Monthly Press Review February 2026

This monthly press review covers Eurafrican migration control, migration, social movements and displacement in African countries, and news on the European border regime.

The selection of these articles is somewhat rough and contingent, and biassed on our interest in popular uprisings, and social and migration movements, but also border politics, and militarization of social relations.

The main sources are News from AJE, Guardian, New York Times etc., but also newsletters from various sources. As we know, all the more after the Gaza experience, it is necessary to complement the European, and especially the German news landscape with articles from abroad. If anybody would like to contribute from other sources, let us know (contact[at]migration-control.info).

For a more distiguished way of doing press reviews, and more fokused on European developments, please Also see migreurop Press Review July 2025, and the ERCE Press Review, and the News on Mediendienst Integration..

We also recommend the SWP Web Monitore, especially Nahost/ Nordafrika, and Subsahara-Afrika.

World

12.02.26 +972: ICE operations increasingly resemble Israeli occupation. That’s no coincidence: U.S. immigration enforcement has long cultivated ties with Israel. Now it adapts algorithmic surveillance tactics from Gaza for use on American streets.

All Africa

26.02.26 AR: Global ‘rupture’: AU leaders contemplate a future: Amidst large-scale upheavals in the global order, African Union leaders contemplated reforms to the continental body at their recent summit in Addis Ababa. Yet some observers have noted that heads of state of fewer than half of the 49 member states in good standing attended the summit.

25.02.26 Guardian: US accused of ‘shameless exploitation’ over proposed Zambian health aid deal: Leaked draft of $1bn memorandum of understanding reveals mandatory targets, sharing of data, and reported access to mining concessions

Also see Business Insinder 26.02.26: US marks strategic return to the Sahel with $147M health deal in Burkina Faso: The United States is signaling a renewed strategic push into West Africa’s volatile Sahel region, sealing a $147 million health deal with Burkina Faso in a move that blends humanitarian support with geopolitical recalibration. This move is part of Washington's broader strategy to counter increasing Russian and Chinese influence in the area.
Burkina Faso is the 17th African country to sign a health MoU with the United States. Some African governments, like Zimbabwe and Zambia, have pushed back against U.S. health financing frameworks, citing sovereignty concerns and seeking revisions.

12.02.26 TNH: Rethinking Humanitarianism | Burnout in the aid sector and how to respond: “You lose that sense of being able to empathise,” says Javid Abdelmoneim, the international president for Médecins Sans Frontières. “I'd feel myself getting irritable, short, less inclined to stop and listen, and that's just not fair.”

09.02.26 ACLED: Africa Overview: February 2026: This past month, the TDF clashed with the ENDF, Israel’s recognition of Somaliland has triggered mass demonstrations, and the suppression of opposition parties marked Uganda’s elections.

04.02.26 France 24: US renews trade pact with African countries, bringing tariff relief: US President Donald Trump on Tuesday renewed the African Growth and Opportunity Act – a 25-year-old agreement which allows 32 African countries duty-free access to the US market. "AGOA for the 21st century must demand more from our trading partners and yield more market access for US businesses, farmers, and ranchers“.

04.02.26 Tagesschau: Massive Rückschritte bei den Menschenrechten: Report von HRW: "Der allgemeine Trend in Bezug auf Demokratie und Menschenrechte in Afrika ist ein Rückschritt", sagt Ngari. "Und dieser Rückschritt ist nicht unbedingt sporadisch, sondern systematisch und dauerhaft."

North Africa:

Algeria

18.02.26 RFI: Algérie-Niger: le projet de gazoduc transsaharien à nouveau relancé: Plus de 4 000 kilomètres du sud du Nigeria à l'Algérie en passant par le Niger. Voici ce que devrait être, à terme, le gazoduc transsaharien. L'objectif est de transporter le gaz nigérian vers la côte algérienne pour l'exporter ensuite vers l'Europe via le gazoduc Transmed qui relie l'Afrique du Nord à l'Italie ou par bateau sous forme de gaz naturel liquéfié. L'annonce a été faite lundi 16 février lors de la visite officielle d'Abdourahamane Tiani à Alger pour tourner la page d'une crise diplomatique de plusieurs mois entre l'Algérie et les trois pays de l'Alliance des États du Sahel.

Also see RFI 21.02.26: How Algeria's diplomatic reset with Niger advances its Sahel strategy: After a year of diplomatic strain, Niger and Algeria are testing a cautious reset – one that could reshape political and security dynamics across the Sahel.

Libya

17.02.26 AJE: ‘Journey of hell’: Migrants in Libya endure torture, rape, forced labour: A new UN report says migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers in Libya are being forcibly rounded up and abused.

Find the report here: Business as Usual. The findings reveal that widespread and systematic violations and abuses against migrants, asylum-seekers, and refugees persist, perpetrated by traffickers, smugglers, armed groups, and State-affiliated actors involved in migration and border management.

