The Commission is presenting an EU Action Plan on the Western Mediterranean and Atlantic migration routes. In her letter to the European Council of 20 March 2023, President von der Leyen reiterated the Commission’s ongoing work with the Member States most concerned on the Action plans for the Western Mediterranean and Atlantic too. This Action Plan is also […]
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European Commission launches consultation process to improve EU visa suspension mechanism
The Commission adopted a Communication on the monitoring of the EU’s visa-free travel regimes setting out a consultation process. The Communication looks at the functioning of the EU’s visa-free regimes and identifies the main challenges in the areas of irregular migration and security. The Visa Suspension Mechanism is set out in Article 8 of the […]
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Immigration in the European Union: Figures for 2022
In 2022, 141 060 non-EU citizens were refused entry into the EU territory while 1.08 million were found to be illegally present in one of the EU countries. The number of non-EU citizens issued with an order to leave an EU Member State was 422 400. Following an order to leave, 96 795 non-EU citizens were […]
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According to Eurostat, the population of the European Union will decrease by 6% by 2100
According to Eurostat’s most recent population forecasts, there would be 27.3 million fewer people living in the EU between 1 January 2022 and 1 January 2100, a 6% decline. The population of the EU began to recover in 2022, following a decline brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021. As a […]
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Demographic challenges of Member States and political responses to address them
The European Commission has published an interactive mapping, developed jointly with national authorities, showing the current national demographic challenges in the Member States and the policy responses adopted to address them. In particular, the mapping shows, based on data from a 2022 survey conducted by the Commission and the Social Protection Committee (SPC), that most […]
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Green light given to the reform of EU asylum and migration management
The Civil Liberties Committee endorsed on Tuesday a new approach to manage asylum and migration flows into the EU and specific rules to tackle crises. With 47 votes in favour, 17 against, and 1 abstention, MEPs adopted their position on the proposed update of the EU asylum and migration management regulation. The adopted text amends […]
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Migrant camps in Huelva and Almeria under debate in the European Parliament’s Petitions Committee
Last Wednesday, March 22 and Thursday, March 23, a new meeting of the Petitions Committee of the European Parliament took place to discuss a series of petitions received, including three Spanish petitions about migration, alleged violation of fundamental rights in education and compensation for insularity. The first petition on the agenda was presented on behalf […]
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The European Commission is committed to talent in rural areas
The European Commission is actively committed to preserving rural regions and combating depopulation. Initiatives such as the Rural Observatory, the Rural Pact, the EU Rural Action Plan or Regions of the EU aim to publicise the potential of rural environments to develop them and reactivate the economy and attract talent, something also favored by the […]
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Natural and cultural heritage as an engine for sustainable rural growth
An EU-funded project used successful natural and cultural heritage-driven practices to provide guidance and assistance for the regeneration of rural areas. Rural areas in the EU represent 83 % of its total area, housing nearly one third of the EU population. Nature and human society in rural areas have co-existed for thousands of years, offering […]
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