On 2 December, three diplomats revealed that the European Commission was planning to draft a new Returns Directive as early as February.
On 27 November, members of the European Parliament approved Ursula von der Leyen’s team for her second term. A total of 370 MEPs voted in favor of the new, right-leaning group of 26 commissioners, while 282 voted against and 36 abstained. For the first time since 1999, all commissioners were successfully elected, with no nominee from any country being rejected. Magnus Brunner has been appointed Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration, while Dubravka Šuica will take on the newly created portfolio for the Mediterranean.
On November 27, 14 NGOs presented a proposal for an EU-funded maritime rescue program in the Mediterranean, entitled “Mare Solidale”. The draft outlines plans to patrol international waters, particularly off the coast of Libya, using equipment and personnel from national disaster authorities. The aim is for these patrols to rescue people in distress at sea and bring them to Europe for assistance.
On 19 November, the European Council adopted a regulation banning the sale, import and export of products made with forced labor within and outside the EU. However, banning only products made with forced labor doesn’t address the situation of migrant workers. The risk is that workers experiencing forced labor will simply lose a source of income (however precarious and inadequate) and be left even more vulnerable.
On 13 November, Frontex reported a 43% decrease in arrivals to the EU between January and October 2024 compared to the same period in 2023. Notably, arrivals in the Balkans dropped by 80%, and in the Central Mediterranean by 64%. Concerns remain high regarding the use of violence and pushbacks in these regions.
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