EU Nations Consider Recognizing Palestinian Statehood
Spain, Ireland, and other EU nations are intending to acknowledge Palestine's statehood on May 21, as stated by Josep Borrell, the EU's top diplomat for foreign and security policy
More than three-quarters of children and young adults trying to migrate to Europe across the Mediterranean are victims of abuse on the dangerous journey, according to a UN report published today.
Children's rights agency UNICEF and the International Organisation for Migration said young migrants coming from sub-Saharan Africa were particularly at risk from abuse.
The UN agencies surveyed 22,000 migrants and refugees including 11,000 children and young people.
Their report says 77% of children and young people trying to cross the Mediterranean to Europe had suffered "direct experiences of abuse, exploitation and practices which may amount to human trafficking".
"The stark reality is that it is now standard practice that children moving through the Mediterranean are abused, trafficked, beaten and discriminated against," Afshan Khan, UNICEF Europe regional director, said in a statement.
"Those originating from sub-Saharan Africa are far more likely to experience exploitation and trafficking than those from other parts of the world" it said.
"Racism is likely a major underlying factor behind this discrepancy."
The main migration route from Libya is particularly dangerous due to lawlessness, militias and criminality, it said.
Young migrants pay the equivalent of between €800 and €4,000 for the journey, only to arrive in Europe in debt and facing new risks.
The UN accused the EU last week of turning a "blind eye" to the brutality faced by migrants held in Libya and called for urgent action to help them.
Europe continues to struggle with the biggest migration crisis in its history, fed initially by refugees in Syria but now with the central Mediterranean route from Africa coming back into play.
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During a briefing at the Ministry of Energy, it was revealed that Bulgargaz intends to pursue legal action against Gazprom Export, seeking damages amounting to BGN 400 million
Julian Voinov, an economist and financial expert, expressed optimism regarding Bulgaria's potential adoption of the euro in 2025 or early 2026
According to AFP, the Ukrainian army has declared a halt to the Russian offensive in certain areas of the northeastern Kharkiv region
This was stated by the Governor of the Bulgarian National Bank at the international conference "Bulgaria in the Eurozone, When?" in Sofia
Former Finance Minister Simeon Dyankov has suggested that Bulgaria's potential entry into the Eurozone may not materialize before 2026
In the initial quarter of 2024, Bulgaria's economy expanded by 0.4%, as per an expedited evaluation by the National Statistical Institute (NSI), a slight deceleration from the 0.5% growth witnessed in the final quarter of the preceding year
Sofia Airport's Terminal 3 Construction Set to Begin in Early 2026
COVID-19 Impact: Bulgaria's Grim Milestone as Highest Death Rate in EU