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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Vice-President Schinas visits the Canary Islands to express EU support for migration management
Margaritis Schinas, Vice-President responsible for the Promotion of our European way of life, will visit the Canary Islands in view of the migratory challenges facing the archipelago. He will meet the President of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo Battle. The Vice-President will travel tomorrow to Tenerife, where he will visit, together with President Clavijo Batlle, […]
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More than 3.7 million first residence permits in 2023
More than 3.7 million first residence permits were issued in the EU to non-EU citizens in 2023, a 4.7% increase compared with 2022, and the highest number recorded to date. Employment remained the main reason for issuing residence permits in 2023, accounting for 33.8% (1.3 million) of all first residence permits issued, indicating a modest decrease compared with 2022 […]
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Eurostat: EU population increases again in 2024
After a decline in 2020 and 2021 due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the EU’s population has increased for the second consecutive year, rising from 447.6 million on 1 January 2023 to 449.2 million people on 1 January 2024. The negative natural change (more deaths than births) was outnumbered by the positive net migration. […]
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