IOM, the UN Migration Agency, reports that 134,549 migrants and refugees entered Europe by sea in 2017 through 24 September, with over 75 per cent arriving in Italy and the remainder divided between Greece, Cyprus and Spain. This compares with 302,175 arrivals across the region through the same period last year. Source Reliefweb
A court in northwestern Turkey on April 25 ordered the continued detention of two Greek soldiers who “inadvertently” strayed across the countries’ border last month.The Edirne Second Criminal Court of Peace ruled against a petition by the soldiers’ lawyers to release them from remand. Source Hurriyet Daily News
Days before the start of the tourist season, hotel and restaurant owners in Romania’s Black Sea resorts say they face the worst staff shortage in 28 years. Romania’s Black Sea resorts are set to start their 2018 tourist season this weekend, with over 40,000 visitors expected to head to the seaside for the traditional May 1 break. Source Balkan Insight
The European Union has started monitoring imports of aluminum to determine whether U.S. tariffs have led to a surge in shipments of the metal into Europe, the EU official journal said on Thursday. Source: Reuters
