Tag Archives: migration

From Cape Town to London, Deo Kato runs to challenge racism and reclaim the migration narrative

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The 8,262-mile journey took him through 21 countries, transforming an extraordinary physical feat into a powerful act of activism, aimed at confronting racism and reshaping how migration is understood.

Born in Uganda and raised in the United Kingdom, Deo first took up running to manage his health. Over time, that personal discipline grew into a journey of purpose, connecting endurance with identity, protest and hope.

Turning point

In 2020, a moment of global reckoning around racial injustice – the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis – became a turning point for Deo. He realised his running could serve a purpose beyond endurance.

 “I thought, ‘I have to do something about this. Whether it’s small or big, I want to use my running to create change and speak out against racial injustice,’” he explained. 

That conviction led him to run ten kilometres every day for 381 days, marking each day of the Montgomery Bus Boycott, a pivotal moment in the United States civil rights movement. 

He told himself, “I’m going to keep doing this for as long as I can because this is how change happens.”

Day after day, Deo pushed forward, turning physical endurance into a form of activism aimed at confronting racism and amplifying conversations around migration and justice.

Retracing migration routes 

From this commitment, Deo set out to run from Cape Town to London, symbolically retracing humanity’s earliest migration routes from Africa.

The road ahead was long and arduous. Scaling mountains, crossing deserts, and running through wildlife reserves, Deo moved through landscapes that constantly shifted around him. 

“It feels incredible just to be moving. Then, suddenly, I see elephants and children start running beside me,” he shared. 

Barriers and restrictions

Along the way, Deo witnessed how complex and restrictive migration can be, particularly for people displaced by climate impacts, economic pressure, or conflict. 

He saw how limited regular pathways and movement restrictions leave many people effectively unable to move within their own regions, trapping them in unsafe or uncertain situations and cutting off routes to safety.

“Some people end up detained simply for trying to flee conflict or because they are seen as outsiders. Even when they have the correct paperwork, they can still be held.”

The further I travelled along the migration route, the more I was viewed as an irregular migrant.

Deo himself faced similar barriers. At one point, he was detained despite having the correct documents. In other areas, he was forced to reroute his journey because of conflict or restricted access. 

As he travelled north towards Europe, the scrutiny intensified. 

“The further I travelled along the migration route, the more I was viewed as an irregular migrant. People would call the police simply because they saw someone they thought didn’t belong passing through their area,” he explained. 

Crossing some of the world’s most spectacular and unforgiving terrain, Deo experienced Africa on foot, where nature and movement shaped every mile of his journey.

Community support 

Despite the challenges, Deo’s journey was sustained by community support. Along the way, local runners, strangers, and online supporters joined him. Those moments of shared effort and solidarity kept him going. 

“Without that community support, I would not have succeeded on this journey. It’s what truly gave it meaning,” he said. 

His journey was never about endurance alone. It was about reclaiming the story of migration – a story rooted in resilience, human progress, and development. 

“People move for so many reasons, and each journey tells a human story,” Deo emphasised. 

Looking ahead, he plans to keep using his platform as a form of activism, continuing to speak about migration, belonging, and shared humanity. As he puts it, “Don’t limit yourself. Believe in your power to create change.”

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World News in Brief: Iran in the Human Rights Council, Myanmar election ‘fraud’, migration chief in Cyprus, Mozambique flood update

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Addressing the Human Rights Council in Geneva, Mr. Türk said that although the “killing on the streets of Iran may have subsided…the brutality continues”.

He said that violent repression did not solve any of Iran’s problems but instead created conditions for further violations, instability and bloodshed.

“We have indications that the security forces made mass arrests in several cities, even pursuing injured people into hospitals, and detaining lawyers, human rights defenders, activists, and ordinary civilians,” he told diplomats.

Prosecutions ongoing

“The Tehran Prosecutor’s Office has reportedly opened criminal cases against athletes, actors, people involved in the movie industry, and the owners of cafes, on charges of supporting the protests,” Mr. Türk continued. 

Protests erupted across Iran on 28 December in response to the collapse of the national currency, soaring inflation and worsening living conditions.

Also speaking at the Council, former international prosecutor Payam Akhavan described how one protester pretended to be dead in a body-bag for three days until his parents found him. 

The civil society representative said that parents looking for their relatives usually started at hospitals, where “many of the wounded (protesters) have been abducted and killed”. 

Others have been forced to sign confessions which blame imaginary “terrorists” for the murder of their children, Mr. Akhavan maintained.

