Europe
Mediterranean migrant death toll soars
With two months still to go, deaths of refugees and migrants crossing the Mediterranean so far this year have hit a record high, according to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR).
Tag: politics of immigration
North America
Sheriff Joe Arpaio charged with criminal contempt
A federal judge ordered Arizona's Sheriff Joe Arpaio to be tried for criminal contempt over continuing his immigration patrols in defiance of court orders in a civil rights suit.
Iraq
Iraq: disaster feared as Mosul campaign launched
UN humanitarian agencies in Iraq are bracing for a displacement catastrophe of massive proportions as the US-led offensive to retake Mosul from ISIS is launched.
Europe
France: court allows closure of migrant camp
An administrative court in Lille, France, rejected requests from almost a dozen aid groups and permitted the closure process of the "Jungle" migrant camp near Calais to continue.
Oceania
Australia using Nauru as ‘open-air prison’
Australia is using the island of Nauru as an “open-air prison,” putting refugees and asylum seekers through an abusive processing system as a means to prevent immigration.
Greater Middle East
70,000 Syrian refugees stranded in ‘buffer zone’
Thousands of displaced Syrians are trapped between sand berms on the border with Jordan, denied entry—facing hostile soliders on either side, receiving no aid.
North America
Court blocks Indiana from refusing Syrian refugees
A federal appeals court affirmed an Indiana district court ruling that blocked the state government's effort to prevent resettlement of Syrian refugee families in the state.
Europe
Hungary refugee referendum invalidated
Low voter turnout invalidated the referendum in which Hungarians voted to oppose any EU mandatory placement of refugees—but President Viktor Orbán remains intransigent.
Europe
Macedonia pressed on migrant expulsion, detention
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights urged Macedonia to end its pattern of expelling and detaining migrants in defiance of international standards.
North America
Highest jump in post- 9-11 anti-Muslim hate crimes
A new report compiled by California State University finds a dramatic increase in hate crimes in 2015, particularly those targeting Muslims and Arab-Americans.
Oceania
Australia to close Manus Island detention center
Australia announced plans to close the controversial Manus Island detention center in Papua New Guinea following reports of rights abuses—but no time frame was given.
Europe
Bulgaria: protest mass arrests of migrants
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein expressed concern over Bulgaria's criminalization of migrants both leaving and entering the country.