Migration

Cyprus records fall in asylum applications according to Eurostat

Eurostat data published this week showed a decrease in asylum applications in Cyprus, with 130 first-time claims and 95 repeat applications in December 2025. This represents a decline from November…

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Britain to bar study visas for four nations, halt Afghan work visas

Britain said on Tuesday it would block study visas ‌for nationals from four countries and halt work visas for Afghans, using what it called an "emergency brake" to curb rising…

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Deaths surge on Mediterranean migration corridor to historic high — UN

The start of this year has been the deadliest on record for migrants crossing the Mediterranean Sea, according to a report from the International Organization for Migration. At least 606…

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German government pushes Syrians to return to their homeland

Last year, 5,976 Syrians applied for voluntary repatriation to Syria, which was funded by the German Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF), submitting all the necessary documents. Of these,…

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Spain to grant around half a million undocumented migrants legal status

Spain's Socialist-led government presented a draft decree to expedite legal status to hundreds of thousands of undocumented immigrants, in its latest move to integrate migrant workers even as other European…

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Human trafficker who tortured migrants in Libya jailed for 20 years in Netherlands

An Eritrean people trafficker who tortured African refugees and migrants in camps in Libya was jailed for 20 years on by a Dutch court, with a judge saying he had…

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Hundreds feared missing or dead trying to cross the Mediterranean

Hundreds of people are feared dead or missing after attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea, with reports of multiple shipwrecks in the last ten days following bad weather, the U.N.…

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One rescued, 50 feared drowned after migrant boat sinks off Tunisia

A migrant has been rescued and 50 others are feared drowned after a boat sank in the Mediterranean, officials said on Sunday. The man had been in the sea for…

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More than 3,000 migrants died trying to reach Spain in 2025

More than 3,000 people died trying to reach Spain by sea over the past year, a sharp fall from the previous 12 months. However, activists cautioned that the drop reflected…

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British and Danish PM urge European leaders to reform human rights laws to tackle illegal migration

Sir Keir Starmer has urged European leaders to reform human rights laws to make it easier to deport illegal migrants ahead of crucial talks on a potential shake-up of the…

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EU countries back migration crackdown

EU countries on Monday signed off on sweeping new plans to reform how the bloc deals with migration. The measures, approved at a meeting of EU justice and home affairs…

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US widens travel ban to more than 30 countries

The U.S. plans to expand the number of countries covered by its travel ban to more than 30, U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said. Noem, in an interview on…

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EU updates asylum guidance for Syrian refugees a year after fall of Bashar al-Assad

The European Union issued updated guidance for asylum applications by Syrian nationals on Wednesday that reflects new conditions in Syria a year after the fall of former long-time leader, Bashar…

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Finnish Workplaces See Rapid Rise in Foreign Recruitment

A big shift is underway in Finnish working life — and not even poor employment numbers have managed to slow it down. Finnish working life is undergoing internationalisation. Workplaces now…

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Ireland tightens immigration rules in bid to slow population growth

Ireland introduced measures to tighten its immigration rules that the justice minister said were aimed at slowing a "worryingly" high rate of population growth amid numbers seeking asylum that were…

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Number of Britons leaving the UK significantly higher than previously thought

The number of Britons who left the UK last year is significantly higher than previously thought, revised figures show. The number of British nationals who left the UK in the…

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Britain toughens asylum policy in major overhaul as anti-immigration sentiment rises

Britain on Monday said it would make refugee status temporary and speed up the deportation of those who arrive illegally, in a major overhaul aimed at stemming the rise of…

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Fast-track deportations to be announced as part of asylum reforms

Plans to fast-track the deportation of illegal migrants as part of sweeping reforms of the UK's asylum policy are to be announced by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood. In a statement…

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Libya urged to shut migrant detention centres at U.N. meeting

Libya was urged at a U.N. meeting on Tuesday to close detention centres where rights groups say migrants and refugees have been tortured, abused and sometimes killed. Multiple states including…

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Chancellor Merz Says Syrians No Longer Qualify for Asylum

Syrians no longer have grounds for asylum in Germany now the civil war in their country is over, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said, as his conservatives seek to fend off…

