Monthly Press Review May – June 2026

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

The selection of these articles is somewhat rough and contingent, biased towards our interest in popular uprisings and social and migration movements, as well as border politics and the militarisation of social relations.

The main sources are news outlets such as AJE, the Guardian and the New York Times, as well as newsletters from various other sources. As we have learned, particularly following the events in Gaza, it is important to supplement the European, and especially the German, news landscape with articles from abroad. If you would like to contribute articles from other sources, please let us know at contact[at]migration-control.info.

For a more distiguished way of doing press reviews, and more fokused on European developments, please also see the ERCE Press Review, and the migreurop Review de presse.

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

Specials

Amnesty International June 2026: City Under Siege, Children Under Fire: Rapid Support Forces' Crimes Against Humanity in North Darfur: This report documents the Rapid Support Forces’ (RSF’s) slow and violent takeover of North Darfur and its capital, El Fasher, after it began fighting the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) in April 2023. The abuses, which amount to crimes against humanity under international law, displaced hundreds of thousands of children, exposing them to death and injury during attacks or while fleeing. Countless children have been orphaned.

See also SZ 01.07.26: „Was folgte, war ein Massaker“, Reuters 20.05.26: Death in Darfur: Reuters video documentation of Killing in El Fasher; SWM 15.05.26: No Exit from El Fasher: In new documentary, survivors recount efforts to escape through the ‘Trench of Death’

Borderforensics 24.06.26: Une contre-enquête sur le massacre raciste du 24 juin 2022: Le 24 juin 2022, près de deux-mille personnes migrantes ont tenté de traverser la barrière-frontalière séparant la ville de Nador – au nord-est du Maroc – de Melilla – enclave sous contrôle espagnol. La répression violente qui leur a été infligée par les forces de l’ordre marocaines et espagnoles a transformé le poste-frontière de Barrio Chino en piège mortel, et a abouti à un véritable charnier. Les autorités marocaines ont reconnu 23 décès, mais l’Association Marocaine des Droits Humains à Nador (AMDH) a dénombré au moins 27 personnes tuées lors de cette journée, et plus de 70 personnes demeurent disparues jusqu’à aujourd’hui. Que s’est-il passé le 24 juin 2022 ? Comment et par qui le poste-frontière de Barrio Chino a-t-il été transformé en piège mortel ?

Lighthouse Reports 28.05.26: The Visa Empire: Borders as a Business: Outsourcing giant VFS Global has made huge profits by exploiting people around the world whose ‘weak’ passports require them to apply for visas to travel.
Across much of Africa, Asia and the Middle East, the visa outsourcing giant has become notorious. For people in these regions seeking to travel for work, study or to unite with family, VFS is often their first encounter with the border. And for many, this entails not only the stress and uncertainty of restrictive visa regimes, but also being compelled to hand over cash for what should be optional services — sales that have become central to the VFS Global’s growth.

ACME 26.05.26: Vol. 25 No. 3 (2026): Review Essay and Themed Issue: The Mediterranean as a Laboratory of Border Externalization: Despite the growing prominence of decolonial approaches to borders and migration, the field of border externalization studies remains in need of a critical re-thinking of its main paradigms in order to move beyond state-centrist, Eurocentric and presentist approaches.

Guardian 24.05.26: Hunger increasingly used as weapon of war as ‘food-related violence’ surges, analysis shows: More than 20,000 attacks on markets, farmland and food distribution systems have been recorded since 2018. The analysis looked at the period since UN resolution 2417 unanimously condemned the deliberate starvation of civilians in 2018. It found starvation is being increasingly weaponised with the supply of food routinely targeted in Gaza, Sudan, Lebanon and Haiti among others. Analysis by Insecurity Insight

Statewatch: 09.05.26: How the EU coordinates migration control around Africa: Every year the European Commission produces a report summarising the state of external migration cooperation. Divided by regions and then countries, the report offers insight into the latest projects, spending and diplomacy the EU is using to pursue its goal of keeping people from reaching Europe. The January 2026 edition – covering activity in 2025 – reveals the EU continues to put significant effort into securing deportation agreements with African nations. It is also working to re-establish a diplomatic presence in the Sahel region, with an eye to restricting people moving through the region.

All Africa

26.06.26 Reuters: Falling energy prices won't defuse rising risk of civil unrest in emerging markets: A drop in oil ​prices after a fragile U.S.-Iran truce has helped ease immediate inflationary pressure in many emerging markets, but cheaper oil alone will not defuse ‌the threat of civil unrest as the damage to household finances has already been done, analysts say. Countries from Kenya to Indonesia and Bolivia have seen protests in recent weeks linked to energy price hikes and the rising cost of living.

09.06.26 MMC: 4Mi Data Explorer: Choose your sample and explore a full range of themes: interviewees’ profiles, drivers, destination intentions, journeys, dangers, interactions with smugglers, access to information, and needs for assistance.

09.06.26 DW: Wie Afrikas Jugend die Demokratie retten will: Afrikas junge Generation stellt sich autokratischen Machtstrukturen entgegen - mit Protesten auf der Straße und digital. Kann Vernetzung und Social Media den Weg zu mehr Demokratie und politischer Teilhabe ebnen?

09.06.26 AR: Iran war could spark Africa’s next jobs crisis: According to the International Labour Organization, the oil shock triggered by the Middle East conflict could have severe consequences for the continent’s labour market, with SMEs, informal workers and the agricultural sector set to be the most vulnerable.

08.06.26 AR: Google, Amazon, Cassava… The delirious rush towards African AI data centres: Investment projects in AI data centres are proliferating across the continent. Yet these ambitions appear to overstep both demand and the electrical capacity to power this energy-hungry infrastructure.

02.06.26 AR: Trump administration to drastically cut visa processing for Africans: The State Department is cutting down its visa processing centres in sub-Saharan Africa from almost 50 to just 20, the Associated Press reports, forcing residents of 30 African nations to travel to neighbouring countries when applying for travel to the US.

28.05.26 AR: Facial recognition, AI-driven surveillance: How China is exporting its toolkit to Africa: Complex technological architecture popularised by Huawei and ZTE is rapidly spreading across African cities, raising growing concerns about political monitoring, data control and the boundaries of state security.

18.05.26 NYT: Catastrophe Is Emerging in the World’s Most Vulnerable Places: The humanitarian relief system, decimated by cuts, faces a grave challenge as the Middle East war causes soaring costs for food, fuel and fertilizer.

18.05.26 Reuters: Cash-strapped UN refugee agency to cut more jobs, even as crises mount: UNHCR High Commissioner Barham Salih told member states the agency had “no choice” as it expects available funds in 2026 to reach just over $3 billion, about 15% lower than in ​2025. The agency already announced thousands of job cuts last year.

14.05.26 AR: Trade and tariffs: Why Chinese exports are accelerating in Africa: Faced with Washington’s additional tariffs and the tightening of Western markets, China is redirecting a growing share of its exports towards Africa, which has become one of the most dynamic outlets for its industry.

