Author: RACHAEL ADEEGBE

Since the Taliban’s ban on girls attending secondary school and university on September 18, 2021, over 40 Afghan girls have relocated to Rwanda to pursue their education. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) announced on June 14, 2024, that these students began their studies in Rwanda in early 2023, marking a significant milestone in their educational journey. Despite the Taliban’s prohibition leaving over a million girls without access to education, this relocation initiative offers a beacon of hope. The IOM’s Chief of Mission in Rwanda, Ash Carl, emphasized that the success of these girls demonstrates the transformative power of education,…

The Canary Islands have experienced a significant increase in migrant landings, with 1,800 individuals arriving between June 1 and June 15, 2024. This spike follows a brief period of decreased activity and has raised the total number of migrants reaching the Spanish archipelago in the Atlantic to 18,977 since the start of the year. This figure represents 78.5% of the total irregular entries into Spain during the same period, as reported by the Spanish Interior Ministry on June 17. The latest arrivals predominantly consist of migrants from Africa, marking a resurgence after a few weeks of relative calm. The data…

Spanish police have successfully dismantled a criminal organization involved in distributing fake work permits to migrants. In a nationwide operation, authorities have arrested 110 individuals suspected of selling falsified work contracts to migrants lacking proper documentation. These migrants paid around 3,000 euros on average for these fraudulent permits to regularize their status in Spain. The operation began last week in the town of Alicante, in southeastern Spain, with the assistance of local media outlet TodoAlicante. Among those arrested, 27 were women. The suspects are accused of selling fake work contracts, allowing migrants to present these documents to Spanish authorities to…

German lawmakers are currently engaged in discussions with Uzbekistan regarding a potential agreement to deport Afghan nationals back to Kabul via a stopover in Tashkent, according to an exclusive report published by the German magazine Spiegel. The discussions have gained prominence following an incident on May 31, where an Afghan man allegedly fatally stabbed a police officer in Mannheim, Germany, sparking debates over the deportation of Afghan criminal offenders without negotiations with the Taliban. Germany has maintained a ban on deportations to Afghanistan since the Taliban’s takeover of Kabul in August 2021. Spiegel’s report, published on June 16, reveals that…

Between June 1, 2023, and May 31, 2024, nearly 95,000 migrants were received at the hotspot on the Italian island of Lampedusa. This figure, provided by the head of the Italian branch of the Red Cross, underscores the island’s critical role in managing the ongoing migrant crisis. The hotspot, managed by the Red Cross since the previous year, handled a total of 94,290 migrants during this period. Of the migrants received, 72.4% were men, 9.4% were women, and 18.2% were minors. The operations included 2,264 disembarkations, with an average of 698 people present daily, who stayed for about 2.67 days…

Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch (HRW) have called for significant advancements in the investigation into the shipwreck of an overcrowded trawler off the coast of the Greek town of Pylos, which remains in the preliminary phase even a year after the tragic incident. The shipwreck, which occurred on June 14, 2023, involved the Adriana, an overcrowded boat carrying approximately 750 people from Syria, Pakistan, and Egypt. Only 104 people survived the disaster, while 82 bodies were recovered, of which only 58 have been identified. Tragically, over 500 people remain missing. The investigation, conducted by a Greek Naval Court, is…

A significant migrant smuggling syndicate was dismantled recently with the arrest of two Malaysian men and 33 illegal immigrants in Kelantan. The arrests were part of a coordinated effort led by Immigration Director-General Datuk Ruslin Jusoh, following a series of raids in Kubang Kerian and Lembah Sireh, Kota Baru, on June 10. The operation involved 19 members of the Special Tactical Unit (Pastak) along with the Kelantan Immigration border risk unit. Acting on a tip-off, the team raided a transit house and apprehended four Bangladeshi nationals. In addition to these arrests, the team detained a Thai woman and two Indian…

In a series of quiet but significant moves, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials have transferred dozens of detainees from the Otay Mesa Detention Center in San Diego to out-of-state facilities. This abrupt relocation has severed many detainees from their attorneys, potentially delaying their asylum cases and straining their connections with families. Among those transferred is Jamal Forbes, a 21-year-old from Belize, who now finds himself in Texas. Forbes had a strong support system in Los Angeles, with family visiting him regularly while he was detained in San Diego. The transfers have left him isolated, adding to the stress of…

In the past two days, 5,665 Afghan migrants deported by Pakistan and Iran have returned home, according to a report by the Taliban-run Ministry of Refugees. This large movement of people highlights the ongoing problems faced by Afghan migrants in neighboring countries. The ministry’s statement detailed that 4,881 migrants returned from Iran through the Silk Path in Nimroz, Afghanistan. These returnees included entire families, showing the broad impact of these deportations on Afghan society. Additionally, 775 migrants deported from Pakistan came back to Afghanistan through the Torkham crossing, with 149 families among them. This latest wave of deportations comes after…

On June 12 2024, the migrant rescue vessel Ocean Viking, operated by the NGO SOS Méditerranée, safely offloaded 64 migrants at the Tuscan port of Marina di Carrara. The ship arrived at 7:15 a.m., having rescued the migrants on June 8 within the Libyan search and rescue zone in the southern Mediterranean. Among the 64 migrants were 12 unaccompanied minors, all aged over 14, predominantly from sub-Saharan Africa. Others hailed from Bangladesh, Syria, and Pakistan, with no women among them. Health checks and necessary transfers were meticulously organized by the prefecture of Massa Carrara. Upon arrival, the migrants underwent identification…