Author: RACHAEL ADEEGBE

Greece may soon face disciplinary action from the European Union for its treatment of migrants, according to a top official from Frontex, the EU’s border agency. The agency’s Fundamental Rights Officer, Jonas Grimheden, expressed serious concern about Greece’s repeated illegal pushbacks of migrants, saying that Frontex is running out of patience. In interviews with Politico and German newspaper Welt, Grimheden said Frontex now has two choices: either suspend its operations in Greece or call on the European Commission to launch infringement proceedings against the country. However, he noted that halting Frontex’s mission could leave Greek border practices unchecked, which may…

Algeria has forcibly deported more than 1,800 migrants to the Niger border in what is being described as one of its biggest mass expulsions to date. According to Alarmphone Sahara, a group that monitors migration in the Sahel region, the deportation occurred earlier this month and involved migrants being dropped off in the remote desert area known as “Point Zero.” Abdou Aziz Chehou, the national coordinator of Alarmphone Sahara, revealed that 1,845 undocumented migrants were transported from Algerian cities and left at the border town of Assamaka in Niger on April 19. This brings the total number of migrants expelled…

Tunisian authorities have started dismantling temporary camps set up by sub-Saharan African migrants in olive groves in the country’s central east. This move comes as more migrants agree to return voluntarily to their home countries, according to government officials. On Monday, security forces reportedly set fire to tents in camps located in Hanshir Al-Qarqani in the Al-Amra area and in Oulad Hamed near Jebniana. Around 2,500 undocumented migrants were removed from the former site, and about 800 from the latter, according to National Guard spokesperson Houssem Eddine Jebabli. Jebabli explained that Tunisia’s goal is to avoid becoming either a destination…

South Africa is taking a bold high-tech step to address its long-standing issue of illegal migration. With thousands of undocumented people crossing into the country each month, the government has now turned to drones and surveillance equipment to monitor border areas more effectively and crack down on human trafficking networks. Over the Easter holiday, the country’s Border Management Authority (BMA) reported intercepting over 1,000 illegal immigrants at the Beitbridge border post with Zimbabwe. Officials said that this success was largely due to the deployment of drones and body-worn cameras, which allowed border agents to detect and track people trying to…

The recent decision to reduce United States aid funding is now placing crucial migration and refugee programs in danger. These cuts, which affect efforts in both nearby regions like Latin America and more distant areas such as East Africa, could have long-term consequences on how countries handle migration and displacement. According to experts interviewed by Devex, the loss of funding will significantly weaken the ability of many governments to respond to migration challenges. This includes managing large movements of people, offering humanitarian support, and developing local solutions that help people stay in their home countries instead of migrating out of…

A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to return a 20-year-old Venezuelan migrant who was deported to El Salvador last month, stating the removal violated a court-approved settlement. Known by the pseudonym Cristian in court documents, the young man was deported on March 15 following the Trump-era Alien Enemies Act (AEA) proclamation targeting the alleged “invasion” of the U.S. by the Tren de Aragua gang. Cristian had been part of a 2019 class action lawsuit involving undocumented migrants who arrived in the U.S. as unaccompanied minors and were waiting for their asylum applications to be fully reviewed. A settlement…

Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum is pushing for a new law that would ban foreign governments from airing political or ideological ads on Mexican TV and radio. The move comes after a U.S. anti-immigration campaign ad aired during football matches across Mexico, sparking backlash from citizens and lawmakers alike. The ad, which was released in February as part of a $200 million campaign under the Trump administration, features U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem stating, “If you come to our country and you break our laws, we will hunt you down.” It shows scenes of people allegedly involved in drugs and…

Tunisian authorities have peacefully cleared a large informal camp that housed around 3,000 undocumented migrants in the port city of Sfax. This move is part of a broader plan by the government to dismantle all illegal migrant camps across the country. The evacuation was carried out without violence, according to officials on the scene. A representative from the Tunisian National Guard confirmed to Al Arabiya English that the government intends to continue removing what it terms “irregular migrants” from these informal sites. “The most important part about this process is that it happened in a smooth and peaceful way,” stated…

The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) has announced a major move to set up Migrant Workers Offices (MWOs) in various Southeast Asian countries. This plan is aimed at helping Filipino workers who have been tricked by fake job offers and end up trapped in scam hubs, often facing abuse and forced labor. Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac revealed this initiative during a recent Senate hearing. He admitted that the Philippines currently does not have any DMW offices in ASEAN member countries, but promised that this issue will be addressed within the year. “We don’t have Migrant Workers Offices in…

Instapay Technologies has announced a new partnership with Mastercard to improve how migrant workers in Malaysia send money home. The collaboration will use Mastercard Move, a platform that allows fast and secure cross-border money transfers to over 180 countries in more than 150 currencies. This new service will help more than three million migrant workers in Malaysia send money to their families in countries like Indonesia, Nepal, Bangladesh, India, the Philippines, and Pakistan. The rollout will begin in the second quarter of 2025. With this upgrade, Instapay users will be able to: Instapay is a licensed e-money company that already…