Greece: New Lesbos migrant camp given green light
A new migrant camp on the Greek island of Lesbos has been given the go ahead after a vote by the local municipal council. The exact location of the camp is not yet clear.
migrant arrivals
Tunisia: Migration awareness campaign 'Esshih' launched
A campaign called Esshih has been launched in Tunisia to raise awareness among youths and their families about the risks posed by irregular migration and possible alternatives.
CEAR says Canary Islands used for political containment
The Spanish Commission for Aid to Refugees (CEAR) presented a report in which it denounced that the Canary Islands are becoming "a new stage for migrant containment policy" such as that used in Greece.
Swimming to Melilla: 'Migrants think it's faster but, above all, it's very dangerous'
Moroccan and sub-Saharan African migrants regularly attempt to swim to the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla from neighboring Moroccan ports. But a crossing even a hundred meters from the shore is risky. Four people drowned in March 2021.
United Kingdom to tighten its asylum policy
Last week, the British Home Secretary presented a reform of the asylum system to the House of Commons that would no longer grant the same rights to people who have entered the country irregularly instead of legally. NGOs denounced the measure as "cruel and inhumane".
Over 28,000 relocations 5 years into EU-Turkey migrant pact
In the five years since an agreement was brought in between the EU and Turkey, some 28,621 Syrian refugees have been relocated to EU countries from Turkish camps. NGOs continue to criticize the accord.
Cyprus urged to improve its treatment of asylum seekers
The Council of Europe, Europe’s human rights watchdog, has expressed concern over the treatment of migrants and asylum seekers in Cyprus. The Mediterranean island has faced a sharp rise in irregular migrant arrivals in recent years.
Cyprus errects barrier to deter migrants
The government of Cyprus is building a barrier to prevent migrants and refugees from crossing over from the northern, Turkish Cypriot part of the island. The southern, Greek-administered part of Cyprus is part of the European Union.
Italy: 5,300 migrant sea arrivals so far this year
More than 5,300 migrants and refugees have arrived on Italy's coasts irregularly so far in 2021. That's more than twice the number of people who arrived during the same period in 2020. Meanwhile, the number of migrants intercepted and returned to Libya reportedly also increased.
Lampedusa mayor warns of uptick in migrants arrivals from Libya
The mayor of the Lampedusa has said he is concerned over the "increasingly active" Libyan route to Italy. Migrant arrivals on the island continued on Saturday, Sunday and Monday with more than 400 people landing on the Italian island.
Canary Islands: Migrants turn to hunger strikes, self-harm
Fearing deportation and racist attacks, migrants stranded in the Canary Islands have been on hunger strike recently to demand their transfer to the mainland. There have also been reports of self-mutilation.
Frustration boils over at Cyprus migrant camp
Asylum seekers in the Pournara camp in Cyprus say it is overcrowded and feels "like a prison." Pandemic restrictions have made the conditions worse, causing friction between groups of migrants.