Author: RACHAEL ADEEGBE

Germany has introduced stricter migration policies that are affecting several groups of migrants. Ukrainian refugees will now receive lower welfare benefits, Afghan asylum seekers face tougher entry rules, and deportations have increased significantly this year. Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt stated that the government aims to prevent abuses of the asylum system. He announced tighter border controls, increased turn-backs at borders, and suspended family reunification for migrants with temporary protection. “My course is very tough,” he told Deutsche Welle, stressing that Germany is taking a firm approach to migration. Between January and October 2025, Germany deported 19,538 people, around 20 percent…

Residents of Crowborough in East Sussex have staged protests against government plans to house 540 male asylum seekers at the local Crowborough Training Camp. During a Sunday march, demonstrators were encouraged to stop paying their council tax as a form of protest, highlighting their frustration with the decision. The Ministry of Defence has made the barracks available to the Home Office as part of a wider plan to close asylum hotels across the UK. The demonstration was the second of three planned by local residents with support from the Crowborough Shield campaign group. Sussex Police confirmed that the protest was…

Greece is planning discussions with African countries to establish “migrant return hubs” for hosting rejected asylum seekers, Migration Minister Thanos Plevris said on Wednesday. This move aligns Greece with similar initiatives already underway in other European Union nations. Once a main entry point for migrants during the 2015–2016 crisis, Greece has seen arrivals decline in recent years. However, the Aegean islands of Crete and Gavdos — the closest to the African coast — have recently experienced an increase in migrants coming from North Africa. Plevris told Greek public broadcaster ERT that the Greek government has already discussed the proposal with…

The political space in the UK became very active today as different party leaders reacted to issues around the economy, migration, taxes and public trust. Reform UK’s Zia Yusuf said many business people feel the UK is now “uninvestible”, adding that his party wants net migration reduced to zero while still keeping space for skilled workers. He explained that immigration helped his own family and insisted that Reform has no links to Russia after a former party figure was jailed over a bribery case. Yusuf also said the UK must stop pushing investors away and remove barriers that make it…

Human Rights Watch has asked the Tunisian government to drop the charges against a group of aid workers who help migrants and refugees. The organisation says the case is part of a growing effort to silence and punish groups that support vulnerable people. According to Human Rights Watch, Tunisia is trying to “criminalise legitimate work” done by organisations like the Tunisian Refugee Council. The aid workers on trial belong to the Tunisian Refugee Council, which works closely with the UN refugee agency UNHCR. Their job has been to screen asylum applications and provide basic support to people fleeing danger. Tunisian…

A far-right group in Glasgow is planning a protest against an English class designed to help refugee and asylum seeker families. The group, known as the Spartan Child Protection Team, says they will gather at Dalmarnock Primary School on Monday, where the school provides English lessons for parents who are not native speakers. Videos posted online show members of the group already filming around the school and speaking with parents to convince them to keep their children at home during the protest. The protest is being led by Alex Cairnie, a man known locally for confronting suspected offenders, and right-wing…

Many Zimbabwean migrant workers in Ireland are struggling with long and painful waits to reunite with their families, due to strict family reunification rules. One of them is Bethal Muzaya, who moved to Ireland three years ago to work as a healthcare assistant. She secured stable accommodation and began working with autistic children under the General Employment Permit. After a year, she applied for a family reunification visa for her husband and two children, but the application was refused. She appealed the decision and has now been waiting 18 months with no update. Her situation became even more heartbreaking in…

Local councillors in East Sussex have started a legal challenge to stop the Home Office from housing 600 asylum seekers at an army camp in Crowborough. The plan has caused strong reactions in the community since it was first announced in October, leading to protests, petitions, and public pressure for local leaders to take action. Many residents say they fear the impact on local services, safety, and the general character of the town. On Thursday, Wealden District Council served a Planning Contravention Notice on the Home Office. The notice formally demands that the Home Office explain exactly what building work…

New data from Eurostat shows that the European Union issued 540,445 first-time residence permits to non-EU children under 18 years old in 2024. This number includes minors who entered the EU for various reasons, such as joining family members, seeking protection, or education. The figures highlight how different EU countries manage migration involving children and which nations issue the most permits compared to their population size. A large majority of the residence permits were issued for family-related reasons. Around two-thirds of all permits, a total of 356,554, were granted so children could reunite with their families or join relatives already…

A group of migrant women and children from sub-Saharan Africa has been detained in Tunisia after being arrested for begging in Tunis. The incident, which took place last week, has been described by civil society organisations as unusual and very worrying because it exposes the families to possible expulsion toward the Libyan border. Many rights groups say this would violate international law and put the migrants in danger. The case began on 13 November when a 26-year-old man from Sierra Leone returned home from work and discovered his wife and their one-year-old daughter missing. He searched everywhere and only found…