Author: RACHAEL ADEEGBE

A total of 78 migrants have been rescued while attempting to cross the English Channel from Belgium, highlighting a growing shift in migration routes towards the United Kingdom. According to French authorities, the rescue operation was carried out by the French Coast Guard after a boat experienced engine failure in the Strait of Dover. The migrants were later brought safely to shore for processing. In a statement, officials said they had received alerts about multiple boat departures and quickly deployed surveillance and rescue teams to monitor the situation. A total of four vessels were involved in the operation, ensuring that…

The Supreme Court of the United States is set to hear a landmark case that could reshape how asylum seekers access protection at the U.S.-Mexico border. The case will determine whether migrants waiting on the Mexican side can legally apply for asylum when they present themselves at official U.S. ports of entry. The legal dispute dates back to a controversial immigration policy introduced during Donald Trump’s administration. Known as the “metering” or “turn back” policy, it allowed officers from Customs and Border Protection to refuse entry to asylum seekers at border crossings, effectively forcing them to wait in Mexico rather…

The rescue vessel Sea-Watch 5 has finally disembarked all rescued migrants in Trapani, Sicily, after a tense standoff with Italy over where the ship should dock. The ship, operated by Sea-Watch, had rescued 93 migrants in distress in the Mediterranean Sea on March 15. However, it was forced to wait for days after Italian authorities initially instructed it to head to a distant port in northern Italy. According to the organization, the remaining 57 migrants were allowed to disembark on March 18 after the crew declared an emergency due to serious health concerns on board. Earlier, 36 people, including minors…

Rwanda has taken legal action against the United Kingdom, demanding more than £100 million over a cancelled migrant resettlement agreement. The case is being heard at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, Netherlands. Hearings began on March 18 and are expected to continue for several days, with a final decision likely to take months. Rwanda argues that the UK failed to meet its obligations under a 2022 migration deal signed during the government of former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. The agreement aimed to send migrants arriving in the UK to Rwanda, where their asylum claims would be processed.…

International Organization for Migration Director General Amy Pope has met with top government officials in Spain to boost cooperation on migration governance and promote safe and legal migration pathways. During her two-day visit to Madrid, Pope held talks with key Spanish leaders, including Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska and Minister of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration Elma Saiz. She also met Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares Bueno and Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation Director Antón Leis. The meetings focused on strengthening the long-standing partnership between Spain and the IOM, especially at a time when migration remains a major issue across…

The United Kingdom has reached a new agreement with Nigeria aimed at making it easier to return migrants who have no legal right to remain in the country. The deal was announced during the official visit of Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who met with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer in London. The visit has been described as historic, marking the first time in decades that a West African leader has made a state visit to the UK. Under the new arrangement, Nigeria will now accept UK-issued identification documents known as “letters” for deportations. This means migrants without valid passports…

Two men have been jailed in the United Kingdom after running a so-called “VIP” migrant smuggling operation using a private yacht to transport people across the English Channel. According to the National Crime Agency, the suspects—Ukrainian nationals Vladyslav C. and Oleksandr Y.—were arrested in July 2025 after authorities intercepted their vessel, named Uforia, as it approached British waters. The yacht had earlier departed from Le Havre in France, following a tip-off from French investigators. Maritime officers tracked the vessel before stopping it near the Isle of Wight and escorting it to Gosport in southern United Kingdom. On board were five…

The Supreme Court of the United States has dealt a temporary setback to Donald Trump’s administration after refusing to immediately end deportation protections for thousands of migrants from Haiti and Syria. In a brief decision, the court agreed to review legal challenges against the administration’s move to cancel Temporary Protected Status (TPS), but ruled that current protections must remain in place while the case continues. This means that about 350,000 Haitians and around 6,000 Syrians will still be allowed to live and work legally in the United States for now. They will also remain protected from deportation until the court…

Berlin’s Justice Senator Felor Badenberg has stopped the use of migrant quotas in public service hiring, saying the policy may be unconstitutional and must be reviewed. The decision relates to Berlin’s “Participation Law,” introduced in 2021 under former mayor Michael Müller. The law was designed to increase the number of people with a migration background working in public sector roles across Berlin. Under the law, public institutions were required to invite candidates with a migration background to job interviews in proportion to their share of the city’s population, which is now over 40 percent. In some cases, applicants with a…

The head of a Norwegian migrant-focused NGO has been arrested in a case that is raising fresh concerns about the criminalization of humanitarian work linked to migration in Europe. Tommy Olsen, founder of Aegean Boat Report, was detained by police in Troms, northern Norway, following a warrant issued by authorities in Greece. The arrest is connected to alleged migrant smuggling activities that date back to 2021. According to the Hellenic Coast Guard, the investigation focuses on two separate incidents that took place in July and August 2021 near the islands of Kos and Farmakonisi in the eastern Aegean Sea. These…