Tighter borders and aid cuts could risk greater instability, UN migration chief warns
In an interview with The Associated Press, Director General of the International Organization for Migration Amy Pope said that an approach focused solely on border enforcement without addressing causes of migration was 'short-sighted' and could destabilize origin countries further.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
13 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Migrant milestone reached faster under Starmer than previous prime ministers
Migrant milestone reached faster under Starmer than previous prime ministers The milestone of 50,000 migrants arriving in the UK after crossing the English Channel has been reached just 13 months into Sir Keir Starmer's premiership – seven months faster than under his Conservative predecessor Rishi Sunak, figures show. The number of people recorded as making the journey across the Channel since the Labour leader became Prime Minister passed 50,000 on August 11 2025: day 403 of his time in office – or one year, one month and seven days since Labour won the general election on July 4 2025. By contrast, the number of arrivals during Mr Sunak's premiership did not reach the 50,000 mark until the 610th day of his time in office, on June 25 2024, according to Home Office data. This was exactly 20 months since Mr Sunak became prime minister on October 25 2022, and only a few days before the Conservatives lost the general election to Labour. On day 403 of Mr Sunak's premiership – the point at which 50,000 was reached for Sir Keir – some 36,079 migrants had arrived in small boats. A total of 10,532 migrants arrived in the UK after crossing the Channel during the 49 days of Liz Truss's premiership from September 6 to October 24 2022. This includes 1,241 on September 9: the third highest number of arrivals ever recorded on a single day. The first and second highest daily totals both occurred during Boris Johnson's premiership, on September 3 2022 (1,305 arrivals) and November 11 2021 (1,250) respectively. Some 65,676 migrants arrived across the Channel over the course of Mr Johnson's three years, one month and 12 days as prime minister, from July 24 2019 to September 5 2022. The 50,000 mark was passed on the 1,066th day of his premiership, June 23 2022. The number of migrants crossing the English Channel per boat has been on a steady upwards trend since data was first recorded in 2018, when the average for the year was seven. It then rose to an average of 11 per boat in 2019, 13 in 2020, 28 in 2021, 41 in 2022, 49 in 2023 and 53 in 2024. The average for 2025 is currently running at 59 people per boat.
San Francisco Chronicle
15 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Jordan, Syria, and US officials discuss Syria's reconstruction after deadly clashes
Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, center right, meets with U.S. Ambassador to Turkey and Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack, center left, in Amman, Jordan, Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2025. Delara Shakib/AP U.S. Ambassador to Turkey and Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack, centre right, meets with Syria's Foreign Minister Asaad Al-Shibani, center left, in Amman, Jordan, Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2025. Delara Shakib/AP AMMAN, Jordan (AP) — Officials from Jordan, Syria and the U.S. on Tuesday discussed ways of supporting war-torn Syria's reconstruction on the basis of improving security after deadly clashes last month. The meeting in Amman between the foreign ministers of Jordan and Syria and U.S. special envoy Tom Barrack came after talks were held by the same sides on July 18. Those discussions focused on a ceasefire that ended days of clashes between pro-government gunmen and fighters from the country's Druze minority in Sweida province that borders Jordan, leaving hundreds of people dead. In addition to the security challenges that Syria still faces since the fall of Bashar Assad's government in December, the country faces major economic and social challenges. In 2017, the United Nations estimated that it would cost at least $250 billion to rebuild Syria after years of civil war. Some experts now say that number could reach at least $400 billion. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Over the past few months, several countries, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar and others pledged investments worth billions of dollars to rebuild Syria's infrastructure. In neighboring Iraq, Syrian Energy Minister Mohammed al-Bashir discussed with Iraqi counterpart Hayan abdel-Ghani the possibility of reactivating an oil pipeline between the oil-rich northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk and Syria's coastal town of Baniyas, which is home to one of the country's two oil refineries. Syrian state news agency SANA quoted al-Bashir as saying that Syria imports 3 million barrels of oil a month in addition to its own production to cover local consumption. Abdel-Ghani said that the two countries can study whether it is possible to reactivate the oil pipeline that suffered wide damage during wars in both countries or build a new one, according to SANA. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Before the war broke out in 2011, the oil sector was a pillar of Syria's economy, with the country producing about 380,000 barrels a day, and exports — mostly to Europe — bringing in more than $3 billion in 2010. Since then, the sector has suffered widely.
Chicago Tribune
15 minutes ago
- Chicago Tribune
Column: History shows that summits are unpredictable
Alaska carries a lot of symbolism, especially for Americans. The phrase 'North to Alaska' is the title of a popular song performed by Johnny Horton, a rockabilly singer of the 1950s, and a 1960 film starring John Wayne. Both song and film are earthy and gritty, emphasizing the uncertainty of life. That sentiment is appropriate to open a discussion about the Alaska summit between Presidents Vladimir Putin of Russia and Donald Trump of the United States. At a minimum, talking is preferable to fighting. As Winston Churchill observed, 'To jaw-jaw is better than to war-war.' The great British leader made that statement in 1954, when the Soviet-U.S. Cold War was intense. He knew what he was talking about. Churchill had participated in five separate wars on four continents before he was 42 years old. He is also credited with coining the term 'summit' to describe consequential meetings between leaders. During World War II, the first encounter was between him and President Franklin D. Roosevelt in August of 1941, off the coast of Newfoundland, four months before the attack on Pearl Harbor. One of the last of the war was held in Yalta, on the southern coast of Crimea, early in 1945. Joseph Stalin of the Soviet Union was at Yalta and others. The Newfoundland summit resulted in the Atlantic Charter, confirmation of human rights that laid the foundation for the United Nations. The Yalta summit acknowledged Soviet occupation of Eastern Europe, and later fed intense partisan criticism and recriminations in the U.S. as Republicans attacked FDR for allegedly 'selling out' to communists. In short, summits are unpredictable, and results are dependent on many factors, including the personalities of the leaders involved. Regarding the Alaska summit, potentially important mixed symbolic history is involved. Putin is meeting on U.S. soil rather than on more traditional neutral ground, such as Geneva, Switzerland. The venue also implies Trump's publicly stated fascination with northern latitudes, including specifically his fantasies about annexing both Canada and Greenland, the latter a territory of Denmark. Leaders in neither Ottawa nor Copenhagen have concurred with these suggestions. Alaska was a territory of Imperial Russia before purchase by the United States in 1867 for $7.2 million. Secretary of State William Seward, who initiated the deal, was severely criticized at the time and afterwards. Acquiring the territory was widely referred to as 'Seward's Folly.' The purchase did head off Alaska's acquisition by Great Britain. Seward carried the day thanks to impressive political skill and general prestige. A powerful Republican leader from New York, he was a rival of Abraham Lincoln for the 1860 Republican presidential nomination. He joined Lincoln's Cabinet, and became a close ally and friend during the Civil War. Events of later years, including especially the discovery of gold in Alaska, led to belated appreciation of his territorial acquisition. Before the summit, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was adamant about not surrendering territory, while Putin has demanded such concessions. Either way, two-way or three-way discussions could lay the foundation for later agreement. President Trump stresses the importance of effective negotiation, and he should relish this opportunity. Soviet economic weakness led to eventual collapse; Russia's economy remains weak. Trump's threat of increased sanctions doubtless led Putin to agree to meet in Alaska.
