With our mission to uncomplicate the complicated, we’ve always thought of our work in immigration as people-first. Our goal is for these emails to make sense of the changes happening across the world. Please share these updates with your colleagues who may find this information helpful, too.
International Updates
Algeria | From August 9, the government will further ease the lockdown, shortening the overnight curfew, lifting a travel ban on 29 provinces, and allowing large mosques to reopen.
Case Update: 521 confirmed cases. Last updated: 2020/8/010 3:00 PM CEST
Australia | Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced that the internal border closures would likely be in place until Christmas.
Case Update: 386 confirmed cases. Last updated: 2020/8/010 3:00 PM CEST
Germany | The government has added regions of Bulgaria and Romania to the list of high-risk countries from which travelers will be required to take coronavirus tests on arrival or provide test results taken in the past 48 hours.
From Monday, the government is easing the border restrictions for unmarried couples, exempting partners of Germans from countries considered to be high-risk. Couples will have to provide proof of a relationship that predates the onset of the pandemic.
Case Update: 436 confirmed cases. Last updated: 2020/8/010 3:00 PM CEST
Ireland | The Irish Department of Health is preparing a proposal, to likely be published at the end of the week, to implement a ‘red list’ banning non-essential travel from countries with high rates of COVID-19. Media reports specifically refer to the US and Brazil being included on the list but also advise that other EU countries, including the UK, will not be on the list.
Irish citizens and residents who are coming home, as well as EU citizens and essential workers or those who are traveling for reasons which are deemed essential, will be exempt from any bans. It is not clear, however, how “essential” travel will be defined for exemption from this category.
Case Update: 68 confirmed cases. Last updated: 2020/8/010 3:00 PM CEST
Ukraine | From August 9, the government has temporarily closed the border with Crimea to prevent further spread of the coronavirus.
Case Update: 1,008 confirmed cases. Last updated: 2020/8/010 3:00 PM CEST
Venezuela | President Nicolas Maduro extended the state of alert for another 30 days.
Case Update: 795 confirmed cases. Last updated: 2020/8/010 3:00 PM CEST
In this week’s Immigration Nerds podcast, journalist and author Jessica Goudeau meets us at the mic to talk about her new book, After the Last Border: Two Families and the Story of Refuge in America.
Immigrants and refugees have been central to America’s identity for centuries—yet America has periodically turned its back at the times of greatest humanitarian need.
After the Last Border is an intimate look at the lives of two refugee women as they struggle for the 21st century American dream in Austin, Texas. This story goes beyond policy and politics to introduce us to the people.
We will continue to send updates daily or as more COVID-19-related news is available. If you have questions about anything we’re reporting above or in past updates or want to hear more about a different topic, just reply to let us know. If you have specific questions, please contact your employer or EIG attorney.