Justice & Home Affairs
Golden visas and passports still widespread in Europe, study finds
Citizenship and residence-for-pay schemes continue to be widespread across the EU, according to a new report, which calls on the European Commission to propose EU-wide rules to phase out golden passports while taking action against governments that operate schemes in breach of EU law.
Migration and the coronavirus pandemic: Crash tests for Schengen
The refugee crisis in 2015 and the current coronavirus pandemic will put the Schengen area to the hardest test since its creation 25 years ago, says Christian Moos, Secretary General of the non-partisan Europa-Union Germany, in an interview with EURACTIV Germany.
COVID-19 means confining ourselves, not abandoning refugees
The image of three-year-old Alan Kurdi dead on the shore in 2015 sticks in our memory as a collective failure. Five years later, it looks like we haven’t done much to improve the situation of thousands of migrants who are either still trying to escape war or wait on asylum-seeker centres already on European soil, writes Iratxe García Pérez.
‘Corona time’ in Europe’s main migrant camp in virus lockdown
In Europe's biggest asylum seeker camp of Moria, on the Greek island of Lesbos, authorities are trying to keep residents apart from a population with at least three coronavirus cases.
Coronavirus derogations from human rights send wrong signal, say MEPs
Five European countries have announced plans to derogate from the European Convention on Human Rights, (ECHR), invoking the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Critics, however, fear that this sends the wrong political signal.
Croatia handles earthquake damage amid COVID-19 outbreak
The Croatian government is struggling to mitigate the damage caused by a 5.5 Richter-scale earthquake on Sunday (22 March) and simultaneously, protect citizens from the coronavirus outbreak. EURACTIV Croatia reports.
Hungary’s state of emergency law is a ‘blank cheque’ to Orban, critics say
A draft Hungarian law allowing the government to rule by decree during the state of emergency caused by the coronavirus pandemic risks staying in place indefinitely, the opposition has warned.
Only five member states meet key money laundering deadline
A large majority of members states failed to introduce by 10 January public registers to reveal the true owners of all companies based in their countries, as part of the fight against money laundering, a report published on Friday (20 March) revealed.
Turkey shuts borders with Greece and Bulgaria amid coronavirus fears
The Turkish government has decided to close its rail and land border with Greece and Bulgaria amid fears over the coronavirus spread, AFP quoted Turkish media as saying.
UN urges Libyans to halt fighting, battle virus
The United Nations and nine countries on Tuesday (17 March) called on Libya's warring parties to cease hostilities to allow health authorities to fight against the new coronavirus.
Greece to restrict migrant camp movements in virus measure
Greece has said it is placing migrant camps across the country on a two-week shutdown to visitors to ward off the new coronavirus. “Visits (to camps) by individuals and organisations are suspended for at least 14 days,” the migration ministry...
Spain turns back cars from land borders as coronavirus death toll nears 500
Spain set up police checks at its land borders with France and Portugal on Tuesday (17 March) and turned back foreigners attempting to enter, part of strict measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus in Europe's second hardest-hit country.
Commission proposes shutting down EU’s external borders for 30 days
The European Commission proposed on Monday (16 March) an unprecedented 30-day ban on travel for foreigners going to the bloc in an effort to contain the spread of coronavirus, which has already put most of the EU on lockdown.
Serbia closes its borders to foreigners over coronavirus
Serbia declared a state of emergency Sunday (15 March) to halt the spread of the new coronavirus, shutting down many public spaces, deploying soldiers to guard hospitals and closing the borders to foreigners.
Europeans scramble across borders as coronavirus restricts travel
Tom Holmes, a 34-year-old British primary school teacher living in Poland, had expected to welcome home his twin babies and his wife in Warsaw on Monday (16 March) upon their return from a holiday in Britain.
Commission chief warns against unilateral virus travel bans
EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen warned Friday (13 March) against imposing unilateral travel restrictions to fight the coronavirus epidemic, as some member states have done.
Belgium activates emergency measures to contain coronavirus outbreak
After a long meeting on Thursday (12 March) that stretched late into the evening, the Belgian National Security Council decided to take far-reaching measures to fight against the spreading coronavirus, installing a state of emergency over the entire country.
Power and journalism in Bulgaria: Deflecting embarrassing issues
The Supreme Judicial Council of Bulgaria has blamed an investigative journalist for being “aggressive” in asking questions, disregarding her discovery that the head of the country’s largest court may be holding this post in breach of the law.
Europe furious over Trump’s unilateral travel ban
European officials reacted with surprise and anger Thursday (12 March) after US President Donald Trump imposed a trans-Atlantic travel ban they fear will wound economies already reeling from the coronavirus pandemic.
Greece denies report of secret ‘black site’ for migrants near Turkish border
The Greek government dismissed on Wednesday (11 March) a report in The New York Times that it was holding illegal migrants who cross the border from Turkey at a secret "black site" where they are denied access to lawyers and cannot file asylum claims.
Trump suspends travel from Schengen area to US in coronavirus crisis
President Donald Trump on Wednesday (11 March) suspended travel from Europe to the United States for 30 days in an "aggressive" effort to halt the spread of the novel coronavirus pandemic that has sparked a run on the stock market and is rapidly multiplying.
Erdogan vows to keep border open, compares Greece’s response to the Nazis
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Wednesday (11 March) he would keep Turkey's border open for refugees until the EU had met all his demands, while comparing Greece's response to the crisis to the Nazis.
Stern-faced EU leaders warn Erdogan to respect migrants deal
Stern-faced EU leaders warned President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Monday (9 March) to respect the terms of a previous deal to keep migrants away from Europe's borders, after the Turkish leader came to Brussels to demand more support.