Austria plans to deport convicts to Kosovo – POLITICO

In December 2021, Denmark signed an agreement with Kosovo to rent a prison in a small town south of the capital Priština. Over a span of 10 years — and in exchange for €210 million — 300 inmates sentenced to deportation are to be relocated. The plans are still on hold, however, since the treaty has not been … Read more

Austria is sleepwalking toward a far-right victory – POLITICO

The party’s final boost then came courtesy of the reemergence of irregular migration as a political issue, as well as Europe’s energy and inflationary crises begat by the Russia-Ukraine War. In 2022, 112,272 asylum applications were lodged in Austria — that’s more than at the height of the migration crisis in 2015. Year-on-year inflation peaked at 11.2 percent in January 2023 … Read more

Bulgaria, Romania get official green light for partial entry into Schengen – POLITICO

EU member countries reached agreement Saturday on removing air and maritime internal border controls with Bulgaria and Romania, but the two countries’ full entry into the bloc’s passport-free Schengen zone remains subject to further discussions. Controls at sea and air borders with Romania and Bulgaria will be lifted as of March 31, the Council of … Read more