Author: RACHAEL ADEEGBE

The United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child has accused France of committing serious and systematic violations of the rights of unaccompanied migrant children. In a report released on October 16, the committee said France had failed to protect vulnerable minors who were left homeless, deprived of care, and living in degrading conditions that violate human dignity. According to the report, many of these children were wrongly treated as adults because of unreliable age assessment procedures. These assessments, the committee said, were often based only on physical appearance or questionable medical tests and were carried out without the…

Belgium and Morocco have taken a major step to strengthen their diplomatic and migration ties. Both countries signed a new bilateral agreement that allows Belgium to return more irregular migrants with criminal records to Morocco, while Belgium has officially endorsed Morocco’s autonomy plan for Western Sahara. This development follows the approach of countries like France, Germany, the United States, and the European Union, which have all backed Morocco’s plan. The agreement marks a fresh effort to fix one of Belgium’s biggest challenges in its asylum policy — sending back people staying illegally after serving prison sentences. According to reports by…

Across the United States, Catholic organizations came together on October 22 for a national day of prayer and public witness in support of immigrants. The event, titled “One Church, One Family: Catholic Public Witness for Immigrants,” took place outside several U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) offices, including in Washington, D.C. It was organized as a peaceful act of faith to call attention to the struggles faced by immigrant families under the Trump administration’s renewed immigration policies. The vigils were organized by a coalition of Catholic groups, including Jesuits West Province, Jesuit Refugee Service USA, the Ignatian Solidarity Network, Maryknoll,…

The United Kingdom has announced new sanctions on Balkan-based criminal gangs and financiers accused of organizing illegal migrant crossings into the country. The move targets groups believed to be running smuggling routes through the Western Balkans and facilitating dangerous small-boat journeys across the English Channel. According to the UK Foreign Office, the sanctions include asset freezes and travel bans on individuals and organizations directly linked to illegal migration networks. Officials said these gangs have been helping people reach the UK through irregular and often life-threatening means, exploiting vulnerable migrants for profit. The announcement came as British Prime Minister Sir Keir…

France is reportedly stepping back from its recent promise to take stronger action at sea to stop small migrant boats from crossing the English Channel. According to multiple sources who spoke with the BBC, France is no longer fully committed to the plan, which had aimed to intercept inflatable boats and bring them back to shore. This shift comes amid political tension in France and has sparked disappointment in the UK government, which had hoped for stronger cooperation to curb migrant crossings. Videos shared with the BBC show a police patrol boat circling a small dinghy in a shallow canal…

Aid workers in Italy and Tunisia are currently facing criminal trials for helping migrants and refugees, in what human rights organizations describe as a growing trend of punishing humanitarian assistance. According to the Platform for International Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants (PICUM), at least 142 people across Europe were prosecuted in 2024 for supporting migrants. These prosecutions highlight the increasing efforts by governments to criminalize acts of compassion and solidarity toward those in need. In Italy, six members of the humanitarian group Mediterranea Saving Humans (MSH) are on trial in Sicily for allegedly aiding illegal immigration. The group, which runs sea…

The Italian region of Emilia-Romagna has formally requested that the national government refund about €16 million spent by local administrations to host unaccompanied foreign minors. The regional Welfare Councilor, Isabella Conti, addressed letters to the Ministries of the Interior and Economy, emphasizing that the unreimbursed expenses have placed a serious financial burden on municipalities providing essential care and housing for migrant children. According to Conti, the funds are necessary to maintain the financial sustainability of the region’s hosting and integration system. The unpaid amount, she said, has made it difficult for local governments to continue providing adequate support for unaccompanied…

The Trump administration’s renewed war on immigration has reached an alarming level, with over 480,000 undocumented migrants arrested since Donald Trump’s return to the White House. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced the massive figure during a press conference in Florida, calling it a success for the administration’s “zero-tolerance” campaign. However, human rights groups, immigrant advocates, and civil liberties organizations have strongly condemned the operation as inhumane and politically driven. According to Noem, nearly 70% of those detained had criminal charges or past convictions, but immigration rights groups dispute this claim. They argue that the administration is inflating numbers by…

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has sparked a major political controversy within his coalition government after making remarks that appeared to link migrants to safety and crime issues in German cities. His comments have drawn strong criticism from the Social Democratic Party (SPD), his junior coalition partner, in what analysts are calling one of the most serious public disputes since the coalition was formed. In a recent speech in Potsdam, Merz addressed the rise of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) and defended his government’s tough stance on migration. He described irregular migrants as a “problem in the cityscape” and pledged…

Six humanitarian workers from the Italian charity Mediterranea Saving Humans (MSH) have gone on trial in Sicily, marking the first case of its kind in Italy. They stand accused of aiding illegal immigration during a 2020 rescue operation in the Mediterranean Sea. The case revolves around the Mare Jonio, a rescue vessel operated by MSH, which transported 27 migrants from the Danish tanker Maersk Etienne to Italy after they were stranded at sea for over a month. Both Italy and Malta had refused to allow the migrants to disembark, prompting the charity’s intervention. Among the defendants are MSH co-founder Luca…