Author: RACHAEL ADEEGBE

Indonesia is preparing to deploy up to 500,000 skilled workers overseas, marking a significant shift away from the traditional reliance on domestic worker placements. The initiative, announced during the 2025 International Migrants Day commemoration on December 18 at Taman Mini Indonesia Indah, underscores the government’s strategic focus on professional sectors that provide stronger protections and higher economic returns for Indonesian workers abroad. Coordinating Minister for Community Empowerment, Muhaimin Iskandar, highlighted the government’s policy as a strategic move to increase professional migrant labor while reducing domestic sector dependency. “We are continuing to increase the number of professional migrant workers in the…

Romania has joined 18 other European Union member states in calling on the European Commission to allocate funding for the establishment of migrant return hubs outside the EU, as part of a broader effort to tighten the bloc’s migration policy. The move comes after EU interior ministers adopted a series of legislative measures on December 8, 2025, aimed at regulating the arrival of migrants more strictly and accelerating the return of individuals whose asylum applications have been rejected. These measures provide the legal framework for the creation of “return hubs”, which are facilities outside the EU where rejected asylum seekers…

A new study by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) highlights the significant economic contribution of Venezuelan migrants across Latin America and the Caribbean. With over 7 million Venezuelans living abroad, they represent one of the largest diasporas in the region’s history, primarily settling in countries like Colombia, Peru, Chile, Ecuador, Panama, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, and Aruba. The IOM report attributes the migration to the ongoing crisis in Venezuela, exacerbated by political instability and the disputed reelection of President Nicolas Maduro. Despite facing challenges, Venezuelan migrants have emerged as a vital economic force in host countries, providing a…

Indonesia’s Minister for the Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers, Mukhtarudin, has emphasized the importance of financial literacy programs to encourage migrant workers to manage their income more productively. The initiative aims to ensure that earnings sent home are used not only for immediate consumption but also for long-term business and economic development. Speaking on Tuesday, Mukhtarudin highlighted that approximately 70 percent of remittances sent by Indonesian migrant workers are currently used for consumptive purposes, such as household expenses, daily needs, or short-term spending. Only 30 percent of these funds are allocated toward productive activities, including business investments or savings for…

Spanish police carried out a major eviction on Wednesday, December 17, 2025, removing around 400 migrants from an abandoned school building in Badalona, a working-class city bordering Barcelona. The squat had been home to mostly undocumented migrants, many from Senegal and Gambia, who moved in after the building was abandoned in 2023. Authorities described the building as unsafe, prompting judicial action. Police from Catalonia’s regional force, dressed in riot gear, entered the premises early in the morning under a court order. By that time, most residents had already left in anticipation of the eviction, seeking alternative shelters. While the operation…

The Director General of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Amy Pope, has begun a three-day visit to Libya to draw global attention to the serious dangers migrants face on the Central Mediterranean Route. The visit comes as the world prepares to mark International Migrants Day on December 18 and focuses on the urgent need to protect lives along one of the world’s deadliest migration corridors. The Central Mediterranean Route is one of the most heavily used and dangerous migration routes, with migrants departing mainly from Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, and Egypt in an attempt to reach Europe, especially Italy and…

Reuniting migrant families in the UK is expected to cost British taxpayers about £5.6 billion over the course of their lifetimes, according to new research by the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC). The advisory body said tens of thousands of migrant partners who arrive in the UK each year through family visas place a long-term financial burden on the state, despite contributing positively in their early years. The MAC estimated that more than 40,000 migrant partners are granted family visas every year. Each of them is projected to cost the public purse around £109,000 over their lifetime. While many of these…

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani has highlighted a major decrease in irregular migrant arrivals to Italy, emphasizing the importance of continuing efforts to combat illegal migration. Speaking at the 18th annual conference of ambassadors held at the Italian Foreign Office, La Farnesina, Tajani revealed that irregular arrivals have dropped by nearly 60 percent, thanks to strengthened cooperation with countries of origin and transit. “We have made Africa a priority to reinforce our partnerships with both origin and transit countries. Inter-ministerial cooperation is essential to fight criminal networks and address the root causes of migration in a structured way. The results…

A 20-year-old Afghan man has been sentenced to three years in prison after carrying out a violent attack on a family at a migrant camp in the UK following a disagreement over a football. The incident happened at Chickerell Camp near Weymouth in Dorset and involved a family of five, including three teenage brothers and their parents. The court heard that the attack began after a football was kicked during a game at the camp. An argument followed, and a 15-year-old boy said the ball had been kicked by Nasratullah Wahidi. This accusation angered Wahidi, who then approached the teenager…

Indonesia has sent 1,035 migrant workers abroad as part of activities marking International Migrants Day, observed every year on December 18. The deployment was announced by the Ministry for the Protection of Migrant Workers and reflects the government’s continued commitment to supporting Indonesians working overseas. According to the Minister for the Protection of Migrant Workers, Mukhtarudin, this year’s International Migrants Day is being celebrated under the theme “One Light, Thousands of Stories: Migrant Solidarity for Humanity.” The main event is taking place at Taman Mini Indonesia Indah in East Jakarta and is meant to honor the contribution of Indonesian migrant…