Author: RACHAEL ADEEGBE

The departure of tens of thousands of migrants from South Africa amid weeks of anti-migrant protests is beginning to create significant labour shortages across key sectors of the country’s already struggling economy. Businesses that rely heavily on migrant workers are reporting growing disruptions, with a digital platform connecting households to domestic workers facing staffing shortages, delivery services losing drivers and textile manufacturers struggling to replace experienced employees. South African authorities say they have processed around 67,000 migrants for deportation or voluntary repatriation in recent weeks as part of an intensified migration management campaign. However, officials and analysts believe the actual…

Spain has approved a plan to grant legal status to around 500,000 undocumented migrants, allowing them to formally join the country’s workforce as it seeks to address labour shortages and support its ageing population. The programme will offer eligible migrants a one-year renewable residence permit. Applicants must prove they have lived in Spain for at least five months and have no criminal record. Applications are scheduled to open from April 16 and run until the end of June. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez described the initiative as both a matter of justice and an economic necessity, saying undocumented migrants already contribute…

A joint operation coordinated by Europol has led to the arrest of five suspected migrant smugglers accused of operating a criminal network that transported migrants along the Balkan migration route from Turkey to Western Europe. The coordinated raids, carried out by Serbian and Bulgarian authorities on July 16, targeted a network believed to have smuggled a large number of migrants between January and July 2026 through Bulgaria and Serbia before facilitating their onward journeys into Western Europe. According to Europol, those arrested include one high-value target, two police officers and two alleged associates suspected of participating in the smuggling operation.…

South African police have launched a murder investigation into the killing of Andile Mvuyelwa Somgxada, a provincial leader of the anti-migrant March and March movement, amid heightened tensions over immigration and ongoing nationwide protests. Somgxada, who led the group’s activities in Gauteng Province, was shot outside his home earlier this month and died several days later in hospital, according to police. Acting police chief Puleng Dimpane said a multidisciplinary investigative team had been assigned to the case, underscoring the seriousness with which authorities are treating the killing. “We are committed to conducting a thorough investigation to establish the circumstances surrounding…

Munich Airport will build a dedicated migrant deportation terminal that will be leased to the German federal government and used exclusively by the Federal Police to facilitate deportation flights. The airport’s Supervisory Board has approved plans for the new facility, allowing construction to move forward despite opposition from Munich’s mayor, trade unions and migrant rights organisations. According to airport officials, the terminal will be used to process rejected asylum seekers and other individuals ordered to leave Germany before their deportation. Once completed, the building will be owned by Munich Airport but rented to the federal government, while all deportation operations…

Thailand’s Cabinet has approved an extension of work permits for approximately 770,000 migrant workers from Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam, allowing them to continue living and working legally while completing required documentation. The decision, announced on July 14, followed a proposal by the Ministry of Labour and is aimed at ensuring a sufficient workforce for Thailand’s manufacturing and services sectors, which rely heavily on foreign labour. Deputy Spokesperson of the Prime Minister’s Office, Phatdarasmi Thongsaluaykorn, said the Cabinet also approved draft regulations submitted by the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Labour to enable eligible foreign workers to remain in…

Poland employed around 1.1 million migrant workers as of August 31, 2025, highlighting the growing importance of foreign labour to the country’s economy, according to an experimental study by Statistics Poland cited in a recent European Commission overview. The report, published by the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs, examined Poland’s latest migration integration policies and found that migrant workers accounted for 6.7 percent of the country’s workforce, representing a 5.6 percent increase over the previous two years. The findings come as Poland continues to face labour shortages across key sectors while balancing political debates over immigration and…

Mexico has formally requested that U.S. state attorneys general launch criminal investigations into the deaths of Mexican migrants who died while in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody or during immigration enforcement operations. The request, announced by Mexico’s Foreign Ministry, follows the fatal shooting of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a Mexican national who was killed by an ICE agent during an enforcement operation in Houston. According to the Mexican government, 17 Mexican migrants have died since U.S. President Donald Trump began his second term, including 14 deaths in ICE detention and three during immigration enforcement operations. Mexico said it will also…

An Afghan asylum seeker has admitted manslaughter by diminished responsibility over the fatal stabbing of a dog walker during what prosecutors described as a “frenzied” knife attack in west London. Dawood Safi, 23, entered the UK in 2020 after arriving in a lorry and was granted asylum in 2022. He appeared before Southwark Crown Court, where he admitted the manslaughter of Wayne Broadhurst, 49, whose death occurred during the attack in Uxbridge on October 27, 2025. Prosecutors accepted the manslaughter plea after four independent medical experts concluded that Safi was suffering from an abnormality of mental functioning at the time…

The European Union has tightened its visa policy for Guinean nationals, accusing Guinea of failing to cooperate adequately in accepting the return of migrants who have no legal right to remain in EU member states. According to the European Commission, requests for Guinean authorities to receive returning migrants have often gone unanswered or have not been processed efficiently. The bloc also said it has faced difficulties organizing deportation flights to the West African country. In response, the EU has introduced temporary visa restrictions designed to encourage greater cooperation on migrant readmissions. Under the new measures, EU member states will be…