Author: RACHAEL ADEEGBE

On Monday, August 5, 2024, the Turkish Coast Guard rescued 59 irregular migrants in the Aegean Sea, including 23 who had been pushed back by Greek authorities. The rescue operation took place off the coast of Karaburun in western Izmir province. The migrants were discovered drifting on a rubber boat that had been forcibly pushed into Turkish territorial waters by Greece. Among the 23 rescued migrants, there were 10 children. The Turkish Coast Guard also saved a separate group of 36 irregular migrants, including 12 children, whose boat’s engine had failed near Izmir’s Dikili district. The rescued migrants have been…

South African police have rescued 90 Ethiopian migrants who were being held against their will in a property in Johannesburg. This rescue operation was carried out on Sunday when police were searching for a person reported to have been kidnapped. During the search, they discovered the Ethiopian migrants who were locked in small rooms. The migrants were believed to have been trafficked illegally. Two suspects were arrested on suspicion of kidnapping and human trafficking. The person who was reported kidnapped was also found and rescued. The Ethiopian migrants were taken to a hospital for medical care, and the suspects are…

In the United Kingdom, violence broke out over the weekend due to false rumors about a mass stabbing at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class that resulted in the deaths of three children. This misinformation led to clashes between rioters and police at a hotel housing asylum seekers in Rotherham. Reports indicate that while properties were damaged, no employees or guests at the Holiday Inn Express in Rotherham were injured. However, the riots left at least 10 police officers injured. Photos captured intense confrontations between police and protesters, which Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned as “far-right thuggery.” Prime Minister Keir Starmer…

The United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) has criticized Cypriot authorities for pushing back asylum seekers to the UN buffer zone, despite repeated objections. Aleem Siddique, UNFICYP spokesperson, told the Cyprus News Agency (CNA) that “dozens of asylum seekers” have been denied access to asylum procedures in recent days. Many were reportedly intercepted in government-controlled areas and transferred to the buffer zone by Cyprus Police. “We are not border guards,” Siddique stated, emphasizing the urgent need for action. He noted that those trapped within the buffer zone face “appalling humanitarian conditions.” The UN official stressed that effective access to…

The bodies of 13 Kurdish migrants who tragically drowned off the coast of Italy on June 17, 2024, will be returned to Erbil on Friday afternoon. Saleem Pasha, head of immigrant affairs at the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Department of Foreign Relations, informed Kurdistan24 that this process was initiated based on the recommendation of Prime Minister Masrour Barzani. A special committee was formed to manage the repatriation, comprising members from the Interior Ministry and the Foreign Relations Office. Pasha explained that DNA samples were taken to Italy, where the Italian government was able to identify the 13 bodies. The Ministry…

On Friday August 2, 2024, , Lithuanian police detained forty irregular migrants in Utena County after they crossed the border from Latvia. The arrests took place when the police intercepted two vans in the town of Daugailiai and the village of Vaikutenai. These vehicles were carrying a total of 43 migrants. The operation, detailed by the Baltic News Service, involved a coordinated effort by the Utena District Police to halt the illegal entry of migrants into Lithuania. Upon stopping the two vans, officers discovered the 43 individuals who had entered the country without proper documentation. Unfortunately, three of these migrants…

The Spanish National Police (Policía Nacional), with the support of Europol, successfully dismantled an organized crime network responsible for smuggling migrants from Algeria to Spain using fast boats. This operation has significantly disrupted the illegal movement of migrants within the EU. On June 4 and 5, 2024, police conducted searches at nine locations, resulting in 21 arrests. Thirteen suspects were apprehended in Madrid, five in Almeria, and one each in Guipuzcoa, Málaga, and Murcia. Authorities also seized important documents, electronic equipment, and cash during the raids. Investigations revealed that migrants, mostly Syrian and Algerian nationals, paid up to EUR 20,000…

Amnesty International has described the EU-funded Closed Controlled Access Center (CCAC) on the Greek island of Samos as a “dystopian nightmare.” Their report highlights several serious issues in the camp, including sub-standard living conditions and the unlawful detention of migrants. The organization claims that migrants face significant obstacles in accessing basic services and are subjected to systematic arbitrary detention. On July 30, Amnesty International published a briefing on the conditions in the Samos CCAC. The report alleges that the living conditions in the camp are below acceptable standards and that some migrants are being detained unlawfully. The organization also noted…

Two suspects connected to the FETO terrorist organization and 23 irregular migrants were arrested in Edirne, Türkiye, as they tried to flee illegally to Greece. The counterterrorism branch of the Provincial Security Directorate stopped a minibus near the border gate after receiving a tip-off. During the search, authorities found the two FETO suspects and 23 irregular migrants on board, ready to cross the border. They also discovered and seized two boats that were with the suspects, which were likely intended for the illegal crossing. The irregular migrants were taken to the Provincial Directorate of Migration Management after completing necessary procedures…

Amnesty International recently released a report detailing severe human rights abuses at a refugee centre on Samos, a Greek island near Turkey. The centre, intended to be a flagship project of the European Commission under the Pact on Migration and Asylum, has been found lacking in many respects. Amnesty International has long monitored conditions in the Aegean islands. The promise of new centres following the destruction of Moria camp spurred their interest in assessing the actual improvements. In early 2021, issues began to emerge at the Samos centre, with some asylum seekers being unlawfully detained. This situation prompted Amnesty to…