Migration

Poland may introduce partial controls on German border in summer

Poland is likely to introduce partial controls on its border with Germany in the summer if the number of migrant crossings continues to grow, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk told…

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Kosovo accepts US request to host third-party deportees

Kosovo has accepted a request to receive migrants deported from the United States, with an initial plan to take in 50 deportees per year, the government said in a statement…

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Trump’s travel ban on 12 countries goes into effect

U.S. President Donald Trump's order banning citizens of 12 countries from entering the United States goes into effect at 12:01 am ET (0401 GMT) on Monday, a move the president…

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Trump deploys National Guard as Los Angeles protests against immigration agents continue

President Donald Trump's administration said it would deploy 2,000 National Guard troops on Saturday as federal agents in Los Angeles faced off against a few hundred demonstrators during a second…

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Bulgarian authorities arrest 18 for smuggling migrants across its southern border

A criminal network smuggling mainly Syrian migrants from Türkiye to Western Europe has been taken down following a coordinated action led by the Bulgarian authorities and supported by Europol. On…

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Trump bans nationals from 12 countries, citing security concerns

U.S. President Donald Trump signed a proclamation on Wednesday banning the nationals of 12 countries from entering the United States, saying the move was needed to protect against "foreign terrorists"…

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Germany to Make It Easier to Declare Countries Safe in Curbs on Asylum

The German government plans to make it easier to declare certain countries of origin safe under a push to reduce the number of asylum seekers, Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said…

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Italian activists face trial for migrant sea rescue in legal first

A Sicilian judge has ordered six members of an Italian charity ship to stand trial on accusations of aiding illegal immigration, the first time crew members of a rescue vessel…

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Greece drafts tougher law for rejected asylum seekers

Greece has prepared legislation that will introduce tougher penalties for rejected asylum seekers and speed up returns to their home countries, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said. The Mediterranean nation was…

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German government restricts migrant family reunification, path to citizenship

Germany's government approved measures to restrict family reunification for migrants and delay citizenship access on Wednesday, forging ahead with a major shift in migration policy under conservative Chancellor Friedrich Merz.…

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Pope Leo tells diplomats the dignity of migrants must be respected

Pope Leo XIV, in his first address to world diplomats at the Vatican, said on Friday that the dignity of migrants had to be respected, while also calling on nations…

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Switzerland Proposes Immigration Control Measures Within EU Framework

The Swiss government said it wants the right to restrict free movement of people from the European Union if factors such as net immigration, commuter numbers or welfare dependency exceed…

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UK’s Starmer tightens migration rules

Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced a new salvo of measures to toughen up Britain's migration system on Sunday, saying many immigrants would have to wait longer before getting the status…

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Nigerians, Pakistanis and Sri Lankans face UK student visa crackdown

Nigerians, Pakistanis and Sri Lankans applying to work or study in the UK face Home Office restrictions over suspicions that they are most likely to overstay and claim asylum, Whitehall…

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U.S. judge blocks Trump’s Libya deportation plan

A U.S. judge said any effort by the Trump administration to deport migrants to Libya would clearly violate a prior court order barring officials from swiftly deporting migrants to countries…

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U.S. may soon deport migrants to Libya on military flight

U.S. President Donald Trump's administration may deport migrants to Libya for the first time this week, three U.S. officials said, as part of his immigration crackdown and despite Washington's past…

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UK may restrict students from countries most likely to claim asylum

The British government may restrict visa applications from students living in countries that are considered most likely to claim asylum in a move designed to bring down annual net migration,…

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EU issues list of ‘safe countries’ for migrant returns that includes Egypt, Tunisia

The European Commission on Wednesday included countries such as Egypt and Tunisia, where human rights have come under scrutiny, on a list of "safe countries" to which failed asylum seekers…

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Illegal crossings into Europe down one third in a year

Illegal crossings at Europe’s borders have dropped by more than 30 percent, a difference of nearly 34,000 people, in the first quarter of this year compared to the same period…

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New German coalition to abolish 3-year citizenship path

The next German government consisting of the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU)/Christian Social Union (CSU) alliance and the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD) will abolish a 3-year expedited path to citizenship…