Morocco

24.02.26 GFP: Marokko als deutsche Solarkolonie: Berlin treibt neue Energieprojekte in Marokko voran und belebt damit alte Pläne vom Import nordafrikanischen „Wüstenstroms“ nach Deutschland.

Tunisia

04.02.26 Alarmphone: Group gets intercepted by Tunisian National Guard and sold to Libyan Border Guard for fuel: When does this violence end?: Alarm Phone has been informed on several occasions about these deportations towards al-Assah, directly from the ports of Sfax or Chebba. This despicable deportation regime turns people into commodities, objectifying them as goods, instrumentalised for profit.

03.02.26 taz: Das stille Sterben im Mittelmeer: Zehntausende Migranten harren in Tunesien unter katastrophalen Bedingungen in Zeltstädten aus. Der einzige Ausweg: Eine lebensgefährliche Überfahrt nach Europa.

East Africa

23.02.26 TNH: The growing threat of conflict in the Horn of Africa: Clashes last month in two Tigrayan districts between the federal army and Tigrayan forces could be the first steps towards a wider war that has been frozen for the past three years by a shaky ceasefire.

12.02.26 NYT: As U.S. Bombs Somalia, Israel Shakes Status Quo on Horn of Africa: The region has become a critical theater for global rivalries amid Israel’s recognition of breakaway Somaliland and Washington’s counterterrorism efforts.

Ethiopia

24.02.26 AR: Sea access at any cost? Ethiopia hardens its Red Sea line: Ethiopia has signalled that its pursuit of Red Sea access is no longer just economic policy but a core security doctrine wrapped in deterrence, technology and national pride.

08.02.26 AR: Ethiopia issues ultimatum to Eritrea: ‘immediately withdraw’ or face consequences: Foreign minister condemns ‘outright aggression’ in a blistering letter to Asmara, shattering the fragile alliance forged during the Tigray conflict.

02.02.26 Tagesschau: Warum Äthiopien einen Mega-Flughafen baut: Er soll der größte Flughafen Afrikas werden - und einer der größten der Welt: der Bishoftu International Airport in Äthiopien für mehr als 100 Millionen Passagiere. Nun haben die Bauarbeiten begonnen.

Somalia

19.02.26 TNH: Somalia is facing a disastrous drought. It’s not the time to weaponise aid: The UN has estimated that at least 4.4 million people – one fifth of Somalia’s population – are currently going hungry after the fourth failed rainy season in a row. “Yet when – as a result of misplaced egos – leaders treat aid access as a political weapon, the population inevitably becomes the target.”

Sudan

19.02.26 Reuters: RSF actions in Sudan's al-Fashir points to genocide, UN probe says: The U.N. mission said it found evidence that the RSF carried out a pattern of coordinated and repeated targeting of individuals based on ethnicity, gender and perceived political affiliation, including mass killings, rape and torture, as well as inflicting conditions of life calculated to bring about the group’s physical destruction.

11.02.26 SWM: Sudan’s Widening War: The Regional Web Sustaining the Rapid Support Forces: Sudan’s rebel alliance is ostracized by Western governments and frequently condemned, but it is far from isolated regionally. Five of seven countries bordering Sudan now allow the rebels to operate on their territory.

Also see AR 25.02.26: Sudan War: A Kenyan passport, Emirati ID and East Africa’s complicity debate: Algoney Hamdan Dagalo Musa, the youngest brother of RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan ‘Hemeti’ Dagalo, holds an alternate Kenyan passport and a United Arab Emirates ID card; Reuters 23.02.26: Chad closes border with Sudan after clashes kill five soldiers; Africa Report:. 13.02.26: Saudi Arabia vs the Emirates: The Gulf power struggle driving Sudan’s war; Reuters 10.02.26: Ethiopia builds secret camp to train Sudan RSF fighters, sources say; AJE 08.02.26: Saudi Arabia denounces ‘foreign interference’ in Sudan after RSF attacks; AfricaReport 06.02.26: Is Ethiopia’s Abiy helping RSF in Sudan’s civil war?

11.02.26 MERIP: Burri Under Siege—How War Remade Everyday Life in a Sudanese Neighborhood: [Long Read] The army’s approach to reconstruction seems to reproduce the same colonial and postcolonial logics of securitization that have long shaped Khartoum’s geography and politics, and inspired citizen uprisings. While the plan signals a responsible intention for the city’s reconstruction and recovery, its framing and implementation risks perpetuating inequalities and stoking future conflicts.