12.05.26 Guardian: Internal displacements caused by violence or conflict at record high in 2025: The 32.3m surpasses those caused by disasters for the first time, as 82.2m people displaced in total around world

Also see Science Vol. 392, No. 6799; Spiegel 15.05.26: Trumps Entwicklungshilfe-Kahlschlag hat Gewalt in Afrika befeuert

04.05.26 NYT: ‘The Death Zone’: How Russia Is Luring Africans to Ukraine: A growing number of men across the continent say they are being promised jobs in Russia, only to be forced into the war. Some go as mercenaries, but many more are drawn unwittingly.

04.05.26 AR: Oil, fertiliser and metals: The triple shock menacing African economies: While oil exporters see a revenue boost, net importers face a sharp slowdown and rising social tensions as inflation returns.

03.04.26 Guardian: ‘Food security timebomb’: a visual guide to the Gulf fertiliser blockade: A third of the global trade in raw materials for fertiliser passes through the maritime choke point, which is also the route for 20% of shipments of natural gas, which is required to make it.

North Africa:

Algeria

06.05.26 AR: Kola Karim’s Arkad signs $1bn deal to anchor Algeria’s gas export surge: A new central processing facility will act as the linchpin for Algiers’ strategy to bolster sovereign revenues and secure a greater share of the Mediterranean market.

East Libya

24.06.26 Europe Says: Libya’s eastern government bans entry from four African countries: Authorities based in the eastern part of divided Libya have banned entry for people from four nearby African countries, a move likely meant to stem the influx of migrants seeking to set off for Europe from the country’s northern coast.
The ban, announced late Tuesday, says citizens of Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia are “prohibited from entering Libyan territory through all land, sea, and air ports.” The government statement said exemptions will be made for diplomats and workers in health and education sectors.
Separately, tensions have risen in the last few months in both eastern and western Libya against the resettlement of refugees from other countries. There have been mass crackdowns on refugees with thousands arrested, according to Amnesty International. According to the United Nations, there are more than 900,000 migrants and refugees in Libya, with Sudanese being the biggest group.

13.06.26 M-C.Info: Buffer Zone: The War on Migration in Libya: In the last two weeks, there has been a terrifying escalation of violence against refugees and migrants in Libya, as part of an aggressive mobilization, fueled by disinformation and nationalist sentiments

29.05.26 Statewatch: Revealed: EU contract to expand deadly migration deal in the Mediterranean: A document leaked to Statewatch confirms that the EU has begun collaborating with Libya’s eastern forces on migration control. This collaboration includes training, support and the development of a regional migration coordination centre based in Benghazi. The ‘technical arrangement’ shows clearly that, rather than listening to civil societies’ calls to end or suspend a deadly externalisation partnership, the EU is only interested in expanding it further.
The ‘technical arrangement’ published by Statewatch has provisions for what is known as ‘capacity building’, which is to say building up the eastern forces’ ability to better restrict migration across the Mediterranean. It includes extensive details about training, but also “the enhancement, refurbishment, equipping or operational enabling of maritime coordination structures, including but not limited to Maritime Rescue Coordination Centres (MRCC), communication facilities or other operational infrastructures”.

11.05.26 Tagesspiegel: Warnung aus Griechenland: 550.000 Migranten warten wohl in Libyen auf Überfahrt nach Europa: Angesichts der zunehmenden Migrationsbewegungen über die Route von Libyen nach Kreta hatte die Regierung in Athen vor Kurzem angekündigt, ihre Küstenwache personell aufzustocken. Zudem kündigte der griechische Minister für Schifffahrt und Inselpolitik, Vassilis Kikilias, die Beschaffung von vier Flugzeugen und zwei Drohnen an, die im Seegebiet südlich von Kreta eingesetzt werden sollen.
An der EU-Außengrenze beobachtet Frontex die Instrumentalisierung von Migration durch staatliche Akteure wie Belarus und Russland. Man nehme Fluchtbewegungen von Migranten von den europäischen Ostgrenzen nach Libyen wahr. „Von Libyen aus versuchen die Menschen wiederum, nach Europa zu kommen.“

11.05.26 Afrique XXI: Niger-Libye-Tchad. Aux trois frontières, une cohabitation fragile: Cette zone désertique est un lieu de commerce et de passage depuis des temps immémoriaux. Mais la guerre en Libye, le coup d’État au Niger, ainsi que les alliances sécuritaires régionales de circonstance rebattent les cartes. Entre tentatives de contrôles officiels des douanes, contrebande et circulations des groupes rebelles, plongée au cœur de ce triangle des Bermudes où la quiétude tient à un fil.

Egypt

24.06.26 Reuters: Sudan's war refugees describe horrors in Egyptian jails, surging deportations: Egypt rejects the claims that it is unwelcoming to refugees. It took in more than a ​million people when war broke out in Sudan in 2023, acting as a buffer to those who might otherwise continue north to Europe. But authorities, facing an economic crisis and rising anti-migrant sentiment, have since taken an increasingly strict line with a series of arrests and deportations.
Starting late last year, plain-clothes security officers have detained thousands of refugees and other ‌migrants in homes and workplaces, pulling them off streets into unmarked vehicles, according to 45 refugees, seven lawyers and eight advocates.

Morocco

02.06.26 Sozial.Geschichte: Die „Black Atlantic“-Route vor der Festung Europa – Boatpeople und extraktive Großprojekte: Helmut Dietrich analysiert in dieser Vorveröffentlichung zu Heft 40 jene „titanischen“ Meeresprojekte, die laut marokkanischem Königshaus die Westsahara mit ihrem vorgelagerten Meer zum Energie-Hub für Afrika und Europa und zum Hub seltener Erden für die USA machen sollen. In ihrem Zusammenhang und gegen ihre Logik, entwickelt sich der Kampf der Boatpeople des Atlantiks.

01.06.26 AR: How Morocco became Washington’s indispensable Arab partner: “I think Morocco doesn’t get talked about enough. King Mohammed VI is one of the most respected leaders in Washington."

29.05.26 AR: How Morocco stole South Africa’s industrial crown: From aerospace to car manufacturing, 20 years of targeted industrial policy have made Morocco the African Development Bank’s top-ranked economy on the continent – as Eskom and Transnet hollow out South Africa’s industrial base.

Tunisia

29.06.26 M-C.Info: Notes on Tunisia's "Voluntary Return" Programme: This programme has seen an aggressive logistical acceleration throughout the first half of 2026.

June 2026 MMC: Finding the way to Tunisia: This infographic offers insights into the profiles of refugees and migrants moving to Tunisia, their aspirations upon departure, and migration routes, with a focus on access to information and dangers.
Most journeys to Tunisia take a year or more (70%), transit through Algeria (54%) or Libya (54%), include stops along the route (99%), and involve high levels of abuses and violations (93%). Yet, most respondents (77%) followed through on the plan they had when departing.

16.05.26 Reuters: Tunisians protest against Saied over arrests and economic strain: Hundreds of Tunisians protested in the capital Tunis on Saturday against President ​Kais Saied, accusing him of undermining ‌freedoms and presiding over a worsening economic and social crisis. The protest was held under the slogan: "The people are hungry ​and prisons are full".

