followed earlier agreements made with Greece and Spain. But there is mounting political pressure to make such deportations more efficient across the EU.
Growing numbers of migrants are trying to enter Greece via land routes from Turkey. At the same time, there are reports that Greek authorities are using practices including forced expulsions of migrants back across the border. InfoMigrants has received a video secretly filmed by a man who says he was the victim of such an operation.