MIGRATION

The Israeli government has issued a notice for thousands of African migrants to leave the country or face imprisonment. Rights group kick against controversial plan. Israel will force tens of thousands of African migrants to leave over the next three months, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Wednesday. Speaking at a cabinet meeting, Netanyahu said that the Israeli government will …

The year 2018 saw a new record in Spain for migrant arrivals by sea, at more than 57,000 – representing around half of all undocumented migrants making the Mediterranean crossing last year. According to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), 113,145 migrants and refugees entered Europe by sea last year. According to UNHCR, a total of 119,575 refugees and migrants …

Murder, torture, arbitrary detention, gang rape, forced labour, extortion: A recent United Nations report details the horrors suffered by migrants and refugees in Libya. The authors call on the European Union to increase rescues efforts in the Mediterranean and to facilitate the work of humanitarian ships. Julia Dumont and Monique El-Faizy report. A recent report, jointly published on 18 December …

As Nigeria continues the battle against irregular migration, a German Foundation, Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS), has advised Nigerian government to focus on economic development to end the menace. Mr Vladimir Kreck, Country Representative of KAS, advised the government on Wednesday in Abuja during a workshop on “Migration- current trends part two’’. Kreck said that poverty and unemployment were identified as …

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has reported that 111,558 migrants and refugees entered Europe by sea from January to 16 December 2018. At least 2,217 people were reported dead. In a statement, the UN agency said that this year is the fifth straight during which the arrival of irregular migrants and refugees has topped the 100,000 threshold. Nevertheless, this …

The European Parliament in Strasbourg has approved a proposal to introduce European humanitarian visas with the objective of reducing the death toll and improving the management of refugee flows. The legislative initiative was approved on Friday by 429 MEPs against 194 and 41 abstentions (absolute majority). A similar proposal had failed in November to reach the absolute majority due to …

Since the summer of 2018, hundreds of young migrants from Sub-Saharan Africa have arrived in Bayonne in France, located just 30 kilometers from the Spanish border. Some of them have been taken in by local families. Sixteen-year-old Ulrith from Cameroon is one of the migrant minors who received a warm welcome when he was taken in by Stéphanie and Pierre, who …

World leaders gathered in Marrakech, Morocco, to sign the UN Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration on Monday. A number of countries have refused to sign the non-binding accord, among them the US and 7 EU member states. The world’s first-ever global pact on how to deal with migration was adopted on Monday by 164 countries at a …

The Danish government has agreed on a controversial policy to detain rejected asylum-seekers convicted of breaking certain laws on an isolated, uninhabited island. According to a government statement, the new centre will also house refugees who have a “tolerated stay” status, meaning they do not have a residence permit but cannot be deported for reasons, including threats to their life …

A new Italian security and immigration law known as the ‘Salvini Decree’, which was passed by the Chamber of Deputies last week, has entered into force. Far-right politician Matteo Salvini has made reducing the number of migrants and refugees in Italy one of his key goals as interior minister. Here’s what you need to know about the decree. Tighter restrictions …

The Italian parliament has passed into law a tough anti-migrant and security bill designed to make it easier to deport migrants and restrict residency permits. The controversial bill, which makes it easier to expel migrants and limits residency permits, was passed in the lower house of parliament with 396 in favour to 99 against on Wednesday (28 November). “I’m happy, …

Friedrich Merz, a candidate for the leadership of Germany’s biggest party – the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), has said that Germany is the only country in the world to guarantee the right to asylum in its Constitution. He’s called for a debate on the issue. But is Merz actually correct? Ahmad Wali Achakzai reports. German Chancellor Angela Merkel has announced …

Germany’s Interior Ministry has proposed new measures to monitor and deport persons whose asylum application has been rejected.  The German Interior Ministry on Sunday (18 November) confirmed plans to facilitate and accelerate deportations of failed asylum-seekers along with those who should have their asylum requests processed in another EU country under the so-called Dublin rules. According to the European Union’s Dublin …

People from Germany’s list of “safe” countries rarely have the right to asylum. Keith Walker and Timothy Jones of Deutsche Welle look at what the list means for asylum-seekers in Germany. Germany’s constitution defines as “safe countries of origin” the ones “in which, on the basis of their laws, enforcement practices and general political conditions, it can be safely concluded …

There are plenty of jobs, training programs and internships in German firms, designed specifically for migrants and refugees. Here is a list of some of the places that you might be able to find work or training compiled by Emma Wallis/InfoMigrants. The German Employment Agency 1) The best place to start if you are looking for a job or training …

German authorities report an increasing number of asylum-seekers and refugees travelling abroad without knowing that they might not be allowed to do so. We’ve compiled a list of what rules and restrictions apply to various groups of these migrants. Sertan Sanderson/InfoMigrants reports. Many refugees spent weeks and months on their journeys to Europe travelling through several countries and facing countless …

The UN migration agency has launched a radio series in Nigeria to sensitise vulnerable people seeking to pursue economic opportunities abroad on the perils of irregular migration. The International Organisation of Migration (IOM) said no fewer than 37,550 Nigerians arrived on Italian shores in 2016 while many went missing or died. The UN agency warned that migration done outside the …

The International Organization for Migration has reported that 1,857 irregular migrants died while trying to reach Europe by sea so far this year. The UN agency also said that 94,676 migrants and refugees reached Europe by crossing the Mediterranean in 2018, while over 13,000 were repatriated from Libya to their home countries as part of the Voluntary Humanitarian Return (VHR) …

Christ Wamba fled Congo Brazzaville in 2015 and arrived at the Moria refugee camp on the Greek island of Lesbos a few months later. There, he had only one goal: to become a professional basketball player. His gamble paid off: today he is a member of Aris Thessaloniki, a renowned Greek basketball club. Leslie Carretero reports. “I wasn’t planning to …

Benin City in Nigeria’s south is a hub for illegal migration in West Africa. That’s why the German international broadcaster Deutsche Welle (DW), within the framework of its 77 Percent youth project, held a town hall debate on 18 October. DW’s Maja Braun was there and she sums up the event. Aigbe Omoregie is one of those who made it. …