----- Forwarded Message ----- From: EMN Bulletin
<emnbulletin@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>To: William Mejia <wmejia8a@xxxxxxxxx>Sent:
Monday, December 20, 2021, 11:58:55 AM GMT-5Subject: European Migration Network
(EMN): 36th EMN Bulletin news flash
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Flash: 36th EMN edition
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December 2021
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Welcome to the EMN Bulletin Flash, our selection of the key developments in the
areas of migration and asylum from July to September 2021.
The full PDF version of the EMN Bulletin can be found here.
If you know someone who would be interested, please share this link so they can
subscribe to the newsflash.
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EMN news
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As well as finding out about the latest publications and event, you can scroll
to key thematic areas using the buttons below.
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| International protection |
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| Unaccompanied minors |
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| Legal migration and integration |
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| Return |
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| Human trafficking |
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| Border management |
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Recent EMN publications and events
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EMN inform: ‘Innovation in migration: Exploring legal pathways and new types of
financing (public/private) to fill labour market needs’
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Country Factsheets 2020 provide an overview of key developments in each Member
State, Norway, Georgia and Moldova.
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EMN study: ‘Responses to long-term irregularly staying migrants: practices and
challenges in EU Member States and Norway’
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2020 Annual Report on Migration and Asylum Statistical Annex is now available.
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EMN-World Bank footprint series roundtable: ‘Circular Migration for Low- and
High-Skilled: A New Paradigm?’ covering circular migration schemes with a
diverse set of speakers from Canada, Germany, Morocco, New Zealand, Nigeria,
and the United States.
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News from the EU
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EU actions on Afghanistan
The European Parliament adopted a resolution on Afghanistan declaring
solidarity and called on the Commission and Member States to “pursue a humane
asylum policy in which the EU shoulders its moral responsibility in reception
and integration in full compliance with the 1951 Geneva Convention”. The
European Parliament welcomed the High-level Resettlement Forum dedicated to the
situation in Afghanistan. DG HOME Commissioner Ylva Johansson attended the UN
General Assembly in New York (20-23 September) to discuss ongoing efforts with
EU partners and neighbouring country representatives.
Actions against smuggling
The EU adopted a renewed EU action plan against migrant smuggling (2021-2025).
The action plan has four key pillars:
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Improving the law enforcement and judicial response to migrant smuggling.
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Gathering and sharing information.
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Improving the prevention of migrant smuggling and the assistance to vulnerable
migrants.
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Reinforcing cooperation with partner countries.
World Day Against Trafficking in Persons
On World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, held on 30 July 2021, Ghada Waly
(Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime) and Ylva
Johansson (European Commissioner for Home Affairs) delivered a joint statement
on the EU-UN cooperation and coordination on the matter. The EU’s Strategy on
Combatting Trafficking in Human Beings 2021-25, published on 14 April 2021, is
currently being implemented. It identifies key priorities aiming to combat
trafficking in human beings more effectively and proposes concrete actions. It
also aims to support Member States and non-EU partner countries in the
implementation of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized
Crime and the Trafficking in Persons Protocol, to which the EU and its Member
States are parties.
Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund
The European Parliament adopted the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund
(AMIF) consisting of € 9.88 billion to support asylum and migration policies.
The Fund will aim to strengthen the EU’s common asylum policy, by taking into
consideration the needs of Member States, support the integration of
third-country nationals, and help to combat irregular migration.
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News from the EU Member States
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Member States and response to COVID-19
COVID-19-related travel restrictions continue to have an impact on all EU
Member States, especially for individuals arriving from third countries or
high-risk Member States. The Irish Government published its plan for the next
phase of response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which contains details of plans for
reopening across Q3 and Q4 2021 whilst Georgia added additional categories of
foreigners into the national immunisation programme, allowing vaccination
against COVID-19, free of charge.
New laws and policies
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France: France adopted a new law that introduces a specific provision on
polygamy.
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Germany: Germany’s new Act to ensure the quality of the e-recruitment of care
workers came into force
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Slovak Republic: The Slovak Republic adopted its new Migration Policy of the
Slovak Republic, 2021-2025 as the main strategic document in the area of
migration and integration of foreigners in the Slovak Republic, it sets the
goals, directions and principles of the policy.
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Georgia has supported the evacuation of up to 5 000 people (including around 1
500 minors) from Afghanistan through the regional transit hub set up at Tbilisi
Airport.
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International protection including asylum and vulnerable groups
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Figure 1: Asylum applications in the EU-27, Q2 2021 (April-June)
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Source: Eurostat [migr_asyappctzm], total asylum applicants, extracted on 26
October 2021.
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According to Eurostat, in the second quarter of 2021, the number of first-time
asylum applicants in the EU-27 increased by 9% compared with the previous
quarter, and 115 % compared with the same quarter in 2020. Among accepted
asylum applications, the top three nationalities were Syrian, Afghan and
Pakistani.
During the reporting period, Member States reported on evacuations from
Afghanistan, including Belgium (864), Finland (414), France (2 700), Hungary
(540), Italy (5 001), Lithuania (176), Luxembourg (33 up until 31 August 2021),
the Netherlands (1 900), Poland (1 138), Portugal (198), Spain (2 206), Sweden
(1 130). Estonia has offered to grant protection to a total of 30 Afghan
nationals evacuated by other countries, and in August and September, 14 of
these people reached Estonia. Germany has been supporting the coordination and
reception of local staff evacuated from Afghanistan and their family after
their arrival. Finland will provide € 3 million through the United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees to help Afghan refugees. Ireland decided to
accelerate the processing of international protection applications from
Afghanistan. In Poland, 3 484 applications for international protection were
lodged, 1 530 of which were from Afghanistan. Luxembourg decided to suspend
decision-making on applications for international protection by Afghan
nationals, particularly in the interests of asylum applicants whose
applications would otherwise have been refused. Finland, Germany, the
Netherlands and Sweden are among those countries that suspended return
decisions to Afghanistan, and Belgium reported a partial suspension.
