Latest news with #non-African
New York Post
5 days ago
- New York Post
City sued for discrimination by ex-Civilian Complaint Review Board investigator
He was hired to be an investigator — but was allegedly treated like a pack mule. An administrator for the NYC Civilian Complaint Review Board was forced to perform manual labor at his office job, and eventuallu quit to escape 'grotesque bigotry and hostility' from his supervisors, he said in a lawsuit. Nigerian-born Ademola Bello was the only desk worker at the CCRB's Division of Financial and Strategic Management ever asked by his bosses 'to haul furniture, office supplies, boxes of paper and filing cabinets,' he claimed in court papers. 4 Ademola Bello is a graduate of Columbia University's Journalism School. Helayne Seidman Winnie Chen, the CCRB's director of budget and operations, and Jeanine Marie, the agency's deputy executive director, treated Bello, 52, like 'property' and 'chattel labor,' which left him 'emotionally battered and psychologically depleted,' the Nigerian native said in the July 16 legal filing. Bello, who started working for the CCRB in September 2023 as a civilian investigator and transitioned to Chen's department that December, where the Columbia Journalism School grad — alleged he was singled out for 'strenuous manual labor' due to his 'African identity.' 'They tried to cover up all these things, it was just so bad,' Bello told The Post this week. 'And it was because of my nationality.' 4 Bello will soon need surgery on his knee, which he hurt lifting heavy boxes. Helayne Seidman He was repeatedly asked to do tasks 'utterly incongruous with his administrative duties and physical capacity,' like moving furniture, and in early 2025, he sustained an 'acute knee injury' lifting a large box, according to the lawsuit. Even though the city confirmed his injury was work related, Chen allegedly urged him to 'rub [his knee with] her 'Chinese oil,' or face consequences' and pushed him to drop a worker's compensation claim. When he refused Chen's 'nontraditional herbal treatment…her abuse escalated,' he said in court papers. 4 The offices of the Civilian Complaint Review Board. Google Maps Bello was the only person in the office who wasn't allowed to eat at his desk and his requests for pay raises or remote work privileges were denied, unlike his 'non-African, less qualified' colleagues, he alleged. And he was also asked to fill-in at the reception desk, often coming into the office before sunrise and not leaving until well after 5 p.m., he said in the legal filing, which also alleges he was never paid for 40 hours a week, despite working twice as many hours. 4 Bello worked under Winnie Chen, who is a party to the civil suit. Winnie Chen/ Linkedin 'I was told I was working for free and there was nothing I could do,' said Bello. 'When he questioned this exploitation' during a discussion with Marie, 'the response was unambiguous: 'You can resign,'' he said in the litigation. He would never be able to meet Marie's expectations because Bello 'was not 'white,'' Marie said, according to the lawsuit. Bello's lawyer, Bennitta Joseph of Joseph and Norinsberg, said he'll be having knee surgery next month. 'At the Civilian Complaint Review Board — the agency sworn to root out abuse — an African immigrant was treated like a slave,' Joseph said. 'They exploited him for manual labor, denied him dignity, and discarded his humanity while hiding behind the language of justice. This wasn't just hypocrisy—it was modern-day servitude, enforced by bureaucrats drunk on power and bigotry, and for this they must be held accountable.' The CCRB did not return calls seeking comment.
Business Insider
5 days ago
- Business
- Business Insider
Ghana adds two non-African countries to visa-free list in push for global ties
In a major diplomatic move, Ghana's Parliament has approved visa-free agreements with four countries - Mozambique, São Tomé and Príncipe, Colombia, and the Commonwealth of Dominica marking an expansion of the country's visa-free travel regime. Notably, the inclusion of non-African countries - Colombia and the Commonwealth of Dominica signals Ghana's deepening push to build global partnerships beyond the African continent. Ghana's Parliament approved visa waiver agreements with Mozambique, São Tomé and Príncipe, Colombia, and the Commonwealth of Dominica. The visa waivers apply to holders of diplomatic, service, and ordinary passports and aim to foster developmental partnerships. The policy aligns with Ghana's continuing commitment to regional and global integration and mobility enhancements. The visa-free agreements, as presented on the floor of Parliament by the Chairman of the Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration Committee, Alfred Okoe Vanderpuije, apply to holders of diplomatic, service, and ordinary passports. According to Vanderpuije's presentation, the waiver is expected to boost partnerships in key sectors such as education, energy, trade, tourism, and agriculture. The announcement signals Ghana's ongoing efforts to strengthen multilateral ties through enhanced mobility and cooperation. Also speaking before Parliament, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, stated that the visa waivers will not lead to immediate or direct revenue losses. While acknowledging that visa fees will be waived, Ablakwa noted that the broader economic benefits, particularly in trade and tourism, are expected to significantly outweigh any potential fiscal impact. He described the initiative as part of a long-term strategy to deepen bilateral cooperation and unlock shared socio-economic advantages. Ghana's move to enable visa free travel Just before leaving office, Ghana's former President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, approved visa-free entry for all African nationals making Ghana the fifth African country to remove visa requirements for holders of African passports. The decision marked a significant step toward regional integration, aligning with the African Union's goal of free movement across the continent. Since assuming office in January 2025, President John Dramani Mahama's administration has not only embraced this legacy but moved to deepen Ghana's commitment to open-border diplomacy. In a bold expansion of the visa-free policy, the Mahama-led government recently extended visa-free access to non-African countries which includes São Tomé and Príncipe, Colombia, and the Commonwealth of Dominica. This strategic outreach reflects Ghana's ambition to position itself as a gateway to Africa, while also strengthening South-South cooperation and economic diplomacy beyond the continent. The inclusion of these countries—two from Latin America and two from Africa signals Accra's broader vision to foster global partnerships, boost tourism and trade, and enhance Ghana's soft power on the world stage. Officials close to the policy suggest that more countries may be added in the coming months, especially those with strong bilateral ties or mutual trade interests with Ghana. The move is also expected to encourage reciprocal agreements, allowing Ghanaian travelers greater ease of movement globally. Together, these efforts position Ghana as a leader in Africa's mobility agenda—championing integration not only within the continent but also building new bridges with emerging partners across the Global South.