East Africa

17.06.26 SWP: Peace in Crisis: Conflict Management in the Horn of Africa: The system of international conflict management is in deep crisis. Relevant instruments such as UN peace operations are being withdrawn, normative and power-political preconditions (for example, US-guaranteed international order) no longer apply and all too often agreements have led to the entrenchment of violent authoritarian systems rather than their transformation.
This crisis is particularly evident in the Horn of Africa. Neither peace agreements concluded under significant international pressure (as in the case of South Sudan) nor those negotiated between armed actors with virtually no mediation (as in Sudan in 2020) have brought about stability. Rather, governments (such as that of Ethiopia) have regularly exploited peace processes to secure their own rule.As far as European contributions to conflict resolution in the Horn of Africa are concerned, there are lessons to be learned from this crisis.
Europe should neither cling nostalgically to what is a largely defunct system of conflict management, nor should it, out of frustration, adopt approaches dominated solely by security considerations. Instead, it should support civilian peace initiatives, help political economies of violence die out and rethink its own cooperation with governments that exacerbate conflict (such as that of the United Arab Emirates).

Eritrea

06.05.26 Reuters: US to lift Eritrea sanctions as Red Sea tensions reshape alliances, document says: The U.S. move is aimed at improving ties with Eritrea, which has a long Red Sea coastline ‌opposite Saudi Arabia, while also sending a message to neighbouring Ethiopia not to go to war with its longtime Horn of Africa foe, analysts said.
See also AR 09.06.25: Eritrea seeks help from Egypt to counter Abiy’s Red Sea ambitions

Ethiopia:

21.06.26 AJE: Ethiopian prime minister’s party easily wins parliamentary election: The Nobel Peace Prize winner had been widely expected to win the national elections as his Prosperity Party candidates campaigned on the government’s economic record and on improving food security in a country that has experienced several famines in the past.

19.06.26 AR: Ethiopia on the edge of its widest and most catastrophic war: As alliances among anti-government forces emerge and the federal government intensifies its militarised policies, Ethiopia risks becoming entangled in a broader and potentially devastating war that could draw in multiple actors and cause instability beyond its borders.
See Also FA 26.05.26: The War in Ethiopia Isn’t Over

19.05.26 taz: Äthiopien will afrikanisches Finanzzentrum werden: Jahrzehntelang lenkte der Staat die ökonomischen Geschicke Äthiopiens. Erst in den vergangenen Jahren hat die Regierung um Ahmed begonnen, die Wirtschaft schrittweise zu öffnen. Die neue Börse gilt als Herzstück dieses Kurses.

Somaliland

01.04.26 Lavialibera: Somaliland, dove Israele pensa di trasferire i palestinesi di Gaza: Israele ha riconosciuto la sovranità dell'autoproclamato Stato subsahariano, che si trova in una posizione strategica ed è ricco di minerali preziosi. Il governo somalo teme che Tel Aviv voglia sfollare lì i palestinesi di Gaza

Sudan

29.06.2026 SWM: Inside the RSF's Libya Supply Network: Equipment enters Libya by sea and air, through Benghazi's port and on cargo flights landing at several bases across the country's interior, before moving south toward staging areas near the Sudanese border.
The network operates within territory controlled by the Libyan National Army (LNA) led by Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, which controls eastern and southern Libya. Sources said that RSF personnel were brought to Libya overland and by air, where they underwent training at Camp 17, an LNA facility, on drones and heavy weapons systems.

28.06.26 SWM: Escalating Fighting in Daar Zaghawa: Fighting has intensified in the Daar Zaghawa region of North Darfur after the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) launched coordinated attacks on Um Baru locality, opening a new front in one of the last remaining areas of Darfur still outside the paramilitary group’s control.

22.06.26 AJE: US raises concern as RSF forces encircle Sudanese city of el-Obeid: The US State Department said in a statement on Monday that the RSF was “massing forces” around el-Obeid, stating that further escalation could have a devastating impact on civilians and reiterating calls for a negotiated end to the conflict.
See also SWM 21.06.26: Fears of Looming Attack on El Obeid as RSF Build-Up Continues

13.06.26 AJE: Doctors Without Borders investigation finds exploitation by staff in Chad: An internal report by the aid group Doctors Without Borders, known by its French initials MSF, has found that local and foreign staff exploited refugees in Chad, sometimes targeting underage girls and other times trading food aid and jobs for sex.

12.06.26 SWM: Civilian Toll Mounts as Drone Warfare Expands Across Sudan: Markets, vehicles, residential areas and strategic infrastructure hit across Kordofan, Darfur and Khartoum
See also SWM 03.06.26: Sudan’s RSF Acquires New Drones and Armored Cars: The new weaponry is an indication that the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) continues to receive support from the United Arab Emirates, despite the economic shock that has hit the UAE as a result of the Middle East war.; 22.05.26 SWM: Dozens Killed in SAF Drone Strike on Local Market in West Kordofan; 13.05.26 New Lines Mag: Drones Are Reshaping Sudan’s Civil War: The imported devices have turned the country’s conflict into a campaign of daily remote killings, and made accountability nearly impossible; 04.05.26 SWM: Commander's Relatives Killed in Assassination Attempt Using Long-Range Drone

18.05.26 SWM: U.S. envoy says Washington dealing with Sudan junta as 'existing government': Speaking to Al Arabiya News Channel on Tuesday, Boulos — the U.S. Senior Advisor for Africa at the State Department — said Washington “will never recognize” any parallel government in Sudan and described the SAF as a “constitutional institution” that must be preserved to avoid state collapse.

14.05.26 TNH: Sudanese authorities carry out deportations and abuse of South Sudanese: Sudanese authorities have deported thousands of South Sudanese from the country over the past year, driving abusive raids that have led to killings, family separations, confiscation of personal belongings, prolonged detention, and verbal harassment.

12.05.26 taz: Bei Deutschlands Sudan-Hilfen trügt der schöne Schein: Deutschland verspricht viel humanitäre Hilfe für die Betroffenen des Krieges in Sudan. Aber sie ist offenbar dürftiger als angekündigt. (Wie viel davon fließt direkt in die Migrationsabwehr?)
See also: GFP 01.07.26: Drehbuch für den Massenmord (II): Weiterhin drohen Massaker der RSF-Miliz im sudanesischen El Obeid. Die RSF wird von den Vereinigten Arabischen Emiraten unterstützt, dem zentralen Kooperationspartner Berlins in Mittelost. Die Emirate sind wichtigster Investitionsstandort und größter Absatzmarkt der Bundesrepublik in der Region. Auch zählen sie zu den Hauptkäufern deutscher Waffen außerhalb der NATO.

06.05.26 SWM: Gulf War Spikes Shipping Costs, Imperiling Aid Operations in Sudan: As a result of soaring shipping and freight costs, some aid deliveries now cost double what they did before the war, according to the UN Refugee Agency — and costs could rise further amid signs of re-escalation in the Middle East.

West Africa and Sahel

Burkina Faso

26.06.26 BBC: Burkina Faso severs diplomatic ties with France: In a televised statement on Friday, communications minister Pingdwendé Gilbert Ouédraogo said France was guilty of "ceaseless activism" against his country and accused it of "neo-colonial ambitions".

