A new Eurobarometer survey shows that almost half of European small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) (46%) are struggling to find workers with the right skills. According to the survey, the recruitment of third-country nationals remains limited. One in seven small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) has attempted to recruit workers from outside the EU in the […]
High-Level Conference organised by the Cyprus EMN Presidency on the implementation of the Pact on Migration and Asylum
The High-Level Conference organised by the Cypriot Presidency of the European Migration Network (EMN), entitled ‘Taking Stock of the Pact on Migration and Asylum: From Strategy to Reality’, will take place at the Filoxenia Conference Centre in Nicosia on 19 and 20 May 2026. This two-day event will focus on the implementation of the Pact […]
The Commission announces measures to better protect migrant workers and tackle illegal employment
The Commission has adopted two new reports on theDirective on sanctions against employers and theDirective on temporary workers. The aim isto assess efforts to ensure fair working conditions for third-country nationals, prevent the exploitation of migrants and combat illegal employment. As set out in theEuropean Strategy on Asylum and Migration of January 2026. Labour mobility, […]
Council gives final green light to measures to improve the efficiency and robustness of the EU asylum system
The Council formally adopted the first EU-wide list of safe countries of origin, as well as a revision of the concept of safe third country. These two legislative acts aim to better harmonise the EU’s migration and asylum framework and increase its efficiency. The EU-wide list of safe countries of origin will help Member States […]
European Parliament approves changes to EU asylum rules
On Tuesday, Parliament approved changes to EU asylum rules to make it easier for applications to be processed more quickly. With 408 votes in favour, 184 against and 60 abstentions, MEPs backed the creation of a European list of safe countries of origin. The plenary also supported a new regulation on the application of the […]
EP and Council reach a deal to update safe third country rules
Parliament and Council negotiators have reached a political agreement on updates to the 2024 Asylum Law regarding the conditions for applying the rules on safe third countries. On Thursday the negotiating team of the Civil Liberties Committee informally agreed with the Council new rules under which member states may decide that a non-EU country is […]
Proposal for the implementation of the “safe third country” concept
The Commission proposes to facilitate the implementation of the safe third country concept. The Commission has proposed some rules that will facilitate the implementation by Member States of the safe third country concept. This will speed up asylum processes and reduce pressure on asylum systems, while preserving legal safeguards for applicants and ensuring respect for […]
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 […]
Council agrees on new migration and asylum rules
The Council took a decisive step towards a modernisation of the EU’s rulebook for asylum and migration. It agreed on a negotiating position on the asylum procedure regulation and on the asylum and migration management regulation. This position will form the basis of negotiations by the Council presidency with the European Parliament. Streamlining of asylum […]