Stepping up deportations has been a key objective of Germany's coalition government. But the policy continues to suffer setbacks and it is particularly problematic in the city state of Berlin.
Father Massimo Biancalani, well-known for his intense activity to host migrants, announced on February 20 that he applied to the court of Pistoia, in Tuscany, to adopt a young Gambian named Lamin who was recently repatriated to Gambia.
Seedy Saidykhan fled Gambia as a teenager six years ago. Now in Germany, he is trying to help young migrants to find their feet and believe in themselves.
Eighty-eight people were rescued at the weekend from a small boat off Cape Verde in the Atlantic Ocean. The migrants had left Gambia more than three weeks ago. Two men died during the journey.
The European Court of Human Rights has ruled against Italy for the "inhuman and degrading treatment" of a young Gambian migrant who was treated by authorities as adult and placed in a shelter for adults, despite having informed them he was a minor.
Following the deaths of nine migrants headed towards the Canary Islands in March 2021, two people have each been sentenced to nine years in prison. Two young children were among those who died.
A twist in the tale: the case of Bakery Jatta appeared to have been settled but now German authorities are pressing charges against the Hamburg footballer after all. Jatta is accused of playing under a false identity.
The amount of money sent home by migrants to low- and middle-income countries is projected to increase more than expected this year thanks to a strong economic recovery in the United States and Europe. That's according to a recent World Bank report.
The EU could tighten visa requirements for Gambians following Banjul's refusal to accept deportees from Germany. Experts say Gambia's decision to reject its citizens could have wider consequences.
Gambian midfielder Ebrima Darboe reached Italy by boat from Libya as a teen. On May 2, he debuted in Serie A with the Italian capital's football team AS Roma.
The UN migration agency, IOM, says that more than two-thirds of West African migrants returning to their home countries are in financial debt. Many also feel that shame prevents them from reintegrating in their communites, an IOM study has found.
At least 43 migrants died off the coast of Libya in what has been described as the first major shipwreck in the area this year. While ten were rescued, the UN expects more casualties to follow.