About: economic migration

Poland seeks to protect its Ukrainian connection

Although they are vital to the Polish economy, no one really knows how many Ukrainian migrants live in the country.

Building a fair and prosperous space on the two shores of Mediterranean

Economic development, migration flows, social justice and cohesion, radicalisation and terrorist threats, democratic transition, and rule of law - the challenges facing the Euro-Mediterranean region are numerous and growing, writes MEP Enrique Guerrero Salom.  

Czech government raises quota for fast-lane work permits for Ukrainians

The Czech government agreed yesterday (31 January) to double the number of Ukrainians it was allowing in as fast-track migrant workers to 19,600 per year, aiming to help firms struggling to find workers and facing pressure from the workforce for wage hikes.

Andrew Geddes: Shifting attitudes to migration starts with trusted political leaders

Ahead of the launch of the Observatory of Public Attitudes to migration, its director Andrew Geddes tells EURACTIV that a better understanding of attitudes can help craft informed policy debates and shift public attitudes on migration.

Diverting EU aid to stop migration: The EU Trust Fund for Africa

Migrants have become the focus of the EU's aid strategy. As priority is given to stemming migrant flows in the short-term, long-term development goals are forgone, tarnishing the EU's image as a global development actor, writes Fanny Voitzwinkler.

1,000 migrants storm border fence at Spanish enclave of Ceuta

More than 1,000 migrants tried to jump a high double fence between Morocco and the Spanish enclave of Ceuta yesterday (1 January) in a violent assault that saw one officer lose an eye, local authorities said.

Malta: Complacency on migration ‘not an option anymore’

Tackling illegal immigration, security in the Mediterranean and relations with Libya and Tunisia among others will be at the centre of the Maltese EU Presidency during the first half of 2017, Natasha Meli Daudey told EURACTIV.pl.

New deaths put Italy on track for sombre migrant records

Italy's coastguard said yesterday (24 October) that another 16 people had died during operations in which 2,200 migrants were rescued off Libya, propelling both deaths at sea and the numbers arriving in Italy towards new highs.

Germany and Italy to step up repatriations of economic migrants

Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi and German Chancellor Angela Merkel agreed Wednesday (1 September) to step up efforts to send migrants with no right to asylum in Europe back to their homelands.

Tusk warns refugees away from Europe

Speaking in Athens on Thursday (3 March), Council President Donald made a pathetic appeal to 'economic' migrants not to come to Europe.

Commission: Schengen suspension could be extended, 60% of migrants should be sent back

The European Commission today (26 January) said it could agree to a suspension of border-free travel in the Schengen zone of up to two years, and that nearly two thirds of migrants entering the EU in December were not eligible for asylum because they did not come from conflict zones.

The EU’s core values are at stake in the migration crisis

Our governments’ failure to act on the migration crisis is destroying the European Union and undermining our core values. This is not the Europe we dreamed of, writes Madi Sharma.

Macedonia ‘temporarily’ closes its Greek border to migrants

Macedonia has closed its border with Greece to migrants, police in Skopje said yesterday (20 January), blocking the path of hundreds trying to reach northern Europe.

Ukraine rejects Polish ‘million refugees’ claim

Ukraine's ambassador to Poland yesterday (12 January) rejected the Polish prime minister's claim that her country hosts a million Ukrainian refugees, saying they were not refugees and could at most be called "economic migrants".

Making an impact on migration

Migration and security concerns will continue to top the agenda of the December European Council until the root causes are addressed. The impact investment community can provide concrete solutions to this challenge, writes James Knight.

Euro at risk if Schengen collapses, says Juncker

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said on Wednesday (25 November) Europe's single currency will be at risk if the Schengen passport-free travel zone unravels due to member states reimposing border controls to keep refugees out.

Danièle Lamarque: ‘Migration and development policies should be linked’

The European Union must adapt its development aid to new challenges, like the migration crisis, and the fight against climate change, Danièle Lamarque told EURACTIV France. 

World Bank: Migration can boost global prosperity

The large-scale migration of people from poor countries to richer ones will “reshape economic development for decades” but could help end extreme poverty and increase global prosperity if the flow is properly harnessed and regulated, according to the World Bank.

Van Rompuy: ‘EU leaders only take bold decisions when they have a knife against their throats’

EXCLUSIVE / In a candid interview with EURACTIV, the former President of the European Council said the EU takes the boldest decisions only in crisis situations, "when we have our backs against the wall and are staring at the abyss with a knife against our throats".

Italy to receive most EU funding for migrant crisis

The European Commission today approved €2.4 of aid over six years for countries including Greece and Italy that have struggled to cope with a surge in numbers of immigrants.

African migrants threaten EU social infrastructure, says UK’s Hammond

A surge in migrants from Africa threatens the European Union's living standards and social infrastructure, British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said on Sunday (9 August), adding that the bloc was unable to take in millions of people seeking a new life.

Man dies as thousands of migrants storm Channel Tunnel

More than 2,000 migrants tried to enter the Channel Tunnel in an attempt to reach Britain from France, French authorities said on Tuesday (28 July) before a Sudanese man was killed overnight in a second storming of the Tunnel.

Ad campaign in Albania: German embassy warns against ‘economic asylum’

Germany is a main target country for Albanian asylum seekers. Now, the German embassy in Tirana is warning potential refugees in Albanian newspapers of traffickers and profiteers. Der Tagesspiegel reports.

Big rescue mission saves 4,500 boat migrants

Nearly 4,500 migrants were plucked from boats off the coast of Libya over the weekend and 10 bodies were recovered, Italy's coast guard and navy said, in what looked to be the biggest rescue mission of its kind so far this year.