About: migration crisis
Greece: Turkey needs to end ‘blackmail’ for migrant aid
Greece's migration minister said that Turkey needs to stop "blackmail" if it wants more EU aid, saying its loaded language had prompted a spike in movement toward Greek shores.
Commission expects Greek reply to allegations of migrants’ mistreatment
The European Commission expects the Greek authorities to follow up on the allegations of the Turkish ministry of foreign affairs over migrants’ mistreatment and the illegal practice of “pushback”, a Commission spokesperson has said. The tension between Athens and Ankara...
Italy holds Netherlands, EU ‘responsible’ for migrant boat
Italy's hardline Interior Minister Matteo Salvini said he would hold the Netherlands and the European Union "responsible" for the fate of 42 migrants that Rome has blocked from disembarking at Italian ports for over a week.
Brexit unleashed long-standing problems in the EU, Bulgarian MEP says
EURACTIV’s media partner Dnevnik has asked Bulgarian MEPs about the difficulties and achievements of the current European Parliament and their expectations for the European elections in May next year. It now publishes the replies provided by three of them.
Migration control still trumps African ‘partnership of equals’
Less than a month after Jean-Claude Juncker’s State of the Union talked of the need for a ‘partnership of equals’ between Africa and the European Union, migration control was once again the main prism through which the EU views Africa...
A technical European Council to defuse tension
The European heads of state will meet in Brussels for three days. France is hoping to avoid reopening the eternal political debate surrounding migration and make progress on specific aspects, including Brexit – even though the final agreement is not ready. EURACTIV France reports.
Salvini removes migrants from a model village for integration
In Riace, a Calabrian village which is a model for integration, Italy's Interior Minister Matteo Salvini is attacking the mayor and wants to remove the migrants. EURACTIV France’s media partner Ouest-France reports.
Migrants become informants to provide valuable ‘intel’ against mafia
EU border guards are interviewing migrants arriving to the continent to gather “valuable” information to fight against the smugglers and human traffickers.
Experts: ‘Germany is massively dependent on immigration’
The German government has agreed on the cornerstones of the new Immigration Act. But experts, business representatives and trade unions see still significant room for improvement. EURACTIV Germany's media partner "Der Tagesspiegel" reports.
Clouds gather for Europe in run up to 10th anniversary of financial crisis
Discrepancies between Italy and the EU over its expenditure, the trade dispute with the US and political quagmires such as the Brexit talks and the migration challenge cloud EU prospects ahead of the tenth anniversary of the collapse of Lehman Brothers.
Turkish instability threatens Europe from the Italian flank
Market pressure, financial exposure and a potential review of a key migration deal with Ankara has made Italy the most vulnerable country to the recent financial turmoil in Turkey.
France adopts controversial asylum and immigration law
France's parliament signed into law a controversial asylum and immigration bill on Wednesday (1 August), despite opposition on the left which decried an effort to limit arrivals while the far right saw the measure as not going far enough.
African leaders set up migration body, reject EU migrant ‘platforms’
African leaders have announced the creation of a new body to help coordinate national policies on migration, but rejected EU plans to set up migrant “disembarkation platforms” on their soil.
Kurz pledges to shield Schengen as border dispute unfolds
Austrian Prime Minister Sebastian Kurz prioritised the protection of the external borders during his country's EU Presidency stint, in order to safeguard the Schengen area, as a recent deal between Germany’s conservative parties could lead to a resurrection of the bloc's internal borders.
CSU’s Seehofer offers to stand down over border bans
The leader of Angela Merkel's Bavarian allies, the CSU, offered to step down from his ministerial role and party leadership during a fiery closed-door meeting on Sunday ( 1 July).
‘Controlled centres’ for migrants – not ‘hotspots’, say EU leaders
The European Council’s idea of “controlled centres” for migrants put forward in its conclusions is strikingly similar to the 2015 hotspots. EURACTIV.fr reports.
Eastern Europe could pay to avoid taking in refugees
The idea of making countries pay if they are not willing to take in refugees – already debated and taboo – now seems to be the only way to solve the tricky issue of migrants’ allocation.
The Brief – Bye bye Mannschaft
Let’s not pretend, we all watched the Germany game yesterday, in Berlaymont, in offices, in nearby pubs. At least the shocking end, Mannschaft’s first group stage exit from a World Cup in 70 years, which aroused considerable interest around the globe.
Four major EU countries in favour of joint asylum policy for refugees -poll
In a wide-ranging opinion poll on migration led by Avaaz, the citizens of four major EU countries overwhelmingly said they were in favour of solidarity and a joint European asylum policy for refugees.
MEP: In the long term, migrants will be part of solution in Europe
More and more voices are calling for an urgent reform of the strained Dublin asylum system as migrants continue arriving across the Mediterranean and migration takes centre stage in Europe again.
Verhofstadt threatens to take Council to court for ‘failure to act’ on asylum reform
The European Parliament debated the priorities for Europe on Tuesday, ahead of a crucial EU summit due on 28-29 June. Among those priorities, the reform of the Dublin regulation seems the most pressing and MEPs urged EU leaders to find an agreement on the asylum system.
Does France take its fair share of migrants?
France is the third European country in terms of asylum applications received but is only 26th out of 28 when it comes to acceptance rate. EURACTIV.fr reports.
Italy’s rejection of Aquarius refugees lamentable and reprehensible, Nobel laureate says
Italy’s decision to turn a blind eye to the plight of migrants is all the less comprehensible as the country has a strong history of migration, said Rigoberta Menchú, the 1992 Nobel Peace Prize winner, while congratulating Spain for allowing the ship to dock in Valencia.