Latest news with #WesternAfrican
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Rescue operation launched after eight migrants die off coast of Djibouti, IOM says
The UN migration agency said on Wednesday that eight migrants died and 22 others are missing after they were forced off a boat near the coast of Djibouti. The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) said in a statement the migrants were part of a group of 150 who were forced by smugglers to disembark a boat and swim to shore on 5 June. The migrants were found in the desert by IOM patrol teams and taken to a migrant response centre. The IOM and authorities in Djibouti are continuing with a search and rescue operation to find the missing migrants. "Every life lost at sea is a tragedy that should never happen," Celestine Frantz, the IOM Regional Director for the East, Horn and Southern Africa, said. Frantz said that the migrants were "forced into impossible choices by smugglers who show no regard for human life." Thousands of migrants from African, Middle Eastern and South Asian countries seeking a better life in Europe attempt irregular migration every year. People smugglers pack vessels full of desperate people willing to risk their lives to reach continental Europe. Most of the vessels get migrants across the Red Sea to Gulf countries before they proceed further to European nations. Yemen is a major route for migrants from East Africa and the Horn of Africa trying to reach Gulf countries for work, with hundreds of thousands attempting the route each year. However Frontex, the EU's external border protection agency, reported a 31% drop in illegal migrant crossings in the first quarter of 2025 compared to the same period one year ago. Related UK migrant crossings hit yearly high as pressure mounts on Labour government Seven dead as migrant boat capsizes off Canary Islands Crossings fell to nearly 33,600 with a decline reported across every single route leading to Europe. A significant drop, around 30%, was observed on the Western African route, which connects Senegal, Mauritania, The Gambia and Western Sahara to Spain's Canary Islands. Similarly, a 29% fall was reported in crossings along the Eastern Mediterranean route, mostly leading to Cyprus, Greece and Bulgaria from Afghanistan, Sudan and Egypt. The third sharpest fall, -26%, was on the Central Mediterranean route, from western and central Africa through Niger and Libya across the Central Mediterranean towards Europe, in particular Italy.
Euronews
2 days ago
- Euronews
UN launches rescue operation after eight migrants die off Djibouti
The UN migration agency said on Wednesday that eight migrants died and 22 others are missing after they were forced off a boat near the coast of Djibouti. The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) said in a statement the migrants were part of a group of 150 who were forced by smugglers to disembark a boat and swim to shore on 5 June. The migrants were found in the desert by IOM patrol teams and taken to a migrant response centre. The IOM and authorities in Djibouti are continuing with a search and rescue operation to find the missing migrants. "Every life lost at sea is a tragedy that should never happen," Celestine Frantz, the IOM Regional Director for the East, Horn and Southern Africa, said. Frantz said that the migrants were "forced into impossible choices by smugglers who show no regard for human life." Thousands of migrants from African, Middle Eastern and South Asian countries seeking a better life in Europe attempt irregular migration every year. People smugglers pack vessels full of desperate people willing to risk their lives to reach continental Europe. Most of the vessels get migrants across the Red Sea to Gulf countries before they proceed further to European nations. Yemen is a major route for migrants from East Africa and the Horn of Africa trying to reach Gulf countries for work, with hundreds of thousands attempting the route each year. However Frontex, the EU's external border protection agency, reported a 31% drop in illegal migrant crossings in the first quarter of 2025 compared to the same period one year ago. Crossings fell to nearly 33,600 with a decline reported across every single route leading to Europe. A significant drop, around 30%, was observed on the Western African route, which connects Senegal, Mauritania, The Gambia and Western Sahara to Spain's Canary Islands. Similarly, a 29% fall was reported in crossings along the Eastern Mediterranean route, mostly leading to Cyprus, Greece and Bulgaria from Afghanistan, Sudan and Egypt. The third sharpest fall, -26%, was on the Central Mediterranean route, from western and central Africa through Niger and Libya across the Central Mediterranean towards Europe, in particular Italy.
Euronews
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
Ilegal migrant crossings: Which is becoming the most difficult route to Europe?
