Author: RACHAEL ADEEGBE

A Syrian migrant who was convicted in Germany of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl is now trying to stop his deportation from the United Kingdom, arguing that sending him back would violate his human rights. Azizadeen Alsheikh Suliman, 31, fled Germany after his conviction and later entered the UK illegally by small boat, where he claimed asylum. Suliman first left Syria after being injured and later settled in Germany, where he sought refuge and built a life. However, in 2022, he was convicted in the German city of Osnabrück for sexually assaulting a teenage girl. Court records show that he…

The family of a 35-year-old Mauritanian migrant worker who died while in police custody in Paris has accused French officers of killing him, adding to growing public anger over alleged cases of police brutality in the country. El Hacen Diarra died overnight from Wednesday to Thursday after being arrested near the migrant dormitory where he lived. His relatives insist that police violence caused his death and are demanding an independent judicial investigation, rather than an internal police probe. According to his brother, Ibrahima Diarra, El Hacen had been sitting outside the dormitory drinking coffee when he encountered police officers late…

More than 370 Afghan migrant families returned to Afghanistan on Monday, January 19, 2026, according to Taliban-controlled media reports. The returns reflect a continuing wave of migration back to Afghanistan, as families leave neighbouring countries such as Iran and Pakistan. The Taliban-run Bakhtar News Agency provided details of the returnees, reporting that one family crossed via Pul-e Abrasham in Nimroz, two families through Islam Qala in Herat, 31 families via Spin Boldak in Kandahar, 330 families through Torkham in Nangarhar, and nine families via Bahramcha in Helmand. The United Nations has raised concerns over the welfare of returnees, noting that…

An aid ship has rescued 44 migrants, including several Pakistani nationals, from a distressed boat off the coast of Libya, underlining once again the deadly risks faced by people attempting to reach Europe through the central Mediterranean route. According to humanitarian sources, the migrants were found at sea in unsafe conditions, travelling on a vessel that was overcrowded and unfit for the journey. Aid workers intervened before the situation turned fatal, bringing all 44 people safely on board and providing them with urgent medical assistance, food and water. The group was reported to include migrants from different countries, with Pakistanis…

All 30,000 places allocated for seasonal agricultural migrant workers in Italy for 2026 were filled within a single day, highlighting the country’s strong dependence on foreign labour to support its farming sector. The rapid uptake followed Italy’s first “click day” of the year, when employers were allowed to submit applications for seasonal workers under the government’s official quota system. The result was described as a major success by Coldiretti, Italy’s main agricultural association, which has long complained that previous quotas were too small and slow to be released. In past years, many farmers struggled to secure enough workers in time…

Latvia has presented new evidence claiming that Belarus is actively involved in organising and directing illegal migrant crossings into the European Union. Latvian authorities say the evidence shows that Belarusian military and law enforcement units are helping migrants reach and cross the Latvian border, adding weight to long-standing accusations that Minsk is using migration as a political weapon against the EU. In a statement released on Thursday, January 15, Latvia’s Ministry of Defence said information gathered by the National Armed Forces and the State Border Guard confirms the direct involvement of Belarusian state structures. According to the ministry, recorded incidents…

A company responsible for transporting prisoners across Scotland has been linked to a US multinational involved in controversial immigration enforcement under former US President Donald Trump. GEOAmey, which runs Scotland’s prisoner escort service, is partly owned by the GEO Group, a major private prison company in the United States with long-standing ties to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). GEOAmey currently holds a £240 million contract to escort prisoners in Scotland until January 2027. While the company operates in the UK as a joint venture, its parent firm, GEO Group, has donated money to Donald Trump and is deeply involved…

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is set to raise the issue of migrant returns when he meets Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Berlin next Tuesday, according to a German government spokesperson. The talks will also focus on Syria’s political transition following years of civil war and international isolation. The spokesperson said Germany is interested in rebuilding relations with Syria and opening a new chapter with the country’s new leadership. One of the key issues Berlin wants to discuss is the possible return of Syrians currently living in Germany to their home country, especially as Syria begins a new political phase. Germany…

The trial over the delayed rescue operations linked to the deadly 2023 migrant boat shipwreck off the coast of Cutro in southern Italy has been postponed before it could officially begin. The case was delayed on January 14 after a change in the panel of judges assigned to hear the trial, according to Italian media reports. The shipwreck happened in February 2023 near Steccato di Cutro in the Calabria region. The boat, named Summer Love, was carrying migrants when it sank close to the Italian coast. At least 94 people lost their lives in the tragedy, including 35 children. Some…

A Greek court has cleared a group of 24 humanitarian workers who were accused of migrant smuggling for their role in search and rescue operations on the island of Lesvos. The ruling, delivered on Thursday evening by the Lesvos Court of Appeal, brings an end to more than seven years of legal uncertainty for the defendants. The humanitarian workers had been charged with serious crimes, including belonging to a criminal organisation, helping migrants enter Greece illegally, and money laundering. The charges covered activities that took place between 2016 and 2021, a period when migrant arrivals to Greece were high. If…