Authorities in North Macedonia stopped 50 people who were trying to reach Europe via a new Balkan route at the weekend. 37 others were apprehended in Slovenia.

A new study has found that although many refugees find work, most are in temporary positions. Researchers say that bureaucratic hurdles are just as much a hindrance as personal shortcomings.

For the first time ever, the number of displaced people reached 70.8 million at the end of 2018, according to the UNHCR. The agency's chief warned against a hostile climate for refugees, but Germany came in for praise.

Retired Rear Admiral Vittorio Alessandro, who served as the Italian Coast Guard spokesman from 2010 to 2013 - years when thousands of migrants landed on Lampedusa - said he is convinced that taking migrants from the Sea Watch migran1