The Spanish rescue organization Proactiva Open Arms rescued 365 migrants in the Central Mediterranean in several operations last week. After receiving permission to disembark, 363 people stepped ashore in the Italian town of Pozzallo on Sunday. Two migrants had been evacuated earlier for medical reasons.
Seven migrants were killed in eastern Turkey after their boat sank in Lake Van, according to the official Anadolu news agency. Turkish authorities meanwhile said that they rescued 64 people.
Police in North Macedonia have reportedly detained 81 migrants found in a truck near the country's border with Serbia. The driver of the vehicle had apparently ignored a police warning to stop for a check. He later abandoned the vehicle.
Mahbuba Jebin has been involved in politics since she was a student in Bangladesh. She was a member of the student wing of the current ruling party, the Awami League. For years she lived a life of privilege and power. However, her decision to marry a member of the opposition BNP party put her at odds with many in her own party. A campaign of intimidation started which led her to flee the country she loves and seek asylum in the UK. Despite all the difficulties, she continues to write every day.
The Bangladeshi community in Italy is the second largest in Europe. However, many women are still struggling to acclimatize, not least because of their husbands. Michele Bertelli reports from Rome.
The UN refugee agency UNHCR reports that in 2018, some 10.5 million refugees received health care through public health programs, UNHCR, and other partners worldwide.
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.
To mark World Refugee Day this June, the UNHCR is encouraging people around the world to count the steps they walk, run and cycle and register on a website. The aim? To cover the distance that refugees are forced to walk every year in order to reach safety. The campaign aims to honor the efforts families make to survive, the UNHCR says.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) assisted in the voluntary repatriation of a first group of migrants who survived shipwrecks off the coast of Tunisia between May 10 and May 12, as part of an assisted voluntary return program.
A court in Berlin has sentenced two people, living in Greece and accused of trafficking minors, to almost two years on probation. The Asian couple, however, only played a small role in a major trafficking ring, the court found.
Refugees travel 2 billion kilometers each year to escape war and persecution. The UN Refugee Agency now wants people to walk, run or bike that distance to demonstrate their solidarity.
Prithu Sanyal is a blogger and an atheist – both things are considered unacceptable in his country Bangladesh. He received death threats by Islamic militants and even his family members were against him. In Germany, he is relieved to be able to write about social issues, free speech and religious freedom again.