Author: RACHAEL ADEEGBE

At least 39 people have died after a boat carrying migrants to Europe capsized off the coast of Gambia on New Year’s Eve, according to government officials who spoke to Reuters. The tragedy happened along one of the world’s deadliest migration routes, used by many West Africans trying to reach Spain through the Canary Islands. Gambia’s Defence Ministry earlier reported that only seven people had died, but officials later confirmed that the death toll has risen sharply. They said the boat was badly overcrowded and in poor condition. Survivors described it as old and unsafe, with too many people on…

The Election Commission has announced that migrant workers from West Bengal who are living and working in other states will be allowed to take part in Special Intensive Revision (SIR) hearings online. This decision is expected to bring relief to around 22 lakh migrant workers who are registered as voters in Bengal but cannot travel home for physical verification. According to officials, migrant workers who are digitally skilled will not need to attend the SIR hearing camps in person. Instead, they will be able to submit their documents online through a new portal that is yet to be launched. The…

The Trump administration says it is committed to protecting unaccompanied migrant children from trafficking and abuse. However, a new investigation has revealed that for the past three months, some migrant teenage boys have been locked inside a high-security juvenile detention facility in Pennsylvania that has a long record of physical and sexual abuse claims involving staff. The facility, Abraxas Academy in Morgantown, Pennsylvania, is known for holding juveniles charged with or convicted of serious crimes. State inspection records show at least 15 cases since 2013 where staff were accused of physically abusing children. There have also been multiple allegations of…

Hungary’s government has stated that its migration policy is working well and will remain unchanged. György Bakondi, the prime minister’s chief domestic security adviser, stated during an interview on Hungary’s public television channel M1. He said the policy has protected the country and served Hungary’s national interest. Bakondi said many decisions taken by the European Union go against the interests of European citizens. He mentioned EU policies on war, energy, and migration as examples. In contrast, he said Hungary’s migration approach has delivered clear results, and more countries are now starting to admit this. He pointed out that in some…

The United States Department of Homeland Security has announced plans to install more than 500 miles of floating buoys along the Rio Grande to stop migrants from crossing into the country. The announcement was made in McAllen, Texas, as part of President Donald Trump’s renewed border security drive. The plan expands on a strategy first used by the Texas state government. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said that 130 miles of the water barriers are already under contract and installation has begun. She made the statement during a visit to the Rio Grande Valley, where she met with border agents…

Several Republicans in the United States are beginning to question the impact of mass deportations on key industries, as President Donald Trump continues strict border enforcement in the first year of his second term. While the policy has fulfilled campaign promises, it has also created serious labour shortages, especially in construction, agriculture, and hospitality. South Texas Congresswoman Monica De La Cruz has called for legal protection for migrant workers in the construction sector. She is proposing a special visa program similar to the H-2A visa used for agricultural workers. According to her, construction companies in her district are struggling to…

The South Korean government has ordered a nationwide crackdown on the labor exploitation and trafficking of migrant workers, following a sharp rise in abuse cases involving foreign nationals. From January 8 to March 31, the Ministry of Employment and Labor and the Ministry of Justice will carry out joint inspections across the country. The inspections will focus mainly on farms and fisheries that employ seasonal migrant workers, in cooperation with local governments. Officials said this is the first time both ministries are working together on inspections aimed specifically at protecting migrant workers from human trafficking and forced labor. The move…

A Turkish national has been sentenced to 11 years in prison for supplying thousands of small boats and engines used by people smugglers to transport migrants across the English Channel. Authorities say his actions played a major role in many dangerous and deadly crossings. The man, identified as 45-year-old Adem Savas, was also fined €400,000 after being found guilty in a Belgian court. He was arrested in November 2024 after arriving at Schiphol Airport in the Netherlands and later stood trial in Bruges, Belgium. Investigators said Savas supplied inflatable boats and outboard engines to smuggling gangs over several years. The…

A Tunisian court has released a group of humanitarian workers who were accused of helping migrants enter and stay in the country illegally. Among those freed is Sherifa Riahi, the former director of the French NGO Terre d’Asile. The court handed the defendants two-year suspended sentences. By the time the final ruling was delivered, the NGO workers had already spent more than 20 months in prison. Shortly after the hearing, a support group shared a video showing Riahi leaving jail, confirming that her colleagues had also been released. The case involved a total of 23 defendants, including 17 municipal workers…

Crete and the small island of Gavdos are currently among the Greek isles recording the highest number of migrant sea arrivals, despite dangerous winter sea conditions. In recent days, hundreds of migrants have been rescued and transferred to these southern islands, putting renewed pressure on local reception facilities. Early on Wednesday, January 7, Greek authorities discovered a boat carrying 44 migrants on a beach in Gavdos. The group was given first aid, food, and water before being moved to the island’s main port at Karave. Plans are in place to transfer them by ferry to southern Crete. Once in Crete,…