Irregular migrant crossings into EU drop 20% in 2025: Frontex
The number of irregular migrant crossings into the
European Union
dropped by 20 percent in the first five months of the year, the EU's border agency said Wednesday.
Warsaw-based Frontex said that a total of 63,700 crossings were detected this year, adding that the main nationalities were Afghan, Bangladeshi and Malian.
The biggest decreases in irregular crossings were seen in the Western Balkans (minus 56 percent), the western African route (minus 35 percent) and the eastern Mediterranean (minus 30 percent).
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There was also a seven percent decrease in migrant crossings from Belarus into Poland and the Baltics to 5,062 crossings, Frontex said. But it pointed to a slight increase of seven percent in the number of
migrants
crossing the central Mediterranean towards Italy.
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Frontex also said that the number of migrants attempting to cross into Britain via the Channel increased by 17 percent to 25,540 compared to the first five months of 2024. "Smuggling networks operating in the area are adapting, using simultaneous departures to increase the number of successful crossings," it said.
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Irregular migration
has become a political flashpoint across Europe, as seen most recently in the Polish presidential election on June 1 which was won by a nationalist promising to crack down on immigration. Irregular border crossings detected into the European Union were down 38 percent to 239,000 last year after an almost 10-year peak in 2023, according to
EU border agency
Frontex.
But, led by hawks including Italy and Denmark, EU leaders called in October for urgent new legislation to increase and speed up returns and for the commission to assess "innovative" ways to counter irregular migration.
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The Print
21 minutes ago
- The Print
Mamata writes to Modi, seeks international pressure on B'desh govt for vandalism of Tagore property
Expressing her anguish over the incident, Banerjee urged Modi to 'take up the matter very strongly with the neighbouring country's government, so that no stone is left unturned to swiftly bring to justice the perpetrators of this heinous and mindless act'. What was damaged is not just a house but a 'towering fountain of creativity' in the subcontinent, she said in the letter. Kolkata, Jun 12 (PTI) West Bengal Chief Minister on Thursday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking his intervention into the alleged vandalisation of Rabindranath Tagore's ancestral mansion in Banglaesh's Sirajganj district by a mob on June 11. According to local reports, the attack on the Nobel Laureate poet's ancestral residence was a follow-up of a June 8 dispute over the parking fee for a two-wheeler between a visitor and staff member of the Rabindra Kachharibari in Sirajganj which also doubles up as the Rabindra Memorial Museum. 'Although untold damage has already been done, a strong international protest would at least deter in future any attack on monuments of cultural legacies that have withstood steadfastly all tests of time,' Banerjee wrote in the letter, while adding: Tagore is famous not only in Bengal but also in the whole world. Reports in Bangladeshi media have stated that the Department of Archeology has temporarily suspended visitor access to the building and set up a three-member committee to probe the incident. 'Tagore frequented the place repeatedly in his lifetime, and many of his finest works were conceived or written while he was there,' Banerjee stated. 'The poet's creativity was intertwined with his association with this ancestral estate of theirs in an intimate manner. What has been vandalised is not a mere house, but a towering fountain of creativity in our subcontinent,' she continued. Local reports in Bangladesh suggested that what began as a minor dispute escalated quickly after the visitor was allegedly locked inside a room and physically assaulted, sparking anger among locals. A mob later stormed inside the museum premises and ransacked the building, especially its auditorium while also allegedly assaulting the director of the institution. 'For the people of Bengal, this attack is an onslaught on the commonly held legacy of Tagore… To strike at the ancestral traditional roots of Tagore today tantamounts to striking at the roots of immortal creations of the great poet intrinsically bonding the brothers and sisters of the world,' the chief minister wrote in her letter. Located in Shahzadpur in the Rajshahi division, the Kachharibari served as the Tagore family's revenue office and residence. Purchased by Rabindranath's grandfather Dwarakanath Tagore in 1840, the premises worked as a favourite recluse for the Nobel laureate who wrote many of his notable literary works at this site. Tagore's celebrated works from the Sirajgunj Kachharibari include plays like 'Bisarjan', poetry collection 'Sonar Tori' and several shorties of 'Golpoguchho'. The BJP has already slammed the Md Yunus government alleging that the destruction was a 'preplanned attack' by radical groups, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh. PTI SMY NN This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
The Hindu
29 minutes ago
- The Hindu
India condemns vandalism at Tagore's ancestral home in Bangladesh
India on Thursday (June 12, 2025) 'strongly' condemned the vandalisation of the ancestral home of Rabindranath Tagore in Bangladesh's Sirajganj district. Addressing the weekly press briefing, Randhir Jaiswal, Official Spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, said the attack was part of a 'broad pattern' of assaults on the pluralist culture of Bangladesh. 'We strongly condemn the despicable attack and vandalisation of the ancestral home of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore by a mob on June 8, 2025. The home, historically called Rabindra Kachharibari, is located in Sirajganj district of Bangladesh. The violent act is a disgrace to the memory and the inclusive philosophy and teachings that the Nobel Laureate espoused in Bangladesh,' Mr. Jaiswal said. Bangladesh has witnessed a deterioration in law and order in recent month, with mobs targeting homes of prominent leaders. On February 5 this year, a mob destroyed the residence of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at 32 Dhanmondi, an address historically associated with Bangladesh's liberation movement. The June 8 attack on the rural ancestral home of the Tagore family reportedly followed a similar pattern, with a group of arsonists vandalising the property. Following the incident, the interim government has suspended public access to the heritage site. After its independence, Bangladesh adopted 'Amar Shonar Bangla', composed by Rabindranath Tagore, as its national anthem. Mr. Jaiswal further said, 'The attack falls in the broad pattern of systematic attempts by extremists to erase the symbols of tolerance, and eviscerate the syncretic culture and the cultural legacy of Bangladesh.' He urged the Bangladeshi authorities to rein in extremist elements and 'take strict action against the perpetrators to prevent recurrence of such incidents that sadly have become a repetitive feature'.