26.06.26 RFI: Burkina: les étudiants doivent désormais obtenir une autorisation du gouvernement pour étudier à l'étranger: Tous les étudiants sont concernés, aussi bien les boursiers que ceux qui partent sur fonds propres : cette « autorisation préalable » vaut pour les étudiants burkinabè qui souhaitent étudier à l’extérieur, mais aussi pour tous ceux qui étudient au pays en bénéficiant d’une bourse d’une organisation internationale.

15.06.26 APA: Burkina: 45 000 réfugiés recensés (CONAREF): En prélude à la Journée mondiale du réfugié (JMR) 2026, la CONAREF et le Haut-Commissariat des Nations Unies pour les réfugiés (HCR) ont présenté, ce 15 juin à Ouagadougou, l’agenda des célébrations qui coïncident avec le 75e anniversaire de la Convention de 1951.

03.06.26 APA: Burkina Faso deploys mobile ID system for citizens in Mali: Burkina Faso officially launched mobile enrolment kits in Bamako on June 1, 2026, to facilitate the seamless issuance of identity and travel documents under the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) framework for its nationals living in Mali.

28.05.26 AN: Burkina Faso junta suspends biggest student union and arrests leader: The military authorities have pursued a hardline policy against dissenting voices, dissolving or suspending nearly 1,000 civil society groups in recent weeks.
This latest move comes after Ugeb last week denounced "violations of democratic, trade union, and political freedoms" and complained about people being abducted, detained, and held in secret.

26.04.26 JA: Burkina Faso : « Tous les citoyens en âge de se battre » seront « formés et appelés au besoin »: Le ministre de la Guerre burkinabè a annoncé le recrutement de 100 000 civils pour renforcer la réserve militaire du pays et appuyer l’armée dans le cadre de la lutte antijihadiste.

Chad

10.05.26 RFI: Dozens of Nigerian fishermen feared dead after Chad army strikes jihadists: local sources: The militia member said Chadian fighter jets had been bombing islands controlled by Boko Haram on the Nigerian side of the lake since Friday, following a recent attack on its troops.
See also AJE 05.05.26: Boko Haram attack kills 23 soldiers in Chad’s Lake Chad region

Ghana

30.06.26 Impact: Ghana’s Trump Deportation Deal Faces Human Rights Court Challenge: Ghana’s Trump Deportation Deal has triggered a major legal and political debate after advocacy groups filed a complaint at the ECOWAS Court in Abuja. The case challenges Ghana’s role in accepting people deported from the United States under Donald Trump’s third-country removal policy, then allegedly allowing them to be sent onward to their home countries despite earlier rulings that direct return was unsafe. This has turned the issue into a serious Human Rights and State Policy dispute with regional implications.

23.06.26 AR: From slum to asset: The quiet commercialisation of informal settlements in Ghana: If these communities have become valuable assets, who captures that value? The answer, urban experts say, is rarely residents alone. Landowners, local authorities, political intermediaries, businesses, and informal power brokers all derive benefits from the persistence of informality.

12.06.26 AR: Ghana’s rich and powerful are building private cities and leaving the state behind: As gated estates, private hospitals, and exclusive clubs multiply, Ghana’s elite are increasingly living in a parallel reality detached from the public systems most citizens depend on.

24.05.26 AR: Ibrahim Mahama: The powerful network behind Ghana president’s billionaire brother: From mining boardrooms to presidential compounds, Ibrahim Mahama’s rise reveals how business, political power and elite influence increasingly collide in Ghana and across West Africa.

Ivory Coast

23.06.26 NYT: The Iran War’s Persistent Threat to Farmers in Poor Countries: A reopening of the Strait of Hormuz would do little to swiftly ease the pain inflicted by higher prices for fertilizer, food and fuel in Ivory Coast.

Mali

30.06.26 AR: Malian children at the heart of the gold rush: As Malians struggle to make ends meet, some children head to illegal gold mines in the western part of the country, eking out a living — underpaid, abused, and exploited.

29.06.26 Fr5ance 24: All warring parties in Mali committed 'grave abuses' against civilians, report says: The report documented the killings of civilians and burning of civilian vehicles by JNIM fighters, as well as abusive counterinsurgency operations against Fulani communities from the Malian army and its allies.

13.06.26 Reuters: Al Qaeda-linked militants curb their brutality in seized Malian territory: Residents living under militants in Mali linked to al Qaeda describe how the jihadists have become more tolerant and are trying to govern more peacefully in areas where their control is firmly established.
Every few months, jihadists in Mali affiliated with al Qaeda summon the men of Poutchi to a mud-brick mosque to collect tax on their crops and cattle, and later distribute food, medicine and animals to the poor.

07.06.26 RFI: Mali: les autorités créent des «zones d’intérêt militaires» interdites aux civils dans près de 40 forêts: Toutes les personnes se retrouvant dans les « zones d’intérêt militaires » nouvellement créées seront traitées comme une cible, précise un document officiel signé par six ministres maliens, dont celui délégué à la défense.

28.05.26 AR: Mali: How JNIM is extorting illegal Chinese miners to fund terror: Violence has spread across mining belts in western and southern Mali. Since 2025, several Chinese-run operations have been hit, raising concern that jihadist group Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) is extracting resources and forcing deals to tap into the country’s gold economy.

04.06.26 Africa News: Mali restricts 125cc+ motorcycles amid Jihadist insurgency: An order read out on national television on Wednesday evening said the "circulation of motorcycles with an engine capacity of 125 cc and above, outside major urban centres, is suspended throughout the entire national territory".

02.05.26 Tagesspiegel: Putins Scheitern im Sahel: Mali kollabiert – und Russlands Söldner treten gedemütigt die Flucht an: Moskaus Kämpfer hinterlassen einen Failed State. Die Regierung zerfällt, in Teilen des Landes herrscht Anarchie. Russlands Image in Afrika ist schwer beschädigt.

See also 06.06.26 NYT: Mali’s Generals Promised to Bring Peace. Things Are Now Much Worse.: Jihadists have nearly tripled their attacks on urban areas. Analysts fear an extended standoff could lead to many more civilian deaths; 26.05.26 Bellingcat: Banned Russian Submunitions Found After Mali's Military Announces Airstrikes; 10.05.26 France 24: Dozens killed in jihadist attacks in central Mali; LM 13.05.26: Au Mali, la junte en état de siège: Ebranlé par les attaques de djihadistes et d’indépendantistes le 25 avril à Bamako et dans différentes régions du pays, le pouvoir militaire n’a jamais semblé aussi fragile. La capitale est soumise à un blocus; 05.05.26 JA: Mali junta launches wide-ranging purge following allegations of military complicity; AJE 07.05.26: Armed fighters kill at least 30 people in attacks in central Mali; France 24, 01.05.26: Jihadists urge united front against Mali junta as Bamako blockade begins

Niger

01.07.26 Guardian: ‘Witch-hunt’ in Niger as military regime rounds up LGBTQ+ population: Fears of resurgence of HIV/Aids amid loss of access to PrEP drugs as at least 40 people arrested in ‘toxic’ climate. Niger’s new penal code, enacted in February, dictates that “indecent or unnatural acts” and “sexual relations with a person of the same sex” are punishable by imprisonment of up to 10 years and a fine of up to 100m West African CFA francs (£130,000).
It is the first time in the country’s history that homosexuality has been criminalised and follows the introduction of similar laws and penal codes in neighbouring Mali and Burkina Faso within the past two years.

