Emigration and immigration
Balkan nations are being considered as potential return hubs for failed asylum seekers under the UK's new deportation plans, including Kosovo, Serbia, North Macedonia, and Bosnia-Herzegovina. The move follows Albania's rejection of the scheme, which has been dismissed by Labour as not being a deterrent against
Immigration policy
The UK is considering a new plan to open "return hubs" in overseas countries for migrants who have exhausted their right to appeal for sanctuary in the UK. Kosovo, along with North Macedonia, Serbia, and Bosnia-Herzegovina, are among the countries on the UK's shortlist for potential
Emigration and immigration
A report by the Irish Government warns that immigration officials may struggle with robust identity checks and security screening on asylum seekers due to limited access to key EU security databases. The proposed EU Migration Pact, set to come into force in June next year, will subject asylum seekers to
Human rights
The UK government's plans to sign a deal transferring the Chagos Islands to Mauritius were thrown into disarray after a court injunction was granted to a group of Chagossian refugees and the Great British Political Action Committee, a pressure group modelled on those in the US. The injunction,
Human rights
A Guinean asylum seeker, now in his early 20s, has been granted permission to stay in the UK after a judge ruled that he would face punishment from his stepmother if he were to return to his home country. The man fled Guinea to escape his stepmother's physical
Emigration and immigration
The Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada has ruled in favor of the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness in the case of Abdelhak Saighi, a foreign national who applied for a student visa. The ruling determined that Saighi had misrepresented himself by submitting fraudulent bank statements to support
Emigration and immigration
Benjamin Etzold, a researcher from the Bonn International Centre for Conflict Studies (BICC), recently presented the 'Global Forced Displacement Report' in Berlin, highlighting the need for a more nuanced understanding of refugee policies amidst the current global challenges. The report's authors argue that Germany's
Emigration and immigration
Himmat Singh and Surjeet Kaur, citizens of India and Afghanistan, fled Afghanistan for India in 1992 and claimed refugee protection in India. After 27 years of living in Delhi, they obtained Indian citizenship documents and passports by paying officials. The couple later came to Canada in January 2020 and filed
Emigration and immigration
The Western Cape High Court has delivered a significant judgment, declaring the detention of asylum seekers unconstitutional after being challenged by human rights lawyers and the Scalabrini Centre. The court has also declared several provisions of the Refugees Act and its accompanying regulations invalid, which compromised refugee protection. The Scalabrini
Human rights
The Western Cape High Court has made a groundbreaking ruling against the South African government, declaring several refugee protection provisions of the Refugees Act and its accompanying regulations invalid. This decision comes after the Scalabrini Centre of Cape Town, represented by Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR), challenged the unlawful practice
Prisons
The Taliban's Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation has announced the release of 286 Afghan migrants from various prisons across Pakistan, despite the migrants possessing valid documentation. The detainees were returned to Afghanistan on Sunday, with some having spent between one and several days in Pakistani jails. This development
Emigration and immigration
An Albanian asylum seeker who claimed persecution due to his sexual orientation was rejected for a second time after getting married to a woman. Esmir Demaj initially sought asylum in the UK, citing fear of persecution in Albania because of his homosexuality. However, his claim was rejected, and he returned
