War, political turmoil, ethnic conflicts and deteriorating economies have forced millions across Europe, Africa, South America, the Middle East and Asia to flee their homes. InfoMigrants takes a look at some major refugee crises around the world.
The number of refugees in the world has hit a record of 70 million, the United Nations said in a statement. That’s the highest figure since World War II.
A year after it reached an agreement with Greece on returning migrants, Germany must take back a refugee who was stopped on the border and deported to Greece. A Munich court found that proper procedure under German law had not been followed. While it is allowed to send people back to other EU states, the procedure is complicated when a person is sent back directly from the border, as this case shows.
German police have faced increased physical resistance while carrying out deportations. The police, in turn, are responding with increased force, sparking criticism from lawmakers and rights groups.
The charity Migrateful was set up two years ago to help refugees, asylum seekers and vulnerable migrants in the UK teach cooking classes in a bid to help them on their journey to integration. It currently operates in London and Kent and is about to launch in Bristol.
Collective deportation flights to Afghanistan are a controversial issue in Germany, as many people believe that Afghanistan should not be deemed a safe country of origin. Journalists working for DPA now had unprecedented access to one of those flights, highlighting the experience from all angles.
At least 17 people have been killed after a bus carrying migrants overturned in eastern Turkey. About 50 people were also injured in the accident that took place in Van province.
Jean Asselborn, Luxembourg's foreign minister, has warned of a "huge wave of refugees" in case of an escalation of the conflict between the United States and Iran about uranium enrichment. The Islamic Republic of Iran is home to roughly one third of the 2.7 million Afghan refugees worldwide.
A report by the UN's migration office said children are dying during migration at alarming rates, most of them perishing on the Mediterranean. The deadliest routes for children are those that involve water crossings.
In northwestern Turkey at least ten people are dead after a van they were travelling in crashed. Thirty others were injured in the accident on Wednesday, AFP reports.
After police raids in the Bulgarian capital Sofia and in the eastern region of the country, 17 suspected people smugglers were arrested and taken into custody by the authorities. The Deputy Prosecutor General, who has already broken up other similar rings, is investigating the group and their reach further.
UNICEF said that of the over 683,000 asylum requests made in 2018 in EU countries, some 19,700 had been filed by unaccompanied minors. The UN organization called on Italy to pass laws that will help protect young asylum seekers.