THE AFRICAN COURIER. Reporting Africa and its Diaspora! The African Courier is an international magazine published in Germany to report on Africa and the Diaspora African experience. The first issue of the bimonthly magazine appeared on the newsstands on 15 February 1998. The African Courier is a communication forum for European-African political, economic and cultural exchanges, and a voice for Africa in Europe.
While recent US immigration raids make international headlines, a quiet surge in enforcement across Europe is increasingly targeting undocumented migrants, many of them from Africa.
In France, the interior ministry this month deployed 4,000 police officers to conduct sweeping ID checks at train and bus stations. Migrant rights group La Cimade called the move “Trumpist,” warning it portrays undocumented people as enemies of the state.
Belgium has announced new internal border checks starting summer 2025, including at highways, airports and train stations, joining Germany, Austria and others in citing irregular migration as justification for imposing such border controls within the Schengen region. At the heart of the new approach is the systematic rejection of individuals attempting to enter their territory without valid documentation.
Elsewhere, undocumented migrants face punitive measures even when accessing public services. In Germany, for example, many public offices are obliged to report undocumented individuals to immigration authorities. Sweden is preparing similar laws.
In Greece, the government has gone a step further. A new immigration bill proposes criminalising irregular stay, with prison terms of up to three years and fines reaching €10,000. It also extends detention periods and bans undocumented migrants from applying for residence even if they’ve lived in the country for seven years. Activists in Athens have condemned the bill, saying, “When the state becomes the persecutor, it does not protect democracy, it crushes it.”
According to advocacy network PICUM, these escalating policies across Europe are part of a broader trend of criminalisation and exclusion. “Undocumented people are not criminals,” the group stressed, calling for governments to stop sowing fear and instead strengthen inclusion and social protection.
As legal pathways remain restricted, undocumented migrants – often fleeing conflict, persecution or economic collapse – are pushed further into precarity. With Europe expanding surveillance and detention powers, the space for safe and dignified migration is shrinking., say activists.
Adira Kallo
