The Dutch are calling on the European Union to temporarily suspend visa benefits as part of efforts to compel countries to deport migrants who do not meet EU requirements. EU justice and home affairs ministers are set to meet in Sweden today to discuss rising irregular migration to the bloc.
Slovenia saw an increase in migrant and refugee arrivals in 2022. More than 32,000 people crossed into the country irregularly last year, according to national police. That's three times as many as in 2021.
Austria's chancellor has said he would lobby the European Union for €2 billion in funding for Bulgaria to strengthen its border with Turkey. Despite pushback, Bulgaria's president says he's hopeful his country would join the Schengen group of countries in the foreseeable future.
Switzerland recorded some 52,000 cases of unauthorized entry last year, almost three times as many as in 2021. Most of the migrants apprehended were reported to be of Afghan and Moroccan nationality.
The Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Antonio Tajani, met with his Turkish counterpart, Mevlut Cavusoglu, in Ankara to take stock of the migration issue, and stated that “contrasting illegal migration is a strategic priority” for both countries.