The British government announced restrictions on student visas Tuesday in order to help cut net migration figures, which are expected to be at "record highs" when they are announced Thursday.
EU ambassadors on March 29 approved the mandate of the EU Council to start talks with the European Parliament on the draft for online visa issuing procedures.
Germany's lack of skilled laborers has prompted Berlin to reassess immigration policy. The Cabinet has now approved a new legislative proposal from the Interior and Labor Ministries.
The demand to hire non-EU citizens for employment in Italy under the country's quota system outstripped the number of available places just one hour after online applications got underway on Monday/
Germany has issued over 1,000 visas to earthquake victims in Turkey and Syria using a new procedure, according to the foreign ministry. Yet the bureaucratic hurdles to obtain visas remain high. Meanwhile, Afghan women demand more German help for Afghans at risk from the Taliban.
Germany has eased visa conditions for some earthquake survivors. But many of the bureaucratic hurdles remain high.
Fast-track temporary visas for survivors of the Syrian-Turkish earthquakes are available only to Turkish nationals, despite widespread reports that Syrians were also eligible under new special procedures.
Survivors of the earthquakes in Turkey will be able to apply for visas to join family members in Germany under special new procedures. The aim is to cut down on bureaucracy, but for Syrians the hurdles are still high.
Serbia's increasingly restrictive border policies are having an overall impact on the Balkan migration route. Austrian authorities say they have noted a significant drop of about 70% of people being intercepted while trying to enter the country using irregular means since mid-December.
Croatia will join the unrestricted movement arrangement from January 1. However, an EU official confirmed the bids from Bulgaria and Romania to join the Schengen Area have been blocked.
Germany's Cabinet is pushing for a point system for skilled non-EU workers and plans to grant immigrants from the West Balkans access to their job market for an unlimited amount of time.
An increasing number of asylum seekers are taking advantage of Serbia's visa-free policy to enter the country — but now the Balkan nation is backing down under EU pressure and imposing entry requirements on Burundians.