On 16 April, the Commission propossed to accelerate the implementation of certain aspects of the Pact on Migration and Asylum, adopted last year and due to enter into application in June 2026. The Commission is proposing to frontload two key elements of the Asylum Procedure Regulation with the aim of supporting Member States to process asylum […]
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Migration: Commission proposes a new approach to returns
Return rates across the EU stand today at around 20 percent. Persons ordered to leave an EU country frequently escape the authorities. The European Commission has now proposed to help EU countries increase return rates while fully respecting fundamental rights by establishing a common EU return system. This will complement the EU Pact on Migration […]
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Council establishes position for the progressive launch of a new digital border management system
The Council today set out a general approach on a Regulation that would allow Member States to gradually introduce, over a period of six months, the digital Entry/Exit System (EES) for border management. The Regulation allows Member States to start taking advantage of the system and gives border authorities and the transport sector more time […]
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Migrant smuggling: member states reach agreement on criminal law
Today the Council agreed its position on an EU law on preventing and countering migrant smuggling. The objective of this proposal is to bring member states’ criminal law closer together on issues such as the definition and sanctioning of migrant smuggling. The position agreed today will serve as the basis for upcoming negotiations with the […]
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69 270 asylum applications in August 2024
In August 2024, 69 270 first-time asylum applicants (non-EU citizens) applied for international protection in EU countries, a fall of almost a quarter (24.8%) compared with August 2023 (92 055). There were also 6 285 subsequent applicants, representing a 4.6% increase compared with August 2023 (6 010). This information comes from the monthly asylum data published by Eurostat today. The article presents a handful of findings from the […]
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Rewriting Europe’s migration stories
The EU-funded BRIDGES project explored how highly charged narratives around migration shape public perceptions and policy, and set out to replace divisive messaging with narratives based on empathy and evidence. Migration is a deeply politicised issue across the EU. Fears about the erosion of national identity and a perceived loss of control over migration have […]
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Council agrees negotiating mandate for a regulation on facilitating cross-border solutions
Member states’ EU ambassadors today reached agreement on the Council’s negotiating mandate for a new regulation on facilitating cross-border solutions. The proposed regulation aims to facilitate cross-border interactions and promote the development of cross-border regions by making it easier to tackle cross-border challenges, such as the development of infrastructure and the operation of cross-border public services. […]
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Metsola calls for a joint European position on the migration crisis
The President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, in her address to European leaders on 17 October 2024, stressed that the real solution to the migration crisis must be a European one. She stressed the importance of cooperation between member states to address this challenge in a comprehensive and sustainable way. Metsola defended the EU […]
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34% of non-EU citizens live in overcrowded households
In 2023, 34.2% of non-EU citizens in the EU lived in overcrowded households, meaning they did not have the number of rooms appropriate for the size of the household. The year before, 32.9% of non-EU citizens lived in overcrowded households. For nationals, the rate was 13.7% in 2023 (down from 13.9% the year before) and 20.8% for […]
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