Business Insider
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Business Insider
Nigeria says ‘No' to Trump's forced immigration push
The Trump administration's controversial plan to deport thousands of undocumented migrants to African nations has faced firm resistance from Abuja, highlighting growing diplomatic tensions over the U.S.'s unilateral immigration policies targeting the continent. The Trump administration's plan to deport undocumented Venezuelan migrants to African nations has faced resistance from Nigeria. Nigeria's Foreign Affairs Minister revealed the U.S.'s proposal to deport Venezuelans to Nigeria despite their lack of ties to the country. Nigeria continues discussions with the U.S., emphasizing its position and challenges while seeking clarity on reciprocity in visa policies. The United States has, over time, explored the possibility of deporting undocumented migrants, including convicted criminals and individuals with unresolved immigration status to various African countries as part of President Donald Trump's expanded immigration enforcement agenda. Although Nigeria was not initially named among the destinations for deportations, Nigeria's Foreign Affairs Minister, Yusuf Tuggar, has confirmed that the U.S. approached Nigeria with a proposal to deport undocumented Venezuelan migrants, some with criminal records, citing irregular travel documents and transit histories. We have more problems - Nigeria says While countries such as Rwanda and South Sudan have reportedly responded positively to preliminary discussions, Nigeria has taken a firm stance against the plan, refusing to accept migrants with no legal or national ties to the country. Nigeria's inclusion was disclosed by Foreign Affairs Minister Yusuf Tuggar during an appearance on Channels Television's Politics Today programme. Tuggar disclosed that the United States had made informal overtures to Abuja, proposing that undocumented Venezuelan migrants, including some who had served prison time in the U.S., be deported to Nigeria based on travel documentation discrepancies or administrative convenience. 'You have to also bear in mind that the U.S. is mounting considerable pressure on African countries to accept Venezuelans to be deported from the U.S., some straight out of prisons,' Tuggar said." He pushed back against Trump's third-country deportation proposal, which would involve relocating non-African nationals such as Venezuelans to Nigeria, citing the country's numerous internal challenges, which it is still working to address. Tuggar said Nigeria is not in a position to take on external issues like managing migrants at this time. ' It would be difficult for countries like Nigeria to accept Venezuelan prisoners into Nigeria. We have enough problems of our own; we cannot accept Venezuelan deportees to Nigeria. We already have 230 million people,' Tuggar said. Trump's escalating trade, immigration standoff The revelation comes amid growing diplomatic friction between Washington and African states, as the U.S. doubles down on stricter visa limitations and enforcement measures that have disproportionately impacted African travellers and students. During the recently held BRICS summit in Brazil, President Trump issued a veiled warning, threatening to impose an additional 10% tariff on any nation that sides with BRICS in opposition to U.S. trade policy. Tuggar, however, downplayed the threat, suggesting it was less about BRICS alignment and more about Nigeria's refusal to participate in the deportation deal. He also addressed the recently introduced U.S. visa policy affecting Nigerian applicants, dismissing Washington's claim that the changes were based on reciprocity. According to the minister, Nigeria already operates a 90-day visa regime, just like the United States, and the only notable difference is that Nigeria has adopted an electronic visa system to streamline processing. ' The claim of reciprocity is simply not accurate,' Tuggar said. 'We are talking to the Americans. We are engaging them. We are also explaining and reminding them that we issue them five-year multiple entry visas, the same way that they issue regular travellers five-year multiple entry visas. ' he noted.
