Author: RACHAEL ADEEGBE

The Director General of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Amy Pope, has begun a three-day visit to Libya to draw global attention to the serious dangers migrants face on the Central Mediterranean Route. The visit comes as the world prepares to mark International Migrants Day on December 18 and focuses on the urgent need to protect lives along one of the world’s deadliest migration corridors. The Central Mediterranean Route is one of the most heavily used and dangerous migration routes, with migrants departing mainly from Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, and Egypt in an attempt to reach Europe, especially Italy and…

Reuniting migrant families in the UK is expected to cost British taxpayers about £5.6 billion over the course of their lifetimes, according to new research by the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC). The advisory body said tens of thousands of migrant partners who arrive in the UK each year through family visas place a long-term financial burden on the state, despite contributing positively in their early years. The MAC estimated that more than 40,000 migrant partners are granted family visas every year. Each of them is projected to cost the public purse around £109,000 over their lifetime. While many of these…

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani has highlighted a major decrease in irregular migrant arrivals to Italy, emphasizing the importance of continuing efforts to combat illegal migration. Speaking at the 18th annual conference of ambassadors held at the Italian Foreign Office, La Farnesina, Tajani revealed that irregular arrivals have dropped by nearly 60 percent, thanks to strengthened cooperation with countries of origin and transit. “We have made Africa a priority to reinforce our partnerships with both origin and transit countries. Inter-ministerial cooperation is essential to fight criminal networks and address the root causes of migration in a structured way. The results…

A 20-year-old Afghan man has been sentenced to three years in prison after carrying out a violent attack on a family at a migrant camp in the UK following a disagreement over a football. The incident happened at Chickerell Camp near Weymouth in Dorset and involved a family of five, including three teenage brothers and their parents. The court heard that the attack began after a football was kicked during a game at the camp. An argument followed, and a 15-year-old boy said the ball had been kicked by Nasratullah Wahidi. This accusation angered Wahidi, who then approached the teenager…

Indonesia has sent 1,035 migrant workers abroad as part of activities marking International Migrants Day, observed every year on December 18. The deployment was announced by the Ministry for the Protection of Migrant Workers and reflects the government’s continued commitment to supporting Indonesians working overseas. According to the Minister for the Protection of Migrant Workers, Mukhtarudin, this year’s International Migrants Day is being celebrated under the theme “One Light, Thousands of Stories: Migrant Solidarity for Humanity.” The main event is taking place at Taman Mini Indonesia Indah in East Jakarta and is meant to honor the contribution of Indonesian migrant…

Libyan authorities have deported a group of Somali migrants after finding them in violation of the country’s national laws, according to an official statement released by the Anti-Illegal Migration Agency on Sunday. The agency confirmed that the deported migrants were previously being held at the East Tripoli detention center, where they were kept following their arrest for entering or remaining in the country illegally. The individuals were identified as Somali nationals during routine screening and verification processes carried out by immigration officials. According to the statement, the deportation was conducted in line with court rulings that ordered the migrants’ removal…

A US immigration lawyer in San Antonio is struggling to protect migrant children as former President Donald Trump continues to change policies affecting unaccompanied minors. The situation has created fear and uncertainty for children placed in foster care after crossing the US border alone. Late one night during the Labor Day weekend, two teenage boys from Guatemala were suddenly ordered to return to a government shelter without explanation. The foster mother caring for them was given no clear reason and was left in tears as the boys were taken away. The children feared they would be deported and lose their…

Italy’s Interior Minister, Matteo Piantedosi, says new European Union migration regulations will allow countries to process asylum claims and deport migrants within 28 to 30 days, instead of the years it currently takes. Speaking on December 13 at the Atreju political event in Rome, organised by the ruling party Fratelli d’Italia, Piantedosi said the new rules mark a major turning point in how Europe handles irregular migration. According to him, countries that first receive migrants, such as Italy and Greece, will now be able to quickly decide who qualifies for asylum and who should be expelled. He said this would…

A Zimbabwean migrant who spent 14 years living in the UK despite a long record of robbery and violent offences is now facing deportation after losing his final human-rights appeal. The man, who arrived in Britain at age 11 to join his mother, committed his first robbery at just 16 and went on to build a troubling criminal history that included robbing schoolchildren, burglary, drug offences, and a violent attack on a bus driver. Tribunal documents revealed that he repeatedly targeted young victims on the street, stealing phones and credit cards in what a judge described as “cowardly and nasty”…

Poland has discovered another underground tunnel used by migrants to cross illegally from Belarus, making it the fourth one found in 2025. The latest tunnel was uncovered near the village of Narewka in the Podlaskie region, and officials say it had already been used by more than 180 migrants before authorities intervened. So far, over 130 people have been detained, while the search for others is still going on. The tunnel, which was about 1.5 metres high, ran several dozen metres under the border fence and a nearby service road. Officials revealed that its entrance was hidden inside a forest…