International Organization for Migration

A shortage of border guards may be hampering Bosnia's ability to stop migrants from illegally entering the country, officials say.

The rulebook on its internal organisation says the Border Police of Bosnia and Herzegovina should have 2,426 officers, but currently has only 2,038, which is 388 less, Franka Vican, a spokeswoman for the state border police, told BIRN.

About 1,000 migrants have been returned to Libya in the past two weeks, according to a statement issued by The UN Migration Agency (IOM), quoted by the DPA.

Over 1,000 asylum applicants will be transferred from islands of the northeastern Aegean to the mainland in the next three days, according to sources speaking to state-run Athens-Macedonian News Agency.
The refugees will all be distributed to hotels throughout Greece, the same sources said.

The Labor and Social Affairs Ministry is seeking ways to improve living conditions for thousands of refugee children staying in Greece without a parent or guardian as they wait to either be granted asylum or reunited with family in other parts of Europe.

An innovative project in Bihac, in north-west Bosnia, is bringing locals and migrants together around a shared love of music.

At least 70 migrants drowned yesterday when their ship sank into international waters off the coast of Tunisia, and 16 were rescued, Tunisia press agency AFP reported, quoted by Reuters.

The craft sunk 40 nautical miles from the coast of Spafas, south of the capital Tunisia. Survivors were rescued from fishing boats.

More than a year after the then minister of migration policy Yiannis Mouzalas and Education Minister Costas Gavroglou heralded a program to teach Greek to adult refugees, courses have yet to start.

According to the International Organization for Migration (OIM), 57,250 people managed to complete the journey to Spain across the Mediterranean between the beginning of the year and December 26. That is an average of nearly 160 arrivals a day, El Pais reported.

As conditions at the 28 official migrant camps on the Greek mainland deteriorate under pressure from the transfer of thousands of people from inadequate facilities on the islands, many new arrivals are being placed in private apartments and hotels.

The European Commission has announced an additional 37.5 million euros in emergency assistance to improve reception conditions for migrants in Greece.