Asylum seeker

Residents of the island of Chios plan to hold a protest rally on Wednesday against the creation of a closed controlled structure in the area of Akra to house asylum seekers.

Alarmed at the increasing frequency of expulsions and pushbacks of refugees and asylum-seekers on Europe's land and sea borders, the UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR, on Thursday called on European states to investigate and halt these practices.

Ljubljana – The National Assembly determined on Wednesday in a 51:13 vote that changes to the foreigners act tightening up conditions for residence for foreign nationals in Slovenia as well as amendments to the international protection act aiming to prevent asylum law abuses are fit for further debate. Both bills were met with mixed reactions.

The living conditions at the migrant camps on the islands of Lesvos and Kos are under scrutiny by the European Court of Human Rights, focusing in particular on the treatment of eight asylum seekers.

The court has asked the Greek government to respond to a series of questions about their treatment at these specific centers.

Human rights organisations Amnesty International, the Jesuit Refugee Service Europe, Medecins du Monde Belgique and Refugee Rights Europe called on Tuesday for the authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina to provide emergency support for migrants, refugees and asylum-seekers.

The Filoxenia program providing temporary accommodation to asylum seekers at state-leased hotels has ended, the Migration Ministry announced Thursday.

It said that the lease agreement with hotels across the country will be terminated within the next few days.

One hundred and six asylum-seekers left Greece on Wednesday for Mulhouse, France, according to a Migration Ministry press release Wednesday.

The transport is part of a plan to relocate a total of 1,000 people to France, the ministry said.

So far, 275 asylum seekers and 131 unaccompanied migrant and refugee children have already been relocated to France.

A group of 86 asylum seekers, most of whom had previously been staying on eastern Aegean islands, flew to Hannover, Germany on Thursday as part of a resettlement program of 1,024 asylum seekers which began last July. 

The group that left on Thursday consisted of children with serious health problems, along with family members.

Belgium confirmed its intention to receive 150 refugees and asylum seekers from Greece by the end of the year during a teleconference on Wednesday between Deputy Migration Minister Giorgos Koumoutsakos and the Belgian secretary of state for asylum and migration, Sammy Mahdi.

Koumoutsakos thanked the Belgian government for its practical solidarity with Greece.

Turkey rescued 26 asylum seekers who were pushed back by the Greek Coast Guard into Turkish territorial waters in the Aegean, security sources said on Aug. 15. 

They were rescued from a dinghy off the coast of Foça district in Turkey's western İzmir province, said the sources, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media.