10.02.26 Spiegel: »Jeden Tag kommen tausend weitere Frauen an«: Jan Egeland, Generalsekretär der Hilfsorganisation Norwegian Refugee Councils, ist Ende Januar durch den Süden Kordofans gereist und hat mit Flüchtlingen gesprochen

06.02.26 SWM: Kamikaze Drones Hunt for Targets in Kordofan: The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) has begun employing a new type of kamikaze attack drone in the Kordofan region, targeting fuel depots, markets, and convoys in rear areas controlled by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF

Also see AJE 20.02.26: Three aid workers killed, 4 wounded in RSF drone attack in Sudan’s Kordofan; SWM 19.02.26: Children Among 18 Killed at West Kordofan Water Point on First Day of Ramadan; AJE 16.02.26: Drone attack on busy market in Sudan kills at least 28; Guardian 07.02.26: RSF drone attack kills 24 people fleeing fighting in central Sudan, says doctors group; AJE 03.02.26 :The drones being used in Sudan: In this visual investigation, Al Jazeera examines the history of drone warfare in Sudan, the types of drones used by the warring sides, how they are sourced, where the attacks have occurred and the human toll.

West Africa and Sahel

Burkina Faso

19.02.26 Reuters: Islamist militants show 'unprecedented coordination' in Burkina Faso attacks: Islamist militants have killed dozens of soldiers and civilians and overrun an army detachment over the past week in coordinated attacks across multiple regions of Burkina Faso, according to internal reports by two diplomatic missions reviewed by Reuters.
The operations by Al Qaeda–linked Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin show the JNIM is increasingly able to mobilise across large swathes of territory at one time, said the reports, which described a list of locations and places that came under assault.

Also see LM 19.02.26: Burkina Faso : une quarantaine de gardes forestiers ont été tués dans une attaque djihadiste

12.02.26 APAnews: Burkina, Russia seal new agreement in Moscow: The signing marks the culmination of a high-level mission that included representatives of the Presidency of Faso and diplomatic experts. According to sources familiar with the matter, additional legal instruments are expected to follow in order to further expand and formalise this growing bilateral cooperation.

08.02.26 RFI: Burkina Faso: les factures d'eau impayées mèneront directement à des travaux d’intérêt général: Au Burkina Faso, l’Office national de l’eau et l’assainissement (ONEA) peine à recouvrer près de 35 milliards de francs CFA d’arriérés de paiements de factures. Et pour y parvenir, elle fait appel à la brigade Laabal, unité mixte de Forces de sécurité et de Défense, mise en place pour restaurer l’ordre, la discipline et le civisme dans l’espace public

Chad

19.02.26 RFI: Tchad: un ex-membre du Conseil militaire de transition accuse le président d’enrôlements forcés pour combattre au Soudan: Recrutements forcés, traite d'êtres humains... L'accusation est grave et vise le président tchadien Mahamat Idriss Déby.

Ghana

03.02.26 Africa Report: Ghana’s Sahel test: How long can West Africa’s ‘safe haven’ hold?: Ghana has escaped the Sahel’s violence so far. However, along its northern border with Burkina Faso, the effort to keep it that way is becoming more visible and more costly.

Mali

25.02.26 DW: Mali : deux localités de Mopti empêchées de se ravitailler: En pleine période de ramadan, un blocus terroriste empêche le ravitaillement des localités de Nouh Bozo et de Diafarabé. De sources locales, le tarissement de l'eau du fleuve serait l'autre raison de cet arrêt des livraisons. Les habitants des deux localités manquent désormais de vivres, mais aussi de médicaments.

14.06.26 AR: From Wagner to Africa Corps: What the Russian military alliance has really cost Mali: Following the demise of Wagner group, Bamako now relies on Africa Corps to contain the jihadist threat. This Russian apparatus has already cost the Malian junta nearly $1bn – for limited results.

03.02.26 rfi: Au Mali, l'approvisionnement en carburant plie mais ne rompt pas: Au Mali, plus d'une douzaine de chauffeurs et au moins une dizaine de militaires ont été tués dans l'attaque d'un convoi de camions citernes jeudi dernier, 29 janvier, près de Kayes par le Jnim (Groupe de soutien à l'islam et aux musulmans). Malgré cette dernière attaque très meurtrière, la disponibilité de carburant est presque normale à Bamako

Also see RFI 24.02.26: Est du Sénégal: les routiers en première ligne face au conflit: Entre 500 et 1 000 véhicules franchissent chaque jour la frontière entre les deux pays pour approvisionner Bamako depuis le port de Dakar.

03.02.26 AfricaReport: ‘Poor gains for poor people’: Mali’s economic inequality under Assimi Goïta: [Analysis] “It is more about boosting nationalist support and holding on to power than improving living conditions or fixing public services“.
From 2023 to 2026, Mali’s budget grew 30-40% nominally, driven by gold-related revenue recovery and stronger tax collection. But education remained 17-18% of the budget, health 8-10%, both flat proportionally. Agriculture and rural support rose modestly, around 5-8% of the budget, due to subsidies and higher cotton prices, while social protection stayed low at 2-4%, with limited targeted support.

