irregular migrants

Mauritania, EU sign €100M agreement to combat irregular migration

Africa /

Mauritania and the European Union signed a €100 million ($103.6 million) agreement Thursday aimed at promoting development and combating irregular migration. The agreement was signed during a meeting in the capital Nouakchott between Mauritanian Minister of Economy and Finance Sidi Ahmed Ould Abouh and European Commissioner for International Partnerships Jozef Sikela, according to the Mauritanian News Agency. Ould Abouh said the funds will be allocated to support development, enhance social cohesion and stability, boost economic growth, improve health care and address the root causes of migration. He emphasized that the agreement also aims to strengthen the capacity of institutions combating irregular migration while protecting the fundamental rights of refugees and migrants. “This direct budget support reflects the confidence the international community has in our national mechanisms,” he added. Sikela noted that the funding will prioritize the development of green hydrogen as a driver of economic growth and job creation. He highlighted its potential to open new opportunities for Mauritania and European investors. “This funding demonstrates the EU’s swift commitment to fulfilling its promises to Mauritania,” he added. The EU’s interest in Mauritania has grown recently, particularly as relations between Western nations and several Sahel countries have become strained. Mauritania serves as a key transit point for African migrants, with the northern city of Nouadhibou becoming a hub for those seeking to cross into Europe in recent years. The country has established agreements with several European nations, notably Spain, to curb irregular migration.

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Bodies of two migrants recovered off Samos after boat capsizes

Africa /

A search and rescue operation off the coast of Samos, Greece, has recovered the bodies of two individuals reported missing after a boat carrying 24 migrants encountered trouble in rough seas, according to the coast guard. Authorities received a distress call from the vessel, which was found partially submerged north of Samos. Twenty-two people were rescued, and survivors informed the Coast Guard about the missing passengers. Last week, four migrants, including two women and two children, died near the island of Kos when a smuggling boat capsized while crossing from Turkey. In a separate incident days later, one man died, two were reported missing, and 97 were rescued by a passing cargo ship south of Gavdos. Survivors indicated they had paid between 7,000 and 10,000 euros each for their journey from Libya to Greece. Greece is a key entry point into the EU for individuals fleeing conflict and poverty in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. The UN refugee agency reports that over 42,000 migrants had arrived in Greece by early October, primarily by sea. The bodies of the two missing migrants—a man and a woman—were recovered early Monday morning, marking yet another tragic incident in the ongoing crisis of migrants attempting to reach Europe by sea.

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Turkey rescues 28 irregular migrants pushed back into Turkish waters

Africa, Turkey /

The Turkish Coast Guard on Sunday rescued a total of 28 irregular migrants forced back into the country’s territorial waters by Greek forces in the Aegean Sea. In the first of two successful rescue operations off the country’s Aegean shores, the Coast Guard Command said on its website that 14 migrants, including four children, were saved from a rubber boat off the district of Dikili in Izmir province. The other operation took place off the coast of Datca district in the province of Mugla, resulting in the rescue of an additional 14 migrants, among them seven children, from a lifeboat. All migrants were transferred to the Provincial Directorate of Migration Management for further processing. Türkiye has been a key transit point for asylum seekers wanting to cross into Europe to start new lives, especially those fleeing war and persecution. Ankara and global rights groups have repeatedly condemned Greece’s illegal practice, saying it violates humanitarian values and international law by endangering the lives of vulnerable migrants, including women and children.

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Turkey offers condolences to victims of Nigeria boat accident

Africa /

Turkiye on Friday extended condolences to victims of this week’s boat accident in Nigeria. “We are deeply saddened by the loss of many lives following the sinking of a boat carrying nearly 300 passengers in Nigeria,” the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement. The ministry extended its condolences to the “brotherly and friendly” people of Nigeria. At least 42 people were killed after a boat carrying nearly 300 people returning from a religious festival in Nigeria’s northern Niger state capsized on Tuesday. Many bodies were recovered on Friday and rescue operations are still continuing.

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Morocco intercepts 49 irregular migrants off Tarfaya coast

Africa /

The Moroccan military said on Thursday that the navy had intercepted 49 irregular migrants off the coast of Tarfaya in the southern Sahara region of the Atlantic Ocean. According to a statement posted on Facebook by the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces, a navy unit intercepted 49 irregular migrants from Sub-Saharan African countries on a rubber boat near Tarfaya port. The irregular migrants were given medical care before being transported to Tarfaya Port and handed over to the Royal Gendarmerie “for further administrative procedures,” the statement said. On January 23, the Interior Ministry reported halting 75,184 irregular migration attempts, a 6% increase over 2022, and dismantling over 419 human trafficking networks, a 44% rise from the previous year. Migration attempts from Sub-Saharan Africa to Europe are increasing due to ongoing conflicts, insecurity, and economic difficulties in the migrants’ home countries.