16.06.26 MMC: Understanding refugee and migrant movements to Niger: The research draws on surveys with 512 individuals and offers insights into the profiles of refugees and migrants moving to Niger, their aspirations upon departure, and journey conditions, with a focus on smuggler use and dangers along migration routes. The analysis also takes a closer look at what drives Nigerians’ primary movements to Niger.
See also MMC: What happens after refugees and migrants reach Niger?

05.06.26 Africa Radio: Algérie, Nigeria et Niger lancent le chantier du gazoduc transsaharien: Les travaux du gazoduc transsaharien (TSGP), destiné à acheminer le gaz nigérian vers l'Algérie puis l'Europe, ont officiellement démarré jeudi dans le sud de l'Algérie. Ce projet énergétique majeur ambitionne de renforcer l'intégration régionale et de répondre à la demande croissante des marchés internationaux.

O3.06.26 APA: Benin and Niger vow to reopen common border: Beninese President Romuald Wadagni and General Abdourahamane Tiani Tuesday signed a joint communiqué expressing their commitment to removing all obstacles to bilateral cooperation, including the reopening of their shared border.
The meeting, the first stop on a Sahelian tour by the new Beninese head of state, marks a turning point in relations that have deteriorated since the Nigerien coup of July 2023.

29.05.26 AR: Niger ‘nationalised’ its uranium, but it can’t find a buyer: International arbitration orders, the elimination of Iran as a potential customer and a regional border closure have left Niamey with a stockpile of yellowcake and nowhere to send it.

25.05.26 TNH: Death, distrust, and desperation: The unending saga of Sudanese refugees trapped in northern Niger: The Agadez Humanitarian Centre is not a detention facility and “residents have full freedom of movement across Niger”, a UNHCR spokesperson said. Despite this, the refugees describe feeling confined. Unable to return home and unable to move forward, they have been left waiting in an indefinite limbo without a clear path to resettlement or integration.

Nigeria

07.06.26 LM: Au Nigeria, le groupe djihadiste Boko Haram libère plus de 400 otages dans le nord-est du pays: Les enlèvements de masse, avec des libérations contre rançon, sont régulièrement pratiqués par les islamistes en Afrique de l’Ouest.

19.05.26 Guardian: How rampant violence made Nigeria an insecurity hotspot in the Sahel – mapped: Data lays bare the extent and geographical spread of attacks in Africa’s most populous country

18.05.26 AJE: How ISWAP and Boko Haram are reshaping the Lake Chad Basin: Communities in the Lake Chad Basin face rising violence amid economic hardship and weak governance.

18.05.26 AR: Joint US-Nigeria air raids signal deeper military alignment against Islamic State: Joint military action follows the killing of Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, as Abuja seeks to counter international criticism over its domestic security crisis.
Also see tv5monde 12.05.26: Nigeria : plus de 100 morts dans des bombardements de l'armée et des attaques de "bandits"

Senegal

22.05.26 Reuters: Senegal president sacks PM Sonko, dissolves government after months of friction: The split comes as Senegal faces mounting economic pressure. The International Monetary Fund ​froze its $1.8 billion lending program with Senegal following the discovery of misreported debt, pushing the country's end-2024 debt level to 132% of its economic ​output.
See also BBC b30.06.25: Senegalese MPs move to clip presidential powers as tensions mount

05.05.26 TNH: Senegal’s harsh anti-gay law criminalises HIV infection, hits services:“What will happen is that HIV infection will rebound.” While same-sex relations have long been criminalised under Article 319, the use of “voluntary transmission” charges – often applied solely on the basis of a person’s HIV status – marks a shift in how the law is being enforced.

Sub Saharan Africa

CAR

12.06.26 France 24: US flight carrying deported migrants lands in Central African Republic: The first plane carrying Iranian, Afghan, Turkish and Georgian migrants deported from the United States arrived in Bangui in the Central African Republic on Friday evening as part of a controversial US programme to send undocumented foreigners – some of whom have legal protections – to third countries. The Central African Republic is the latest country to join the list of African nations that have agreed to accept people deported from the US.

10.06.26 AR: CAR conflict profiteers: Wagner, Gulf traders and Rwandan-linked businesses: A major investigation has revealed how foreign-linked military, business and trading networks have become deeply embedded in the Central African Republic’s gold, fuel and mining sectors, transforming conflict in the country into a transnational enterprise.

DRC

26.06.26 AR: DRC-Rwanda peace deal stalls one year after Washington accord: One year after the Washington deal, escalating drone warfare and deep-seated mistrust have left the DRC-Rwanda peace process frozen in bureaucratic stasis.

26.05.26 Africa Report: Ebola outbreak fails to halt fierce fighting in eastern DRC: Kinshasa’s forces battle AFC/M23 rebels for control of key towns in North Kivu as a deadly epidemic spreads through the conflict-torn region.

13.05.26 AR: DRC: What Kabila gets right about the country’s ‘Sudanisation’: The Democratic Republic of Congo isn’t splitting. It’s imploding.

Kenya

25.06.26 AR: Deadly Kenya protests escalate amid anger over Ruto government: Kenyan police mounted a massive security operation Thursday, blocking off much of the capital in a bid to prevent protests marking two years since a landmark “Gen Z” uprising. “They know people are not afraid of police in uniform. But they are scared of these plainclothes cops because they can just kill you and go”

23.06.26 Guardian: Kenyan minister orders halt to construction of US Ebola facility: There have been more than 1,000 confirmed cases of Ebola in the DRC and more than 250 deaths as of 20 June. Neighbouring Uganda has recorded 20 confirmed cases and two deaths. The US facility was being constructed at Laikipia air base in Nanyuki, about 125 miles (200km) from the capital, Nairobi, with about 50 isolation beds. It was expected to be managed by US medical staff.

South Africa

23.06.23 AJE: South African police tighten security as anti-migrant deadline approaches: Xenophobic protest groups have demanded that undocumented foreigners leave the country by June 30.
See also Guardian 30.06.26: ‘They will attack me if I stay’: immigrants in South Africa flee for safety amid violence and anti-foreigner protests: More than 2,000 anti-foreigner protesters march through Durban city centre as the arbitrary deadline passes for undocumented migrants to leave the country; Guardian 30.06.26: Police units deployed across South Africa before anti-immigration marches: Government fears repeat of anti-migrant violence in 2008 that led to looting and resulted in deaths of 62 people; AR 29.06.26: In South Africa, Zuma’s shadow hangs over anti-immigrant protests;

Uganda

28.06.26 taz: Armee schließt die wichtigsten unabhängigen Medien: Auf Befehl von Präsidentensohn Muhoozi Kainerugaba stürmt Ugandas Armee das größte Medienhaus. Es ist der neueste von vielen schweren Übergriffen.
Ugandas Zivilgesellschaft ist entsetzt, sofern sie sich überhaupt noch öffentlich äußert. „Wir sind zutiefst besorgt über die anhaltenden Berichte übers Verschwindenlassen, willkürliche Inhaftierungen und die Behandlung politischer Gefangener in Uganda“.

