Asylum

7 reality checks on Britain’s sunshine spending review
Rachel Reeves, Britain’s finance minister, laid out four years of government spending with a smile. Will it last?

Rachel Reeves favors health as she unveils UK spending priorities

Dutch snap election set for Oct. 29

EU extends temporary protection for Ukrainian refugees but wants long-term fix

Keir Starmer can’t stop the migrant boats either

German court rejects key pillar of Merz’s asylum crackdown

How the EU always gets away with it
Austrian leader pushes EU asylum overhaul under far-right pressure
The bloc’s asylum laws “no longer correspond to their original intention,” Austria’s Chancellor Christian Stocker says in FT interview.
Germany’s ‘bad theater’ border crackdown
Conservative Chancellor Friedrich Merz vowed to drastically reduce migration from “day one,” but his approach thus far has been largely symbolic.
Merkel criticizes Merz on migration (again)
Former German leader says the new chancellor’s policies could “see Europe being ruined.”
German teens arrested in suspected extreme-right terror plot
Police arrested five juveniles in connection with plots to carry out violent attacks on migrants and leftists as officials warn of growing radicalization among youths.
Lithuania takes Belarus to The Hague for weaponizing migration
Minsk authorities stand accused of facilitating illegal crossings into the EU to sow political discord.
BBC’s Gary Lineker departs after sharing post about Zionism featuring a rat
Former footballer has hosted iconic highlights show Match of the Day since 1999 but will leave this week.
EU asylum agency bosses favored ‘friendly circle’ for promotions, watchdog finds
Fraud watchdog probes favoritism and mismanagement at agency tasked with implementing EU asylum law.
Germany tightens border policy in ‘signal’ to world, interior minister says
Poland and Austria have criticized the new government’s plan, which would also see Berlin rejecting people who want to claim asylum.
Parliament probes EU asylum agency amid allegations of mismanagement
Lawmakers are concerned about the agency’s governance after a report from the EU anti-fraud office.
Poland criticizes Germany’s plan for tougher border controls
Just days before his debut visit to Warsaw, Chancellor-designate Friedrich Merz already hit a diplomatic snag.
The winners and losers from Europe’s largest party’s big bash
With the dust settling on the EPP congress, we take a look at who’s up and who’s down in the EU’s most powerful grouping.
Germany’s new interior minister highlights hard right turn on migration
The appointment signals stricter asylum rules, tighter border controls and a tougher stance on deportation for the EU’s biggest economy.
Greece must face punishment over abuses against migrants, Frontex official says
Athens has 13 open cases into alleged human rights violations involving migrants, the single largest number of incidents across the bloc.
EU names 7 ‘safe’ countries for deporting migrants
The bloc designated Kosovo, Colombia, Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Bangladesh and India as “safe.”
Trump admin must ‘facilitate’ return of man erroneously deported to El Salvador, Supreme Court says
The justices denied a request to set aside a judge’s order that U.S. officials seek Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s release and return.
Britain’s lawmakers are obsessing about European courts … again
Feeling the heat on immigration, now even center-left Labour MPs want to close “legal loopholes” relating to the European Convention on Human Rights.
Brussels must overhaul ‘opaque’ funding of NGOs, say auditors
The damning report will give ammunition to conservative lawmakers who want to prevent NGOs from using EU money to lobby.
Next German government agrees to radical toughening of migration policy
Center left and center right are trying to forge a deal to form a coalition. Important differences remain, according to documents seen by POLITICO.
Germany’s Merz loses leverage as coalition talks sputter
Incoming Chancellor Friedrich Merz is under growing pressure to win conservative policy concessions as coalition talks hit key stumbling blocks.
Poland shuts asylum door at Belarus border with EU backing
Warsaw will suspend protection for new asylum seekers crossing into Poland from Belarus, PM Donald Tusk says.
EU asylum applications drop 13 percent in 2024
Germany, Spain and Italy were the top destinations for asylum-seekers.
JD Vance had a point on migration, Denmark’s prime minister warns EU leaders
In a wide-ranging interview, Mette Frederiksen says she considers “mass migration … as a threat to the daily life in Europe.”
Poland accused of brutality as Belarus border crackdown escalates
The EU has poured millions into Poland’s border enforcement — even as human rights groups accuse Warsaw of illegal pushbacks.