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Libya: Migrant boat capsizes off 1 dead, 22 missing

Africa /

A boat carrying 32 migrants capsized off the Libyan coast Tuesday, leaving one dead and 22 missing, according to Libyan authorities. The coast guard in Tobruk rescued nine survivors who were taken to a local port and hospital. The boat, which departed from Bab al-Zaitoun near Tobruk, sank after its engine failed, as reported by local aid group Abreen. The migrants were from Egypt and Syria. Libya, a major transit point for migrants fleeing conflict and poverty, has seen repeated maritime tragedies. In December, 61 migrants drowned near Zuwara. The ongoing chaos in Libya, exacerbated by the 2011 NATO-backed uprising, has enabled human traffickers to exploit migrants, leading to numerous deaths and disappearances. The International Organization for Migration reported 434 deaths and 611 missing migrants off Libya in the past eight months, with over 14,100 intercepted and returned. Those returned face harsh conditions in detention centers, including forced labor and abuse.

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Turkey rescues 25 irregular migrants in Aegean Sea

World /

The Turkish Coast Guard said Monday that it rescued 25 irregular migrants in the Aegean Sea off the coast of Marmaris district in Turkey’s southwestern Mugla province. The irregular migrants were pushed back into Turkish territorial waters by Greek coastal authorities, said the Coast Guard Command. The migrants were handed over to the Provincial Directorate of Migration Management after processing. Turkey has repeatedly condemned Greece’s illegal practice of pushing back asylum seekers, saying it violates humanitarian values and international law by endangering the lives of vulnerable migrants, including women and children. Turkey has been a key transit point for asylum seekers aiming to cross into Europe to start new lives, especially those fleeing war and persecution.

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40 migrants dead after boat catches fire off Haiti

World /

 At least 40 Haitian migrants died and several others were injured after a boat they were traveling in caught fire off Cap Haitien, in the northern coast of Haiti, the UN International Organization for Migration (IOM) said Friday. “IOM deeply laments the death of at least 40 migrants after a boat caught fire off the coast of Cap Haitien, Haiti. We extend our heartfelt condolences to the migrants’ families and are working to assist the survivors of this tragedy,” the IOM said in a press release. The boat that caught fire with more than 80 Haitians left the port of Labadee on Wednesday en route to the Turks and Caicos Islands. Forty-one migrants who were rescued by the Haitian Coast Guard are currently receiving medical care. Eleven were hospitalized for treatment, including burns.  The fire apparently started when two drums of gasoline ignited, Civil Protection official Jean Henry-Petit said. The captain of the boat died in the tragic accident.  “This devastating event highlights the risks faced by children, women, and men migrating through irregular routes, demonstrating the crucial need for safe and legal pathways for migration.” said Gregoire Goodstein, IOM’s chief of mission in the country.  Haiti has been grappling with a wave of violence by gangs that are terrorizing the population with killings, kidnappings, rapes and attacks. Violent gangs control up to 80 per cent of the country´s capital of Port-au-Prince. The UN estimates that about 580,000 people have been forced to flee their homes since March due to the latest surge of violence .  “For the vast majority of Haitians, regular migration is an extremely challenging journey to consider, let alone pursue, leaving many seeing irregular migration as their only option, a particularly life-threatening one in most instances,” said the IOM. Countries in the region, including the United States, the Bahamas, the Turks and Caicos Islands, and Jamaica, have reported a growing number of boats coming from Haiti. The IOM says that more than 86,000 migrants have been forcibly returned to Haiti by neighboring countries this year. The Haitian police have said they are searching for the people responsible for organizing the clandestine trips.

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110 irregular migrants caught in western Libya

Africa /

Security Forces Capture 110 Irregular Migrants in Libya’s Western Hamada el-Hamra Desert Security forces in Libya have apprehended 110 irregular migrants from various African countries in the Hamada el-Hamra desert region in the west, according to a statement from the Border Security Unit under the Ministry of Interior. The statement reported that patrol teams from the Border Security Unit detected a group of irregular migrants scattered across the terrain in the Hamada el-Hamra desert region. It was noted that the 110 irregular migrants, originating from several African countries, underwent health screenings and were subsequently handed over to relevant authorities for legal proceedings. Libyan authorities had previously collaborated with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to deport 174 irregular migrants from Nigeria on June 25. Libya is recognized as a departure point for irregular migrants attempting to reach Europe via illegal routes across the Mediterranean Sea.

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Body of irregular migrant found off coast of northwest Libya

Africa /

The body of an irregular migrant was found Wednesday off the coast of the city of Surman in northwest Libya. The Libyan Red Crescent Society’s Surman branch said in a statement that the body was discovered on the city’s shoreline in collaboration with Surman’s security forces. No information has been shared on the identity or nationality of the migrant. In the neighboring city of Sabratha, Red Crescent teams also recovered the bodies of 10 migrants from waters off the coast between May 12 to18. Libya is viewed as a departure point for irregular migrants attempting to reach Europe via illegal routes across the Mediterranean.

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