insert_link World We polled EU citizens on what they want asylum policy to look like – their answers may surprise you Asylum seekers arriving on the Greek island Lesvos in 2015. Nicolas Economou/Shutterstock By Natalia Letki, University of Warsaw; Dawid Walentek, Ghent University; Peter Thisted Dinesen, University of Copenhagen, and Ulf Liebe, University of Warwick The issues of migration and asylum are contentious in Europe, and have caused deep rifts among EU member states for years. These topics are fully on the agenda for the 2024 EU elections. […] todayJune 6, 2024 11
insert_link Africa Young middle-class Nigerians are desperate to leave the country: insights into why By Jing Jing Liu, MacEwan University Since the 1980s, migration has been a part of the Nigerian middle-class psyche, catalysed by the usual suspects: high unemployment, security concerns, infrastructure gaps, and poor governance. Migrants tends to be middle-class since one needs resources to migrate. For many young Nigerians, the bloodshed that ended the 2020 #EndSARS protests against police brutality proved to be a decisive factor. Their desire […] todayApril 30, 2024 3
insert_link World Five people die attempting to cross the English Channel United Kingdom Rishi Sunak's Rwanda bill will finally become law after a parliamentary showdown ended late in the night. According to the BBC, plans to send some asylum seekers to Africa have met with fierce criticism, but the bill passed on Monday when the Lords dropped their opposition. Sunak said in a statement "Nothing will stand in our way" now of getting flights off the ground". Meanwhile, French authorities say […] todayApril 23, 2024 11
insert_link World Africa is full of bats, but their fossils are scarce – why these rare records matter By Mariëtte Pretorius, University of the Witwatersrand Africa is home to more than 20% of the world’s bat population. There are over 200 species to be found on the continent. South Africa is particularly diverse, with 72 bat species. I am a zoologist who has studied bats for many years. Recently, while doing some reading about South Africa’s fossils, I started wondering about bat fossils. Given […] todayApril 18, 2024 12
insert_link Africa Africa’s wildebeest: those that can’t migrate are becoming genetically weaker – new study By Joseph Ogutu, University of Hohenheim Wildebeest – large African antelopes with distinctively curved horns – are famous for their great migrations on the grasslands of eastern and southern Africa. One hundred and fifty years ago, they migrated in huge numbers across the continent, in search of grazing and water and to find suitable areas for calving. Migration is crucial to sustain their large populations. But their […] todayApril 15, 2024 28
insert_link Environment Venomous snakes could start migrating in large numbers if we hit 5ºC warming By Pablo Ariel Martinez, Universidade Federal de Sergipe A global group of scientists has predicted that climate change may cause dramatic movements in venomous snake populations across many countries in Africa. The scientists took into account climate change predictions about changes to the current habitats of 209 venomous snakes, and mapped where those environments were found elsewhere. Based on this, they predict that snakes were likely to migrate […] todayMarch 28, 2024 35
insert_link World UN migration chief warns about populist electioneering With 2024 set to see more elections worldwide than any previous year, Amy Pope, who last year became the first woman to head the UN's International Organization for Migration, says increasing anti-migrant rhetoric from politicians seeking to score points is harming societies. Pointing out that the fear-mongering is rarely rooted in what is happening on the ground, Pope told the AFP news agency that some countries where anti-migrant rhetoric is […] todayMarch 22, 2024 3
insert_link World IOM’s Missing Migrants Project registers highest death count in 2023 At least 8,565 people died on migration routes worldwide in 2023, making it the deadliest year on record, according to data collected by IOM’s Missing Migrants Project. The 2023 death toll represents a tragic increase of 20 percent compared to 2022, highlighting the urgent need for action to prevent further loss of life. todayMarch 7, 2024 12
insert_link Africa My parents are from two different African countries: study shows how this shapes identity More than a third of migration in sub-Saharan Africa happens within the continent. This mixing of people means that some children have parents of different national origins. Yet not enough is known about the lives of these children: how they form their identity and what impact migration has on them. The majority of research on second generation African immigrants focuses on understanding their experiences in the global north. Our research […] todayMarch 3, 2024 7
Paying it forward: Kenyan coastal doctor Bashrahil Mohammed Mafudh has made it his life’s work to care for the most vulnerable in his community, at no cost.