Crime

Dutch court to rule on legality of discussing Muslim Jew-hate 'Facts can never be a criminal offense,' said Deputy Prime Minister Mona Keijzer, who has appealed after being charged with incitement to intolerance in July.

(JNS) A Dutch court will need to determine if it’s illegal to discuss antisemitism in the context of Muslim culture, following an appeal by a deputy prime minister regarding hate crime allegations leveled against her. Mona Keijzer, who is also the minister […]

Government & Politics

Europe’s Syrians shaken by debate over repatriation to their war-ravaged homeland For many Syrian refugees in Europe, joy at the fall of Assad has been tempered by immediate calls for them to go home.

(Politico) When Osama Sabsabi learned that opposition forces had captured the city of Homs, where he grew up, he did something that would have been unthinkable just days earlier: He booked a ticket home. “We, the Syrian people, are experiencing an indescribable […]

Holidays

German police foil planned Islamist terror attack on Augsburg Christmas market The suspect, an asylum seeker, was arrested after surveillance revealed suspicious online activity

(European Conservative) A 37-year-old Iraqi asylum seeker has been arrested in Augsburg, Germany, for allegedly planning a terrorist attack on the city’s popular Christmas market, local police confirmed. Authorities acted after discovering evidence that the suspect, named as Ali Al-G, had scouted […]

Christians

Finland reverses quota refugee policy, accepts half from Muslim-majority countries Finnish media previously reported that the Interior Ministry planned to favour refugees from Christian-majority nations over Muslim-majority countries.

(Yle) Finland will take in 500 quota refugees next year as part of the UNHCR’s resettlement programme, the Interior Ministry confirmed in a press statement released on Thursday. The statement also revealed the allocation of the quota, meaning which refugee groups will […]

Crime

Two men who ran people-smuggling operation from car wash in Caerphilly plead guilty Dilshad Shamo, 41, and Ali Khdir, 40, had previously denied all five counts but pleaded guilty to all charges on the tenth day of their trial.

(Sky News) Two men who ran a people-smuggling operation from a car wash have pleaded guilty. Dilshad Shamo, 41, and Ali Khdir, 40, had previously denied the charges of assisting a breach or attempted breach of immigration laws. But on Friday, on […]

Christians

Interior Ministry to review refugee quota plans following backlash According to media reports, the Finns Party had proposed reducing the number of quota refugees accepted from Muslim-majority countries while increasing the intake from Christian-majority nations.

(Yle) Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo (NCP) has requested that the Interior Ministry review its plans on how Finland’s refugee quota will be allocated next year. Finnish media reported last month that the Finns Party has proposed reducing the number of quota […]

Government & Politics

Judges block Albania model again and order return of 7 migrants to Italy Italian judges overturned detention orders for seven migrants sent to Albania, blocking Italy's outsourcing plan for the second time. The ruling sparks further tensions between the judiciary and government.

(Euronews) A court in Rome has suspended the approval of detention orders for seven migrants who were relocated last week to a repatriation centre in Albania established by Italy. Monday’s ruling has blocked the Italian government’s efforts for the second time to […]

Crime

Iranian man described as ‘the best smuggler’ jailed for 17 years after helping migrants cross Channel Video shows National Crime Agency officers flooding into Amanj Hasan Zada's Preston terrace house and arresting him.

(Sky News) A people smuggler who helped migrants cross the Channel on small boats and posted videos from successful customers has been jailed for 17 years for immigration offences. Amanj Hasan Zada, an Iranian national living in Preston, advertised on social media […]

Christians

Ombudsman warns Finland’s quota refugee plan would be discriminatory The Interior Ministry instructed officials to prepare the quota refugee plan in a way that conflicts with the Finnish Constitution as well as laws on discrimination, according to the Non-Discrimination Ombudsman.

(Yle) The Interior Ministry’s quota refugee plans for next year — which are currently being prepared — are likely discriminatory on religious grounds, the Non-Discrimination Ombudsman office has warned. Last month, Finnish media reported that Finns Party ministers want to reduce the […]

Immigration

Ħamrun resident tried to recruit vulnerable people for ‘jihad’: police The accused allegedly targeted asylum seekers who lived alone and had left war-torn countries

(Times of Malta) A Ħamrun resident tried to recruit “vulnerable people” across Europe to carry out terrorist attacks, a court heard on Thursday. Mouhamadou Dosso, 32, who holds an Italian identity card, stands accused of spreading extremist material and attempting to recruit […]

Government & Politics

After fleeing Taliban and abuse, Afghan woman in Canada for 8 years told she’s being deported soon IRCC ruled Frozan Hassan Zai’s marriage to Canadian is one of convenience, she got deportation orders Tuesday

(CBC) Frozan Hassan Zai thought she would finally be safe after leaving an abusive marriage in the Netherlands with her two children, her second time fleeing a country. She arrived in Canada, married a Canadian, had a child, started a business and […]

Government & Politics

Macron, hard-line interior minister agree to disagree on immigration crackdown after first meeting The meeting was described as an opportunity to share perspectives — without the goal of reaching an agreement.

(Politico) When Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau headed over to the Elysée palace to meet President Emmanuel Macron on Monday, he wasn’t looking for commonality. He went to stand his ground. Macron and Retailleau spoke face to face for the first [time] since […]

Immigration

ISIS-K threat grows as it targets disaffected Muslims with sophisticated propaganda The Afghanistan-based terrorist group has revamped its online recruiting tactics, experts say, as it seeks to carry out attacks against the U.S. and other Western countries.

(NBC) The Islamic State affiliate in Afghanistan has ramped up its recruitment efforts in the past year, American officials and analysts say, rolling out a sophisticated propaganda campaign designed to persuade disaffected Muslims to carry out terrorist plots in the U.S. and […]

Government & Politics

Germany: Police arrest man over Israeli Embassy attack plot Police have arrested a man suspected of links to the 'Islamic State' group and planning an attack on the Israeli Embassy. Prosecutors say he had been planning to attack the diplomatic mission using firearms.

(Deutsche Welle) A Libyan man with alleged ties to the “Islamic State” (IS) militant group was set to appear before Germany’s highest court on Sunday, charged with planning an attack on the Israeli Embassy in Berlin. The man was detained on Saturday in […]

Government & Politics

Afghan national accused in terror plot was not vetted for SIV status, despite past Biden admin claims Terror suspect Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, 27, was never vetted or approved by the State Department for special immigrant (SIV) status

(Fox) The Biden-Harris administration now admits that an Afghan national accused of plotting an Election Day terror attack did not undergo certain vetting they previously claimed he passed. Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, 27, was never vetted or approved by the State Department for […]

Government & Politics

The EU wants to deport migrants. It needs the help of Syria’s Assad Syria is the elephant in the room as EU leaders talk migration.

(Politico) Some European Union countries, led by Italy, are pushing to normalize ties with Syria in order to facilitate deportations of migrants as mainstream leaders look to replicate anti-immigrant far-right parties’ surging popularity across the continent. “It is necessary to review the […]

Government & Politics

In shift to the right, von der Leyen endorses ‘return hubs’ for rejected asylum seekers The European Commission has signalled a willingness to offshore migration procedures, echoing growing calls from member states.

(Euronews) Ursula von der Leyen has offered her strongest endorsement yet to the controversial project of establishing so-called “return hubs” outside the European Union territory to transfer asylum seekers whose applications have been rejected. The idea was reflected in a letter the […]