Europe Immigration News

Germany's population will decrease by as much as 16% by 2050 due to lower birth rates, an official forecast reports.

The population is also aging, the Federal Statistics Office said, indicating that the country's creaking welfare state will come under more pressure as the average age shifts toward pensioners.

The European Commission will decide this week if it will recommend a partial suspension of Turkey's membership negotiations for joining the European Union. Turkey has failed in several key areas, including failure to open up its ports to Cyprus and other trade issues.

Official figures suggest that there are about 200,000 Romanians working legally in Spain today. But, unofficial estimates suggest that at least 600,000 more Romanians are living and working in Spain illegally.

At the beginning of the summer, German businesses attempted to convince the government to alter immigration policies to attract more skilled immigrant workers. A discussion over the past months on the long-term issue and proposed plans have now come to an end.

In coming weeks, Germany's coalition government will draft a bill to tighten entry regulations for foreign students and implement EU directives on asylum and residency rights. The Socials Democrats (SPD) and Christian Democrats (CDU) appear ready to act before the end of the year.

The European Union's six largest countries have agreed to work together on fighting terrorism, organized crime and illegal immigration after a two-day informal meeting hosted by the United Kingdom.