Greece has introduced legislation that would strip irregular migrants of the possibility to apply for residency. The new law would also increase penalties for rejected asylum seekers and speed up returns to their home countries.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has praised recent decisions by the European Union and the United States to lift a significant portion of sanctions imposed on Syria. IOM also called for funds to support displaced1
A second group of rejected asylum seekers has been sent to Albania, according to Italy's government. Last month, 40 people were transferred, marking the first time an EU country sent rejected asylum seekers to a non-EU nation.
More than 250 migrants disembarked in Salerno, Italy on Monday, after they were rescued by a vessel run by the NGO Solidaire. Among them: Dozens of minors, most of whom were traveling alone.
Dutch far-right populist Geert Wilders has again called for his country's borders to be closed to all asylum seekers and threatened to remove his party from the coalition government.