The Taliban's return to power in Afghanistan, an unprecedented influx of migrants in eastern Europe, an increase in deaths in the English Channel, the Mediterranean and the Atlantic – 2021 has been a tumultuous year for migrants and refugees on many fronts. We take a look at six of the most important developments of the year.
Almost 300 migrants attempted to enter the Spanish enclave Ceuta on the African continent earlier this week. At least five people were arrested by border guards.
The route from Africa to Spain continues to claim victims. On Thursday last week, a young migrant died while attempting to swim from Morocco to the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, while a new shipwreck with 64 people missing was reported off the southern coast of Western Sahara.
A Ceuta court has upheld a suspension for the repatriation of nine migrant minors to Morocco. They had arrived in the Spanish enclave in May without any adults accompanying them.
Spain's government has defended the return of migrant children from the north African enclave of Ceuta to Morocco. The move comes amid concerns that the deportations may breach international law.
A group of 119 migrants scaled a fence and crossed the border into the Spanish enclave of Melilla from neighboring Morocco on Monday. They were taken to the city's migrant reception center.
The European Parliament recently adopted a resolution in which it rejected "Morocco's use of border control and migration, and unaccompanied minors in particular, as political pressure against a member state of the EU [namely Spain]."
Morocco is to facilitate the re-entry of stranded unaccompanied minors who recently entered the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, after thousands crossed the border in May.
The general prosecutor's office in Spain has opened an inquiry into whether any migrants under age 18 were pushed back among those that were forced to leave the Ceuta enclave after the arrival of thousands of people in only a few days from Morocco.
Around 200 unaccompanied Moroccan children are to be transferred from the Spanish enclave Ceuta in North Africa to mainland Spain.
While most of the thousands of migrants who entered the Spanish enclave of Ceuta were deported, local Spanish officials struggle to care for the minors it cannot send back across the border to Morocco.
A photo of Luna Reyes, a Red Cross volunteer in Ceuta has unleashed a campaign of hate on social media against the young woman. In the picture, she is seen hugging a Senegalese migrant in tears right after he had crossed the border from Morocco.