#CROATIA: Italian EU Parliament Members Investigating Migrant Abuse Claims Stopped At Croatian Border

[world politics news]

Croatia’s Interior Minister, Davor Bozinovic, condemned a failed visit by a group of Italian European Parliament Members to the Croatia-Bosnia border as having “the obvious intention to damage Croatia’s reputation."

He spoke out after the MEPs and accompanied reporters tried to reach the Croatian border with Bosnia and Herzegovina to check allegations that Croatian police routinely mistreat migrants and refugees trying to enter the EU member state.

The delegation was thwarted in its mission by Croatian police officers.

“This is another in a series of provocations related to the actions of the Croatian police in fulfilling their tasks, and that is the protection of the state border,” Bozinovic told the media.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#ESTONIA: New Coalition Hopes To Hammer Out Deal With Russia Over 2005 Border Treaty

[world politics news]

Estonia's new ruling coalition, which now includes the rising populist Conservative People's Party, is seeking to hammer out a deal with neighboring Russia over borders that has been at a stand-still for over a decade.

Centre Party Prime Minister Jüri Ratas says that while there are differences of opinion in the current coalition between his party, the Conservative People's Party of Estonia (EKRE) and Isamaa (Pro Patria) on the question of the ratification of the border treaty with Russia, he is ready to move discussions on it forward if the Kremlin is. At the same time, he noted a need for pragmatism on the matter.

In March's election, the nationalist Conservative People's Party tripled its 2015 election result, forcing centrist Prime Minister Jüri Ratas to include them in a three-party coalition.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#USA: New Mexico Land Commissioner Halts Discussion With Feds Over State Land Near Proposed Border Wall

[world politics news]

New Mexico's State Land Commissioner Aubrey Dunn says he has ended negotiations with the Federal Government to settle a dispute over a piece of state trust land along the border with Mexico. The Federal Government already has constructed a fence as well as a road at the property, but Dunn, who this year switched from Republican to Libertarian, said the Feds do not have a right of way to use the state trust land, and is holding out for more than $54,000 from them to use the land. It has offered just over $8,700. For now, he's placed a "No Trespassing" sign on the state trust land.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#EU: Chief Brexit Negotiator Warns UK That Northern Ireland Border Checks May Be "Unavoidable"

[world politics news]

The UK faces “unavoidable” checks at the Northern Irish border if it decides to leave the EU’s single market and customs union, the European Union’s chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier warned, after the latest round of talks on the UK’s withdrawal from the bloc ended last week. The future of the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland remains one of the most vexed questions in the Brexit process.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#IRELAND: Former Taoiseach Ahern Warns Of Post-Brexit Border Crossings With N. Ireland

[world politics news]

Former Prime Minister/Taoiseach Bertie Ahern is warning that if Britain leaves the customs union some form of Border checkpoints between Ireland and Northern Ireland will be inevitable. Ahern will testify before parliament that the status of the State as an EU border frontier will present a challenge in terms of keeping access as open as possible between Northern Ireland and the Republic, as well as the islands of Ireland and Britain.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#KOSOVO: EU Will Hold Up Kosovo Visa Deal Until Montenegro Border Normalization

[world politics news]

Unless Kosovo approves a border demarcation deal with neighboring Montenegro, it can’t enjoy EU visa liberalization, says an EU official. Opposition lawmakers, who are against the deal, have disrupted parliamentary work by using tear gas canisters, blowing whistles and throwing water bottles. Street rallies by opposition supporters routinely turn into violent clashes with police. EU Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn says its political polarization is negatively affecting its integration path into the 28-nation bloc.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#GERMANY: Bavarian Gov't Demands Control Of Borders From Federal Gov't

[world politics news]

Saying its borders with Austria remain unsafe and vulnerable to terrorists, the state government of Bavaria has demanded that it be allowed to control its own border with Austria, a demand swiftly rejected by Berlin. The calls from Bavaria's governing Christian Social Union may worsen relations with their their allies, Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democratic Union.

#SLOVENIA: Gov't Begins Erecting Border Fence With Croatia To Keep Out Migrants

[world politics news]

The Slovene government has ordered the erection of a barbed-wire fence along Croatia's border to keep out migrants seeking refuge in Northern Europe, saying it wanted better control over the surge of migrants passing through as they make their way across Europe. Around 180,000 people, many fleeing war in Syria and Afghanistan, have entered Slovenia since mid October

#DENMARK: New Populist Gov't To Start "Border Controls" To Reduce Smuggling, Immigration

[world politics news]

While stopping short of re-instituting physical borders, which would violate EU rules on the free movement of peoples within the Union, the Danish government, spurred by the Danish People's Party, will begin increased controls at the border after talks with the EU. The controls are aimed at reducing smuggling and illegal immigration.

#CANADA: Deal Reached With USA For Pre-Clearance For Frequent Border Crossers

[world politics news]

A long-awaited deal between the US and Canada will allow travelers - especially frequent ones - to acquire a "pre-clearance" status away from border crossings to ease congestion caused by tighter post-9/11 restrictions.

#SPAIN: #EU Court Orders Spain to Stop "Excessive" Border Checks at Gibraltar Entry Points

[world politics news]

The European Commission has instructed Spain to loosen its chokehold over Gibraltar’s border crossing. The move follows 18 months of deliberately excessive ­customs checks by Spain that have caused hold-ups and frustration for thousands of Spanish workers and tourists to Gibraltar, which is claimed by both Spain and the UK.