Author: RACHAEL ADEEGBE

In recent years, much attention has been paid to migrants fleeing conflict or poverty, but one growing phenomenon remains largely in the shadows: climate returnees. These are migrants who, after fleeing their home countries in search of safety and opportunity, find themselves forced to return, not because of deportation, but because the host countries are becoming just as dangerous, if not more so, due to climate-related disasters. Across parts of Sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia, rising heatwaves, droughts, and floods are eroding jobs and living conditions for migrants working in agriculture, construction, and informal sectors. In southern Europe, for example,…

The Migrant Trail walk ended on Sunday morning after a 75-mile journey from Sasabe, Sonora, Mexico, to Tucson, Arizona. This powerful event, held every year for over 20 years, honors the lives of migrants who died or went missing while trying to cross the US–Mexico border. More than 40 people, both young and old, took part in the week-long walk this year. The goal was to raise awareness about the dangers faced by migrants in the desert and to highlight the policies that have forced many to take deadly routes. Jamie Wilson, a long-time organizer with Migrant Trail, said the…

The number of migrants crossing the English Channel reached its highest point so far this year, with nearly 1,200 people arriving in small boats from France on Saturday. According to the UK Home Office, 1,194 people made the journey in 18 boats during calm weather conditions. This surge has brought the total number of crossings in 2025 to 14,811, marking a 42% rise compared to the same period in 2024. The increase has added more pressure on Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Labour government, which has now been in office for nearly a year. The Labour Party came to power after…

A senior French politician has blamed the UK’s decision to leave the European Union for the sharp increase in migrants crossing the English Channel. Éléonore Caroit, a member of French President Emmanuel Macron’s Renaissance party, said that Brexit ended the UK’s return agreement with the EU and weakened its asylum system. According to Caroit, the number of migrants crossing the Channel has grown since Brexit, when the UK was removed from the Dublin Regulation. That EU rule allowed the UK to return asylum seekers who had passed through safe European countries without applying for asylum there. After Brexit, no similar…

Spain is preparing to relocate hundreds of migrant children from overcrowded reception centres across the country. The decision follows concerns over the poor living conditions in some areas, especially where migrant arrivals are high. When the relocation plan was first introduced, many regions said their migrant centres were already full. But under the new law, only three areas will be allowed to declare a “state of emergency” to avoid accepting more children. All other areas must prepare to receive foreign children and teenagers by improving their existing facilities. According to the law, each autonomous community in Spain should have 32…

Malaysia has agreed in principle to hire a large number of Bangladeshi workers over the coming years, promising fair wages, improved safety, and strong protections for migrant rights. This agreement was reached during a high-level meeting in Putrajaya between Asif Nazrul, adviser to Bangladesh’s Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment, and officials from Malaysia’s Ministry of Human Resources. Officials familiar with the talks confirmed that two main issues were prioritized: improving the treatment of Bangladeshi workers already in Malaysia and establishing a more transparent and ethical process for recruiting new ones. The decision comes as both countries work to…

Vietnam has reaffirmed its firm commitment to combat illegal migration and human trafficking, while continuing to promote safe, legal, and orderly migration. Speaking during a press briefing on May 29, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ spokesperson Pham Thu Hang emphasized that the Vietnamese government is dedicated to protecting the rights and dignity of migrants while taking strong measures to prevent unlawful migration practices. This response comes amid recent British media reports highlighting that Vietnamese nationals are still being smuggled into the United Kingdom in container trucks. According to Hang, Vietnamese authorities are aware of these reports and are actively verifying…

A Boeing 737 that once carried Vice President JD Vance across the country during his 2024 campaign is now being used by the U.S. government to deport migrants to Central America. The aircraft, bearing the tail number N917XA, has taken on a starkly different role in 2025, logging over a dozen deportation flights for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), according to public flight data and immigration watchdogs. The plane, formerly dubbed “Trump Force Two,” was a familiar sight during the presidential campaign as it transported Vance, his staff, and journalists between rallies and battleground states. It even featured in…

France is struggling to stop most of the migrants attempting to cross the English Channel, even as the UK continues to pay more than £480,000 every day to support French patrol efforts. Official Home Office figures reveal that so far in 2025, only 8,347 migrants have been intercepted by French authorities, while 13,167 have successfully reached Britain’s southern coast. This means nearly two-thirds of the total number of migrants attempting the journey have made it into the UK, despite a major financial agreement between London and Paris intended to stop the crossings. Critics say the French government is not meeting…

Two teenagers rescued by an NGO-operated vessel in the Mediterranean Sea have been accused of aiding illegal immigration after arriving in Salerno, southern Italy. The young men, a 19-year-old Egyptian and a 17-year-old Sudanese national, were among 252 people rescued by the German-flagged ship Solidaire, which brought them to the Italian coast on May 26. Authorities allege that the two teens acted as captains of a boat that departed from Libya with 111 people on board. The passengers came from various African and Middle Eastern countries, including Somalia, Eritrea, Mali, Egypt, Cameroon, Ethiopia, and Syria. The boat was part of…