It began the year as a relatively quiet issue. Then along came the Ukip surge, a shock European election and two Conservative defections. Here we look back at the last 12 months of immigration.

President Barack Obama has -- in just a few weeks and in spectacular fashion -- turned the tables on US policy toward Latin America, neglected by Washington for much of this century, AFP reports.

The head of the Iranian republic Hassan Rouhani has finally approved the proposal made by the Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohammed Jawad Darif calling for the appointment of seven new ambassadors in a number of countries, including Morocco.

Rabat (MWN)- The General Consulate of Belgium in Casablanca will be closing its doors temporarily and reorganized for financial reasons, according to a press release issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belgium.

Rabat(Map) – Nine migrants died, including 3 babies, when their inflatable boat sank off the northern coats of Tangier and Fnideq, local authorities said.

Swiss voters rejected a ­referendum requiring their central bank to hold a portion of its assets in gold, a measure President Thomas ­Jordan termed an "invitation to speculators" that could have hurt the economy. Bullion fell to a three-week low.

Thursday marked "a great day for expats" as the Danish parliament agreed to implement dual citizenship. The Local spoke to supporters and detractors of dual citizenship about the change.

Washington (AP)— Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson says the Obama administration's decision to renew diplomatic ties with Cuba won't impact immigration rules just yet.

Native-born Americans are making up a smaller percentage of those living in some areas of the U.S. as immigration moves to become the key factor in population growth within the next quarter-century, according to a new analysis by the Pew Charitable Trusts that examined county-level census data.

This week's passing into law of Australia's Migration and Maritime Powers Legislation Amendment Act, which comes on the heels of a year of tightened border controls and refugee intake policy changes, could chill regional cooperation. Experts say it reflects global trends of treating migration as a security problem, and acknowledging that might be an important avenue for Southeast Asian regional policy development.

Lawmaker Geert Wilders is to face prosecution for inciting racial hatred after a speech calling for "fewer Moroccans" in the Netherlands. Wilders has said he stands by his comments.

The Estonian government set with its decree the Estonian 2015 immigration quota at 1,322 persons, which forms 0.1% of Estonia's permanent population, LETA/Public Broadcasting reports.

John Lydon is no fan of Ukip, having previously described the party as “a black hole for the ignorant to fall into”.

Vancouver, (Reuters) - Canada is looking for 50 wealthy foreigners to join a pilot run of an immigration program for millionaires, although applicants will have to be far richer than those who entered under a previous scheme and will also need language skills to get in.

The reaction follows the news that the referendum on immigration has been comfortably rejected by its population, ensuring expatriates from across the world can continue to make the most of the European country.

In less than three weeks, Britain's David Cameron and France's Francois Hollande have set out starkly contrasting approaches to immigration, while Angela Merkel has warned fellow Germans against manipulation by far-right xenophobes.

A Danish immigration report on Eritrea that suggests changing refugee policy for Eritrean asylum seekers is deeply flawed. Denmark and other European governments should await the outcome of the United Nations Commission of Inquiry on Eritrea, established in June 2014, before considering any major policy changes concerning Eritrea.

A federal judge in Pennsylvania has ruled President Barack Obama's recent executive actions on immigration unconstitutional, but the decision came in a criminal case, leaving its broader impact uncertain.

French President François Hollande delivered a rare and passionate defence of the benefits of immigration as he formally inaugurated France’s first immigration museum, seven years after its hushed opening under his predecessor, Nicolas Sarkozy.

(Sputnik) — Approximately 50 percent of Danish citizens consider the tone of the national debate on foreigners too radical, but the overall attitude toward immigration remains negative among the majority of Danes, the Local Denmark said Monday.