Author: RACHAEL ADEEGBE
The Council of Europe has introduced a new online platform that highlights its work on migration and refugee issues. The page was launched by the Division on Migration and Refugees (DMR) on June 4, 2025, and is now available to the public. This newly launched web page brings together all the major activities, programs, and news related to the Council of Europe’s work in the field of migration and asylum. It is designed to make access to this information easier for people who work on or are interested in these topics. The page covers a wide range of the Council’s…
A new hosting center for seasonal migrant workers has opened in Turi, a town in Italy’s Puglia region. The center was officially inaugurated on June 1 and will house up to 90 workers, mainly African migrants working in the local cherry harvest. Governor of Puglia, Michele Emiliano, praised the center as a sign that the region is taking real steps to support and integrate migrant workers. He visited the center with Turi’s mayor, Giuseppe De Tomaso, before opening the 33rd annual Ferrovia cherry festival. The facility was funded by the Puglia regional government, which provided €45,000 for the project. Emiliano…
The United States is moving closer to finalizing a migrant deal with Rwanda, similar to the UK’s previous deportation scheme. This plan would allow the US to transfer certain migrants to Rwanda, aiming to ease pressure on overcrowded detention centers back home. According to reports, talks between the two countries have progressed, and at least one migrant has already been sent to Rwanda. This early transfer suggests that a trial phase of the plan may already be in motion. Rwanda’s foreign minister confirmed that negotiations are taking place, though the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) said it has not yet…
France has now agreed to begin stopping small migrant boats at sea after months of delays, following a rise in Channel crossings. The plan comes after heavy criticism and is expected to be ready before President Emmanuel Macron visits London for a Franco-British summit on July 8. The French government is preparing to strengthen its navy with new patrol boats. These vessels would aim to intercept “taxi boats” that usually carry migrants from French beaches to the UK. This move comes after images showed French police watching smugglers pick up migrants without stopping them. Over 1,000 people crossed the English…
A 34-year-old Egyptian man has been arrested by Italian police in Livorno on suspicion of smuggling migrants across the Mediterranean. He was detained on May 29 after stepping off the Ocean Viking, a rescue ship operated by a humanitarian group. Authorities say he allegedly piloted a small wooden boat carrying 12 migrants through dangerous waters near Libya. The man was among 13 migrants rescued from the sea and brought to the Tuscan port. Italian police, specifically the Livorno flying squad, handled the arrest. They believe he was the skipper of the boat that had passengers from Egypt, Eritrea, and Ethiopia.…
Four foreign nationals have been sentenced in Latvia for their involvement in a serious migrant smuggling case, where they illegally transported people across the Belarus border using a fake police van. The court’s decision was reported by Latvia’s national news agency, LETA, on Monday, following months of investigation and legal proceedings. The case has raised major concerns over the growing sophistication of human trafficking operations in the region. According to the court’s ruling, the traffickers used a minibus that had been deliberately modified to resemble an official police vehicle. It had flashing lights, false license plates, and even fake insignias…
Two Afghan men have been sentenced to eight months in prison after piloting a dangerously overcrowded migrant boat that led to the tragic deaths of a woman and an eight-year-old boy. The victims, who were Turkish nationals, died during an attempt to cross the English Channel on May 21 last year. UK authorities said the men ignored clear signs that the boat was overloaded and unsafe, pushing forward with their journey despite the risks. The two men, Shah Salim Sajjadi, 38, and Safiollah Mohammadi, 25, were found guilty of enabling illegal immigration and pleaded guilty at Folkestone Magistrates’ Court. According…
The number of migrant workers in Macau has grown sharply since the end of Covid-19 restrictions in early 2023. By the end of April 2025, Macau had 183,568 non-resident workers. This marks an increase of almost 31,700 people, according to new data from the Labour Affairs Bureau using records from the Public Security Police Force. This rise represents a 20.9% increase compared to January 2023, when strict pandemic rules were lifted after being in place for more than three years. At that time, the number of migrant workers, mostly from mainland China, was under 152,000. The April 2025 figure is…
The UK government is being criticized after blaming sunny weather for the highest number of migrant crossings ever recorded during the first five months of 2025. The Home Office said smuggling gangs are using good weather to send more migrants across the Channel in small boats. A new report from the Home Office released on Tuesday shows that 60 “red” days were recorded by the Met Office between January and April. These red days, when the weather makes crossings more likely, were more than double the number from the same time in 2024. That year had just 27 red days,…
Yvette Cooper, the UK Home Secretary, is facing growing pressure from MPs after a record number of migrants crossed the English Channel over the weekend. On Saturday alone, nearly 1,200 people arrived in small boats from France — the highest daily figure so far this year. This increase has raised serious questions about the government’s ability to manage its borders. Defence Secretary John Healey admitted that Britain had “lost control of its borders” and said the number of people-smugglers launching boats from French beaches was deeply concerning. Cooper appeared before the Home Affairs Committee on Tuesday afternoon to answer urgent…