Germany's Merz joins EU migration hawks meet in Brussels
It marked the first time a German leader has attended the gathering, which has become a stable fixture on the sidelines of EU summits of the bloc's leaders over the past year.
"We're delighted that Germany is on board for the first time," Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever said ahead of the meeting he described as a "pressure group" pushing to make the European Union's migration policy "much stricter".
Co-organised by Italy, Denmark and The Netherlands, the migration talks were attended by more than a dozen of the bloc's 27 leaders as well as European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen.
Crystallising the growing influence of the hard right within the bloc, it has served as a platform for hardliners to push the commission to pass new rules to reduce arrivals and boost deportations.
Germany's conservative-led government, which took power in May, has pursued a crackdown on irregular immigration, seeking to combat the growing appeal of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The National
13 hours ago
- The National
UK and Turkey set for Typhoon fighter jet deal
A major sale of Typhoon jets to Turkey is set to go ahead after an agreement was struck on Wednesday with the British government, and with Germany finally clearing objections to the deal. In the absence of an F-16 fighter export agreement with the US, Ankara will now progress with the purchase of up to 40 of the battle-proven aircraft that will be assembled in the UK. The move will also save the BAE Systems production line of Typhoons in Warton, Lancashire, that has been wound down with no further orders and its staff posted elsewhere. After two years of talks, UK Defence Secretary John Healey and Turkish Defence Minister Yaşar Guler signed a preliminary agreement on building the fighters, at the International Defence Industry Fair in Istanbul on Wednesday. Negotiations to finalise an arms deal will continue over the coming weeks, but the UK will hope to secure its first major export order for Typhoons since 2017. The highly capable fighter-bomber is flown by several Gulf states, with squadrons fielded by Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar and Bahrain and a total of about 700 Typhoons built to date. Mr Healey said the preliminary agreement was 'a big step towards Turkey buying UK Typhoon fighter jets' and that the jets would 'strengthen Nato's collective defence'. Charles Woodburn, chief executive of BAE Systems which assembles the aircraft, agreed that the move underscored the importance of co-operation in Nato and 'the critical role Typhoon plays in security and defence in Europe and the Middle East'. The RAF's Typhoon, regarded as an agile aircraft, has seen active service across the Middle East, primarily targeting ISIS during its insurgency in Syria and Iraq. It initially saw action during the 2011 bombing campaign in Libya and is capable of carrying several ground attack weapons including the Storm Shadow cruise and Brimstone precision missiles. The Turkey deal, which could be worth $5.6 billion, had been held up by the previous German government's reluctance to approve export licences, allegedly for political reasons following Ankara's treatment of opposition figures. But Chancellor Friedrich Merz's new government had cleared the way for it following a positive decision by the federal security council earlier this week. Further progress had been made after British Prime Minister Keir Starmer held a phone call with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday, which Turkish government officials said had gone positively. After the announcement of Wednesday's preliminary agreement, Mr Starmer said that 'signing a multibillion export deal with Turkey' will sustain 20,000 UK jobs as well as 'keep us and our allies safer during these uncertain times'. Mr Erdogan said developments in the defence sector would positively contribute to co-operation between the sides, who are both Nato members. A defence industry source told The Nationa l that while staff had been allocated elsewhere from the Warton site, BAE had 'been in this position before' when orders had dried up and it would be straightforward to stand up the production line again if the Turkey deal succeeded. The UK Ministry of Defence also said the potential Typhoon exports would strengthen Turkey's 'advanced combat capabilities'. As the second-largest military force in the Nato alliance, the addition of 40 highly capable fighter jets will provide Turkey with an important upgrade to its air force. The $110 million warplanes are built by a consortium of Germany, Britain, Italy and Spain, represented by Airbus, BAE Systems and Leonardo, with the main production line in the UK.
Zawya
15 hours ago
- Zawya
European Union Commits €1.5m for Victims of Yelwata Crises and Other IDPs in Benue State and Supports Nigeria in Addressing the Nutrition Emergnecy Situation Particularly in the North-West and North-East
The European Union (EU) has committed 1.5 million Euros (€1.5m) to support victims of the recent Benue State conflict. The envelope is composed by the rapid humanitarian response from EU Humanitarian Office ECHO (€0.5m) and a repurposing of EU funded SIDPIN project for durable solutions (€1m). IOM, UNHCR UNICEF, and UN-HABITAT as other international NGOs are among the agencies dealing with the response. The European Union (EU) has committed 1.5 million Euros (€1.5m) to support victims of the recent Benue State conflict. The envelope is composed by the rapid humanitarian response from EU Humanitarian Office ECHO (€0.5m) and a repurposing of EU funded SIDPIN project for durable solutions (€1m). IOM, UNHCR UNICEF, and UN-HABITAT as other international NGOs are among the agencies dealing with the response. This was disclosed by the EU Ambassador to Nigeria, H.E Gautier Mignot during a meeting between the EU delegation with the Honourable Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Professor Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda, Honourable Minister of State Dr Yusuf Tanko Sununu, Permanent Secretary Dr Yakubu Adam Kofarmata and Directors of the Ministry, held in the Minister's Office in Abuja on 14th July 2025. The delegation was in the Ministry to follow up on the visit to Benue State (24-25 June 2025) and explore ways of support to the victims in the IDP camps in the State as well as discuss on high level of severe malnutrition and food crisis affecting the North East and North West and other emerging hot spots in the country in particular during the ongoing lean season. Through ECHO, the EU has already brought 35 M€ of humanitarian assistance to Nigeria, mainly focused on nutrition, in 2025 and a possible top-up is being considered, in addition to the assistance also provided by several EU Member States. The Minister, Professor Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda reiterated President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's appreciation of the continuous support of the International Community for vulnerable persons in the country. He said he recently visited Borno and Benue States and the communities are in dare need of humanitarian support 'We are in acute need of nutrition for children under five years and lactating mothers' he said. He acknowledged EU contributions and Presidential commitment to leaving no one behind and confirmed ongoing food support mobilization and validated needs assessments, especially in Benue state. He stated plans to establish a pooled funding mechanism with Federal, State and donor contributions, advocacy engagement with the Nigerian Governors Forum and commitment to declare malnutrition an emergency. The two parties agreed to establish a task force to define roles and accelerate interventions in relation to the current nutrition emergency situation in the northern regions and collaborate on joint food security assessment, streamline supply chain processes and convene a collaborative platform with partners to coordinate humanitarian response to address the high level of malnutrition and food insecurity. Finally, on 19-20 July, Minister Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda and Ambassador Gautier Mignot went for a joint visit to Sokoto State together with humanitarian partners (UNICEF, ACF, MSF). They paid a courtesy call to the Executive Governor of Sokoto H.E Ahmad Aliyu Sokoto and visited nutrition stabilization centers for children under 5 operated by ACF and MSF and with the support of UNICEF, to get a first-hand knowledge of the situation and discuss urgent next steps to face the crisis. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Delegation of the European Union to the Federal Republic of Nigeria and ECOWAS.
