Italian authorities have confiscated a rescue ship funded by renowned British graffiti artist Banksy, following its involvement in the rescue of 37 people in the Mediterranean Sea. Banksy condemned the seizure as abhorrent and unacceptable, particularly highlighting that the ship had saved 17 unaccompanied minors who were on the verge of drowning. The decision to…
Figures from the European Union Agency for Asylum show that asylum applications to Germany decreased by 20% during the first half of this year compared to the same period in 2023. Despite this significant decline, media reports from the Welt am Sonntag newspaper indicate that Germany still remains at the forefront of European countries in…
An updated statistical report from the European Union’s asylum agency reveals a decline in asylum applications to EU countries this year compared to 2023. The report also highlights a significant increase in pending first-instance cases, reaching the highest level since the 2015/2016 refugee crisis. The current decline in asylum applications extends the overall trend seen…
The state of Saxony has decided to fund asylum seekers’ voluntary departure for three months. This decision comes in response to a backlog of thousands of unprocessed voluntary departure requests by the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees. Saxony will cover the costs of these departures to the Ministry of the Interior in Magdeburg. A…
A non-governmental organization at the Luna Plage camp near Dunkirk has raised concerns about a blue substance found in the drinking water tank, which is supplied by another NGO focused on migrants. The contaminated water has caused several refugees to fall ill with various diseases. AFP reported, citing non-governmental organizations, that the presence of the…
The civil court in Crotone, Calabria, overturned the Italian authorities’ decision to administratively detain the maritime rescue ship Humanity 1. The court also ordered the Italian authorities to pay the legal fees. Humanity 1 is operated by SOS Humanity, a German non-governmental organization focused on rescuing migrants in the Mediterranean. Notably, Judge Antonio Albinario issued…
Two representatives from the Free Democratic Party (FDP) and the Swiss People’s Party submitted a draft bill to the Cantonal Parliament of Zurich to distribute a payment card for refugees. However, the proposal, modeled after the German payment card system, was discussed in parliament but failed to gain a majority. The payment card for refugees…
Finland is one step closer to passing a new immigration law after the Constitutional Committee approved the government’s draft bill by a vote of 15 to 2. The new law, if passed by parliament, allows for the prohibition of the right to claim asylum for individuals entering Finland through the eastern borders. The bill was…
Several German politicians have criticized the decision to extend citizen’s allowances to Ukrainian refugees following the federal government’s recent move to prolong these benefits until 2026. Michael Stübgen, Interior Minister of Brandenburg State from the CDU, described the extension as a mistake. Meanwhile, Joachim Herrmann, Bavaria’s Interior Minister, voiced concerns about providing citizen’s allowances to…
Rescuers discovered ten bodies of migrants on a wooden boat near the island of Lampedusa. Meanwhile, a second boat capsized off the coast of Calabria, leaving many migrants missing. According to UN authorities and a German aid organization, the boat carrying irregular migrants capsized on the Italian coast, resulting in 11 fatalities and numerous missing…
The Federal Office for Migration and Refugees recorded 103,467 new asylum applications until the end of May 2024. This marks an 18% decrease compared to the same period in the previous year. In May, the Federal Office received a total of 172,231 initial asylum applications, which is 1.5% less than the number of applications received…
Italy’s Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, announced that reception centers in Albania, intended for refugees from outside the European Union, will commence operations in August. This follows Italy’s signing of a migration agreement with Albania seven months ago. Meloni made this announcement during a meeting with her Albanian counterpart, Edi Rama, after the completion of the…
