Author: RACHAEL ADEEGBE

Singapore will ban the use of caged lorries to transport workers from 2027, marking a major policy shift after years of debate over road safety and migrant worker protection. The announcement was made in parliament on March 4 by Senior Minister of State for Transport Sun Xueling during the Ministry of Transport’s budget debate. She said the decision was driven by safety concerns, particularly in cases where lorry cage doors are latched or locked from the outside, preventing workers from escaping during accidents or fires. According to the Ministry of Transport (MOT) and the Land Transport Authority (LTA), between 500…

The Ministry of Migrant Workers Protection in Jakarta has begun preparing evacuation scenarios for Indonesian migrant workers in the Middle East following rising tensions involving the United States, Israel, and Iran. Minister Mukhtarudin said the government is simulating evacuation plans and considering suspending worker placements in high-risk areas. According to him, these preventive steps are necessary to anticipate further escalation of the conflict. “We have prepared various scenarios, including evacuation and restricted placements. All steps are based on factual information, diplomatic coordination, and precautionary principles,” Mukhtarudin said in a written statement on March 3, 2026. Since tensions increased at the…

The Welcoming Association, a Scottish charity based in Edinburgh, is helping refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants from more than 130 nationalities build new lives in Scotland. Founded in 1999, the organisation provides a wide range of services, including free English classes, employability support, home energy advice, and a community fridge. However, one of its most unique initiatives is its “friendship groups,” designed to tackle loneliness and isolation among New Scots. Speaking to The National, CEO Tesfahun Gessesse explained that the befriending programme offers something that formal services often cannot: a real social connection. Many people arriving in Scotland have left…

Undocumented migrant farmworkers in California and Oregon say they are living in growing fear as immigration enforcement intensifies under President Donald Trump. Speaking anonymously to Newsweek, three farmworkers described constant anxiety over increased activity by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) near their homes, workplaces, and even schools. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), nearly half of the 2.4 million agricultural workers in the United States lack legal immigration status. The current enforcement push is part of a broader crackdown led by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which reports that close to 3 million undocumented immigrants have…

Germany is stepping up efforts to strengthen migrant employment as new research and policy updates highlight both progress and ongoing challenges. The German Bundestag recently published an evaluation of the Skilled Immigration Act, introduced in 2023 to attract qualified professionals from outside the EU and improve their integration into the labour market. The Skilled Immigration Act introduced measures such as the “opportunity card,” allowing non-EU citizens to enter Germany to search for work, and the “experience pillar,” targeting applicants with strong work experience but non-recognised degrees. Between June 2024 and November 2025, German missions issued 17,489 opportunity cards and 838…

The European Union (EU) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) have reaffirmed their commitment to stronger migration cooperation in 2026. The agreement was reached during their 12th Senior Officials Meeting held in Brussels, as both sides discussed how to better manage migration amid growing global challenges. The meeting took place at a time when migration routes are becoming more complex due to regional conflicts, humanitarian crises, and increasing loss of life along dangerous paths. With limited global resources, both organisations stressed the need for deeper cooperation to ensure migration is handled in a safe, humane, and well-organised manner. The…

Greece has detained nearly 300 migrants under a new law that makes illegal entry, exit, and residence a criminal offence. The law, in effect from September to December 2025, has led to a sharp increase in prosecutions, with prosecutors in Hania and Iraklio filing around 200 cases. By the end of the year, more than 800 cases had been filed across the country. Those convicted under the law face up to two years in prison without the possibility of suspension unless they agree to voluntary return. Migrants who do not accept voluntary return remain in pre-removal detention centers while awaiting…

Spain has announced an extraordinary migrant regularisation that could benefit around 500,000 people nationwide, including between 120,000 and 150,000 in Catalonia. The measure was approved by the Government of Spain through a royal decree after a citizen-led initiative gathered more than 700,000 signatures. The application window will open in April 2026 and close on June 30, 2026, granting successful applicants provisional residence and work authorisation for one year, with the possibility of moving into Spain’s standard residence permit system afterward. To qualify, applicants must prove they have lived continuously in Spain for at least five months before December 31, 2025.…

The German Parliament has voted to implement the new Common European Asylum System, introducing stricter migration rules aimed at speeding up asylum decisions and deportations. The reforms are part of a wider European effort to create a more unified asylum system across the bloc, starting from June 12. EU member states agreed on the policy in May 2024, but each country can adjust how it applies the rules in national law. Germany’s governing coalition debated the measures on February 27 and passed two key laws to strengthen its migration framework, with one requiring final approval from the Bundesrat. Under the…

More than 300 migrant children have died in the Mediterranean Sea since the deadly 2023 shipwreck off Steccato di Cutro, according to Save the Children. Marking the third anniversary of the tragedy, the organisation said the figure is a conservative estimate, averaging about 100 child deaths per year since the disaster. The Cutro shipwreck occurred on the night of February 25–26, 2023, when 94 people, including men, women, and children, died just metres from the shore in southern Italy. The tragedy shocked the country as images showed children’s toys washed up on the beach. At the time, leaders promised “never…