EU to step up pressure on countries to take back rejected asylum seekers
EU leaders have agreed to take action to make sure migrants who are not allowed to stay legally in Europe are returned to their countries of origin.
returning migrants
In Italy, only one in two migrants held at repatriation centers is returned
Data provided by the Italian government showed that in 2021 only one in two migrants held at Italian repatriation centers was actually repatriated. Italy's National Guarantor for the Rights of Detained Persons has criticized the data.
Poland-Belarus border: Repatriated Iraqi migrants arrive home
A group of Iraqis arrived back in their country on board a plane sent by the Iraqi government. They had been stranded at the Poland-Belarus border in dire conditions.
UNHCR urges increase in scope of humanitarian aid in Syria
The UNHCR chief Filippo Grandi has asked to increase the scope of humanitarian assistance in Syria, including for people who have chosen to return home after being forced to flee elsewhere in the country or abroad.
France to reduce visas for Maghreb countries in migration spat
Paris has accused former colonies of not doing enough to allow illegal immigrants to return. Algeria has summoned the French ambassador in response to the decision.
Syrian refugees returning home face torture, abuse: Amnesty report
A report by Amnesty International contradicts some governments' views that Syria is now safe to return for refugees. Returnees have faced detainment, torture, disappearance, and sexual violence.
EU escalates row with Gambia over expelled migrants
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.
Greece demands return of 2,000 migrants to Turkey
Urging the EU to push Turkey to stick to its obligations under a 2016 refugee deal, Greece has requested the immediate return to Turkey of almost 2.000 migrants living in camps on the Greek Aegean Islands. Turkey continues to refuse to take back rejected asylum seekers.
Struggling to cope: Spanish authorities work out what to do with unaccompanied minors in Ceuta
The Spanish government is hoping some of its mainland regions will agree to take on some of the more than 1,500 unaccompanied minors who arrived in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, on the African continent, over the last few days.
IOM helps 160 Bangladeshi migrants return home from Libya
The International Organization for Migration (IOM), in coordination with the government of Bangladesh, has facilitated the return of 160 Bangladeshi migrants stranded in Libya, the UN agency said in a statement.
Death toll rises off Djibouti coast, IOM returns stranded migrants from Yemen
The UN migration agency IOM says the death toll has risen to 42 after a boat carrying migrants capsized off the coast of Djibouti. Sixteen children were among the dead.
Prostitution, COVID and trafficking: A spiral of despair for Ethiopian returnees
The economic repercussions of the COVID-19 crisis have forced many irregular migrants from Ethiopia to return home, where they are faced with destitution on a daily basis. Some turn to sex work as their only option to rise out of abject poverty. Others resort to prostitution to finance their next migration.