Refugees

Under an overcast sky on the Greek island of Lesvos, Afghan asylum-seeker Safika placed a red rose on the grave of a refugee who died trying to reach Europe. The tombstone read "unknown".

The European Parliament narrowly approved the extensive reform of the European Union's migration and asylum policy on Wednesday.

Amid mounting dissent from both the right and left, the momentous vote proceeded on Wednesday afternoon, despite uncertainties.

European Parliament has greenlit a comprehensive overhaul of the EU's asylum and migration policies, marking a significant shift in how the bloc manages its borders and addresses the influx of migrants and asylum seekers. The approved reforms, part of the new Asylum and Migration Pact, promise to bring about substantial changes starting from 2026 if ratified.

Border Filter:

The EU will vote Wednesday on a vast overhaul of its immigration policies that would notably harden entry procedures for asylum-seekers and require all the bloc's countries to share responsibility.

The European Parliament will decide a series of laws forming the bloc's migration and asylum pact, based on a European Commission proposal first made in September 2020.

Austria has returned 76 migrants to Bulgaria by the end of February 2024, in adherence to the Dublin Agreement. The repatriated individuals comprise primarily Syrian and Afghan citizens, as reported by BTA. Meanwhile, Austria observes a decline in asylum applications, with the number steadily decreasing, according to APA.

In a recent report by the EU Asylum Agency, Bulgaria has emerged as one of the most popular destinations for migrants seeking asylum within the European Union. According to the agency's annual findings released on Wednesday, Bulgaria ranked eleventh among European countries in terms of asylum applications registered by its authorities in 2023.

The influx of Russian asylum seekers into South Korea has skyrocketed, with authorities reporting an unprecedented surge in applications last year, according to CNN.

The Korean Immigration Service revealed a staggering fivefold increase in Russian nationals seeking asylum in South Korea in 2023, totaling 5,750 applicants, a stark rise from the 1,038 applicants recorded in 2022.

Fifty foreign nationals - 40 Pakistanis and 10 Georgians - will be returned to their country of origin after their asylum requests were rejected, Greece's Migration Ministry announced on Wednesday.

The requests that were examined had been submitted in the last 48 hours at the Amygdaleza predeparture centre. 

The European agreement on migration and asylum is a positive step towards the collective management of an issue that produces injustice, danger and inequality for asylum seekers while provoking serious tensions between EU member-states.

The European Union agreed on Wednesday on new rules to handle irregular arrivals of asylum seekers and migrants, a deal hailed as a breakthrough after almost a decade of bitter feuds on the issue.