DR Congo: Electoral Tensions High Amid Inter-communal Violence and Ebola Outbreak
On Thursday January 10 the electoral commission declared Felix Tshiisekedi the President of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Tension has been mounting while the results of the election which took place on December 30 were delayed for more than a week. Amnesty...
France: Lottery-Based Access to Migrants’ Day Centre a Reminder of Reception Shortages
Accommodation places in a migrants’ day centre run by the organisation France Horizon in Paris are given by lottery. Every morning, groups ranging from 150 to 400 people appear before the centre, which has a capacity of no more than 50 places, to test their chances of...
DRC Outline their Guiding Principles for Engagement with Return Procedures
The Danish Refugee Council (DRC) have released a new report outlining a framework of organisational core positions and operational and advocacy priorities in relation to the return of refugees, internally displaced persons (IDPs) and rejected asylum seekers. The...
Italian Mayors Refuse to Apply Latest Immigration Legislation Limiting Asylum-Seekers’ Rights
At least four mayors in Italy are refusing to comply with the new immigration law, which has introduced significant restrictive measures for asylum seekers and migrants. The mayors of Palermo, Naples, Florence and Parma have announced they will not enforce parts of...
Spain Plans the Expulsion of UASCs, Receives Fierce Opposition from NGOs
The Spanish Partido Popular Party (PP) has announced a parliamentary initiative aiming to enable the expulsion of unaccompanied and separated children (UASCs) that arrive at the Spanish enclave of Melilla, by categorising them as “economic...
Asylum: Reducing Rights by Stealth
The Austrian Presidency of the EU ends with a whimper rather than a bang with the European Council of 13-14 December deciding very little on migration. For a Presidency that made “solving” the migration crisis its number one priority it should be judged a failure....
Adoption of the Global Compact on Migration
After over a year of intergovernmental negotiations, the Global Compact on Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration was adopted at the Intergovernmental Conference on Migration in Marrakesh on December 10 2018. The Global Compact marks the enhanced cooperation on...Belgium: Barriers to Registration of Asylum Applications*
The Belgian Aliens Office has introduced a quota allowing no more than 50 people per day for registration of asylum seekers at the “Petit-Château” / “Klein Kasteeltje” in central Brussels, which serves as the new temporary registration location as of 3 December 2018....