ADVERTISEMENT Frontex, the EU's external border protection agency, reports a 31% drop in illegal migrant crossings in the first quarter of 2025 compared to the same period one year ago. Crossings fell to nearly 33,600 with a decline reported across every single route leading to Europe. The biggest fall was observed along the Western Balkan route, -64%. Why are crossings dropping along the Western Balkan route? "The drop in crossings could be due to multiple factors: Increased policing of borders by Balkan countries, harsh winter conditions that make the journey hard and awareness of widespread risks of human rights violations," says Helena Hahn, Migration and Diversity analyst at the European Policy Centre. She also pointed to geopolitical factors, such as "the change in regime in Syria, which led to a 17% decrease in asylum applications in 2024," adding however that arrivals might rise again "towards the end of the summer and in Autumn." Crossing attempts into Spain from Africa down by nearly a third A significant drop, -30%, was also observed on the Western African route, which connects Senegal, Mauritania, The Gambia and Western Sahara to Spain's Canary Islands. Similarly, a 29% fall was reported in crossings along the Eastern Mediterranean route, mostly leading to Cyprus, Greece and Bulgaria from Afghanistan, Sudan and Egypt. The third sharpest fall, -26%, was on the Central Mediterranean route, from western and central Africa through Niger and Libya across the Central Mediterranean towards Europe, in particular Italy. Related Refugee allowance and rent compensation: Here's how benefits for Ukrainians are changing in Europe Eastern Mediterranean busiest route for illegal migration into Europe With 9,267 crossing attempts, the Eastern Mediterranean route ranked as the preferred extra-European pathway for illegal migrants. The Western African path follows closely with 9,205 attempts, primarily from Mali, Senegal and Guinea. The third most active route was the Central Mediterranean (8,542), mostly taken by Bangladeshis, Pakistanis and Syrians. The United Kingdom however seems to remain the final destination in Europe for thousands of migrants, as Frontex reported 11,000 illegal crossing attempts in the first four months of 2025 from France towards the other side of the Channel.
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ilegal migrant crossings: Which is becoming the most difficult route to Europe?
Frontex, the EU's external border protection agency, reports a 31% drop in illegal migrant crossings in the first quarter of 2025 compared to the same period one year ago. Crossings fell to nearly 33,600 with a decline reported across every single route leading to Europe. The biggest fall was observed along the Western Balkan route, -64%. "The drop in crossings could be due to multiple factors: Increased policing of borders by Balkan countries, harsh winter conditions that make the journey hard and awareness of widespread risks of human rights violations," says Helena Hahn, Migration and Diversity analyst at the European Policy Centre. She also pointed to geopolitical factors, such as "the change in regime in Syria, which led to a 17% decrease in asylum applications in 2024," adding however that arrivals might rise again "towards the end of the summer and in Autumn." A significant drop, -30%, was also observed on the Western African route, which connects Senegal, Mauritania, The Gambia and Western Sahara to Spain's Canary Islands. Similarly, a 29% fall was reported in crossings along the Eastern Mediterranean route, mostly leading to Cyprus, Greece and Bulgaria from Afghanistan, Sudan and Egypt. The third sharpest fall, -26%, was on the Central Mediterranean route, from western and central Africa through Niger and Libya across the Central Mediterranean towards Europe, in particular Italy. Related Refugee allowance and rent compensation: Here's how benefits for Ukrainians are changing in Europe With 9,267 crossing attempts, the Eastern Mediterranean route ranked as the preferred extra-European pathway for illegal migrants. The Western African path follows closely with 9,205 attempts, primarily from Mali, Senegal and Guinea. The third most active route was the Central Mediterranean (8,542), mostly taken by Bangladeshis, Pakistanis and Syrians. The United Kingdom however seems to remain the final destination in Europe for thousands of migrants, as Frontex reported 11,000 illegal crossing attempts in the first four months of 2025 from France towards the other side of the Channel.
Reuters
26-03-2025
- Business
- Reuters
IMF says 'urgent reforms' needed to address Senegal's debt woes
DAKAR, March 26 (Reuters) - The International Monetary Fund on Wednesday called for Senegal to streamline tax exemptions and phase out costly energy subsidies as part of "urgent reforms" after an audit revealed misreporting of economic data. The IMF suspended its existing $1.8 billion credit facility to the Western African nation pending a review of state finances, which confirmed last month that the debt and budget deficit were much wider than former President Macky Sall's administration reported. At the end of 2023, the total outstanding debt represented 99.67% of gross domestic product, a report from Senegal's Court of Auditors said. That compared with a previously recorded figure of 74.41%. "These findings point to serious lapses in budget controls and public financial reporting, underscoring the need for urgent reforms," IMF mission chief Edward Gemayel said in a statement on Wednesday after concluding meetings with President Bassirou Diomaye Faye and other officials. Priority steps to bring down public debt "include streamlining tax exemptions and phasing out costly, untargeted energy subsidies," he said. Senegal's Finance Minister Cheikh Diba has said his country was hoping for a new IMF programme by June. Gemayel, however, did not commit to that timeline in an interview on Monday with Reuters, instead saying a new programme could only be discussed once "we settle on the misreporting" - a point he reiterated in his statement on Wednesday. He also said it was "too early to make that call" when asked if Senegal was heading for a credit event such as a debt restructuring, rescheduling or default. Preliminary estimates put the central government's debt at 105.7% of gross domestic product at the end of last year, with real GDP growth at around 6%, Gemayel said in his statement. The IMF mission aims to determine how Senegal's misreporting happened and what steps the government would take to avoid it in the future.
