Return continues to Afghanistan in crisis
According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM) 285.000 Afghans have returned from Iran over the last five month constituting a 150.000 increase from the same period last year. 12,000 undocumented Afghans have returned or been deported from Pakistan...Spanish authorities rescue hundreds, Ombudsman calls for access to asylum in detention*
The Spanish authorities rescued over 500 people from 15 different boats attempting to cross the Mediterranean this weekend. The Spanish Ombudsman recently urged the authorities to set up a system of immediate registration of asylum applications in Detention Centres...
European Commission adopts first series of legislative programmes in 2021-2027 budget
The European Commission has this week published the first in a series of legislative proposals as part of the Multiannual Financial Framework post 2020. According to the Commission the new proposals aim to harmonise economic and social disparities across the EU, while...
Increase in number of missing migrant children possibly trafficked into UK
A report from the UK’s National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) highlights the growing number of migrant children who are unaccounted for by authorities in France and the UK, despite having been identified in the Calais camp as particularly...
Policy Officer: EU funding for refugee and migrant inclusion
ECRE and PICUM are seeking to recruit a full-time policy officer to be based in ECRE’s Brussels office. The policy officer will be developing and implementing an advocacy strategy to increase the amount of funding available for refugees and migrants under EU budget...
Editorial: All eyes on Italy
All eyes are on Italy as a new government is formed. The situation looks volatile and unpredictable, with a political novice as Prime Minister and a coalition bringing together a new populist movement, Cinque Stella, and a revitalised Lega (no longer Nord but still...
Spain and Algeria agree on joint migration crackdown, while at Algeria’s southern border deported migrants perish in the desert
The Interior Ministers of Spain and Algeria signed an agreement this week to form a joint team of investigation with the goals of fighting “illegal migration” and “preventing Islamist terrorism.” The agreement comes after recent crackdowns by the Algerian authorities...
Greece takes another legal step to lower asylum seeker guarantees to implement the EU-Turkey deal
Last week, the Greek Parliament adopted a law transposing the recast Reception Conditions Directive bringing further amendments to the asylum procedure in order to implement the EU-Turkey statement. Among other changes, the law foresees that in case of “urgent need”,...