Mauritania

13.02.26 Enjeux: La Mauritanie et l’UE recentrent leurs priorités partenariales pour le compte de 2026: Dialogue de partenariat annuel entre la Mauritanie et l’UE (Union européenne) qui a cerné toutes les priorités de la coopération bilatérale entre les deux parties. Nouakchott a réitéré à cette occasion, sa détermination « à gérer les flux migratoires de manière coordonnée, responsable et humaine, dans le respect des droits et du partage des responsabilités » et s’engage à demeurer « un acteur actif pour la paix et la stabilité dans la région du Sahel ».

Niger

19.02.26 Reuters: IMF completes Niger program reviews, approves about $91 million in funding: The IMF said completion of the reviews would unlock about $61 million under the ECF-supported program and about $30 million under the RSF program, adding Niger's economic growth is expected to remain strong at 6.7% in 2026.

17.02.26 africanews: Niger and Algeria announce start of 'new dynamic' after pipeline talks in Algiers: General Abdourahamane Tiani met with Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune in Algiers on Monday to announce the construction of a new gas pipeline.
Tebboune said the visit marked the end to “an abnormal period of chilliness” between the two countries.

09.02.26 HRW: Niger: Military Drone Strike Kills 17 Civilians: An apparent Nigerien military drone strike killed at least 17 civilians, including 4 children, and injured at least 13 others at a crowded market in western Niger on January 6, 2026, Human Rights Watch said today. The strike, which also killed three Islamist fighters, violated laws-of-war prohibitions against indiscriminate attacks

03.02.26 AJE: Moscow confirms Russian forces helped repel ISIL attack on Niger airport: A video published online through the ISIL-affiliated media Amaq showed several dozen attackers with assault rifles firing near an aircraft hangar and setting ablaze one plane before leaving on motorbikes.

Also see Long War 02.02.26: Islamic State video details extent of attack in Niamey: The video greatly contradicts statements made by Nigerien officials, as well as accounts of the attack posted on pro-Russian Telegram channels.

Nigeria

17.02.26 Africa Report: ‘Conquest mode’: The jihadist push for Nigeria’s southern heartland: [Paywall} As terror groups exploit the ‘ungoverned’ Kainji forest belt linking Niger, Kwara and Oyo, Nigeria faces a terrifying new reality: a jihadist corridor stretching towards the Atlantic.
Although occasional attacks were recorded in the country’s North-West and across neighbouring borders, the violence largely did not extend into the North-Central zone – a long stretch of states forming the last buffer before Nigeria’s South, and a region with a bloody history of farmer-herder clashes over scarce resources.

Also see AJE 22.02.26: Attackers kill dozens, abduct women and children in Nigeria [Video]; NYT 13.02.26: First U.S. Troops Arrive in Nigeria to Bolster Counterterrorism Fight; Guardian 04.02.26: Gunmen kill more than 160 people in attacks on two west Nigeria villages

Senegal

10.02.26 Reuters: Student dies as Senegal university protests over finances escalate: A student died during protests over unpaid financial aid at Senegal's top university in Dakar, the government said late on Monday, as weeks of unrest over delayed stipends escalated into clashes with security forces.

09.02.26 NYT: Two Senegalese Celebrities Are Arrested in Crackdown on Homosexuality: Two Senegalese celebrities — a TV presenter and a singer — have been arrested and charged with committing “unnatural acts,” a crime referring to gay sex, the police in Senegal said on Sunday.

Sub Saharan Africa

DRC

18.02.26 TNH: Fear and survival: Reflections on a year under M23 rule in Goma: I have seen how the population has suffered — with airports and banks closed, jobs being lost, and uncertainty about the future. But a year under occupation has also been a year of resilience in the truest sense of the word. Many of you may know the dictionary definition of “resilience”, but come to Goma and you will see what it really means.

10.02.26 Reuters: Trump ally Prince sent men, drones to help Congo's army secure strategic town: Blackwater founder Erik Prince deployed a private security force to operate drones and help Democratic Republic of Congo's army secure the strategic city of Uvira against Rwanda-backed rebels, four people briefed on the mission said.
The AFC/M23 rebels briefly seized the city on the border with Burundi in December in a major blow to ongoing U.S. and Qatar-backed peace negotiations. They withdrew after Washington threatened to retaliate.

Also see AR 26.02.26: Congo’s strike on M23 spokesman Willy Ngoma raises retaliation fears: A pre-dawn strike in Rubaya that killed one of M23’s most visible commanders has jolted an already fragile truce. Kinshasa presents it as a decisive blow. The rebels denounce it as betrayal. Any chance of a real ceasefire now hangs by a thread.

Kenya

19.02.26 Guardian: More than 1,000 Kenyans lured to fight for Russia in Ukraine war, report says: A growing number of people from African countries – including Kenya, Uganda and South Africa – and elsewhere have been lured to the frontline as Russia seeks manpower to sustain its invasion.
The employment agencies were enticing Kenyans by promising them monthly salaries of about 350,000 shillings (£2,000), bonuses of between 900,000 shillings and 1.2m shillings and eventual Russian citizenship, the report said.

