Author: RACHAEL ADEEGBE

Ireland’s population has seen its most significant growth in over a decade, increasing by nearly 99,000 people from April 2023 to April 2024. This rise marks the highest annual population boost since 2008. The Central Statistics Office (CSO) reports that most of this increase, about 79,300 people, came from net migration, while the remaining 19,400 was due to a natural increase of births over deaths. The net migration figure of 79,300 is the highest Ireland has experienced since 2007, when it reached a record level of over 100,000. In the last year, the number of immigrants coming into Ireland was…

Migrant and ethnic communities in Germany are increasingly worried about the growing support for far-right parties, particularly the Alternative for Germany (AfD). This concern comes as recent polls show the AfD leading in the east German states of Thuringia, Saxony, and Brandenburg, where elections will take place in September. The party is known for its strong anti-immigrant stance and has made migration a key issue in its campaign, especially in eastern Germany. These developments have raised alarm among communities that are often the target of discrimination, such as Black Germans and African migrants, who are some of the most visible…

Spanish authorities rescued 136 African migrants from a boat near the Canary Island of El Hierro on Monday, August 26, 2024. The group was found on a vessel attempting to reach Europe and was safely brought to the port of La Restinga by the Spanish sea search and rescue agency. El Hierro, the smallest and most southern of the Canary Islands, is located in the Atlantic Ocean near the coast of Africa. This rescue is part of a continuing effort by Spain to manage the increasing number of migrants trying to reach Europe through the dangerous Atlantic route. Spain’s Prime…

A federal judge in Texas has temporarily stopped a new immigration program introduced by the Biden administration. This program, called “Keeping Families Together,” was designed to protect undocumented spouses of U.S. citizens from deportation. The temporary halt, issued on Monday, is in response to a lawsuit filed by 16 states led by Republican governors. These states are challenging the legality of the program. The “Keeping Families Together” program aimed to help undocumented spouses who have been in the United States for at least ten years. It would have allowed them to work legally in the U.S. and apply for permanent…

A housing support initiative in Portland, Oregon, is offering $30,000 grants to first-time homebuyers who are not U.S. citizens, funded by taxpayers. This program, run by the Hacienda Community Development Corporation (HCDC), is part of the “Camino a Casa” initiative, explicitly designed for individuals who are not American citizens, such as ITIN holders, DACA recipients, refugees, asylees, and green card holders. The program has triggered backlash, with some labeling it as “state-sponsored discrimination.” The grants are funded by Business Oregon, the state’s economic development agency, through the Economic Equity Investment Program (EEIP). This program was created following the passage of…

Carlos, a Venezuelan asylum seeker living in a hotel shelter on the Upper West Side, was stunned when he found a notice under his door on Wednesday night. The letter, issued by the New York City Department of Homeless Services, warned families with children that they could be evicted from their current shelters within 60 days. For Carlos, who has been in the shelter with his 6-year-old daughter for eight months, this notice came as a shock. He asked that his last name not be disclosed to protect his immigration case. This new policy is part of Mayor Eric Adams’…

On the tenth anniversary of civilian sea rescues in the central Mediterranean, the organization Sea-Eye is urging the European Union to take responsibility and create a comprehensive state-run sea rescue system. This call to action comes as the humanitarian crisis in the Mediterranean continues, with thousands of lives lost over the past decade. Civilian sea rescue efforts began on August 25, 2014, when the Migrant Offshore Aid Station (MOAS) became the first civil sea rescue organization to respond to the frequent shipwrecks and deaths in the Mediterranean. However, that same year, the official Italian maritime operation ‘Mare Nostrum’ ended, leaving…

A humanitarian rescue mission was carried out by the Mare Jonio ship in the Mediterranean Sea, saving 182 migrants from dangerous conditions between August 24 and 25, 2024. This mission was organized by Mediterranean Saving Humans, an Italian organization, and the Italian Bishops’ Migrantes foundation. Although this was the eighteenth rescue operation by Mediterranean Saving Humans, it was the first one done together with the Italian Bishops’ foundation. The rescue started on Saturday evening when the Mare Jonio spotted a wooden boat in international waters, about 35 miles off the coast of Tunisia. The boat appeared very unstable, so the…

Spain’s Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez, will begin a three-day visit to West Africa on Tuesday to address the growing issue of migrant arrivals, particularly in the Canary Islands. This visit comes as Spain’s left-wing government faces increasing pressure due to a significant rise in the number of migrants attempting to reach the islands from West Africa. The Spanish coastguard has been busy almost every day, rescuing boats carrying dozens of African migrants towards the Canary Islands, located off the northwest coast of Africa. The increase in migrant arrivals has left the residents of the Canary Islands feeling overlooked by both…

Former Home Secretary Priti Patel has voiced her concerns over the UK’s handling of illegal immigration, criticizing Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and his party’s approach. Recent figures reveal that deportations of illegal migrants have only increased by three percent over the past year, sparking debates about the effectiveness of current immigration policies. Patel argues that the country must enhance its efforts to remove individuals who do not have a legal right to remain in the UK to reduce the financial strain on households and public services. As Home Secretary, Patel introduced several provisions in the Nationality and Borders Act…