About: asylum policy
France’s asylum reform at odds with European law
Following a week of debates, French deputies adopted the controversial draft law on asylum and immigration in its first reading. However, some of the provisions could be contrary to European law on the matter. EURACTIV.fr reports.
France’s lower house approves controversial bill to tighten asylum rules
France’s lower house approved by a large majority on Sunday (22 April) a bill that would tighten asylum rules and make punishable by one year in jail the illegal crossing of borders, after tense debates that created the first cracks within President Emmanuel Macron’s party.
EU officials fear new wave of migrants after Greek court ruling
A top Greek court ruled on Wednesday (18 April) that migrants landing on Greek islands should no longer be held there while asylum claims are assessed, a decision raising alarm among EU officials in Brussels.
Ankara presses Prague to extradite Kurdish leader
The Turkish government wants the Czech authorities to extradite a Syrian Kurdish leader detained this weekend at Ankara's request to face terror charges in Turkey, it said on Sunday (25 February).
Only 16% of asylum seekers in Greece to be sent to Turkey, despite EU deal
Only "16% of asylum seekers" who have arrived in Greece are likely to be sent to Turkey despite a controversial EU deal, the former head of Greece's asylum service said Sunday.
Arrivals surge on Greek islands despite EU-Turkey deal
With Turkey being one of the items on the agenda of the EU summit starting on Thursday (19 October), AFP is reporting that migrants are still coming to Greek islands despite the EU-Turkey deal to stem the arrival of refugees from Turkish territory.
Commission moves from mandatory refugee relocations to voluntary resettlement
The Commission on Wednesday (27 September) made no proposals to continue with the divisive mandatory refugee relocation system and instead focused on resettlement, which means taking candidate refugees from outside the EU, on a non-mandatory basis.
Estonian ambassador: Trump is right, Europe should pay for own defence
Estonian Ambassador to Poland Harri Tiido explained the priorities of his country’s EU Presidency and talked about the current challenges facing Europe, in an interview with EURACTIV.pl.
Opinion leaders identify seven pillars for ‘better’ EU action
CIVICO-Europa, an informal group set up by opinion leaders and later supported by politicians, presented today (20 March) a manifesto for the future of Europe, based on “doing much better together”, rather than the traditional way of “doing more”.
Hungary ready to build another fence on southern border
Hungary is ready to build a second line of fencing on its southern border to keep out migrants if the situation worsens this year or next, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's chief of staff said on Thursday (9 February).
EESC wants resettlement to be uncoupled from partnership agreements
The European Economic and Social Committee sees it as its duty to remind EU member states and the international community of their responsibility towards people in need of international protection, writes Christian Moos.
Council of Europe calls on Slovenia to amend new migrant law
The Council of Europe, the continent's leading human rights organisation, called on Slovenia's parliament to reject some legal changes affecting migrants that the government proposed earlier in January in a set of amendments.
Asylum seekers in Europe will be sent back to Greece starting March 2017
The European Commission on Thursday (8 December) said that EU countries could resume returning asylum seekers to Greece in March 2017, after such transfers were suspended for five years because of poor conditions there.
Maltese Presidency unveils logo, priorities
Malta, which will take over the rotating presidency of the Council of the EU on 1 January 2017, has unveiled its logo and priorities, its overarching objective being to restore trust in the Union.
Alarm over effectiveness of EU-Turkey refugee deal grows in Brussels
Some seven months after the European Union and Turkey struck an agreement to turn back the tide of Syrians fleeing west, very few refugees have been sent back from Greece, and Brussels is losing its patience as overcrowded camps grow violent.
Asylum-seekers flee fire at Greek hotspot as tensions flare
Thousands of people fled a migrant camp, or hotspot, on the Greek island of Lesbos after fire swept through tents and cabins during violence among residents, police said.
Terror expert: Europe can survive ISIS without electing nutjobs
Terrorism is not new to Europe, despite the recent Islamic State inspired attacks that have rocked France and Germany, Alexander Ritzmann has said. The terror and radicalisation expert said it was vital that the outrages did not lead to policy decisions confusing migration with terrorism ahead of crunch elections in Germany and France next year.
Afghan boys behind huge increase in unaccompanied minor migrants to EU
The large number of unaccompanied minors arriving in Europe can be explained by Afghan families sending their children hoping they will get refugee status easier, and then seek reunification with the rest of the family, according to a new report by the EU asylum office.
EASO concerned about the slow registration of asylum seekers in Greece
The European asylum support office EASO expressed concern over the slow registration of asylum seekers in Greece, which is a necessary precondition for the refugees relocation to other member states.
Graph illustrates results of German messages welcoming refugees
A graph from the 2015 annual report of the EU asylum office EASO illustrates the spike in numbers of applicants for international protection in the summer and autumn of 2015, after German authorities issued messages welcoming migrants.
Slovakia advocates returning EU power to capitals
Speaking to Brussels journalists on a press trip to Bratislava, the Slovak premier, and his foreign minister, shed light on their ambitions for steering the Union for the next six months, and laying the groundwork for a rethink of the EU, following the shock of the UK referendum.
Hungary says this is not a refugee crisis, but mass exodus
The measures to address the migration crisis introduced by individual member states or groups of states have been more effective than the Commission’s action, a Hungarian high official said yesterday (13 June).
Visegrad Four urges referendum voters to keep UK in EU
The four eastern EU states from the so-called Visegrad Group yesterday (8 June) said they needed Britain to stay in the bloc, two weeks before the landmark UK referendum on membership.