Nigeria

19.02.26 AJE: ‘Holding hands’: How Nigeria turned Trump’s threats to military partnership: Trump and Nigeria appeared headed for a clash over bogus claims of a Christian ‘genocide’. Now the US is helping Nigeria.

15.02.26 Guardian: Assailants kill at least 32 in north-west Nigerian villages, residents say: Residents who escaped violence tell of bandits riding in on motorbikes and shooting indiscriminately

West Asia

09.02.26 ACLED: Middle East Overview: February 2026: Israel intensified its attacks on Gaza and Lebanon, deadly state repression across Iran halts protests, and violence escalated between state forces and the SDF in northern Syria.

Gaza

25.02.26 GFP: Vom Gaza-Krieg lernen: Das Deutsche Heer schließt eine enge Kooperationsvereinbarung mit der Israel Defense Force (IDF). Angestrebt werden gemeinsame Ausbildungs- und Übungsmaßnahmen. Die IDF informiert dabei über ihre Erkenntnisse aus dem Gaza-Krieg.

17.02.26 AJE: Mapping forced displacements and settler attacks by Israel in the West Bank: Israeli military incursions and settler attacks forced more than 37,000 Palestinians to leave their homes in 2025.

Also see AJE 17.02.27: ‘Jordan is next’: West Bank annexation signals ‘silent transfer’: Former officials and strategists warn that Israel’s new land registry laws and military pressure in the occupied West Bank are the final prelude to the ‘alternative homeland’ scenario; +972 18.02.26: Has Israel crossed the annexation threshold in the West Bank?: Six ‘game-changing’ recent cabinet decisions may push the occupation past a tipping point toward permanent Israeli rule, says Yesh Din director Ziv Stahl.

06.02.26 France 24: No food, no shelter, no money: the daily fight for survival in Gaza: After two years of war, the October ceasefire brought a precarious calm to Gaza – despite the fact that Israeli strikes have not completely stopped. While some shops have reopened, most of the enclave's two million inhabitants are still living in makeshift shelters and have little to no income.

Also see AJE 25.02.26: Aid groups petition Israeli Supreme Court as Gaza, West Bank work ban nears; Spiegel 19.02.26: Die Hilfsorganisation Ärzte ohne Grenzen zieht sich aus dem Nasser-Krankenhaus im Gazastreifen zurück; Guardian 19.02.26: Trump officials plan to build 5,000-person military base in Gaza, files show; Reuters 19.02.26: Hamas tightens grip in Gaza as Trump pushes peace plan

Iran

28.02.26 Timothy Snider: Why Attack Iran?: How do understand the war with Iran? We must get away from the propaganda and ask why this might be happening, in light of the facts that we do know. These facts suggest two interpretive frameworks: a foreign war as a mechanism to destroy democracy at home; and a foreign war as an element of personal corruption by the president of the United States.

27.02.26 FA: What It Will Take to Change the Regime in Iran: The U.S. Military Must Go Big—and Then Let Iranians Do the Rest; FA 26.02.26: Why Iran Will Escalate: Strategically speaking, Trump has no great reason to attack Iran. Tehran is a threat to Washington’s Middle East interests, yes, but it poses no immediate menace to the United States. In the aftermath of Iranians’ widespread protests and their subsequent brutal massacre, sustained economic and diplomatic pressure would have further weakened the regime without risking open conflict. But this president is rarely satisfied with quiet victories.

Also see NYT 28.02.26: Iranians Take to the Streets to Celebrate Khamenei’s Death: Large crowds of Iranians poured into the streets of Tehran and other cities across Iran overnight, celebrating the news that Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, had been killed during a day of coordinated U.S. and Israeli attacks.

Pakistan

27.02.26 AJE: Pakistan-Afghanistan updates: Deadly cross-border fighting intensifies: Where has Pakistan struck in Afghanistan?

02.02.26 AJE: How Balochistan attacks threaten Pakistan’s promises to China, Trump: Balochistan is at the heart of Pakistan’s economic promises to the US and China. The attacks are a reminder of the risks for Pakistan and potential investors.

Saudi Arabia

06.02.26 SWP: A Fourth Saudi State: The Crown Prince’s Reforms in Politics, Society and the Economy: [Analysis] The political, social and economic reforms spearheaded by Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman serve the goal of consolidating his rule in the long term. Bin Salman has centralised decision-making in his own hands and is in full control of the country’s politics. Authoritarianism under the crown prince is far more radical and uncom­promising than was the case in Saudi Arabia until 2015. From the outset, Bin Salman promoted a pronounced Saudi nationalism, which many observers describe as a “Saudi-first” policy.

