INFOMIGRANTS

The pilot program, which allowed for an exchange of migrant arrivals between the two countries, is set to expire today (October 1) and will not be continued. The program was part of a three-year multi-million euro agreement with France to strengthen border controls in northern France.

The Council of the European Commission gave its final green light to new EU rules enabling more effective returns for those with no legal right to stay in the EU on Thursday (October 1). This will include strengthening external borders, expanding surveillance and accelerating returns.

The Spanish authorities are still struggling to manage the situation in Ceuta, resulting from the mass arrivals in July. Over the last two weeks, police officers have been attempting to clear makeshift camps on the beaches and transfer people to temporary accommodation when they qualify.

Over the past five years, 120 Dutch nationals have been arrested in Croatia for smuggling migrants either from Bosnia or on to Slovenia in overcrowded vehicles. These young people are lured on social media by traffickers who promise a safe journey and a large sum of money.

Greece, Germany, Austria, Denmark and the Netherlands are moving forward with plans to establish deportation centers outside the EU. An African partner country has reportedly already been selected.

For nearly 20 years, Filipino domestic worker Virginia worked under conditions of forced labor for the Pakistani Mission in Geneva. A landmark court ruling limits the scope of diplomatic immunity, paving the way for better protections for domestic workers. Reporting for this story was supported by the Pulitzer Center.

Germany is planning to cut funds for certain asylum services. According to recent announcements, one of the areas likely to be most hit by these fiscal measures would be the current arrangement for providing asylum seekers with free independent information about their rights and obligations.

The private sea rescue organization Sea-Watch saved 28 people in the Mediterranean in the early hours of September 29. However, the crew also recovered bodies as several people remain missing. The group of migrants is believed to have departed from the Tunisian coast.

British Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has announced that she intends to offer more safe and legal routes to migrants, as well as reconsidering plans to make full integration into Britain more difficult for foreign workers. If implemented, this would mark a change in her migration policy direction.

New official data reveals that foreign-born workers and their descendants make up more than a quarter of all employees in Germany. As such, they play a crucial role in key industries like healthcare, hospitality and construction.