A new migrant rescue ship has set sail for the waters off Libya. The Italian-flagged private vessel "Mare Jonio" says it is motivated by "moral disobedience and civil obedience" in the face of growing opposition to such rescue missions by the Italian government.
Over the weekend, another 400 migrants were rescued in the Mediterranean and brought to regions in the south of Spain. According to IOM, Spain has become the new main destination of irregular migrants.
A Tunisian supply vessel which has rescued 40 migrants has been stuck in limbo off the Tunisian coast since Sunday. Neither Italy, Malta nor Tunisia is letting the ship dock. InfoMigrants is in touch with the crew and survivors on board.
Inclement weather and freezing winter temperatures haven't prevented migrants from attempting the journey to reach the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla in Morocco. Sea rescues have continued unabated, and many migrants have died attempting to reach the coasts.
Media reports about alleged migrant slave markets in Libya have resulted in strong reactions across the continent: African politicians demand an investigation and the prosecution of those responsible.
The executive director of European border agency Frontex, Fabrice Leggeri, announced at a press conference in Brussels that its Mediterranean security operation Triton will have a new operational plan within the next two months.
Refugees driven by war and conflict from the Middle East and migration from Africa have often dominated the headlines in Europe over the past few years. The continent has dealt with one of its most extensive migration waves in history. What have been some of the landmark events of what is referred to as the 'refugee crisis'?
Many Gambian migrants who reported cases of severe abuse during their detention in Libya have returned home. But now that The Gambia is transitioning to democracy, what will happen to those who made it to Europe?
Shocking events on African migrant routes, described as ‘slave markets’ tormenting young men in #Libya: https://t.co/GQ42OqN1ET — IOM (@UNmigration) April 11, 2017 African migrants heading toward Europe are being sold as slaves in Libya, the UN migration agency claimed Tuesday in Geneva. Criminal gangs are exploiting these subsaharan migrants for cash amidst the lawlessness of Libya's civil war.
This picture shows Daouda, a 34-year-old Ivorian man who reached Italy on a rubber dinghy in 2009. He suffered exploitation and abuse during his trip and was employed as an illegal agricultural worker in citrus groves upon arrival. Today he works as a cultural mediator in migrant hosting centers in Rome.
The crew in rescue organization SOS Mediterranee's ship "Aquarius" was in for a surprise earlier this week. As they rescued migrants traveling to Europe in rubber dinghies, a Nigerian woman gave birth to a baby.
23,000 migrants have already arrived in Italy in 2017 until now, an increase of approximately 40 percent compared to the same period in 2016, during which a record 181,000 arrivals were registered.