Italy and Spain Lift Bilateral Schengen Border Controls Following Standoff Over Ceuta Migration Surge

What changed

On 21 October 2026, the United States Department of State published an announcement about new security agreements between the United States and Paraguay. The agreements were signed two days earlier, on 19 October 2026, by Paraguayan Foreign Minister Rubén Ramírez Lezcano and US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau during a ceremony at Paraguay's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The agreements cover two separate areas of cooperation: border security and the interception of civilian aircraft. The migration-related instrument is a Memorandum of Intent on border-security cooperation. Under this arrangement, the United States will provide Paraguay with the Personal Identification Secure Comparison and Evaluation System, known as PISCES, together with training and the transfer of technical knowledge. Paraguay's Ministry of Foreign Affairs explains that the system is intended to strengthen immigration controls and help authorities monitor passenger movements at the country's points of entry.

What changed

The South African Border Management Authority (BMA) is setting up a new Vehicle Targeting System (VTS) at border crossings. This is to make border security better and to stop vehicles being smuggled. This digital change means officers will no longer do random manual checks. Instead, they will use information to decide which vehicles to inspect. The system, which is a partnership with the International Vehicle Identification Desk, will start operating on 18 October 2026 at the Lebombo Port of Entry. This will change how vehicles are processed at South Africa's borders.

What changed

The European Commission adopted a new Strategy on combating trafficking in human beings on 16 October 2026. This extensive strategy, which applies across the European Union, aims to deal with new types of human trafficking, especially those that use technology and are connected to migration. It introduces six main areas of focus, designed to improve how trafficking is prevented, detected, investigated, and how victims are protected, building on existing laws. This initiative intends to provide a stronger and more adaptable response to human trafficking, which often crosses borders.

What changed

The United States Department of Justice proposes amending its Privacy Act regulations to exempt records within the Executive Office for Immigration Review's new "Fraud and Abuse Prevention Program Records" system from specific provisions of the Privacy Act. This proposed rule, published on 15 October 2026, aims to safeguard law enforcement sensitive materials, including information on complainants, witnesses, and subjects of investigations related to immigration fraud and abuse. Public comments on this proposal are invited until 16 November 2026, and its implementation would impact individuals' rights to access and amend certain records concerning them held within this system.