06.02.26 FA: The Real Risks of the Saudi-UAE Feud: Today, Saudi Arabia and the UAE are at odds over Israel, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen. In most of these arenas, Saudi Arabia prioritizes stability—as long as there is no specific threat to the kingdom—whereas the UAE generally wants to prevent Islamists from gaining ground.
Emirati-Saudi tensions will probably get worse. The two countries are increasingly competing for investment in the same sectors.

Yemen

11.02.26 AJE: Many killed in south Yemen as crowd linked with STC storms gov’t building: They attempted to storm a local government building in the southeastern Yemeni city of Ataq, leaving several dead, according to local authorities and sources.

Maritime Routes

24.02.26 El Diario: Marruecos rescata en el Atlántico a 189 migrantes que intentaban llegar a Canarias: Las Fuerzas Armadas Reales marroquíes informaron este martes en un breve comunicado que, entre los interceptados, había enfermos que recibieron primeros auxilios en alta mar antes de ser trasladados al puerto de Dajla.
Los rescatados, interceptados este lunes, fueron entregados a la Gendarmería Real para los trámites administrativos en curso, que suelen incluir la repatriación al país de origen y acciones judiciales contra los organizadores de la travesía.

19.02.26 Echoes: #20 – Every life is worth more than their laws!: We must unite transnationally in the struggle for justice, equal rights, and freedom of movement, placing the testimonies and demands of relatives at the heart of our collective action!

12.02.26 Spiegel: Meloni-Regierung will Seeblockaden gegen Migration einsetzen: Das Kabinett in Rom verabschiedete einen entsprechenden Gesetzentwurf, der die »Instrumente zur Bekämpfung illegaler Einwanderung stärken und ein strengeres Management der Migrationsströme gewährleisten« soll.
Der neue Gesetzentwurf sieht unter anderem Seeblockaden vor, um Boote mit Geflüchteten auf dem Mittelmeer aufzuhalten. Diese zeitlich begrenzte Maßnahme soll allerdings nur in klar definierten Fällen möglich sein. In Zeiten »außergewöhnlichen Drucks« soll diesen Booten die Durchfahrt durch italienische territoriale Gewässer untersagt werden können, heißt es. In dem Kontext ist von »schwerwiegenden Gefahren für die öffentliche Ordnung oder die nationale Sicherheit« die Rede. Außerdem sieht der Entwurf nun auch vor, dass die Menschen an Bord der Schiffe, denen die Einfahrt in italienische Territorialgewässer untersagt wurde, in Länder gebracht werden, mit denen Rom ein Abkommen über Inhaftierung oder Rückführung geschlossen hat.
Beide Parlamentskammern müssen den Gesetzentwurf noch billigen. Sollten sie dies tun, könnte das Gesetz auch die Vorhaben der von der Meloni-Regierung forcierten Abschiebelager in Albanien wieder auf den Plan bringen.

Also see AJE 11.02.26: Italy advances migration bill, including naval blockades: Those violating the rules would face fines of up to 50,000 euros ($59,400) and would see their boats confiscated in the case of repeated violations, a measure that seems to target humanitarian rescue ships.

11.02.26 Infomigrants: Sur la route des Canaries, une mission de surveillance aérienne pour repérer les bateaux de migrants en détresse: Depuis la mi-janvier, l’ONG Humanitarian Pilots Initiative mène une opération test de surveillance aérienne dans l'Atlantique pour tenter de repérer des embarcations de migrants en difficultés sur la route des Canaries. C'est la troisième mission de ce type depuis le printemps dernier. De nombreux canots se retrouvent en détresse sur cette route migratoire où aucun bateau humanitaire ne navigue.

09.02.26 Guardian: 53 people dead or missing after migrant boat capsizes in Mediterranean: In a statement, the IOM said: “Only two Nigerian women were rescued during a search and rescue operation by Libyan authorities.” It added that one of the survivors said she lost her husband and the other said she lost her two babies in the tragedy.

05.02.26 Digit36: Cape Verde now in Eurosur: Frontex gives details for surveillance aircraft in West Africa: In November, the EU border agency Frontex expanded its aerial surveillance to the waters off West Africa. Since then, regular operations have repeatedly been conducted from the island of Santiago in Cape Verde, with the aircraft operating on behalf of the EU stationed in the capital, Praia. It is Frontex’s first such mission in an African country.

04.02.26 Infomigrants: Grèce : 15 migrants meurent après une "violente collision" de leur canot avec un patrouilleur grec en mer

31.01.26 Alarmphone: Violent attacks do not stop boats from crossing the Central Med!: Central Mediterranean Analysis, 1 July to 31 December 2025

Europe

Albania

21.02.26 AJE: Clashes in Albania as protesters demand PM Rama resign: Police in the Albanian capital, Tirana, fired tear gas and used water cannon as protesters clashed with security forces during demonstrations to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama. Demonstrators hurled Molotov cocktails and fireworks at the prime minister’s office on Friday before marching towards parliament, where they were confronted by anti-riot police.

