Cyprian police say they have stopped several dozen migrants trying to cross from the Turkish-controlled to the Greek part of the island. Earlier this month, more than 100 asylum seekers protested against poor job prospects and exploitation in Cyprus.
The EU border agency Frontex has denied having documented any "collusion" between NGOs and human traffickers. French Interior Minister Christophe Castaner had claimed earlier in the week that Frontex knew of NGOs aiding smugglers.
The French interior minister has said that non-government organizations play an essential role in providing aid to migrants. In a video posted on social media, he said he had not been questioning the sincerity of NGOs in commenting that some were proven to have links with traffickers.
More than 300 police have conducted raids across Cologne in an effort to break a suspected people-smuggling operation. Police searched properties at two locations in the city and arrested two suspects from Iraq.
Eight migrants have been rescued from a lorry near the border crossing in Ventimiglia. The migrants, who were from several African countries, had been having trouble breathing and were unable to open the truck from inside.
Human rights groups have warned that migrants and refugees that are sent back to Libya are tortured and held for ransom. A TV report now brings horrific new evidence to support the claim.
Italian police have broken up an organisation trafficked irregular migrants from southern Italy to northern Europe. The group was reportedly based in the former Olympic village in Turin. Police said the group moved dozens of foreigners throughout Europe for large sums of money.
'Travel now, pay later' schemes offered by smugglers seem to be increasing the risks to migrants and refugees, especially in parts of Africa. One of the dangers is being kidnapped for ransom, a business that thrives in lawless regions and traps migrants with no way out.
Doctors Without Borders has denounced that migrants between France and Spain are trapped in a ''relentless cycle of rejection'' by French authorities.
An Australian singer-songwriter, Amy Shark, says two people were discovered hiding in the luggage compartment of her tour bus traveling from Brussels. The pair were reportedly migrants trying to reach Britain.
Croatian police found 39 migrants over Christmas. They were hiding in a small van. The overcrowded vehicle had entered the country from Bosnia Herzegovina.
A raid by Italian authorities has dismantled a criminal organization that trafficked migrants, including children, from Italy to northern Europe. The traffickers even offered 'discount rates' for children, including 700 euros for three children.