Author: RACHAEL ADEEGBE

The Italian Red Cross (CRI) has confirmed that over 164,000 migrants have arrived on the island of Lampedusa since it began managing the local hotspot in June 2023. According to the organization, about 39,000 people have been welcomed this year alone. The island remains one of the busiest entry points for migrants crossing the Mediterranean to reach Europe. Speaking during the Jubilee of the Missionary World and Migrants, CRI President Rosario Valastro reflected on the human tragedy behind these numbers. He remembered the deadly shipwreck off Lampedusa on October 3, 2013, when 368 migrants died, and the February 2023 Cutro…

A Chinese migrant has died after suffering what appeared to be a seizure while in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at a federal detention facility in Calexico, California. The man, identified as Huabing Xie, became unresponsive on September 29, according to ICE officials. Medical staff at the detention center immediately began CPR and used a defibrillator before Xie was transported to a nearby hospital. Despite their efforts, he was pronounced dead an hour later. The agency said he appeared to have suffered a seizure before losing consciousness. ICE records show that Xie was first placed in…

Burundi’s growing wave of migrants fleeing to Kenya has drawn fresh attention to the worsening economic crisis in one of the world’s poorest nations. For years, Kenyan companies operating in Burundi continued business as usual, even as Burundians crossed the border in search of safety and survival. But the growing number of migrants now peddling goods on Nairobi’s streets has forced investors to take notice. One of the biggest shocks came when Diamond Trust Bank (DTB) announced it was pulling out of Burundi after sixteen years. The bank, listed on the Nairobi Securities Exchange, said it would sell its 83.67…

An Indian migrant worker in Canada says he has faced sleepless nights after paying an immigration lawyer more than $24,000 for a job and permanent residency that never came. Dattaray Avhad, who came from Mumbai, told CBC News that he paid lawyer Amardeep Singh with hopes of starting a new life with his wife and children in Newfoundland and Labrador. More than a year later, he is working as a cab driver and has no clear path to permanent residency. Avhad said Singh promised him a kitchen job and a quick immigration process through his law firm, which advertised “immigration…

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage told a London court that he genuinely believed an Afghan migrant was coming to shoot him after watching a TikTok video that appeared to threaten his life. The case was heard at Southwark Crown Court, where 26-year-old Fayaz Khan is standing trial for making a threat to kill. Prosecutors said Khan, an Afghan national who had been living in Sweden since 2019, posted a video on TikTok in October 2024 showing him making gun gestures and saying “pop, pop, pop.” He also pointed to a tattoo of an AK-47 rifle on his face. This came…

Thailand has announced plans to legalize between 500,000 and 700,000 undocumented migrant workers from Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam, offering them a chance to stay and work legally in the country for up to one year. The registration process will run from October 15 to 29, according to Labour Minister Treenuch Thienthong, who unveiled the initiative following a Cabinet resolution passed on August 19, 2025. The program aims to solve Thailand’s ongoing labor shortages while ensuring that all workers are covered by legal protections. It targets only those who are already employed in Thailand but lack proper documentation, preventing illegal…

A plane carrying migrants deported from the US to Eswatini landed early Monday in the southern African kingdom, according to a lawyer representing two of the deportees. The flight is part of a series of secretive deportation operations under the United States’ third-country deportation program, which has drawn international criticism from rights groups. Lawyer Tin Thanh Nguyen, who is based in the United States, told The Associated Press that his clients, two Vietnamese nationals, were aboard the plane that landed in Manzini, Eswatini. They were previously detained at the Alexandria Staging Facility in Louisiana before being deported late Friday. Nguyen…

An investigation is underway in Italy after a Senegalese man died in prison, raising serious questions about how detainees are treated in custody. The case involves Sylla Mamadou Khadialy, a 35-year-old Senegalese citizen, who passed away on September 26 while detained at the Santa Maria Capua Vetere prison in the Campania region. According to reports from ANSA, the local prosecutor has opened an inquiry to determine the cause of death and has placed three doctors under investigation for possible manslaughter. Two of the doctors were reportedly working at the prison facility, while the third was part of the local Health…

The nationalist group Operation Dudula South Africa has once again made headlines for its campaign against migrants. The group recently launched a new effort targeting migrant children, claiming that there are not enough school placements for South African children. It has called for the exclusion of migrant children from public schools, a move that many see as discriminatory and xenophobic. Founded in 2021, Operation Dudula began as a vigilante movement in Soweto, just outside Johannesburg. It claims to fight crime and drug trafficking, but has become known for its anti-immigration stance. The group’s motto, “South Africans First,” continues to attract…

The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) has announced plans to open 13 new migrant worker offices by 2026. This move aims to provide better support and services for the more than 10 million overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) around the world. According to DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac, the expansion will help reach more Filipinos living and working abroad. Speaking during a Committee on Finance hearing, Cacdac explained that the DMW currently operates 42 offices in 31 countries, which are already serving a large number of OFWs. However, the government believes there is a growing need for more accessible offices in…