MIGRATION

Journalists from Africa and Europe to co-operate on migration coverage

Africa and Europe-based institutions have just concluded a week-long training in Dakar to deepen understanding of migration-related issues and strengthen its media coverage on the continent. The workshop has received generous support from the Germany-based Erich Brost Institute for International Journalism of TU Dortmund University, the German magazine Africa Positive, the Robert Bosch Stiftung and the African Media Initiative (AMI). …

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Net migration to Germany sank by half in 2016

Some 500,000 more people moved to Germany than left in 2016, Germany’s statistics office says. The figure is less than half that of the previous year. Net migration to Germany fell by more than half from 2015 to 2016, figures released on Tuesday by the German Federal Statistics Office show. Altogether 1,865,000 people came to Germany in 2016, while 1,365,000 …

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Israel: Court suspends plan to deport African migrants

Israel’s Supreme Court has suspended a controversial government plan to deport thousands of African migrants. The court issued its ruling on Thursday, following a legal challenge by a group of migrants from Eritrea and Sudan. The government now cannot deport African migrants until the court receives additional information Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in January announced the implementation of the programme …

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Success of asylum applications varies across German states

Chances of being granted asylum may depend on the state in which the application is filed. Figures provided by the German Office for Migration and Refugees reveal significant differences in protection rates in individual states, reports Charlotte Hauswedell. The Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) is responsible for the processing of asylum requests in all sixteen German states. In …

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Hundreds of migrants rescued in the Mediterranean

Libya’s coast guard and an international charity ship have picked up hundreds of migrants who were travelling towards Italy off the Libyan coast on Saturday, according to press reports. Libya coast guard vessels intercepted two migrant boats, one of which was an inflatable dinghy that had broken down and was carrying 125 people, Reuters reported, citing coast guard spokesman Ayoub …

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Germany’s incoming interior minister vows to increase deportations

Horst Seehofer, Germany’s designated interior minister, has said he has a “master plan for faster asylum procedures, and more consistent deportations.” He also said there was a need for a strong state to protect Germany’s liberal values. The incoming interior minister, who is head of the conservative Bavarian Christian Social Union (CSU), made the comments in an interview published on …

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UN opens Migration Resource Centre in Benin-City, Nigeria

The International Organisation for Migration (IOM), an agency of the UN, has opened a centre in Benin City to provide information on how to migrate legally and rehabilitate returnees from Libya or Europe. Speaking at the opening of the Migration Resource Centre (MRC) on Monday, Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, said Nigeria was finding it tough to …

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UN experts demand immediate stop to expulsions from Israel

Israel’s deportation of Eritrean and Sudanese citizens to third countries “violates human rights and international law on refugees,” according to UN experts, who are calling on the Israeli government to review its policy. A group of UN human rights experts has said that the new Israeli policies for deporting Eritrean and Sudanese citizens present in its territory “violates human rights …

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61 percent drop in migrant arrivals to Italy

The Italian interior ministry reports that some 5,247 migrants have arrived on the country’s coasts thus far in 2018, a 61 percent drop on the same period last year. A sharp drop has been seen in migrant landings in Italy in the first two months of the year. Between January and February 2018, some 5,247 migrants arrived in the country …

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Are Eritrean government’s spies posing as refugee interpreters in Europe?

Asylum seekers and activists tell Al Jazeera how government-linked translators have infiltrated the immigration system in Europe. Elaine Allaby reports. Rome, Italy – It was a warm Mediterranean day in October 2013 when Meron Estefanos got the news. A boat had sunk off the Italian island of Lampedusa and several hundred refugees had drowned. In the end, the death toll …

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More than 2,200 attacks on refugees in Germany in 2017

Although the total number of attacks on refugees fell by about one-third from the previous year, the level remains high. More than 300 people were injured in the attacks. German newspapers reported Wednesday that there were 2,219 reported attacks on migrants and refugees and their accommodations in 2017. While this means there was an average of six attacks per day, …

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UN carries out campaign against irregular migration in Ghana

A campaign to raise awareness among the youth regarding the realities of irregular migration has been conducted by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Ghana. Communities in the Brong Ahafo region in Ghana participated in an outreach and sensitisation campaign organized by IOM, the UN Migration Agency, and the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS). From 5 to 10 February, the …

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Swedish companies launch appeal against deportation of migrants

Dozens of Sweden’s largest and most influential companies have released a statement, appealing to the government to stop the deportation of qualified migrant workers. Among the signatories are H&M’s chairman and the CEO of Ericsson. Swedish financial daily Dagens Industri has published an open letter that argues that the expulsion of foreign workers “hits business” and that “Swedish companies have …

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African migrants in Israel begin hunger strike over expulsion order

Hundreds of African migrants have launched a hunger strike to protest Israel’s implementation of its controversial policy to expel or indefinitely imprison them, a spokesman for the group said Wednesday (21 February). Israel has resolved to expel about 38,000 Eritreans and Sudanese who entered the country illegally over the years, giving them an ultimatum to leave or risk being imprisoned …

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500 Ghanaian migrants stranded in Dubai

The Government of Ghana has announced that some 500 young Ghanaians have been left stranded in Dubai. The 500 were sent to the largest and most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) by fake recruitment agencies to take up non-existing jobs. Information Minister Mustapha Hamid however said government is collaborating with authorities in the UAE to repatriate them. …

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French government unveils bill with tougher asylum rules

President Emmanuel Macron’s government presented a controversial immigration bill to the Cabinet on Wednesday, amid criticism from migrant organizations and members of the ruling party. The bill will double the time for which undocumented migrants can be detained to 90 days and shorten the deadlines to apply for asylum, from 120 days to 90 days after a migrant’s arrival in …

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Germany: Syrians, Iraqis and Nigerians top asylum applications in January

German officials say 12,285 people applied for asylum in the country in January. That is a 15 percent drop compared with the same month last year. In January 2017, Germany recorded 14,476 new asylum requests, while some 13,082 people applied for asylum in December 2017. Figures published by the Interior Ministry on Tuesday show most new asylum-seekers last month originated …

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Refugees find work in Germany via Munich start-up Social-Bee

Displaced people have a hard time finding employment. Five hundred thousand refugees are currently on the job market — and prospects look bleak. A Munich startup has founded a non-profit temporary work agency. Temporary work employment refers to an employment situation where the working arrangement is limited to a certain period of time based on the needs of the employing organization.  …

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