Author: RACHAEL ADEEGBE

Seven people have been arrested across Greece, Bulgaria and the Netherlands in a coordinated European operation targeting a suspected migrant smuggling network allegedly responsible for at least 12 incidents, according to Europol. The European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation said five suspects were arrested in Greece, while one was detained in Bulgaria and another in the Netherlands during the operation on July 16. Investigators allege that the criminal network transported migrants through the Balkans using a combination of rented, stolen and fraudulently registered vehicles. Europol has linked the suspects to at least 12 migrant smuggling incidents between February and…

Non-EU migrants working across the European Union remain significantly more likely than nationals to hold temporary contracts or work part-time, although the employment gap has narrowed over the past decade, according to recent Eurostat data. The findings show that citizenship and immigration status continue to influence the type and stability of employment available to migrants across Europe. Between 2015 and 2025, non-EU citizens aged 20 to 64 consistently recorded the highest rate of temporary employment compared with nationals and citizens from other EU countries. In 2025, approximately 22.1% of non-EU citizens in employment held temporary contracts, compared with 12.4% of…

At least 144 migrants are feared dead or missing after two boats travelling from West Africa towards the Canary Islands encountered difficulties in the Atlantic, while Mauritanian authorities have rescued more than 200 people from separate vessels, according to the UN refugee agency, UNHCR. The latest incidents have renewed concerns about the growing dangers of the Atlantic migration route from West Africa to Spain’s Canary Islands, one of the world’s most perilous migration corridors. The first rescue operation began after Mauritanian authorities received an alert about a boat carrying approximately 160 people that had departed from Bufaloto in The Gambia.…

A court in Bavaria has sentenced a man to seven years in prison for his role in a migrant smuggling network that transported people into Germany under dangerous conditions. The Regional Court in Landshut also ordered the confiscation of €12,000 in criminal proceeds following the conviction. According to the court, the defendant was involved in nine smuggling operations after joining a network in the summer of 2023. The group reportedly transported migrants from Hungary into Germany and worked with a Serbian organisation that initially moved people from other countries to Budapest. Prosecutors described the defendant as one of the network’s…

More than 160,000 foreign nationals have left South Africa over the past two months amid escalating anti-migrant unrest and fears of violence, according to an AFP tally based on repatriation figures released by governments across Africa. The departures come after weeks of protests targeting undocumented migrants, with some demonstrations turning violent and reportedly resulting in the deaths of several foreign nationals. Zimbabwe and Malawi recorded the largest numbers of citizens returning home, while nationals from Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Mozambique, Nigeria and Uganda have also left South Africa amid growing security concerns. Zimbabwe’s government said 108,366 Zimbabweans had returned home as…

Mexico has intensified its opposition to President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown by launching legal action over the deaths of Mexican nationals linked to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations, positioning itself as the strongest critic of the administration’s enforcement policies in Latin America. President Claudia Sheinbaum announced that her government will seek investigations into the deaths of 17 Mexican citizens who have died during ICE operations or while in immigration detention. The cases will be pursued through the U.S. Department of Justice, state prosecutors in the jurisdictions where the deaths occurred, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human…

Portugal’s stricter immigration policies are intensifying labour shortages in the construction industry, threatening efforts to address the country’s severe housing shortage and complete major infrastructure projects. Construction companies and industry groups say recent immigration restrictions have significantly reduced the flow of foreign workers, who make up about 30% of the sector’s workforce. The shortage comes as Portugal pushes to build 150,000 affordable homes by 2030 under a €9 billion European Union-backed housing programme. One worker affected by the policy changes is Angolan bricklayer Jose Simao, who moved to Portugal in 2022 under the country’s previous immigration rules. Although he is…

More than 500 people are feared dead after two boats carrying mostly Rohingya refugees reportedly capsized off Myanmar’s coast, prompting the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) to call for urgent regional action to prevent further maritime tragedies. In a joint statement issued on 16 July, the UN agencies said preliminary information indicates the vessels departed Myanmar’s Rakhine State in late June, carrying predominantly Rohingya passengers. Some of those on board are believed to have travelled from refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. According to the agencies, one boat carrying about 250 people lost contact…

China’s rapid industrial expansion has long relied on millions of migrant workers, but reports have highlighted the heavy human cost borne by many employees working in the country’s manufacturing hubs. In Guangdong Province, one of China’s largest industrial centres, tens of thousands of migrant workers are reportedly injured in workplace accidents each year, with many facing long legal battles to secure compensation and medical treatment. One widely reported case involved Ou Changqun, a factory worker who lost an arm in an industrial accident. According to reports, she had not signed a formal labour contract with her employer, leaving her responsible…

The European Union’s border agency, Frontex, is facing renewed scrutiny over its continued operations in Greece following allegations that it has failed to act on repeated warnings about serious violations of migrants’ fundamental rights. An investigation by Le Monde says Frontex’s Fundamental Rights Office (FRO) has documented numerous incidents involving the treatment of migrants in Greece, raising questions about why the agency has continued its mission despite internal concerns. One of the incidents highlighted occurred in May 2025 near the Greek island of Samos, where a rubber dinghy carrying 43 migrants, including more than a dozen children, reportedly suffered engine…