Refugees and Migrants

In February, before Women’s History Month in March and the appointment of the first Black female Justice to the US Supreme Court in April, the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, sat down with refugee advocate Lourena Gboeah to talk about Black History Month. She spoke about fleeing conflict in Liberia, building a new life in the United States and her hopes for the future of Black women in the US.

The Darién Gap, a dangerous route that links South and North America, has long been used by migrants trekking north to the United States, in search of a better life, or simply fleeing violence at home.  As well as extreme physical challenges, they also risk attacks from smugglers, and other criminal groups.

A deal reportedly made by the United Kingdom to send some migrants for processing and relocation to the Central African nation of Rwanda, are at odds with States’ responsibility to take care of those in need of protection, the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, said on Thursday.

The number of hungry people in the Sahel and West Africa has quadrupled over the last three years, currently reaching 41 million, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) reported on Friday.

Around three per cent of Costa Rica’s population is now made up of Nicaraguan refugees and asylum seekers, the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, said on Friday.

One year after brutal attacks by suspected Al Shabab militants began in northern Mozambique, thousands continue to flee ongoing violence in Cabo Delgado province, the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, said on Tuesday.

Over the past two weeks, at least 70 migrants have gone missing at sea and are presumed dead off the coast of Libya, the UN migration agency said on Thursday.

The UN’s top rights official  urged the United Kingdom on Friday to reconsider proposed changes to its border policy, warning that suggested reforms would criminalize vulnerable people for entering the country irregularly. 

UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi urged on Monday for greater protection for refugees and asylum-seekers in Europe.  

Migration is a “a defining feature of humanity and our world”, the UN chief told the General Assembly on Wednesday, launching his second report on the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration.