Europe

The EU’s migration agency reported an 18% increase in asylum applications in 2023, with Syrians and Afghans representing the highest number and one-fourth of the applicants, Khaama Press reported on Wednesday. A total of 1.4 million asylum requests were registered…

Approximately 238,000 air pollution deaths could be avoided annually in the EU if WHO guidelines were met, with over 400,000 deaths preventable if particle pollution was eliminated, the Guardian reported. The EU Council approved new clean air legislation for 2030…

German police have arrested a suspect in connection with a fire at a mosque in Dortmund, Anadolu Agency reported. The fire broke out at around 10:00 p.m. local time on Friday, and firefighters were called to the scene. Reports indicate…

Several Mediterranean rescue groups are urging the EU to change its policies, which they argue are contributing to the deaths of over 3,000 people last year. A 2023 decree has limited the response capacity of NGO-run civil fleets, forcing them…

The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has affirmed the decision of two Belgian regions to ban the practice of Islamic halal slaughter without stunning. Members of religious communities and several non-governmental organizations filed a case with the ECtHR, arguing…

The Swedish Migration Court has confirmed that an Iraqi man who staged a series of public Quran burnings last year will be deported, Anadolu Agency reported Wednesday. While Salwan Momika has been accused of providing false information in his asylum…

The Coast Guard of Italy rescued 49 migrants who were trying to cross from North Africa to Europe after their boat sank in the Mediterranean Sea near Lampedusa Island on Thursday. According to Italy’s ANSA news agency, a Coast Guard…

The French government on Wednesday sent armoured vehicles to protect a wholesale food market in Paris, in a sign of escalating tensions as farmers blocked highways in France and Belgium and protests spread elsewhere in Europe. Spanish and Italian farmers…

Silvia Orriols, a far-right separatist leader of the Catalan town of Ripoll, has launched a campaign this week to remove halal menus from public schools. Her latest controversial statement came on Monday, when she announced that she had filed a…

The Shia community in Nuremberg, Germany celebrated the opening of al-Zahra Center and Hussainiya in the city, which they consider an important event for spreading the knowledge and culture of Ahlulbayt, peace be upon them, and commemorating their holy rituals.…