Tag: Refugees

As Washington weighs a military strike against Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad, the human fallout of two and a half years of conflict that has sent millions into flight is no longer contained to the Middle East. Hundreds of refugees are trying to get into Europe from the Western Balkans.

By fostering regional development projects, IGAD, the organisation of the eight countries in the Horn of Africa, is seeking to project a more positive image of a region known mainly for its natural disasters and conflicts. But the European Commission says a key country for the region, Somalia, still lacks political stability.

The foreign ministers of Serbia, Montenegro, Croatia and Bosnia signed a joint declaration in Belgrade yesterday (7 November), with the aim of finding a solution for the remaining refugees and displaced people in the region. BETA, EurActiv's partner agency in Serbia, reports.

France is expected to achieve the first success of its EU Presidency by officially presenting a 'European Pact on Immigration and Asylum' at informal talks between justice and home affairs ministers on 7-8 July in Cannes. The text, seen by EurActiv, has been watered down to accommodate concerns from Spain, which advocates a more open immigration policy.

With the publication of a Green Paper, Brussels has begun lengthy legislative efforts to exhort member states to share the asylum-seeker burden, after 182,000 people sought refuge in the EU in 2006 alone.

MEPs have spoken out about the unacceptable situation in Ceuta and Melilla where 11 have died as Spanish troops repulse unprecedented numbers of illegal immigrants.

Disagreements between France and the UK over common EU border controls have stalled interior ministers’ negotiations on security. First steps towards a common asylum procedure are to be made later this year.

These charts focus on US immigration patterns and characteristics of the foreign-born population in the past two centuries, helping to understand the characteristics of today's migration flows and the migrant communities.

EU interior ministers have forged a deal on a crucial piece of asylum legislation after years of wrangling. The UN refugee agency protests at 'lowest common denominator' agreement.

On 4 June, the Commission will give its opinion on the UK proposals to reform the EU asylum system. The key question in the Commission draft report is whether or not transit processing centres could be located outside the EU for asylum-seekers that enter the EU illegally.

Britain has presented plans to relocate initial asylum-claim processing outside EU borders. Critics say this would hollow out the Geneva Convention on Refugees.

The EU and US Justice Ministers have agreed to increase co-operation in fight against terrorism, including sharing information on ongoing operations.

EU ministers of justice and home affairs agree on directive on temporary protection of refugees