Friday, August 8, 2025

Polaris of Enlightenment

Migration researcher on Europe’s migrant crisis: “We are approaching 2015 levels”

Published 21 September 2023
– By Editorial Staff
The influx of African and Arab migrants into Europe continues apace, according to recent figures from the EU asylum agency.
3 minute read

During the first half of 2023, over half a million asylum applications were received by the EU – the highest number since the major migration wave of 2015 and the second-highest figures ever from the EU’s asylum agency.

The small Italian island of Lampedusa, with just 6,000 inhabitants, has seen a staggering 7,000 migrants, mainly from the North African coast, arrive on its shores within two days.

Migrants reaching the EU’s external borders via the Mediterranean have significantly increased in number during the first half of 2023. The EU’s increasingly limited toolbox to address the strained situation has so far had no effect, according to Bernd Parusel at the Swedish Institute for European Policy Studies.

I am concerned about the situation because I don’t think the pressure will decrease. At the same time, many EU countries are very keen to reduce the number of migrants reaching the EU, he commented on the numbers during an interview with the Bonnier newspaper Dagens Nyheter.

As for the countries of origin, the number of asylum seekers from Syria, like in 2015, remains high. There are now, however, also a large number of people who have traveled from Syria to other countries, such as Tunisia, Lebanon, and Jordan and are trying to reach the EU for various reasons. Most of them are motivated by a deteriorating economic situation, according to Parusel.

Approximately 90% of the boats with migrants arriving in the last three months come from Tunisia, where political instability prevails. The path via Libya to Europe has been open since NATO’s bombings in 2011 toppled Muammar Gaddafi’s regime, also nullifying the agreement that had been in place to keep migrants on the African continent.

Large migrant inflows across Europe

During the period of July-August, a majority of migrants arriving in beleaguered Italy mainly came from Tunisia, reports Reuters. Italy, despite criticism from prime minister Giorgia Meloni, continues to be a central transit country for migrants wanting to enter the EU. So far this year, over 115,000 migrants have reached Italy, according to the interior ministry, a dramatic increase compared to the 65,000 who arrived during the same period last year. Preliminary figures from Spanish authorities show that the number of migrants arriving in the Canary Islands has also dramatically increased recently, more than doubling to 2,891 people during the first two weeks of September.

The number of detections of illegal border crossings at the EU’s external borders increased by a fifth during the first eight months of 2023 to over 232,350 – the highest number for the January-August period since 2016, according to preliminary estimates. In the United Kingdom, illegal immigration has totaled 36,250 people so far this year. Spain has also seen an increase in migrants arriving illegally; this year, 16,700 have migrated, an increase of 3.8% compared to the same period last year.

One million by the end of the year

EU countries had previously concluded a revised migration pact aimed at distributing asylum seekers physically and financially across the union. However, the agreement has not yet been implemented, and negotiations are still ongoing between the council of ministers and the european parliament regarding its final form, according to Bernd Parusel.

Historically, the number of asylum applications has been even higher during the second half of the year, which could mean that in 2023 as many as over a million applications could be submitted to countries within the EU.

TNT is truly independent!

We don’t have a billionaire owner, and our unique reader-funded model keeps us free from political or corporate influence. This means we can fearlessly report the facts and shine a light on the misdeeds of those in power.

Consider a donation to keep our independent journalism running…

Green light for the occupation of Gaza City – one million expected to be displaced

The genocide in Gaza

Published today 13:51
– By Editorial Staff
Netanyahu firmly denies that Israel will take permanent control of the area.
2 minute read

Israel’s security cabinet has approved Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plan for a full-scale occupation of Gaza City – an offensive expected to last for months and lead to around one million Palestinians being driven from their homes.

The decision, made after more than ten hours of closed deliberations, represents a significant escalation of the war against Hamas and risks, according to critics, paving the way for permanent Israeli control over the entire Gaza Strip.

The announcement came just hours after Netanyahu stated in an interview that Israel intends to take control of all of Gaza.

– We intend to (take control of all of Gaza). We don’t want to keep Gaza. We want a security perimeter, claimed Israel’s prime minister and continued:

– We don’t want to govern it. We don’t want to be there as a governing body. We want to hand it over to Arab forces that will govern it properly without threatening us.

