Justice & Home Affairs
Europe split over Russia tourist ban, but could tighten visa rules
Should Russians be allowed to enter EU countries for leisure? EU foreign ministers are far from united on whether and to what extent to bar Russians from travelling within the bloc following the Ukraine invasion. EU foreign minister meeting informally...
EU may agree tightening visas for Russians, discuss training of Ukraine troops
EU foreign ministers, meeting in Prague on 30 and 31 August, may agree tightening the issuance of visas for Russians and start debating a wider ban on tourist visas though there is no agreement on that, EU officials said.
Scholz lays out vision for future EU migration policy
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz outlined his vision for the EU’s future migration policy in Prague on Monday (29 August), urging the bloc to find a balance between solidarity and protection of external borders.
EU ministers to study call for ban on Russian tourists
EU foreign ministers are to discuss this week an appeal led by Ukraine to ban Russian tourists from visiting Europe. The idea, to be studied in a two-day meeting starting Tuesday (30 August) in Prague, has divided EU nations
Dutch PM ‘ashamed’ of asylum failings as MSF steps in
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte on Friday (26 August) said he was "ashamed" of problems at the country's centre for processing asylum requests as humanitarian group Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) sent in a team to assist with migrants' medical needs.
Turks frustrated by ‘deliberate’ increase in number of European visa rejections
Turkish sports presenter Sinem Okten was surprised to see her visa application to Europe's Schengen area rejected twice, having visited often to cover matches and interview figures like Italian keeper Gianluigi Buffon and Liverpool's Juergen Klopp.
Bulgaria refuses extradition of Russian anti-war protester to Putin’s regime
Under pressure from public opinion and the media, a Bulgarian court of appeal surprisingly overturned an earlier ruling on Thursday (25 August) and refused the extradition to Moscow of a Russian national who had burned his passport in Bulgaria in protest against the war in Ukraine.
Kenyans taking UK to European court over colonial-era abuses
Kenyans forced off their land by British settlers during colonial rule are taking their case against the UK to the European Court of Human Rights, their supporters said on Tuesday (23 August).
Baltic states, Poland and Finland could ban Russian tourists, says Lithuania
EU members Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Finland, which all share a border with Russia, may stop Russian tourists from entering their countries if the EU does not enact a union-wide ban, Lithuania's foreign minister said on Tuesday (23 August).
Russian tourists’ luxury cars fill up Helsinki airport
Porsches, Bentleys and other luxury cars with Russian licence plates are filling up the parking garage at Helsinki's airport as Finland becomes an important transit country for Russian tourists flying to Europe.
Europe’s security-only strategy will not curtail migration from the south
As the endless drama of African migration goes on, attention is focused almost exclusively on interdiction and rescue operations in the Mediterranean, writes Oussama Romdhani.
Far-right Italian leader blasted for posting rape video
Far-right leader Giorgia Meloni, leading the race to become Italy's next prime minister, was accused on 22 August of shameful electioneering by her rivals after posting a video of a woman being raped by a migrant in an Italian city.
EU divided over banning Russian tourists
Ukraine is pressuring the EU to bar Russian tourists from entering the bloc but has met varying responses, with some EU countries agreeing while others resist.
Clashes as Greek authorities evacuate Athens refugee camp
Police and migrants faced off Thursday (18 August) as Greek authorities started evacuating one of the last refugee camps in Athens, officials said, with videos showing authorities using tear gas and a flash grenade.
EU parliament says will probe ‘inexcusable’ spying on Greek member
The European Parliament will cooperate with Greek authorities to investigate "intolerable and inexcusable" state spying on a Greek EU lawmaker, the spokesman for the head of the chamber said of the bloc's latest espionage scandal.
MEP asks Commission to ban extraditions to Russia
Bulgarian MEP Radan Kanev (EPP) called on Wednesday (17 August) for the European Commission to issue a clear recommendation to EU member states to stop all procedures for extradition of Russian citizens from the EU to Russia.
Finland limits visas to Russians amid rush of Europe-bound tourists
Finland will slash the number of visas issued to Russians from 1 September, the Finnish foreign ministry said in a statement on Tuesday (16 August), amid a rush of Russian tourists bound for Europe.
Estonian visa cancellation has ordinary Russians worried
Estonia this week will close its border to more than 50,000 Russians with previously issued visas, the first country in the European Union to do so, making it harder for ordinary Russians to enter EU.
Greece locates refugees in Evros, trapped for days between Greece, Turkey
Greek police said on Monday afternoon (15 August) they had located 38 Syrian refugees in the Lavara area of Evros, among them one pregnant woman and seven children.
Eleven dead after mass shooting in Montenegrin city
Eleven people including two children were shot dead in Montenegro on Friday (12 August) evening in the deadliest mass shooting the Western Balkan country has ever experienced.
Number of migrants reaching EU sharply rises
The number of migrants arriving in the European Union rose by 86%t between January and July compared to the same period last year, the European border agency Frontex said Friday (12 August).
Possible extradition of Russian national from Bulgaria raises eyebrows
A Russian national who burned his passport in Bulgaria in protest against the war in Ukraine is likely to be extradited to his country of origin after a decision of a Bulgarian court.
EU to stand firm in clash with Poland over cash, officials say
Brussels is unlikely to back down on its demand that Poland respect the rule of law to receive post-pandemic recovery funds, as despite threats from Warsaw, officials said it could block decision-making within the European Union. Poland would be eligible...