In the Netherlands, a country-specific asylum policy was introduced for
Palestinians in Lebanon for the first time.
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Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups
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Several countries reported action plans to address unaccompanied minors and
vulnerable groups.
France published an action plan to address vulnerabilities of asylum seekers
and refugees, after consulting with partners and institutional actors active in
the field.
Italy has expanded the reception places for unaccompanied foreign minors.
The Netherlands adjusted its procedure for minor third-country nationals with a
residence permit, making them eligible for family reunification.
Portugal provided training sessions for host institutions on the initial
reception, accommodation, and integration of unaccompanied migrant children.
Georgia approved an action plan on statelessness that includes activities to
improve their legal status and increase access to procedures.
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Legal migration and integration
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Family reunification was addressed in some policy developments during the
reporting period.
Estonia’s Supreme Court concluded that it would be unconstitutional to not
grant a third-country national a temporary residence permit for settling with
registered same-sex partners with a residence permit.
Luxembourg amended its immigration law to simplify administrative procedures
for family reunification.
High-skilled and labour migration management actions were further developed in
some countries.
Belgium adopted legislation that allows international students who graduate in
Belgium, or who graduated abroad but studied for a period of time in Belgium
within the framework of a mobility program, to remain for one year after
graduation to look for work or engage in self-employed activities. Finland
submitted a request to Parliament to introduce long-term visas that would
promote labour migration, and also published a roadmap for education-based and
work-based immigration for specialists, entrepreneurs, researchers and students.
Finland is also planning to recruit more people to mission abroad, on a
temporary basis, to respond to the increase of residence permit requests,
ensuring the availability of skilled labour in the country.
France modernised the online service available for foreign users, with the
possibility to apply for long-stay visas, talent passport residence permits,
visitor residence permits, duplicate residence permits or notify a change of
address directly online. Georgia approved a study program ‘Study in Georgia’
that would facilitate enrolment of foreign students in higher education
institutions.
Several Member States also presented a variety of courses for the purpose of
integration. Malta’s main professional vocational education and training
institution organised an online debate on multiculturalism and Portugal
developed an online course on migration and health in collaboration with IOM
Portugal.
Italy concluded a sports tournament aimed at integrating unaccompanied foreign
minors by promoting interaction amongst peers.
Georgia has also seen an increase in foreigners enrolled in the entry-level
state language courses and integration program.
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Return
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In line with the European Commission’s action plan, some Member States
emphasised the suspension of returns for Afghan citizens, including Finland,
Germany, the Netherlands, and Sweden.
In some cases, Member States expanded or joined EU-wide coordination efforts on
returns. Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Malta, and Spain released a joint statement
that called for a ‘common European participation in returns’ with the active
involvement of EU organisations. Italy continued to develop the EU-wide Return
Case Management system that will simplify the issuing of return decisions.
Italy also joined the European Return and Reintegration Network (ERRIN) and is
developing strategies on reintegration. Officers from Malta attended ERRIN
Train-the-Trainers sessions for return counsellors in Berlin.
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Addressing human trafficking
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Member States addressed human trafficking through action plans, surveys, and
studies. Austria adopted a national action plan to combat trafficking in
Persons. Italy launched its first national survey to assess housing conditions
of migrant workers in the agricultural sector in order to map all situations of
precariousness and housing hardships. Malta studied social differences on
vulnerabilities under the ‘Victims Voices lead the Way’ campaign. Poland is
updating its guidelines for labour inspectors, focusing on forced labour and
launched a survey on public awareness on trafficking. The Slovak Republic
promoted networking and awareness-raising activities to identify potential
victims of human trafficking, which included field workers, operators of
emergency systems, and employees of centres for children and families.
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Border management and irregular migration
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Regarding the situation in Belarus, EU Member States have been addressing
requests for asylum, provisions for material and support. The European Court of
Human Rights requested that Latvia and Poland provide Iraqi and Afghan refugees
at the border with Belarus with basic necessities, without requiring them to
enter into their territory.
In Lithuania, migrants stranded in Belarus can submit their asylum requests to
the embassy in Minsk. Estonia is supporting Lithuania in the framework of the
EU Civil Protection Mechanism and Frontex joint operations.
Lithuania and Poland declared an emergency situation in certain provinces and
is constructing a fence at the border with Belarus. Lithuania has allocated
funds for the construction of a physical barrier on the border with Belarus,
and local authorities have registered a total of 2 962 irregular migrants, of
which 2 804 have applied for asylum.
Poland has lodged 718 applications for international protection from Belarus
during the third quarter of 2021; a fence is also under construction at the
border with Belarus. The Netherlands announced it will provide provisional
material and expert support to Lithuania to assist with the increased migration.
Developments in cross-border management procedures took place in the reporting
period. Cyprus is re-evaluating its external management procedures in a
proposal that will be submitted to the Council of Europe and the Committee of
Permanent Representatives in the European Union.
Italy has established an operational contact point for direct communication
between Italy and Tunisia with the aim of exchanging information more rapidly
and reducing cross-border crimes along the migration route.
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Publisher: European Commission, DG Migration & Home Affairs
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