Middle East Eye
16 hours ago
- Middle East Eye
Global powers will not end Israel's genocide in Gaza. Only our actions can make them
Twenty-five nations, many of them allies of Israel, have said in a joint statement that the Gaza war 'must end now'. The UK, France, Australia, Canada and others condemned the 'drip feeding of aid' that has led to the deaths of more than 1,000 Palestinian aid seekers since May, while more than 100 have died from starvation, most of them children. As the situation grows increasingly dire, Israel has shown no signs of slowing down its genocide, dismissing global concerns about its policy of forced starvation with a callous 'what are you going to do about it?' attitude. Indeed, despite countless public condemnations from governments around the world over the past 21 months, little has actually been done to force Israel to stop the genocide. Some of the very same governments making these statements continue to supply Israel with weapons and financial aid, enabling its ongoing slaughter of Palestinians. For nearly two years, we have witnessed a live-streamed genocide. War crimes have been well-documented by journalists, rights groups, doctors and civilians. There's enough evidence to sift through for decades to come. Activists and celebrities have reminded the western world of their vow to 'never again' allow something like this to happen. Countless social media campaigns have pleaded with the public to keep 'all eyes on Rafah' and on Gaza. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters But still the genocide persists. Israel's actions in Gaza and the occupied West Bank have become more brazen and violent than ever. Why is this happening? It's not because Israel is a small beacon of democracy in the Middle East surrounded by enemies. Rather, it's because Israel is a rogue state surrounded by capitulators who have allowed this to unfold. Rhetoric and excuses Nations around the world, no matter how big or powerful, are apparently only capable of mustering up rhetoric and excuses. If the UK, EU, Canada, Australia and others truly wanted an end to the war, they would take concrete actions against Israel's genocide in Palestine. These governments are capable of various consequential actions - arms and trade embargoes, sanctions, severing diplomatic ties, arresting Israeli war criminals within their borders - that could lead to real pressure on Israel to stop its genocide. Such actions would be consistent with public opinion across the West. Follow Middle East Eye's live coverage of the Israel-Palestine war On Sunday, Belgian authorities arrested two Israeli soldiers facing accusations of war crimes in Gaza, advancing the goal of isolating war criminals around the world. But this is just one small step that needs momentum to continue - and most western nations have not taken this approach. The UK is instead busying itself with arresting octogenarian protesters, apparently deeming them a greater threat than the genocide they are opposing. And an investigation by Israel's Channel 13 revealed that behind the scenes, the Biden administration did not actually attempt to end the Gaza genocide - an unsurprising finding, since the US has provided a continuous flow of aid and weapons to Israel since the start of the war. This is the callousness of a world order that emerged from the ashes of World War II on the slogan of 'never again', with a public commitment to the principles of democracy and human rights. But as this new world order emerged, nearly a third of the world's population was still living in colonised territory, many facing immense violence and brutality at the hands of their colonisers. Israel's starvation of Gaza is a cruel display of the impunity of power Read More » The UN, held up to the Global South as the barometer for ethics, human rights and peace, was created by some of these very same colonisers. Israel today is merely an extension of this world order, masquerading as a beacon of modern values. It is thus no surprise to see western nations hiding behind meaningless condemnations, while ensuring that Israel continues to serve their imperial interests in the region. Until Israel faces real diplomatic and financial pressures, it will not cease in pursuing its goal of eradicating Palestinians from their land. No change has ever been effected by asking politely. As activists push towards Gaza by land and sea, and protesters around the world engage in acts of opposition to Zionist violence, we must think about where each of us fits in all of this. Palestinians face an unprecedented existential crisis. Radical action is necessary to end it. Our actions - whether by boycotting, protesting, lobbying or other tactics - must push our governments to enact sanctions, embargoes and diplomatic isolation. The fear barrier between the world and Zionism has been broken, and we must begin to think beyond ourselves, our jobs, our money, our friends and our own public image. Those who remain silent should come to a sombre realisation: if you do not stand up now for Palestinians, a people facing total eradication, you will likely never stand for anything meaningful again. The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Eye.