Ground invasion and siege

The plan is officially justified by the need to eliminate Hamas, which according to Israel has refused to cooperate regarding the release of the remaining Israeli hostages. Around 50 people are still being held captive, with more than half believed to be dead.

The military operation is estimated to last several months and is expected to lead to around one million Palestinians being driven from Gaza.

According to American and Israeli officials, US President Donald Trump does not oppose the plan and has decided not to intervene in the conflict.

Axios correspondent Barak Ravid writes on X that a senior Israeli official states that the operation will initially be limited to Gaza City.

The goal is to evacuate all Palestinian civilians from the city to central refugee camps and other areas by October 7. After that, a siege will be imposed on the Hamas militants who remain, while a ground offensive is carried out.

The prime minister and defense minister have been given a mandate to approve the IDF’s (Israel Defense Forces) final operational plan.

Orbán: “Mass immigration – a silent weapon”

Population replacement in the West

Published today 12:24
– By Editorial Staff
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán argues that it is the Hungarians' "duty" to protect both Hungary and Europe from the consequences of mass immigration.
2 minute read

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán warns that mass migration is one of the most acute threats of our time – and that both Hungary and Europe must be protected before it’s too late.

In a post on X, Orbán describes migration as a “silent weapon” that can fundamentally change a country without a single shot being fired.

“It changes cities, neighbourhoods, entire nations, until one day you feel like a stranger in your own home. Our duty is clear: protect Hungary, protect Europe”, he writes.

At an appearance at the MCC Feszt festival in Esztergom, Hungary, where he recently spoke to hundreds of young people, Orbán elaborated on his reasoning. He noted that many young people don’t see migration as a direct threat, despite it being, according to him, “the most decisive and immediate” threat to Europe.

— Migration is the best example of how a country can be lost forever without any weapons being used, he continued.

“Believe your own eyes”

The Prime Minister urged young people to travel around Europe’s major cities and compare today’s reality with older history books. The purpose, he argues, is to discover for themselves how cities have changed beyond recognition.

— If you do not believe us. Then believe your own eyes. This is how you can lose your own country almost imperceptibly, without war, without conflict, in a way that no one asked you and you never agreed to,

Orbán also pointed to how quickly developments can occur.

— Suddenly you start to feel that the entire situation you find yourself in has become foreign. Like when you take the subway home through a suburb, for example. Ten years ago it didn’t look like this.

According to Orbán, migration is the greatest and most acute challenge facing Europe – a threat that, if not stopped, risks permanently changing the continent forever.

— It may not seem as brutal as war, but it’s a constant threat that will persist for decades. We will be under constant pressure – greater pressure than what we experience now.

US halts mRNA investment: “More risks than benefits”

The criticized covid vaccinations

Published yesterday 10:44
– By Editorial Staff
RFK points out that mRNA vaccines may be counterproductive - and prolong virus outbreaks instead of stopping them.
3 minute read

The US Department of Health and Human Services is halting the development of experimental mRNA vaccines. 22 contracts worth nearly $500 million are being terminated, citing that the technology poses significantly greater risks than benefits.

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. states that the decision was made following scientific reviews and consultations with experts at research institutions including the NIH and the FDA.

— One mutation, and the vaccine becomes ineffective. This dynamic drives a phenomenon called antigenic shift, meaning that the vaccine paradoxically encourages new mutations and can actually prolong pandemics as the virus constantly mutates to escape the protective effects of the vaccine Kennedy explains.

He particularly highlights the Omicron variant as an example of how mRNA vaccines failed to halt transmission despite widespread vaccination.

— A single mutation can make mRNA vaccines ineffective, the health secretary states, noting that “the same risk applies to flu”.

Wants to see “broader” strategy

According to Kennedy, the department’s conclusion is clear: the risks of mRNA technology outweigh the benefits when it comes to respiratory viruses.

— After reviewing the science, and consulting top experts at NIH and FDA, HHS has determined that mRNA technology poses more risks than benefits for these respiratory viruses.

