Residency visas for parents of migrants to cost Australia 2.4 bn USD annually: report

Permanent visas given to parents of migrants to Australia will cost the taxpayer more than 2.4 billion US dollars annually, a report from an independent policy advisory board has found.

Basic Values of the European Union: Luxembourg FM urges suspension of Hungary from EU over refugee stance

Luxembourg's foreign minister has called for expelling Hungary from the European Union over its hard-line approach to refugees, the Independent quotes him as telling German newspaper Die Welt.

Australia moves to indefinite detention of terrorists

High-risk terror offenders may be kept in jail after their sentences finish, Australian officials said Monday as they move to tighten security laws following attacks in the United States and Europe.

HRW: Foreign Workers in Oman Face Slavery-Like Conditions

Human Rights Watch says that because of Oman's immigrant labor laws, tying employment to a specific family’s sponsorship, many foreign employees – particularly female domestic workers – face exploitation and abuse at the hands of their Omani employers and have little means of recourse to protect themselves.

Gun-control measures blocked by US Senate

The U.S. Senate on Monday blocked four gun-control measures as the country was still reeling from the deadliest shooting massacre in U.S. history.

Bulgarian parliament adopts ban on face veils

The Bulgarian parliament has approved a bill that would ban the wearing of garments concealing the face entirely or partially in public places.

EU laws to protect human trafficking victims not being enforced: MEPs

EU legislation to protect victims of human trafficking is not being properly enforced, the European Parliament (EP) said Thursday.

UNICEF calls for better protection of children under revised EU asylum rules

As the European Union (EU) prepares for talks on the rules governing applications from people seeking protection in Europe, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) on Wednesday called for the interests and rights of children to be given greater priority.

More than half of Bulgarians back "migrant hunters" , so-called “citizens’ patrols”

More than half of Bulgarians support to one degree or another “migrant hunters”, the self-proclaimed “citizens’ patrols” by vigilante groups who capture and force refugees out of the country, according to the results of a poll by Alpha Research.

Chinese authorities advise foreign companies to transfer website domain names

Chinese authorities advised that foreign companies would do well to transfer the domain names of their websites to Chinese registers to meet the terms of a newly released draft regulation on Internet domain names.

Return of irregular migrants to be carried out with legal safeguards - EU

The European Commission on Wednesday stressed that the return of irregular migrants, and asylum seekers whose claims have been rejected, can only be carried out in respect of European and international law.

France state of emergency protest draws thousands

Thousands gathered in Paris to condemn France's continued implementation of state of emergency laws, which they described as a government "coup".

EU asylum system must be replaced - Swedish PM

Sweden's Prime Minister Stefan Lofven on Wednesday called for a common asylum system in the European Union (EU).

German parliament passes stricter asylum laws

The Bundestag, or lower house of the German parliament, passed on Thursday a package of new regulations to tighten asylum rules in an effort to deal with an unprecedented influx of refugees.

Australians rally against removal of asylum seekers

 Dozens of rallies have taken place across Australia as protesters called on the government to stop the deportation of scores of asylum seekers after a failed legal challenge in the High Court last week.

UN agency urges Australia to refrain from transferring individuals to Nauru

The spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Rupert Colville, on Wednesday said the organization was very concerned about the situation of the 267 people at risk of being transferred from Australia to Nauru following the High Court's decision delivered this morning in Canberra.

Hungary anti-terror plan is 'attack on human rights' - Amnesty

Amnesty International on Monday slammed plans by the Hungarian government to introduce sweeping anti-terror laws including curfews and Internet restrictions, calling the proposal an "attack on human rights".

US enforces new visa waiver rules

The United States on Thursday started implementing changes to the US Visa Waiver Program (VWP) for citizens of 38 foreign countries.

Austria sets limit on 2016 asylum seeker numbers at 37,500

Austrian federal, state, and local council leaders met to discuss the refugee crisis at a summit in Vienna on Wednesday, deciding to set a limit on the intake of asylum seekers at 37,500 for 2016.

EU Condemns Turkey’s Arrest of Academics as ’Extremely Worrying’

The European Union on Saturday condemned as "extremely worrying" Turkey's arrest of academics who signed a petition criticizing a military crackdown in the Kurdish-dominated southeast.