migrants

TRIPOLI, Libya — Libyan security forces have rescued more than 200 migrants from a clandestine underground prison in the southeastern town of Kufra, exposing what authorities described as brutal and degrading detention conditions along one of the world’s deadliest migration routes. Officials said the detainees — including women and children from sub-Saharan Africa, primarily Somalia and Eritrea — were found in multiple cells nearly three meters below ground. Some had been held for up to two years. The suspected trafficker…

Libya rescues more than 200 migrants from underground prison in Kufra as abuse allegations mount TRIPOLI, Libya — Libyan security forces have rescued more than 200 migrants from a clandestine underground detention site in the southeastern town of Kufra, where authorities say victims were held in brutal, degrading conditions for months and, in some cases, years. Security officials said the migrants were discovered in an improvised prison nearly three meters (about 10 feet) below ground, allegedly run by a Libyan trafficker.…

TRIPOLI, Libya — Libyan authorities have deported a group of Somali migrants detained in the capital, the country’s Anti-Illegal Migration Agency said Monday, underscoring an intensified campaign against irregular migration that has swept up foreign nationals across the North African state. In a statement, the agency said the migrants were held at a detention center in eastern Tripoli and removed from the country after court orders and verification of travel documents. Officials said the deportations were carried out in…

Tunisian authorities have charged six staff members of the Tunisian branch of the France Terre d'Asile aid group and 17 municipal workers from the eastern city of Sousse with sheltering migrants and facilitating “illegal entry and residence,” prosecutors said. If convicted, the defendants face up to 10 years in prison. The case centers on humanitarian assistance provided to migrants in Tunisia, a key transit point for tens of thousands of people each year trying to reach Europe. Authorities gave no immediate public timeline…

Seventeen migrants were found dead Saturday after their vessel was discovered drifting off the Greek island of Crete, Greek coast guard officials and state media said. "Two survivors in critical condition have been hospitalized," a coast guard spokeswoman said, adding that autopsies must be carried out because the circumstances of the sinking are not yet known. State broadcaster ERT reported that the bodies were found inside a partially deflated rubber boat that was taking on water. "The vessel the migrants were on was…

Tunisia’s treatment of migrants and the EU’s quiet deal: a test of values For three years, human rights researchers listened to stories that should have set off alarms across Mediterranean capitals: men and women beaten and detained without charge, people stripped of their documents and pushed toward unsafe borders, and Black migrants singled out for abuse. The accounts, collected from 120 refugees and migrants from nearly 20 countries, form the backbone of a new Amnesty International report that accuses Tunisia of…

Rwanda's New Role in Global Migration: A Controversial Partnership with the U.S. In a significant and controversial development in global migration policy, a group of seven migrants recently found themselves transported to Rwanda, the first wave under a contentious agreement struck during former President Donald Trump’s tenure. This initial transfer paves the way for what is expected to be the relocation of 250 migrants, stirring both hope and trepidation within the international community. The Context of the Deal This…

Shadows at the Edge of Europe: The Plight of Migrants in Mauritania In the heart of the Mauritanian desert, a silent crisis unfolds—a crisis that echoes the haunting sounds of desperation and seeks to cross the Mediterranean's turbulent waters. Reports from Human Rights Watch (HRW) reveal a staggering picture of abuse against migrants and asylum seekers, primarily hailing from West and Central Africa, underscoring the complexities and harrowing realities of migration in a world governed by borders and policies. A Detailed…

A navy vessel transporting migrants has successfully docked at Shengjin port in Albania, marking a significant milestone in the recently established agreement between Italy and Albania. This marks the inaugural arrival of migrants under this new pact. After a lengthy journey of 36 hours, the Italian navy ship brought 16 individuals hailing from Bangladesh and Egypt. These individuals will temporarily reside in prefabricated accommodations while their applications for asylum are being assessed. Italy has set up two…

Mogadishu (AX) — Picture this: A nightmare that hundreds of Somali migrants face while stranded in Libya. Dreaming of thriving in Europe, they flee home to escape conflict and poverty, yet find themselves ensnared in a grim landscape coated with violence and scarcity instead.Entrapped in Tripoli, these wayfarers have fallen into the hands of infamous human traffickers known as the "Magafe." These unscrupulous smugglers make life surreal with daily nightmares—extortion, torture, and the gnawing presence of starvation. As…