Author: RACHAEL ADEEGBE

Latvian border authorities have arrested a German national on suspicion of migrant smuggling after he was stopped during a vehicle inspection near the country’s border with Belarus. According to Latvia’s border guard agency, the man was allegedly transporting six people who did not have valid travel documents, visas, or residence permits. Officials believe the group had entered Latvia by crossing the Belarus-Latvia border through irregular routes before they were discovered. Authorities said the German citizen was detained on suspicion of facilitating illegal migration, an offense that can carry a prison sentence of up to 10 years under Latvian law. Criminal…

Thousands of African migrants have fled South Africa in recent weeks as anti-migrant protests spread across the country. Now, the Nigerian government says it plans to seek compensation for citizens who were forced to leave behind businesses, homes, and other valuable property. The announcement comes after hundreds of Nigerians were repatriated from South Africa following protests that mainly targeted undocumented migrants. Nigerian officials say discussions on compensation will be handled through diplomatic talks between both countries. According to Nigeria’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, the issue will be raised with South African authorities at the highest diplomatic level. He…

The Adolescent Health Information Project (AHIP), in partnership with the International Organization for Migration (IOM), has launched a three-day training programme in Kano to equip Nigerian migrant returnees with financial literacy and business management skills. The initiative is being implemented under the ROOTS Project and aims to help returnees rebuild sustainable livelihoods after returning from irregular migration. Organizers say the programme is designed to improve participants’ entrepreneurship skills, support successful reintegration into society, and discourage dangerous irregular migration among young Nigerians. Speaking at the opening of the training, ROOTS Project Programme Manager Halima Kasim said many returnees came back to…

More than 900 people were arrested across South Africa during nationwide anti-migrant protests on Tuesday, according to police, as demonstrations took place in several parts of the country with mostly peaceful outcomes but some incidents of violence and looting. Deputy National Police Commissioner Tebello Mosikili said authorities monitored about 120 marches across the country. Of these, 108 were peaceful, while police had to intervene in 12 locations where unrest, looting, or other criminal activities occurred. Mosikili explained that those arrested included undocumented migrants accused of violating immigration laws, as well as individuals detained for public violence, robbery, and harbouring undocumented…

Spain has received more than 1.3 million applications under its extraordinary migrant regularization programme, making it the largest immigration amnesty ever undertaken in Europe. The figure is more than double the 500,000 applications the Spanish government originally expected when the programme was launched earlier this year. The regularization process, which opened on April 16, is designed to give undocumented migrants the opportunity to obtain legal residence and work permits. The application deadline falls on June 30, after which authorities will continue processing all submitted requests over the following months. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said the initiative is both a humanitarian…

President Bola Tinubu has directed the immediate evacuation of more Nigerian citizens from South Africa following renewed anti-migrant protests and growing fears of xenophobic violence. The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, announced the decision in a statement shared on her official X account on Monday. She said the evacuation is part of the Federal Government’s ongoing efforts to protect Nigerians living in South Africa as tensions continue to rise. According to the minister, an evacuation flight operated by Air Peace and fully funded by the Federal Government was scheduled to arrive at Oliver Tambo International Airport in…

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has revealed that it has helped more than 67,000 stranded Nigerian migrants safely return home since 2017 through its Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration (AVRR) programme. The announcement was made by Fatima Adeyemi, IOM Project Assistant on Awareness Raising, during a three-day migration reporting workshop held in Lagos. The workshop, themed “From Headlines to Impact: A Capacity Building on Ethical and Data-driven Migration Reporting in Nigeria,” was organized to strengthen the capacity of Nigerian journalists to report accurately and responsibly on migration issues. Adeyemi said that beyond helping stranded migrants return home, IOM has…

South Africa has launched a nationwide security operation ahead of planned anti-migrant demonstrations scheduled for June 30, amid growing fears that weeks of hostility toward foreign nationals could lead to widespread unrest. The protests are being organized by the anti-immigration group March and March and its allied organizations, which have issued an ultimatum demanding that undocumented migrants leave the country by Tuesday. While organizers insist the demonstrations will be peaceful, authorities and businesses are preparing for possible violence and major disruptions. The South African government has redirected about R600 million (approximately $36 million) to strengthen security operations. Additional police officers…

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has urged Ireland to use its upcoming Presidency of the Council of the European Union to promote balanced, practical, and evidence-based migration policies across the bloc. As Ireland prepares to take over the EU Presidency, IOM says the country will play a key role in turning recently approved migration reforms into real action. The organization believes the Presidency comes at a crucial time, as EU member states begin implementing the Pact on Migration and Asylum while also negotiating the bloc’s next long-term budget. Lukas Gehrke, Director of IOM’s Global Office in Brussels, said the…

Despite rising inflation and increasing living costs in France, many migrants continue to send money to support their families back home. Experts say these remittances remain one of the most stable financial lifelines for millions of households worldwide, even during periods of economic hardship. In the southern French city of Marseille, money transfer agencies remain busy as migrants continue sending part of their earnings abroad. For many, supporting family members is not optional but a responsibility they are determined to fulfill, even when it means sacrificing their own comfort. One migrant, identified only as Abdel, recently visited a money transfer…