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Italian police disrupt migrant smuggling ring, 15 Egyptians arrested

Italian police said they had dismantled a migrant smuggling network, leading to the arrests in several countries of 15 Egyptians involved in using sailboats for dangerous illegal sea crossings from…

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UPDATED: Germany temporarily halts resettlement of UN refugees

Germany has temporarily suspended any further admission of refugees via a UN resettlement programme, the dpa news agency reported on Tuesday, citing the interior ministry and the UN refugee agency…

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Austria and Poland Take Tough Stance on Migration Amid Rising Pressure

Poland and Austria have introduced strict new measures on migration, signaling a hardening stance across parts of the European Union as governments face increasing domestic pressure over asylum policies. Polish…

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Venezuela agrees to US repatriation flights after row

Venezuela has agreed with the US to resume repatriation flights for deported Venezuelan nationals, its officials announced. Jorge Rodriguez, Venezuela's National Assembly President, confirmed the first flight would depart on…

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EU asylum applications drop 13 percent in 2024

Almost 912,000 people applied for international protection for the first time in the EU in 2024, falling 13 percent from the previous year. It is the first decline in first-time…

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Trump administration deports Venezuelans despite court order, says judge has no authority

The Trump administration has deported alleged members of a Venezuelan gang from the U.S. despite a court order forbidding it from doing so, saying in an extraordinary statement that a…

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Over 1,500 Syrians planning on leaving Cyprus

Approximately 1,200 Syrians have withdrawn their asylum applications with an additional 500 requesting the revocation of their subsidiary protection status, reported figures on Tuesday showed. A further 20 have requested…

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Russia wants migrants from new countries to help plug labour shortage

Russia wants to widen its source of migrant workers beyond ex-Soviet republics to Asian nations including Myanmar, the Interfax news agency cited the economy minister as saying on Tuesday. With…

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Costa Rica Receives First Flight of Trump Deportees From Faraway Countries

Migrants from around the world — including dozens of children — landed on Thursday evening in San José, Costa Rica’s capital, after having been deported from the United States for…

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Bodies of migrants recovered in two locations in Libya

At least 29 bodies of migrants have been recovered in two locations in the southeast and west of Libya, a security directorate and the Libyan Red Crescent said on Thursday.…

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Hundreds of Syrians drop asylum bids in Cyprus

Hundreds of Syrians who sought refuge in Cyprus after the onset of civil war over a decade ago have withdrawn asylum applications in the weeks since the fall of Bashar Al-Assad, Cypriot…

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UPDATED: More needs to be done on returns, EU migration commissioner says

EU internal affairs and migration commissioner Magnus Brunner said that while the EU has changed its migration and asylum policy last year, there is still more to be done on…

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Trump says US will send some migrants to Guantanamo Bay

US President Donald Trump has ordered the construction of a migrant detention facility in Guantanamo Bay which he said would hold as many as 30,000 people. He said the facility…

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Migrant Arrivals in Italy Surge as Tragedy Strikes in Mediterranean Shipwreck

Italy has recorded a significant surge in migrant arrivals this year, with the interior ministry reporting a 136% increase compared to the same period in 2024. As of Monday, 3,074…

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Pentagon sending 1,500 active duty troops to help secure the southern US border with Mexico

The Pentagon is sending 1,500 active duty troops to help secure the US-Mexico border. The United States Department of Defence has begun the process of deploying more manpower to secure…

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Italy arrests Libyan police head

Police in Italy have arrested the head of Libya's judicial police who directs Tripoli's Mitiga detention centre, Italian news reports said. Osama Najim, also known as Almasri, was arrested Sunday…

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Libya expels 600 Nigeriens

More than 600 people have been forcibly deported from Libya on a “dangerous and traumatising” journey across the Sahara, in what is thought to be one of the largest expulsions…

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Suspected people smugglers to face severe curbs under new UK laws

Suspected people smugglers will face severe curbs under new laws in Britain, the government said, as it steps up efforts to fight illegal migration and strengthen border security. Those suspected…

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Who are the immigrants who could be targeted in Trump’s mass deportation plans?