Germany

27.02.26 taz: Zwölf Monate Hausarrest für „Dublin-Fälle“: Der Bundestag passt das deutsche Recht an die EU-Asylreform an – und geht noch weiter: Bald könnten Haftzentren für Geflüchtete entstehen. Nach dem Gesetz können bald alle Bundesländer solche Einrichtungen eröffnen wie in Eisenhüttenstadt oder Hamburg. Statt Dublin-Zentren sollen sie dann Sekundärmigrationszentren heißen.

Also see Mediendienst 26.02.26: Reform des Gemeinsamen Europäischen Asylsystems

19.02.26 taz: Widerstand gegen Migrationspolitik: Immer mehr Pi­lo­t*in­nen verhindern Abschiebungen: Dass die Zahl der Abgeschobenen mit rund 23.000 Betroffenen im letzten Jahr 13 Prozent höher lag als 2024, ist bereits seit einigen Wochen bekannt. Bundesinnenminister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) verkauft dies als Teil seiner „Asylwende“ und brüstet sich auch mit der massiv gesunkenen Zahl neuer Asylanträge. Die Antworten des Innenministeriums auf Büngers Anfrage liefern jetzt viele weitere Details zu den Abschiebungen, die bisher unbekannt waren.
Deutlich stärker als die Zahl der abgeschlossenen Abschiebungen stieg letztes Jahr aber die Zahl der gescheiterten Abschiebungen. Über 1.600 Mal mussten solche Aktionen abgebrochen werden, nachdem die Betroffenen schon in den Händen der Bundespolizei waren. In fast einem Drittel der Fälle war dafür ausschlaggebend, dass die Pi­lo­t*in­nen von genutzten Linienflügen sich weigerten, dabei mitzuwirken.

17.02.26 Mediendienst: Grenzkontrollen und Zurückweisungen: 2025 wurden nach Angaben der Bundespolizei rund 41.500 Personen an den Grenzen zurückgewiesen.

Also see Tagesspiegel 07.02.26 Stolpert Dobrindt über den eigenen Anspruch?: Warum Abschiebungen für den Innenminister zum Problem werden. „Dobrindts Vorgehen hat einen stark performativen Charakter. Man inszeniert Handlungsfähigkeit, ohne das Migrationsgeschehen entscheidend zu beeinflussen.“

09.02.26 BAMF: Integrationskurse 02/26: Rundschreiben, dass im laufenden Haushaltsjahr bis auf Weiteres keinerlei Zulassungen für die Teilnahme an Integrationskursen nach § 44 Abs. 4 AufenthG erteilt werden können.

Also see epd 09.02.26: Zulassung zu Integrationskursen wird stark eingeschränkt

Greece

12.02.26 ecre: Collision between Coast Guard vessel and migrant boat leaves at least 15 dead: The incident took place on 4 February off the island of Chios. According to the Greek Coast Guard, a pursuit was underway at the time of the collision which caused the speedboat to capsize and sink

04.02.26 Legal Centre Lesbos: Lesvos Situation Report July – December 2025: Where does the work of human rights defenders fit when the rule of law itself has been trampled?

02.02.26 Border Crimonologies: Visualising confinement: Creating 3D models of Greek detention centres: Immigration detention facilities in Greece are often hidden from public view – a 3D modelling project brings new ways of documenting these spaces of confinement

Italy

18.02.26 taz: Ein Massensterben, das niemanden kümmert: Nach dem Zyklon „Harry“ werden immer mehr Leichen an Italiens Küsten angespült. Die Berichterstattung bleibt aus – und mit ihr das öffentliche Interesse.

12.02.26 Infomigrants: "Blocus maritime" pour les migrants : l'Italie rétablit l'interdiction pour les ONG d'entrer dans ses eaux territoriales: Le Conseil des ministres italien a approuvé mercredi un projet de loi durcissant les règles sur l'immigration. Parmi elles, instaurer un "blocus maritime" pour empêcher les ONG en mer Méditerranée d'amener un trop grand nombre de migrants en Italie, rouvrir les centres pour demandeurs d'asile en Albanie et faciliter les expulsions.
"Les frontières de l'Italie sont les frontières de l'Europe. Les défendre est un devoir", a écrit sur X le ministre de l'Intérieur, Matteo Piantedosi

10.02.26 IRC Italy: IRC Italy Protection Monitoring Report: October - December 2025:

Download Report

Malta

15.02.26 Malta Independent: JRS Malta criticises detention, labour exploitation and lack of integration pathways:In an interview with The Malta Independent on Sunday, the organisation warned that detention, legal precarity and weak labour protections are leaving people vulnerable to exploitation, long-term poverty and social exclusion, despite many having lived and worked in Malta for years.

