Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz and Bavaria's premier, Markus Söder, supported closing the EU's "external border." Söder said a failure to find a solution to migration would be "a problem for democracy" in Europe.
The legislation criminalizes aid to illegal immigrants and is punishable with up to one year in jail. Hungary chose to vote on the bill even before the Council of Europe was able to submit its conclusion on it.
Various NGO's, charity organizations and the Migration Policy Ministry itself are hosting a plethora of events around Athens to celebrate World Refugee Day.
Migrants trying to reach Europe via the Mediterranean could be taken to 'disembarkation platforms' outside EU territory under a proposal from the UN refugee agency. The idea will be considered next week by European leaders amid a ro1
In 2018 just 6.5 percent of applicants for international protection in Italy have been granted refugee status, while 61 percent of requests have been turned down.