Jacopo Barigazzi

Athens wants to revamp EU-Turkey migrant deal Greek interior minister says now is time to ‘reenergize, rejuvenate and expand’ pact that returns migrants to Turkey.

September 29, 2023 Jacopo Barigazzi

(Politico) Athens wants to expand a migration deal with Turkey, Greek Interior Minister Dimitrios Kairidis said. The European Union reached the contentious agreement with Turkey at the peak of the migration crisis in March 2016. It foresaw that all undocumented migrants arriving […]

The EU has revealed its blueprint to curb migration It involves lots of cash for Northern African countries. Tunisia is the first to sign up. Egypt and Morocco could follow.

July 17, 2023 Gregorio Sorgi and Jacopo Barigazzi

(Politico) Cash is king in the EU’s plan to stop migrants from coming to Europe. On Sunday, the EU finalized a deal with Tunisia — a common departure point for people seeking asylum in Europe — that essentially offers the country millions in exchange […]

Greece to the EU: Come help stop migrant boats before they get here ‘These tragedies will continue to happen unless we stop departures from Libya,’ Greece’s migration minister told POLITICO following a shipwreck that killed hundreds.

July 16, 2023 Gregorio Sorgi and Jacopo Barigazzi

(Politico) Greece wants the EU to stop migrant boats before they even get to Europe. In an interview with POLITICO, newly appointed Greek Migration Minister Dimitris Kairidis called on the EU to resume an operation that aims to halt migrants before leaving […]

EU countries agree to major migration deal Last-minute concessions to Italy unblocked a deal that could overhaul the EU’s asylum system for the first time in years.

June 8, 2023 Gregorio Sorgi and Jacopo Barigazzi

(Politico) Italy finally gave its blessing. Rome’s green light on Thursday evening unlocked a major deal to overhaul the EU’s asylum procedures for the first time in years after a grueling gathering of home affairs ministers in Luxembourg. “I wasn’t sure this […]

EU’s Johansson slams Greece over ‘deportation’ of migrants Footage showing Greek coast guard abandoning migrants in the open sea is ‘absolutely unacceptable,’ EU home affairs commissioner says.

May 24, 2023 Jacopo Barigazzi, Jakob Hanke Vela and Nicolas Camut

(Politico) EU Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson criticized Greece for reportedly forcing migrants onto an emergency raft and abandoning them in the Aegean Sea. In an interview with POLITICO, Johansson said the episode was more than a pushback — when migrants are […]

EU pushes to increase migrant returns The bloc is seeking to up the low proportion of migrants being returned to non-EU countries.

January 24, 2023 Nicolas Camut and Jacopo Barigazzi

(Politico) The European Commission on Tuesday presented its new plan to step up the return of migrants to countries outside of the European Union, as the 27 member states brace for a fight over this politically explosive topic at a series of […]

EU preps plan to quell migrant influx from the Balkans Route has been growing in popularity of late.

November 24, 2022 Jacopo Barigazzi

(Politico) The EU is working on a proposal to reduce a rising influx of migrants entering the bloc through the Western Balkans, Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson told POLITICO on Thursday. The Western Balkan migration route has become a growing concern for EU […]

Brussels urges guidelines for NGO boats amid France-Italy migrant feud The proposal is part of a broader plan to help reduce a new influx of migrants.

November 21, 2022 Jacopo Barigazzi

(Politico) The European Commission is pushing to create guidelines for the NGO boats rescuing migrants off Europe’s shores as part of a plan to reduce the number of asylum seekers heading to the Continent. The plan, presented Monday by the European Commission, […]

EU drafts plan to share migrant influx — voluntarily A draft document seen by POLITICO, which is still under discussion, proposes a voluntary relocation of at least 5,000 or 10,000 migrants a year.

October 27, 2022 Jacopo Barigazzi

(Politico) The EU is discussing a proposal for countries to voluntarily relocate a minimum of 5,000 or 10,000 migrants a year, according to a draft document seen by POLITICO. The proposal is being crafted by the Czech Republic, which currently holds the […]

Security dominates EU draft statement on Afghan migration Absent is any mention of how many refugees the EU might accept. The EU wants to first see how more countries respond, one diplomat said.

August 26, 2021 Jacopo Barigazzi

(Politico) The EU emphasized security and keeping Afghan migrants outside the bloc in a draft statement obtained Thursday by POLITICO. The two-page document — dated August 25 and slated for discussion at an EU interior ministers meeting Tuesday — used the word […]

EU presses Iraq to halt migrant flights to Belarus A number of new flights have been announced between Iraq and Belarus.

August 5, 2021 Mari Eccles and Jacopo Barigazzi

(Politico) The EU is ramping up pressure on Iraq to stop its airlines from flying to Belarus, which helps Minsk send asylum seekers into the EU in retaliation against sanctions imposed by the bloc. On Thursday, there were signs that the pressure […]

EU watchdog opens investigation into border agency Frontex Organization faces allegations of harassment, misconduct and migrant pushbacks.

January 11, 2021 Jacopo Barigazzi

(Politico) The EU’s anti-fraud watchdog, OLAF, has opened an investigation into Frontex, the bloc’s border agency, over allegations of harassment, misconduct and migrant pushbacks, according to four EU officials. OLAF investigators have been interviewing members of the Warsaw-based agency “since the start […]