Justice & Home Affairs
In migration lull, Greece bolsters border arsenal
As the sun dips into the wetlands of northeastern Evros, Greece's river border with Turkey, two Greek guards climb into a boat to begin their daily lookout for irregular migrants.
EU Commission ramps up legal action against Cyprus, Malta over ‘golden passports’
The European Commission on Wednesday (9 June) stepped up legal action against Cyprus and Malta over their cash-for-passports schemes in a move that may eventually see the two islands end up in court and face fines.
Greece defends use of anti-migrant sound cannons
Greece's minister for migration and asylum on Wednesday (9 June) defended his country's use of "sound cannons" to deter irregular migrants, as a senior EU official called their use "strange" and legally questionable.
FBI-planted app nets hundreds in ‘staggering’ global crime sting
Police arrested more than 800 people worldwide in a huge global sting involving encrypted phones that were secretly planted by the FBI, law enforcement agencies said Tuesday (8 June).
Global crackdown on organised crime after high-tech US-Australia sting
US and Australian authorities hacked into an app used by criminals to read millions of encrypted messages, leading to hundreds of arrests of suspected organised crime figures in 18 countries, Australian officials said on Tuesday (8 June).
Greece presses ‘safe’ Turkey to readmit migrants
Turkey is a safe country for most asylum seekers now housed on Greek islands, Greece's migration ministry has said as Athens seeks to speed up repatriations to its eastern neighbour.
Expanding EU border guard agency is falling short, auditors say
EU border and coast guard agency Frontex has not managed external borders effectively and is not ready for an increased mandate that will see it swell to a force of 10,000 by 2027, the European Court of Auditors (ECA) said.
Cyprus government broke its own laws in granting ‘golden passports’, inquiry finds
Cyprus's government broke the law on countless occasions in granting citizenship to thousands of people in a now discredited passports-for-cash scheme, an official inquiry has found.
The Brief, powered by UNESDA – American leadership is back
Like it or not, American leadership is back. If you ask Bulgarians, they are ecstatic that the US has dealt a heavy blow to a mafia system the EU tacitly tolerated.
Czechs forward Babiš case to new EU prosecutor’s office
A Czech prosecutor said Thursday (3 June) that the case of the billionaire prime minister's conflict of interest as an entrepreneur and politician has been forwarded to the new EU prosecutor's office.
Top EU court dismisses Hungary’s complaint over democracy probe
The top European Union court dismissed on Thursday (2 June) Hungary's challenge against the opening in 2018 of a disciplinary procedure against Budapest for undermining democracy in the formerly communist country.
Greek police plan high-decibel message to deter migrants
Greek police on Thursday (3 June) said they plan to send out a high decibel message designed to deter would-be migrants after setting up two controversial "sound cannons" at the Evros border post with Turkey.
Denmark passes law to process asylum seekers outside Europe
Denmark on Thursday (3 June) passed a law enabling it to process asylum seekers outside Europe, drawing anger from human rights advocates, the United Nations and the European Commission.
US warns Bulgaria to clean up the ‘passport-for-cash’ mess
The United States State Department has warned Bulgaria that if the country wants its citizens to benefit from visa-free travel to the US, it should clean up the mess which has gained notoriety as the “passports for cash” scheme.
New prosecutor’s office joins EU ‘Justice League’
A newly created EU prosecutor's office started work on Tuesday (1 June), in time to throw legal-eagle scrutiny on hundreds of billions of euros of Covid recovery spending about to sprayed across the bloc.
German ministers to discuss fraud at coronavirus test centers
German Health Minister Jens Spahn and his counterparts in the 16 federal states will on Monday morning (1 June) discuss control mechanisms for coronavirus test centers following fraud accusations, a ministry spokesman said on Sunday.
Cyprus votes for new parliament amid anger over golden passports scandal
Cypriots voted Sunday (30 May) in parliamentary elections amid simmering public anger over the "golden passports" corruption scandal on the Mediterranean island.
The Brief, powered by APPLiA – Blackmail over borders
When Margaritis Schinas says that “no one can blackmail the European Union”, Morocco and other neighbourhood states might well think that the EU’s Migration Commissioner is bluffing. The decision by Rabat to allow thousands of migrants into the Spanish enclave...
The Brief, powered by APPLiA – Hanging on the telephone
The EU's latest bad boy, Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša, finally addressed the press corps in Brussels on Wednesday, if only for a dozen minutes and via zoom, at a joint press conference with European Parliament President David Sassoli.
Slovenian PM Janša faces EU pressure for hindering EPPO
As Slovenia prepares to take over the rotating presidency of the Council of the EU, the country's prime minister, Janez Janša, is under pressure from the European Parliament to stop obstructing the work of the Office of the European Public Prosecutor (EPPO).
NGOs sue EU’s Frontex for violating migrants’ human rights
Three non-governmental organisations said Tuesday (25 May) they are suing the EU's border protection agency Frontex for violating the human rights of an unaccompanied minor from Burundi and a Congolese woman seeking asylum on the Greek island of Lesbos.
The Brief, powered by APPLiA – Passing the rule of law parcel
For such a supposedly all–powerful and overbearing institution, the European Commission isn’t half timid sometimes, even when it comes to defending what are supposed to be its own fundamental values.
At EU summit, Spain warns of ‘unprecedented crisis with Morocco’
Spain sent a clear message to Morocco Monday (24 May), insisting on respect for its shared borders a week after over 8,000 migrants entered its Ceuta enclave, with 1,000 minors still there.