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Red Crescent Confirms Fatalities After Migrant Vessel Capsizes Near Libya

The bodies of at least 18 migrants, who died when their boat capsized west of Libya's capital Tripoli, were recovered while over 90 survivors were rescued, a local Red Crescent…

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European Commission delays decision on migration assistance

The European Commission is set to miss its own legal deadline on announcing which EU countries should receive help with their migration issues — and it’s not particularly worried. A…

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EU-backed Libyan coastguard increasing violent attacks at sea, report finds

Libyan militias have increased attacks on migrants and humanitarian workers in the central Mediterranean in recent years, according to a new report by search-and-rescue NGO Sea-Watch. The report, published Tuesday,…

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Pope Leo will ‘stand with’ Catholic leaders in protecting immigrants’ rights, advocates say

Pope Leo XIV said he will stand with Catholic leaders in protecting immigrants facing mass deportations in the U.S., according to a group of American Catholic leaders and advocacy groups…

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Britain not seeking visa deal with India

Britain will not pursue a visa deal with India, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said, as he aims to deepen economic ties with the country following this year's trade agreement. Starmer…

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British PM tells BBC he wants to change how international law used in asylum cases

Sir Keir Starmer wants to change how international law is interpreted, to stop unsuccessful asylum seekers blocking their deportation on the grounds they could be sent to worse prisons or…

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UK plans tougher residency rules based on English skills, civic conduct

Britain plans to tighten the rules over how migrants can settle permanently by making applicants prove their value to society, including being able to speak a "high standard" of English,…

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Starmer says Labour shied away from illegal immigration concerns

Sir Keir Starmer has publicly acknowledged "where some on the left went wrong" on immigration, saying that his party needs to tackle "every aspect of the problem". Writing in the…

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European Commission dismisses NGOs’ call to stop financing of Libyan Coast Guard

The European Commission has dismissed a call from 42 civil society organisations for it to stop financing the so-called Libyan Coast Guards whose agents are deployed on the country’s coast…

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Arrests in crackdown on human trafficking network active across continents

Europol coordinated a joint action day between the Brazilian Federal Police (Polícia Federal) and the Irish National Police and Security Service (An Garda Síochána) against a criminal network involved in…

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Trump administration moves to tighten duration of visas for students and media

The Trump administration aims to tighten the duration of visas for students, cultural exchange visitors and members of the media, according to a proposed government regulation issued on Wednesday, part…

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EU Commission labels alleged Libyan attack on NGO ship ‘worrying development’

The European Commission considers an alleged Libyan coast guard shooting on the NGO boat Ocean Viking, which occurred on Sunday, a “worrying development”. This is one of several documented occasions…

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UK’s Farage warns of ‘civil disorder’, unveils plan to deport asylum seekers

Nigel Farage, leader of Britain's anti-migration Reform UK party, announced a plan on Tuesday to repeal human rights laws to allow for mass deportations of asylum seekers, action he said…

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Ten years on: Merkel reflects on 2015 refugee decision

It has been ten years since German Chancellor Angela Merkel made her famous "Wir schaffen das" ("We can do this") statement regarding her decision to accept hundreds of thousands of refugees into Germany.…

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Libyan Coast Guard Fires on Ocean Viking NGO Vessel After Rescue Operation

The humanitarian ship Ocean Viking, operated by SOS Mediterranée, came under heavy fire from the Libyan Coast Guard in what the NGO has denounced as a “violent and deliberate attack.”…

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Asylum applications in the EU up to 54,780 in May 2025

In May 2025, 54 780 first-time asylum applicants (non-EU citizens) applied for international protection in EU countries, marking a 30% decrease compared with May 2024 (77 945) and a 12% increase compared…

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Search Continues After Migrant Shipwrecks Off Lampedusa Kill at Least 27

At least 27 people, including a 1-year-old girl and three teenagers, died when two overloaded migrant boats capsized in rough seas off the Italian island of Lampedusa on Wednesday, officials…

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At Least 370 Dead, 300 Missing on Central Mediterranean Migrant Route in 2025