Instead, the department will prioritize what Kennedy calls “safer, broader vaccine strategies”, such as traditional whole-virus vaccines and new platforms “that don’t collapse when viruses mutate”.

HHS clarifies that certain contracts already in final stages will be allowed to run their course, but no new mRNA projects will be initiated. BARDA (Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority), the federal agency responsible for advanced biomedical development, is now tasked with focusing on techniques “with stronger safety records and transparent clinical and manufacturing data practices”.

Critics were labeled conspiracy theorists

Many analysts warned early on that mRNA vaccines posed serious health risks, but were routinely dismissed as conspiracy theorists by both politicians and mainstream media.

Over time, however, a large number of serious vaccine injuries and deaths have been reported, particularly in connection with the extensive COVID-19 vaccination campaigns.

The criticism has not only concerned safety itself, but also the lack of long-term studies and authorities’ inadequate handling of adverse event reports. Against this backdrop, Kennedy’s announcement is seen by many as a long-awaited course correction.

Changed policy for children and pregnant women

The decision to halt mRNA contracts is not the only change. In recent weeks, Kennedy has also taken initiatives to remove the mercury compound thimerosal from influenza vaccines, in accordance with recommendations from the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP).

He also welcomed the decision to no longer recommend COVID-19 vaccines for healthy children and pregnant women.

— There was a lack of any clinical data to support the repeat booster strategy in children, he stated.

Greene: Ukraine support a betrayal of the American people

The war in Ukraine

Published 6 August 2025
– By Editorial Staff
Greene is highly critical of the neoconservative "war hawks" within the Republican Party - and their influence.
2 minute read

Republican congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene directs harsh criticism at party colleagues and other politicians who continue to want to send American aid to Ukraine.

In a post on X, she describes the support as a “complete betrayal” of the American people – and argues that voters have already said no to financing foreign conflicts.

“Funding, fueling, and ultimately fighting Russia in Ukraine would be a complete betrayal to the majority of Americans”, she writes, referring to the recent presidential election where Trump defeated Joe Biden and returned to the White House.

According to Greene, one of the voters’ clearest signals was to put a stop to US involvement in foreign wars.

“America voted to end funding and fighting foreign wars”, the Republican adds.

Her statement came the day after a new bill was presented in the Senate, where $54.6 billion is proposed to be earmarked for Ukraine for budget years 2026 and 2027.

“Don’t want to pay to murder people”

Greene accuses politicians on both sides of the aisle of ignoring the message voters conveyed in the election. She argues that young Americans in particular feel betrayed:

“Republicans supporting such policies could lose the younger generation of voters and may never get them back”.

She argues that people under 50 increasingly feel unrepresented by both Republicans and Democrats, not least because of how tax money is used:

“Various taxpayer-funded initiatives have made life unaffordable and the future bleak for the vast majority of average American”, she continued.

In the same post, Greene criticizes the moral foundation for American Ukraine support:

“American taxpayers do not want to pay to murder people in some foreign land over a foreign conflict that has absolutely zero effect on our lives”.

Corrupt leadership?

She also supports the president’s line, where European countries are expected to bear greater responsibility for the war in Ukraine. Trump has since his return to the White House opposed continued economic support to Kyiv and has repeatedly questioned how the money is used and warned that billions from the Biden administration’s previous aid packages may have been embezzled.

Trump’s former advisor Steve Cortes has also expressed harsh criticism. He has called Ukraine “corrupt” and warned that its leadership “cannot be trusted,” referring to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy acting against independent anti-corruption bodies.

Greene has in previous statements called Zelensky a “dictator” and accused him of blocking all peace initiatives.

The Russian government has in turn repeatedly warned that the Western world’s military and economic support to Ukraine only prolongs the war and leads to more bloodshed. According to Moscow, every new aid package is an obstacle to peace negotiations.

Our independent journalism needs your support!
We appreciate all of your donations to keep us alive and running.

Our independent journalism needs your support!
Consider a donation.

You can donate any amount of your choosing, one-time payment or even monthly.
We appreciate all of your donations to keep us alive and running.

Dont miss another article!

Sign up for our newsletter today!

Take part of uncensored news – free from industry interests and political correctness from the Polaris of Enlightenment – every week.