Time of India
32 minutes ago
- Time of India
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Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra 's husband Robert Vadra has no intention of avoiding summons and is ready to appear before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) anytime before or after his travel abroad later this month, his lawyer Suman Khaitan said on assertion came two days after Vadra failed to appear before the ED after he skipped the agency's summons on June 10 for questioning in a money laundering case linked to UK-based alleged arms consultant Sanjay the Wayanad MP's husband, was summoned by the probe agency to record his statement in the case on June 10 but could not appear as he had flu-like symptoms on June 9 and undertook a COVID test according to the health protocol, his lawyer said Vadra was ready to record his statement virtually but the agency did not accept the plea and wanted his physical presence to do the needful."My client Robert Vadra has been made aware of certain media reports that erroneously suggest that my Client has been avoiding ED summons. My client would like to bring the true facts to your attention and would like to state unequivocally that such media reports are completely untrue."Vadra has complied with all the ED summons, demands for information and documentation for the last ten years. He has repeatedly affirmed and demonstrated his full cooperation with the authorities and will continue his full cooperation as a law-abiding citizen of India," Khaitan said in a said Vadra received a summons to appear before the ED on June 10 in respect of a case in which he has already appeared before the agency on multiple occasions dating back to 2019 when he also filed voluminous documents."On 09.06.2025, he came down with flu-like symptoms and was advised to take a COVID-19 test . This is in keeping with the current practice being followed by many institutions including the PMO. Consequently, he informed the ED that he would not be able to attend proceedings in person on 10.06.2025."He also informed the ED that as a law-abiding citizen who is keen on clearing his name, he is happy to attend the proceedings in person as soon as he is medically cleared to do so. He also volunteered to attend proceedings virtually if the ED thought it necessary to carry them out immediately," Vadra's lawyer lawyer said Vadra is scheduled to travel abroad later this month to attend his daughter's college graduation ceremony."He (Vadra) is perfectly happy to attend proceedings at any other time before or after the trip just as he has already done several times," his counsel also claimed that he has also recently submitted voluminous documents and answered all the questions asked by ED in the past."Any attempt to suggest that Mr. Vadra's attendance of his daughter's graduation ceremony is some sort of ruse to avoid attending any proceedings is completely untrue, unacceptable and without any basis in fact. This is especially clear from the fact that all foreign travels by Mr. Vadra, are always with prior notice to and knowledge of ED and with the prior permission of the Court."It is a matter of record with ED that Mr. Vadra has regularly and repeatedly appeared before the ED whenever summoned and there is no basis or reason to even think that Mr Vadra will ever try to give any untrue reason while asking for time to appear before ED," his lawyer sources said Vadra had sought an adjournment of Tuesday's summons, and he will now be given a fresh date. The ED wants to record Vadra's statement under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and then file a charge sheet against him before the court, sources federal probe agency had questioned the 56-year-old businessman for three consecutive days in April in a separate money laundering case linked to alleged irregularities in a 2008 land deal in (63) fled to London in 2016, soon after the Income Tax Department raided him in Delhi.A UK court earlier this month refused an application filed by the Indian government seeking permission to appeal in Britain's Supreme Court against the discharge of Bhandari in an extradition case, virtually ruling out chances of him being brought to the country to face the ED filed a charge sheet in this case in 2023, alleging that Bhandari acquired the 12, Bryanston Square house in London in 2009 and got it renovated "as per the directions of Robert Vadra, who provided the funds for the renovation".Vadra has denied that he owns any London property directly or the charges a "political witch hunt", Vadra has said he is being "hounded and harassed" to subserve political ends.
