EU Says Asylum Numbers Dropped by Almost Half in 2017

The European Union's asylum agency said the number of people seeking international protection in Europe in 2017 dropped by almost half compared to the year before and that most applicants were Syrian.

US lifts ban on refugees from 11 countries

The United States has announced plans to lift its ban on refugees from 11 "high-risk" countries, but said those seeking to enter the US would come under much tougher scrutiny than in the past.

2017 Mediterranean Refugee Arrivals Down by Almost Half

A total of 171,635 migrants and refugees entered Europe by sea during 2017 compared with 363,504 arrivals across the region in 2016, according to the UN migration agency on Friday.

US wants to cut aid to UN refugee agency to force Palestine into talks with Israel

The US wants to stop funding a UN agency aiding millions of Palestinian refugees to coerce Palestine into talks with Israel. The negotiations soured after Washington's contentious recognition of Jerusalem as the Israeli capital.

Syrian refugees in Lebanon drop below 1mn for first time since 2014 – UN

The number of registered Syrian refugees in Lebanon has dropped to below 1 million for the first time since 2014, AFP reported on Tuesday, citing the UN.

German communities should be paid for taking in refugees

Local communities should be appropriately paid for taking in refugees to reduce social tensions, Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel said, adding that Germany is becoming “a land of desire” like the US was in the 19th century.

French cities overwhelmed by refugee flow, govt must step in urgently

The mayors of seven major French cities say they have been “backed up against a wall” by an unending influx of refugees. Paris must address the strain on the areas, which are struggling to accommodate new arrivals, they wrote.

EU 'has east-west split' on migrant quotas

EU leaders are bitterly divided over a quota scheme for housing migrants, as they begin a summit in Brussels.
Summit chairman Donald Tusk called mandatory EU-wide quotas "ineffective". He spoke of a split "between east and west" over asylum policy.

Greek islanders, officials protest in Athens over migrant overcrowding

Residents and officials from three eastern Aegean Greek islands have gathered outside the country’s Ministry for Migration, protesting against increasingly overcrowded conditions for newly arriving migrants and refugees.

Libya slavery scandal overshadows EU-Africa summit

 Libya has agreed to a deal with European Union and African leaders to allow refugees to be evacuated from the North African country.

France wants UNSC meeting on Libya migrants

France has called for a UN Security Council meeting on the treatment of migrants in Libya and will seek sanctions if Libyan authorities do not take action, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on Wednesday.

UN says Australia has duty to take care of asylum seekers in PNG

The UN human rights office called on Australia Friday to restore food, water and health services to some 600 interned refugees and asylum seekers in Papua New Guinea, Reuters reports.

Greek govt mulls emergency housing as migrant arrivals from Turkey increase

The Greek government is considering emergency measures to house migrants and refugees confined to Greek islands over the winter months, the migration minister said Wednesday.

Germany expels 14 Afghans amid protests

Germany expelled 14 rejected Afghan asylum seekers, the interior ministry said Wednesday, amid angry protests that the war-ravaged country is unsafe for returnees.

UN Grills Australia Over Refugees, Indigenous People

The United Nations Human Rights Committee for a second day in Geneva grilled a delegation from Australia over the country’s human rights record, slamming the government’s policies toward refugees and its indigenous population.

Poll shows majority of Germans want cap on refugees

A majority of Germans want a cap on the number of asylum seekers taken in each year, according to the results of a poll published on Friday by German press agency Deutsche Presse-Agentur.

European nations urged to stop repatriating Afghans to their 'deeply unsafe' home country

Amnesty International has urged European nations to stop sending Afghans who do not qualify for asylum back to their "deeply unsafe" home country. The human rights group says the policy risks causing serious harm to those affected.

UN calls on EU to continue relocation of refugees beyond deadline

The UN refugee agency on Tuesday urged European Union (EU) member states to promptly relocate all asylum-seekers eligible under the bloc's emergency relocation scheme and for it to continue beyond the two years originally planned.

Many young migrants crossing Med victims of abuse : UN

More than three-quarters of children and young adults trying to migrate to Europe across the Mediterranean are victims of abuse on the dangerous journey, according to a UN report published today.

Civilians Pay $300 to Terrorists to Cross Iraq's Border with Syria

ISIL terrorists are blackmailing anyone willing to leave the regions at Iraqi's border with Syria and ask $300 for each travel permission, an Iraqi source said Wednesday.