President-elect Donald Trump plans to launch a mass deportation operation targeting millions of immigrants living in the U.S. illegally and with temporary protections once he takes office on Jan. 20,…

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618 dead and 918 missing in central Mediterranean in 2024 – IOM

Some 618 people have died and 918 gone missing in the central Mediterranean so far this year, one of the most widely used channels for illegal migration to Italy and…

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EU allows countries bordering Russia, Belarus to restrict migrants’ asylum rights

The European Union said that member states bordering Russia and Belarus could restrict migrants’ right to asylum in cases where Moscow and Minsk use them as instruments. Talking to reporters…

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Syria’s Population Crisis: Millions Displaced Since 2011

On Sunday morning, millions of Syrians, both within the country and abroad, woke up to a changed nation after opposition forces swept into Damascus, bringing an end to President Bashar…

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Netherlands starts border controls to curb illegal migration

The Netherlands has stepped up checks at its borders with Germany and Belgium to stem illegal immigration into the country, Asylum and Migration Minister Marjolein Faber said. Speaking at the…

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European countries put Syrian asylum bids on hold after Assad’s fall

European countries put asylum applications from Syrians on hold until further notice on Monday after rebels seized the Syrian capital and President Bashar al-Assad fled to Russia following 13 years…

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France arrests 26 for smuggling migrants from Indian sub-continent

A French-led investigation, supported by Europol, has resulted in the dismantling of a large criminal network comprising several small criminal groups involved in migrant smuggling and money laundering. The extensive…

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UK net migration hit record of more than 900,000 in 2023

Net migration to Britain hit a record of more than 900,000 in 2023, much higher than original estimates, although tougher visa rules have started to reduce the number of arrivals,…

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More than 300 migrants detained in Libyan desert, military force says

Libyan soldiers said on Monday they had detained more than 300 migrants who were crossing the desert and trying to make it to the shores of the Mediterranean. Aerial photos…

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Americans see immigration as top issue for Trump to tackle, Reuters/Ipsos poll finds

Americans see immigration as the most pressing issue for President-elect Donald Trump to address, and a large majority believe he will order mass deportations of people living in the U.S.…

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Metsola Advocates Unity on EU Migration Solutions

The President of the EU Parliament, Roberta Metsola, declared support for the need to find shared solutions to migratory flows in Europe. President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola met…

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Netherlands eyes border controls as part of migration clampdown

The Netherlands looks set to introduce border controls as part of a raft of measures aimed at limiting immigration, Dutch broadcaster RTL reported, citing government sources. The border controls would…

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Network smuggling migrants via Belarus busted in Poland

The Polish Border Guard, supported by Europol, has successfully targeted a large criminal network smuggling migrants from Belarus and Russia into the EU. The investigation was conducted within the framework…

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Slovak PM Fico says fight against illegal migration an absolute priority

The fight against illegal migration into the European Union is an absolute priority, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said on Tuesday after meeting Hungarian and Serbian leaders at a summit.…

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Italy adopts decree to overrule court objections on Albanian migrant camps

Italy's government on Monday passed a decree aimed at overcoming court objections to its flagship immigration plan that is aimed at deterring boat migrants by sending them to detention camps…

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EU leaders set course for tougher policy to send back irregular migrants

European Union leaders agreed on Thursday to use all their leverage, including trade, development aid and visa policy, to speed up returns of migrants illegally entering the bloc and asked…

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Netherlands explores plan to send rejected African asylum seekers to Uganda

The conservative Dutch government is weighing a plan to send rejected African asylum seekers to Uganda, the country's trade and development minister said late on Wednesday. Reinette Klever unveiled the…

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EU leaders to focus on migration, Poland to point to its ‘weaponisation’

Migration will dominate the European Union summit on Thursday with Poland calling for an EU stance against Russia and Belarus using migrants as a weapon against the EU and others,…

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Von der Leyen to ask EU leaders to explore using ‘return hubs’ for migrants

The European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, has called for an exploration of “return hubs” outside the EU in a letter to the bloc’s national leaders on irregular migration,…

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