Business Insider
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Business Insider
Trump gets green light to send illegal migrants to Africa after Supreme Court ruling
The United States Supreme Court has endorsed President Donald Trump's controversial plan to deport certain categories of undocumented migrants to select African countries. The U.S. Supreme Court approved President Trump's policy allowing the deportation of undocumented migrants to third countries with minimal notice. This decision, made in a 6-3 ruling, overturns a previous lower court ruling that required migrants to present risks before deportation. This ruling reflects a broader push by the Trump administration to implement stricter immigration policies under expanded authority. The Supreme Court on Monday granted President Donald Trump's emergency request to resume deporting migrants to countries other than their homeland, including places like South Sudan, with minimal notice. The decision gives legal backing to a policy that has drawn sharp criticism from human rights organizations, immigration advocates, and some African governments. In a 6–3 ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned a lower court decision requiring the government to give migrants a chance to explain risks they may face if deported to third countries. The court's liberal justices—Sotomayor, Kagan, and Jackson—dissented, warning of harm to migrant rights. The decision comes as U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy blocked a separate Trump administration effort to deport eight migrants from Myanmar, South Sudan, Cuba, Mexico, Laos, and Vietnam on a flight to South Sudan. The government labeled them ' the worst of the worst, ' but critics say due process was denied. According to US District Judge Brian Murphy, the government's efforts to deport migrants to third-party countries without due process 'unquestionably' violated constitutional protections. According to the CNN, Supreme court Judge Sotomayor, in a dissent aimed at the administration's broader approach, said her colleagues in the majority were ' rewarding lawlessness ' with the decision, asserting that the Trump administration has ' openly flouted ' previous court orders. ' Rather than allowing our lower court colleagues to manage this high-stakes litigation with the care and attention it plainly requires, this court now intervenes to grant the government emergency relief from an order it has repeatedly defied, ' she wrote. U.S. deportation pact with African nations The Trump administration has proposed a plan to several African nations to accept deported migrants from the U.S., including non-African nationals, as part of a broader push to outsource immigration enforcement. Rwanda has confirmed talks, while other countries like Libya, Angola, Benin, and Equatorial Guinea have been mentioned as part of the deal. The initiative raises concerns over humanitarian risks and reintegration challenges, and may significantly influence the global trajectory of U.S. immigration policy. Trump's hard stance on immigration In his second term, President Donald Trump has doubled down on his hardline immigration policies, using expanded executive authority and a conservative-leaning Supreme Court to push through measures previously blocked. Central to this renewed effort is the deportation of undocumented migrants to third countries, including several in Africa, regardless of their origin. The administration argues this deters abuse of the asylum system and restores border control, while critics warn it violates international protections and places vulnerable individuals at risk.
Metro
21-06-2025
- Science
- Metro
Human population nearly went extinct – with just 1,280 people left
Hiyah Zaidi Published June 20, 2025 12:50pm Link is copied Comments Humans have been around for a while, but we haven't always been an abundant species. In fact, ancient humanity was almost wiped out around 900,000 years ago and the global population dwindled to a mere 1,280 reproducing individuals, a study claims. And the researchers also claim that they stayed like this for 117,000 years. So, what is going on? (Picture: Getty) The study, which is published in the journal Science, reveals human ancestors in Africa almost faced extinction, and the research suggests there was a drastic reduction in the population of our ancestors well before our species, Homo sapiens, also known as modern humans, emerged. The information is based on a new computer model developed by a group of scientists based in China, Italy and the United States (Picture: Getty) The researchers used a statistical method and gathered genetic information from 3,154 present-day human genomes. They found that around 98.7% of human ancestors were lost. The researchers say that the population crash matches with a gap in the fossil record. They say this could have led to a new hominin species that was a common ancestor of modern humans, or Homo sapiens, and Neanderthals (Picture: Getty) Senior author Dr Yi-Hsuan Pan, an evolutionary and functional genomicist at East China Normal University, said: 'The novel finding opens a new field in human evolution because it evokes many questions, such as the places where these individuals lived, how they overcame the catastrophic climate changes, and whether natural selection during the bottleneck has accelerated the evolution of the human brain' (Picture: Getty) The exact cause is unknown, but it is thought that the near-extinction has been blamed on Africa's climate getting much colder and drier. Dr Pan said: 'The novel finding opens a new field in human evolution by raising many new questions. 'Where did these individuals live? How did they overcome catastrophic climate change? And did natural selection during the bottleneck affect their evolution? All this remains to be answered' (Picture: Getty) It's fine to say 900,000 years ago, but in what period of human evolution did this happen? The researchers say that the signature of this bottleneck can be seen in the genetics of people with non-African heritage. Therefore, it would have been hundreds of thousands of years before humans migrated outside of Africa. The researchers estimated that there would have been an effective population size of around 1,280 individuals between 930,000 and 813,000 years ago. But, this doesn't mean this was the entire population, only this number successfully bred and passed on their genes to the next generation (Picture: Getty) The bottleneck also coincided with dramatic changes in climate during what's known as the mid-Pleistocene transition. At this time, glacial periods became longer and more intense, leading to a drop in temperature and very dry climatic conditions. However, the researchers also suggested that the control of fire, as well as the climate shifting to be more hospitable for human life, may have led to a later rapid population increase around 813,000 years ago (Picture: Getty)
