Europe
Recent Activity
Only the UK, Ireland, and Sweden have allowed accession-state nationals to work without permits since May 1, 2004 — and hundreds of thousands from Eastern Europe have arrived.
With some countries narrowing their legal immigration channels, raising the bar for asylum, and increasing security measures at airports and land borders, migrants took unprecedented – and deadly – risks that captured headlines in 2005.
This year the asylum story was about a decrease in first-time applications - a 22 percent drop between 2003 and 2004 - in contrast to the rising numbers seen in the 1990s.
With fewer natives working in agriculture in Southern Europe, migrants from the Balkans, Africa, and Asia are filling the gaps. Charalambos Kasimis of the Agricultural University of Athens reports.
Schengen eliminated border controls between European countries, and established a common external border. MPI's Julia Gelatt explains the changes brought by Schengen and the effects Schengen has had on European border control, visa, and asylum policies.
Since the murder of Theo van Gogh in 2004, the debate on immigrant integration has become more intense. MPI Senior Policy Analyst Joanne van Selm provides the latest developments in this updated Country Profile.
This book analyzes approaches, strategies, and best practices from EU Member States that could contribute to a sustainable integration policy. It thus provides European, national, regional, and local decisionmakers with instruments they can draw on in establishing a framework for integration.
Spain’s latest regularization program, unlike in the past, is part of a more comprehensive approach to combating illegal immigration and employment. Joaquín Arango of Complutense University of Madrid and Maia Jachimowicz outline the program and provide some preliminary results.
The Ukrainian Conflict Could Be a Tipping Point for Refugee Protection
Recent displacement crises—ranging from Syria, Afghanistan, Venezuela, Myanmar, South Sudan, to most recently Ukraine—have imposed huge stresses on the humanitarian protection regime. Yet individual countries and regional organizations have been innovating to meet the challenge and expand the options available for protection, in some cases bypassing beleaguered asylum systems. This commentary traces the rise of more ad hoc approaches.