France: immigration detention on the rise Migrants’ rights groups, including La Cimade and France terre d’asile, report an 8.3% increase in the number of people in immigration detention in mainland France (15,922) compared to 2021. The average duration of detention nearly doubled since 2017 and is now 23 days. Advocates report that such an increase is due to directives from the Minister of the Interior, that prioritise detention of undocumented foreigners based on perceived threats to public order. The European Court of Human Rights recently condemned France (for the eleventh time) for its continued use of immigration detention against children, including of 7-8 month old babies. France: mass deportations to Comoros Islands ruled illegal At the end of April, the French government launched "Operation Wuambushu" in the overseas department Mayotte, involving police interventions against crime, the destruction of slums and mass expulsions of people in irregular situations to the Comoros islands, where most non-nationals in Mayotte are reported to come from. Human rights organisations have raised concerns about the operation's impact on fundamental rights, including of children. Mayotte judges have already ruled that these swift deportations are illegal and ordered France to bring back those expelled. Germany: government announces tougher rules on migration The German government has agreed on new measures to address the increasing number of asylum applications and speed up their processing. The measures include the extension of the detention period for migrants from 10 to 28 days, and the establishment of new partnerships with countries of origin to facilitate readmissions. The government is also considering permanent border checks in the future.