06.05.26 TNH: „We are going to die”: The frontline costs of Uganda’s new US health agreement: Post-abortion care services (PAC) are legal in Uganda, secured through years of advocacy and government-NGO collaboration, some under US-supported programmes. But health workers, activists, and patients told The New Humanitarian that in recent months, post-abortion care and critical HIV/AIDS services are increasingly caught in the fallout of a new $2.3 billion health agreement between Uganda and the United States

Zambia

26.06.26 AR: Hichilema’s economic wins ring hollow for youth who feel betrayed on freedoms: “Despite the improved macroeconomic stability, the key unfulfilled promises include failing to lower the cost of mealie-meal and fertiliser, high fuel costs, shrinking democracy, lack of transparency and accountability will make it difficult for President Hichilema and the United Party for National Development (UPND) to get re-elected”.

06.05.26 AR: How Zambia fell out of favour with the US amid minerals-for-health row: Mineral rights, aid theft and the outgoing US ambassador to Zambia’s personal grievances make for a toxic mix – amid clashes over conditional ‘America First’ health deals and corruption allegations.

West Asia

Syria

27.04.26 MMC: Return and reintegration in Syria: home under strain: This report examines the experiences of Syrians who returned after the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024. Return is analysed as a process rather than a single event, tracing the conditions that preceded return, the decisions and journeys that shaped it, and the realities respondents encountered after arrival.

Israell War

30.06.26 Reuters: UN chief says UN agency for Palestinian refugees nearing 'breaking point': Guterres told an ad hoc meeting of the General Assembly on voluntary contributions that UNRWA's situation was increasingly precarious given sweeping restrictions throughout occupied Palestinian territory that impeded its work, and ​the large cash shortfall.

25.06.26 taz: Protest gegen die Hamas: Die Hamas ist wieder Ordnungsmacht in Gaza: Seit der Waffenruhe im Herbst 2025 ist die Hamas wieder präsent im zivilen Leben in Gaza. Jetzt begehren die Menschen auf, gegen Korruption und Gewalt.

23.06.26 Guardian: Israel continues to commit genocide by targeting children in Gaza, UN inquiry finds: Independent report says by aiming at children Israel is undermining capacity of Palestinian people to exist

29.05.26 Reuters: Israeli push to take more of Gaza raises alarm as Hamas warns against escalation: Under a ceasefire deal in October Israel's military was to remain in control ‌of 53% of Gaza, but Netanyahu said on Friday that it would expand that area to an initial 70%, without laying out details or a timeline.
See also +972, 26.06.26: PODCAST: Why ‘ungrounding’ is the defining feature of Israel’s genocide: Discussing his new book, Eyal Weizman explains how the systematic erasure of Gaza's built environment is aimed at extinguishing Palestinian life in the Strip; LMD 07.05.26: Gaza – Techniken des Genozids

28.05.26 Reuters: How Israel has emptied southern Lebanon far beyond the front lines: Evacuations and air strikes drive Lebanese civilians from scores of towns and villages spanning a growing chunk of the country.
Also see Reuters 30.06.26: Hundreds of thousands of Lebanese head home as fighting eases, many still stranded; NYT 03.05.26: Israel Said It’s Applying the Gaza Model in Lebanon. This Is What the Devastation Looks Like.

04.05.26 NYT: With World Distracted by War, Extremist Settlers Intensify Attacks in West Bank: Their campaign of violence and intimidation is emptying out entire villages and leaving countless Palestinians fearing what each nightfall might bring.

03.05.26 NYT: Israel Said : It’s Applying the Gaza Model in Lebanon. This Is What the Devastation Looks Like.: Israel established a several-mile-deep “buffer zone” that it says it will continue to occupy until the threat from Hezbollah is contained.
An analysis of satellite images, along with photos and videos shared online and verified by The New York Times, shows the scope of that campaign. Widespread demolitions have flattened expanses of at least two dozen towns and villages near the border, with damage to government offices as well as civilian infrastructure, including schools, hospitals and mosques.

Iran

15.06.26 Reuters: With war likely over, Iranian rulers must face demands of angry, embittered population: Iran's theocratic rulers have seen off a U.S. military campaign but their real problems may be about to begin: managing the competing demands of hardliners buoyed by surviving the onslaught and those of an impoverished, angry people.

02.05.26 AJE: Prices surge, jobs disappear as war strains Iran’s economy: Food and medicine, cars, electrical devices and petrochemical products are among many items for which Iranians needed to pay much more this Saturday, the first day of the working week, than the previous week.

Pakistan

25.05.26 Reuters: Pakistan Shi'ites deported from UAE return to lost jobs, frozen savings: Shi'ite Muslims have returned from the United ​Arab Emirates without jobs, luggage or access to the savings they spent years building abroad. They are among potentially thousands of Shi'ites deported from the UAE to Pakistan ‌during the Iran war, raising alarm in Pakistan's Shi'ite community and prompting Human Rights Watch to investigate.

03.05.26 NYT: The Insurgency Threatening to Derail a U.S.-Pakistan Pact: Attacks by the Baloch Liberation Army could derail Pakistan’s plans for a billion-dollar mining deal with the Trump administration.

Turkey

22.05.26 Cats-Network: What challenges and opportunities does Turkey’s hybrid approach to conflicts and stabilisation pose for the EU and its member states’ policies?: Middle powers are assuming more visible roles in both war-making and peacebuilding. Turkey stands out in this regard, adopting an increasingly hybrid approach that strategically combines mediation, militarisation, and economic instruments.

UAE

07.05.26 Atlantic Council: The new playbook for AI leadership: The case of the United Arab Emirates: Using a five-pillar framework covering strategic vision, governance capacity, human capital, the innovation ecosystem, and industrial capacity, the report assesses the UAE’s strengths and weaknesses across the full AI value chain.

05.05.26 SWP: The Destabilising Role of the United Arab Emirates in African Conflicts: The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has become one of the most aggressive external actors in African conflicts, from Ethiopia, Libya and Somalia to Sudan. The leadership in Abu Dhabi obstinately denies its support for belligerents, yet it has maintained it even during the US-Israeli war against Iran – despite the serious repercussions for the UAE. Its role impedes efforts at conflict resolution and exacerbates humanitarian crises and regional instability. It undermines Europe’s interest in reliable trade routes, the prevention of forced displacement and regional integration.