At least 370 people have died and 300 remain missing on the Central Mediterranean migrant route between January 1 and August 9, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM)…

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Greece may extend North Africa asylum ban if migrant flow resurges

Greece could extend a suspension on examining asylum applications passed by parliament last month if migrant flows from Libya start rising again, Migration Minister Thanos Plevris said on Thursday. In…

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UK to start implementing migrant returns deal with France

Britain said it will start work within days to implement a deal to return some migrants who arrive on small boats to France, a key part of its plans to…

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Libyan coast guards train in Greece under plan to stem migrant flows

Libyan coast guard officers have started training on the Greek island of Crete as part of a plan to strengthen cooperation and help the two countries stem a surge in…

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UK sanctions target people smugglers, small boat dealer in migrant crackdown

Britain announced sanctions on Wednesday on 24 people and one company it said were involved in people smuggling, as part of efforts to cut the number of migrants arriving on…

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Greece pushes EU to take tough line on migration

Greece has presented other EU governments with what it called its strictest plan to deter migrants and is pushing for “return hubs” outside the continent. The country’s newly appointed migration…

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EU Migration Commissioner says he is ready to negotiate with Khalifa Haftar

The European Union must remain ready to negotiate with Russia-aligned Libyan strongman Khalifa Haftar in order to prevent Russian President Vladimir Putin from further weaponizing migration, EU Migration Commissioner Magnus…

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People smugglers to have assets frozen and be banned from UK

People smugglers face having their assets frozen and being banned from entering the UK, the foreign secretary has announced. David Lammy said new powers under the Sanctions Act will allow…

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Frontex says illegal crossings into EU down 20 percent in first half of 2025

Illegal crossings into the European Union fell to 75,900 in the first half of 2025, according to the EU’s border agency. In a press release, Frontex attributed the 20 percent…

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France and UK agree to joint migration deal

France and the United Kingdom on Thursday reached several deals on migration, nuclear cooperation and support for Ukraine, after a visit from French President Emmanuel Macron to London. The three-day…

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Greece to Introduce Tougher Measures to Deter Migrant Arrivals

Migration and Asylum Minister Thanos Plevris on Thursday indicated that the government is planning to introduce new “disincentives” as part of a crackdown on migrant arrivals following an influx from…

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Greece to suspend processing asylum applications from north Africa for three months

Greek prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has just told the parliament that Greece will suspend processing asylum applications for migrants arriving on boat from north Africa. In comments reported by Kathimerini,…

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Poland imposes checks on German and Lithuanian borders amid migration fears

Poland introduced temporary controls on its borders with Germany and Lithuania on Monday, in what the government said was a step to check migrants more thoroughly amid public concerns over…

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Austria set to deport man to Syria, marking first for EU since Assad’s fall

Austria is preparing to deport a Syrian man whose asylum status was revoked due to a criminal conviction, in what an EU official and rights groups say will be Europe's…

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Germany to stop funding migrant rescue ships in Mediterranean

Germany is cutting financial support for charities that rescue migrants at risk of drowning in the Mediterranean, saying it will redirect resources to addressing conditions in source countries that spur…

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Greece sending Navy ships to monitor migrant vessels off Libya

Greece is planning to sent Navy ships outside Libya’s territorial waters “as a precaution” to monitor migrant flows, Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Monday, during a regular meeting with the President…

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Italy’s immigration and emigration both soaring, stats agency says

The numbers of Italians leaving their country and of foreigners moving in have soared to the highest in a decade, official data showed on Friday, fuelling national concerns about brain…

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Belgium announces border checks in migration clampdown

Belgium will introduce border checks on people coming into the country to clamp down on illegal migration, the government said, in another limit on free movement across Europe's Schengen zone.…

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249 Dead in Central Mediterranean So Far in 2025: IOM

At least 249 people have died while attempting to cross the Central Mediterranean Sea so far this year, the U.N.’s International Organization for Migration said. Another 226 migrants remain missing…

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G7 to explore possible sanctions on criminals linked to migrant smuggling

G7 leaders are set to reaffirm a joint commitment that they agreed to a year ago to prevent and counter migrant smuggling, and will explore using sanctions to target criminals…

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