Poland

Feb.2026 We are Monitoring: JANUARY 2026: Report from the Poland-Belarus border

Spain

18.02.26 NYT: The Country Betting on Immigrants: Spain is giving hundreds of thousands of undocumented migrants the opportunity to stay and work — and so far at least, it has avoided a massive backlash.

UK

01.03.26 Guardian: Refugee status to be temporary as Shabana Mahmood rips up rules on UK asylum: Home secretary announces 30-month protection limit, with refugees required to leave if their home countries are later judged safe

19.02.26 Guardian: ‘One in, one out’: what has happened to asylum seekers forced to return to France?: In rare interviews, some of those sent back across the Channel after arriving in the UK on small boats describe what happened next – and the risks of a system organised to get rid of them

Also see: Migration-Control.Info: UK: Protests in Detention Centres

European Union

24.02.26 Hungarian Helsinki Committee: Report: Beaten Back at Europes Borders: “ICE-style violence also happens here”: In 2025, at least 80,865 pushbacks were recorded according to a report by a coalition of international NGOs, such as 11.11.11. This means roughly 221 people per day, that figure is almost certainly an underestimate.

24.02.26 Statewatch: The EU targets Guinea for visa punishment: a sign of what's to come: On 15 July 2025, the European Commission proposed punitive visa sanctions against Guinea, marking an escalation in its campaign to force third countries to cooperate on deportations.

19.02.26 Statewatch: Frontex mandate review 2026: violent border practices to be expanded further: It is very likely the headcount of Frontex’s uniformed officer force known as the Standing Corps will be increased, but that is only the start. The mandate review is also expected to act as a gateway to expanding Frontex’s role in deportations, including deportations between non-EU countries, as well as Frontex’s role in the controversial ‘return hubs’ system expected to be rolled out in coming years.

17.02.26 migreurop: Règlement retour : non à une loi européenne qui autorise les perquisitions à domicile, la police dans les services publics et le profilage racial: Dans ce communiqué conjoint lancé à l’initiative du réseau PICUM et co-signé par Migreurop, plus de 80 organisations européennes protestent contre le règlement retour actuellement en cours de négociation, en alertant sur le fait qu’il pourrait étendre et banaliser les rafles migratoires et les mesures de surveillance dans nos territoires.

14.02.26 EU Parliament: Asylum: new rules for safe third countries and EU safe countries of origin list:
Bangladesh, Colombia, Egypt, Kosovo, India, Morocco and Tunisia to be considered safe for their own nationals
EU candidate countries will also be presumed safe
New conditions for EU member states to decide whether a country is safe for applicants who are not nationals of that given country
EU countries will be able to conclude agreements with third countries where requests for protection would be examined

Also see ecre Explainer

12.02.26 MMC: Europe’s new migration strategy cannot rely on falling numbers alone: On 29th January the European Commission launched its new European Asylum and Migration Management Strategy, presenting it as a blueprint for restoring order and stability to migration governance. The timing is politically convenient. Irregular arrivals to the EU have fallen sharply for two consecutive years, with UNHCR data showing entries dropping from around 199,000 in 2024 to 154,000 in 2025. Focusing too narrowly on short-term reductions risks repeating a familiar mistake: confusing temporary shifts in routes with long-term solutions to irregular migration.

Also see MMC Feb. 2026: Routes in flux: is EU migration policy working?: Falling arrivals, shifting routes, and the EU’s new migration strategy

11.02.26 ecre: Budgeting for Asylum, Migration and Inclusion in Europe after 2027: The EC’s proposal for the next MFF represents a significant change to the way the EU’s long-term budget is structured, managed and spent. It foresees a merger of funding instruments that will result in a reduction in the number of EU funding programmes from 50 to just 16. It also foresees that a significant proportion of EU funding will be centrally planned and managed through ‘National and Regional Partnership Plans’ and that EU member states will have greater flexibility in their management of funds, including via the elimination of most spending targets.

11.02.26 Statewatch: The EU's “new and innovative solution” to migration: pay other countries to intercept people: In search of new ways to push the EU’s border control well beyond its territory, a Council presidency paper to the 13 November 2025 meeting of the EU Council's Working Party on External Aspects of Asylum and Migration (pdf) explores “place of safety arrangements”. In short, these are agreements with third countries to have them intercept and detain irregular migrants before they arrive in Europe.

09.02.26 Digit36: Frontex doubled number of “returns” in three years: Warsaw centre handles half of all EU deportations: The EU border agency has further increased its involvement in voluntary and involuntary departures of third-country nationals. Frontex provides specialised operational staff and apps for this purpose.
The core element is the “European Return Centre” at its Warsaw headquarters, which was set up after a regulatory amendment in 2019. It offers member states deportations as an all-inclusive service – “climate-neutral and, if necessary, with ‘restraint techniques’”.