Mediterranean and Atlantic Route

26.06.26 Canariasahora: El juez Mazuecos activa la expulsión de 85 de los 119 ocupantes del último cayuco llegado a El Hierro: El juez de El Hierro ha ordenado este jueves poner en marcha el proceso para devolver a sus países de origen a 85 de los 119 ocupantes del cayuco que llegó el pasado martes a La Restinga, el último que ha alcanzado hasta la fecha la isla, según han confirmado a EFE fuentes judiciales.
Tras escuchar a estas 85 personas al cumplirse el máximo tiempo de detención policial (72 horas), el juez ha autorizado que todas ellas sean trasladadas a un Centro de Internamiento para Extranjeros (CIE), a la espera de que se ejecute su expulsión; Canarias7 29.06.26: Canarias asiste a la primera deportación masiva de migrantes, producto de un Pacto Europeo «sin empatía»

12.06.26 UNHCR: Protection and Assistance Services Along the Western Africa Atlantic Route - Availability and Gaps - May 2026: This report maps protection and assistance services along the Western Africa Atlantic Route across five countries, highlighting existing responses and gaps in coverage, accessibility and continuity. It supports route‑based, multi‑country efforts to strengthen protection and reduce risks for people on the move.

09.06.26 LM: Au large de la Mauritanie, plus de 1 000 migrants ont été sauvés au cours des dix derniers jours

20.05.26 UNHCR: Revised rescue guide launched to safeguard life at sea: UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, the International Maritime Organization (IMO), and the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) have released a revised Rescue Guide, a tool to help all partners uphold the humanitarian and legal duties to rescue refugees and migrants in distress at sea and bring them to safety.

18.05.26 LM: Morts en Méditerranée : un phénomène qui persiste dans la plus grande indifférence: « Migrants en Méditerranée, la mécanique du silence » (1/4). Le premier trimestre 2026 a été l’un des plus meurtriers depuis 2014 pour les migrants partis de Tunisie et de Libye en direction de l’Europe, avec 765 morts recensées par l’Organisation internationale pour les migrations. Le dispositif européen dans la zone est désormais davantage destiné à contenir le déplacement des personnes qu’à sauver des vies.

See also LM 19.05.26: Avec la Libye et la Tunisie, une collaboration italienne et européenne sans état d’âme pour bloquer le flux des migrants: « Migrants en Méditerranée, la mécanique du silence » (2/4). Le gouvernement Meloni, soutenu par l’Union européenne, finance, équipe et entraîne les gardes-côtes libyens et tunisiens, malgré les exactions commises par ces derniers, afin qu’ils interceptent les exilés en route pour le Vieux Continent.

14.05.26 Alarmphone: Regional Analysis of the Western Mediterranean and the Atlantic, 1 September 2025 – 31 December 2025

See also: JLP: Database of illegal pushbacks: The Database of Illegal Pushbacks in the Central Mediterranean is a documentation project that aims to make public the vast amount of data collected over the years by activists who, in various capacities, offer support to migrants who are victims of serious fundamental rights violations.

13.05.26 MMC: Migrant smuggling and risks on journeys to the Canary Islands: This paper examines migrant smuggling dynamics and protection risks on irregular journeys to the Canary Islands, based on 1,216 surveys conducted with migrants and refugees in Mauritania and Spain between March and September 2025,
Maritime crossings to the Canary Islands primarily embark from Morocco (41%), Mauritania (30%), and Senegal (24%). A smaller number embarked from further south: 12 from Gambia, 5 from Guinea-Bissau, and 3 from Guinea, reflecting a trend toward longer routes to bypass heightened surveillance along northern coasts. More southerly embarkation points extend the time spent at sea and increase the dangers of the Atlantic crossing.

Europe

Bosnia and Herzegovina

15.05.26 Alrekonomia: Dentro Lukavica: la scatola nera dei centri di detenzione per migranti in Bosnia ed Erzegovina: La Ong Collective Aid ha pubblicato un durissimo rapporto sulla struttura nella zona Est di Sarajevo. Basato su interviste con ex-detenuti, organizzazioni locali e internazionali, e richieste di accesso agli atti al Servizio per gli affari degli stranieri bosniaco, illumina per la prima volta in modo sistemico le violazioni di diritti a cui sono sottoposte migliaia di persone che vi sono transitate dal 2018. È uno snodo chiave per le brutali politiche dell’Unione europea e dei suoi “return hub”

22.04.26 MMC: Western Balkans: Refugees and migrants in transit through Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2025: This paper provides insights from interviews with 888 refugees and migrants on their journeys to and across the Western Balkans. It explores the motivations for migration, the routes taken, the risks encountered and smuggling dynamics along the Western Balkan route.

Italy

01.06.26 Altreconomia: Il nuovo Patto su migrazione e asilo ci costerà due miliardi in cinque anni: Dal piano presentato dal governo per implementare la nuova legislazione europea in vigore dal 12 giugno emergono esborsi enormi. Altreconomia l’ha consultato in esclusiva. Dai nuovi Cpr alle “zone di frontiera”, ecco le novità. Full text here.

22.05.26 Lavialibera: Le condizioni dei cpr sono pessime. Lo dicono anche le carte del ministero: Infiltrazioni e umidità, sistemi antincendio mancanti, niente spazi ricreativi, trattenuti che dormono sui tavoli della mensa: informazioni e fotografie inedite allegate a un bando per la manutenzione dei centri per il rimpatrio italiani ne certificano lo stato fatiscente. Intanto, il governo punta a limitare la possibilità di mostrare cosa succede all'interno.
A fine aprile, sul sito di Invitalia, l’agenzia che gestisce gli appalti pubblici, è comparso un bando per la “manutenzione straordinaria delle strutture e degli impianti a servizio dei centri di permanenza per il rimpatrio”: spesa totale 14,7 milioni di euro, di cui 13,2 per lavori e 1,4 per servizi tecnici, ripartiti tra tutti i dieci centri attivi sul territorio nazionale. Di ognuno, le carte allegate al bando, che lavialibera ha analizzato, offrono una dettagliata diagnosi, con tanto di fotografie: documenti rari, visto che sono pochissime – e saranno sempre meno – le informazioni e le immagini che trapelano da quelle strutture.

18.05.26 IRPI: L’Albania minaccia di chiudere i centri per migranti per difendere il governo accusato di corruzione: Il ministro degli esteri di Tirana ha messo in discussione il futuro dei centri italiani in Albania. Il premier Rama lo smentisce, ma il suo obiettivo è fare pressioni sull’Italia, in chiave Ue

France

24.06.26 Guardian: ‘One in, one out’ deal on Channel crossings to end in October, French reports say: Controversial agreement under which UK can return people who arrive by small boat will reportedly not be extended

22.06.26 Infomigrants: Emmanuel Macron juge les "hubs retour" pour migrants "ni efficaces", ni conformes aux valeurs de l'Union européenne: Le président français a affirmé vendredi que la France ne mettrait pas en place de centres pour migrants en dehors des frontières de l’Union européenne, comme le prévoit le "règlement retour" adopté la semaine dernière par les eurodéputés. Emmanuel Macron estime que ce dispositif n’est "ni efficace, ni ne correspond aux principes qui sont les nôtres".

19.05.26 LM: Comment les centres de rétention administrative sont devenus une « extension du milieu carcéral »: Le taux d’éloignement des étrangers sans papiers placés en rétention n’a jamais été aussi faible, alors que les durées d’enfermement s’allongent et que les conditions se dégradent.

Germany

18.06.26 Migration-Control.Info: Migration Politics in Germany, June 2026: (Report to migreurop, 16.06.26)

12.06.26 Tagesspiegel: Neues BER-Asylzentrum in Brandenburg eröffnet: Schwierige Asylfälle werden jetzt direkt am Flughafen geprüft

Also see, same date: Migration: EU-Reform zu verschärften Asylregeln in Kraft: Als Land mitten in Europa hat Deutschland nur EU-Binnengrenzen. Wenn jemand per Flugzeug oder Schiff einreist und dann einen Asylantrag stellt, wird es die Außengrenzverfahren aber auch hierzulande geben – etwa in München und Frankfurt am Main, wo große internationale Flughäfen liegen. Dafür soll es insgesamt 374 Plätze in entsprechenden Unterkünften geben, die teils noch gebaut werden. Am Flughafen Berlin-Brandenburg wird heute eine neue Außengrenzeinrichtung ihren Betrieb aufnehmen. Weitere Einrichtungen in anderen Bundesländern sind in Planung.

28.05.26 Mediendienst: Remittances: Wie viel Geld schicken Migranten in ihre Herkunftsländer?: 2025 sind laut Schätzungen der Bundesbank 8,5 Milliarden Euro als Rücküberweisungen ins Ausland geflossen. Experten zufolge stammt ein Großteil der Überweisungen von Arbeitsmigranten.

UK

29.06.26 Guardian: Asylum seekers to pay £10,000 towards living costs under new UK law: “This proposal is simply more performative cruelty from the government. It is an announcement without the detail or, more importantly, a credible plan to tackle chronic delays in the asylum system.”

10.06.25 Reuters: Knife attack victim's family calls for calm after anti-immigrant violence in Belfast: Police clashed with protesters for a second night on Wednesday, deploying water cannon and armoured vehicles against a few dozen young men hurling bricks and fireworks to the north of Belfast. But there was far less unrest than the same time on Tuesday evening after the video of the knife attack went viral.

European Union

01.07.26:migreurop: Acceleration and Intensification of Repressive Migration Reforms: A Timeline of European Migration Legislation (2023–2026): Jeanne Olivet closely followed the negotiations surrounding the European Union’s migration reforms. Through this timeline, she highlights the accelerating pace and increasing brutality of EU migration policies. She also provides an analysis of the dynamics within the European institutions that are driving the adoption of ever more repressive migration measures.

June 2026 ecre: Asylum and Forced Displacement in the EU Enlargement Process: Contributions to inform the European Commission 2026 Enlargement Package in the area of asylum: Albania, Kosovo, Moldova, North Macedonia, Serbia, Ukraine: ECRE has published a report on the situation of asylum and forced displacement in European countries that are seeking to join the EU. It consists of a compilation of analysis from civil society experts on the situations in six of those countries.

17.06.26 EU Parl.: Neues EU-System zur Rückführung von Drittstaatsangehörigen: Am Mittwoch haben die Abgeordneten Änderungen an der EU-Politik zur Rückführung von Drittstaatsangehörigen, die sich illegal in der EU aufhalten, gebilligt.

See also LM 17.06.26: Immigration : le Parlement européen adopte une réforme qui ouvre la voie à la création de centres de rétention hors de l’UE;
Deportatiowatch: Deportation Alarms: „Seit einigen Jahren veröffentlicht Deportation
Alarm Warnmeldungen zu bevorstehenden Sammelabschiebungen mit Charter-Flügen aus Deutschland. In Zusammenarbeit mit dem International Deportation Watch Network erweitern wir nun unsere Website. Fortan werden Charter-Abschiebungen nicht nur aus Deutschland sondern in ganz Europa überwacht und kritisch dokumentiert“; W2EU: Stop Deportation: Lately there are a lot of media reports about increasing deportations from Germany. The German government negotiates with several countries of origin about return programs, they speeded up asylum procedures and conducted more charter deportations supported by the European border agency Frontex. By this, they want to spread fear to all those who want come to Germany and those who have been rejected. Still, they cannot deport masses at once and in many cases there are chances to stay in Germany.

12.06.26 Balkanbrücke: Die GEAS-Reform: Ein neues Kapitel europäischer Abschottung: Heute, am 12. Juni 2026, tritt die Reform des Gemeinsamen Europäischen Asylsystems (GEAS) vollständig in Kraft. Während die EU-Kommission und nationale Regierungen die Reform als Schritt zu mehr Ordnung, Effizienz und europäischer Zusammenarbeit präsentieren, ist zu erwarten, dass sie vor allem mehr Kontrolle, Abschreckung und Entrechtung für Schutzsuchende mit sich bringen wird.

09.06.26 euaa: Asylum Report 2026: The Agency's flagship report presents an overview of key developments in asylum in 2025. It summarises changes to policies, practice and laws.

04.06.26 Statewatch: Outsourcing Borders. Bulletin 17: Contents:
 Border management
 Budgets and funding
 Deportation and readmission
 Migration partnerships

04.06.26 Spiegel: »Der Begriff ›Return Hub‹ ist ein purer Euphemismus«: ie EU will Abschiebezentren in Drittstaaten errichten und abgelehnte Asylbewerber dorthin bringen. Migrationsforscherin Birgit Glorius hält diesen Ansatz für hochproblematisch.

02.06.26 Guardian: EU accused of creating ICE-style immigration enforcement system: Finalising a key element of an overhauled EU asylum and migration system, politicians have agreed a regulation that will enable national authorities to raid people’s homes to enforce deportation orders. People facing a deportation order who are deemed to be uncooperative or a flight risk could be detained for up to two years, extendable to 30 months, compared with the 18-month detention period under existing law. Those who refuse to comply with a deportation order could have benefits or other allowances cut.

27.05.26 Europe Must Act: Walls and Witnesses: Detention, Solidarity, and Resistance: The Pact introduces a series of measures designed to accelerate the processing of asylum claims and increase the rate of deportations (often called 'returns'), including mandatory border procedures, expanded use of detention, and a new pre-entry screening system. In practice, this means a substantial expansion of detention and deportation infrastructure across the EU.
This report explores how these policies are already taking shape, and what they mean for the people caught within them, as well as for those who refuse to look away.

14.05.26 ecre: Return: European Commission finally confirms plans for Taliban meeting ― EU revives co-operation agreement with Syria: The European Commission (EC) has confirmed that it is preparing to meet Taliban officials to discuss possible deportations of people from Europe to Afghanistan.
See also 23.06.26 Spiegel: Taliban bekommen Visa für Belgien – aber nur für Blitzbesuch

08.05.26 EU Commission: State of Play on the Implementation of CEAS: This Communication sets out the state of play of the implementation of the Pact, focusing on progress since November 2025 and identifying key areas for further action ahead of Pact’s entry into application in June.

04.05.26 Meltingpot: Il caso Leggeri e l’impunità di Frontex: Il 2026 è l’anno in cui il mandato dell'agenzia sarà rivisto