He cited a medical report circulating among Iranian doctors that 16,500 people had been killed during the demonstrations. “The number increases by the day, because the killings haven’t stopped,” he said.

Rejection of Myanmar military’s ‘fraudulent’ election must be unequivocal: UN independent expert

The international community must unequivocally reject as illegitimate the election results in Myanmar and any power arrangement that follows, said Tom Andrews, the Special Rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar on Friday.

The UN-appointed independent expert described the elections, which began in late December and are expected to be concluded this weekend, as ‘fraudulent’, urging countries not to accept the results. 

“The junta is banking on the world’s fatigue, hoping that the international community will accept military rule dressed up in civilian clothing,” he said. “Governments must not allow that to happen.”

‘Fear and coercion’

The junta’s election scheme was marked by violence, low turnout and widespread coercion, said Mr. Andrews.

Voters reported being monitored and pressured by local authorities, with threats explicit or implied. Junta officials were pushing citizens to polling stations even as military jets bombed villages throughout the country.

Mr. Andrews added that the junta banned credible opposition parties, jailed popular political figures and muzzled the press, “crushing fundamental freedoms, and using fear and coercion to drive a reluctant electorate to the polls.”

UN migration chief backs EU presidency efforts on migration

This week, the UN migration agency (IOM) Chief Amy Pope concluded a visit to Cyprus after a round of high-level talks, which focused on advancing a comprehensive migration and asylum agenda. 

“Cyprus knows what it means to be on the frontline – and that experience really matters right now,” said Ms Pope. “As the European Union (EU) moves from agreement to action, this is the moment to make sure policies really work – for migrants, for communities, and countries.

This trip marks the IOM Chief’s first visit to Cyprus in her current role, as Cyprus assumes the EU Council Presidency and the EU begins implementing the landmark Migration and Asylum Pact.

Humane returns 

With persistent instability Afghanistan, Syria, Sudan and the Sahel, Ms Pope reaffirmed IOM’s support and engagement with the EU to ensure refugee returns are humane and dignified. 

During her visit, she underscored the urgent need to address conditions along key migration routes, with IOM emphasising efforts to curb irregular migration, disrupt smuggling networks, meet humanitarian needs, and save lives.

Ms Pope also called for stronger migration data systems and evidence-based policymaking.

Nearly 600,000 people upended by Mozambique floods

Nearly 600,000 people have been affected by severe flooding across southern and central Mozambique. Weeks of heavy and sustained rainfall have caused homes to collapse and roads to wash away, displacing more than 73,000 people, according to figures from the IOM. 

Flooding has been reported in 10 of Mozambique’s 11 provinces, with Gaza Province “hosting significant concentrations of displaced people”. Humanitarian response partners expect reported figures to rise as access to affected communities improves.

IOM teams there have described acute shortages of shelter, constraints on food and basic services, overcrowded centres, and limited access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene – increasing the risk of waterborne diseases spreading.

Preliminary reports from the International Red Cross (IFRC) indicated between 50 and 60 deaths, a figure likely to rise as waters levels recede. 

Response ahead of cyclone season 

Following a Government request for international support on 16 January including air assets for search and rescue efforts, the IOM plans to appeal for up to $20 million to reinforce life-saving assistance and strengthen water, sanitation and hygiene. 

With this being only the start of the cyclone season and dams at near capacity, representatives from the IFRC have underscored the need for investment in early warning systems, climate‑resilient infrastructure, and locally led preparedness. 

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Iraq unveils historic migration plan to boost development and stability

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Unveiled on Wednesday, it creates new opportunities for work, education and family reunification, while strengthening migration governance and placing migration at the heart of stability and economic development.

It is being led by Iraq’s ministry for migration and the displaced, with the support of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Government of the Netherlands – translating Iraq’s global commitments into national action.

Migration minister Evan Faeq Gabro said that it represents a “vision for Iraq’s future that upholds human dignity”, serves national interests, and supports the Global Compact for Migration.

“Iraq is setting an example for the region and beyond, showing how national leadership and genuine partnership can turn migration into an engine for dignity, opportunity, and development,” said Ugochi Daniels, IOM’s  Deputy Director General for Operations.

Origin and destination

Iraq is both a country of origin and destination, with some two million nationals currently living abroad, while thousands more are weighing emigration.

In the past seven years, over 58,000 people have returned to Iraq, rebuilding their lives at home.

Meanwhile, the country also hosts some 370,000 migrant workers, mainly engaged in semi-skilled sectors such as construction and domestic work.

Iraq’s five-year National Plan to Promote Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration emphasises data-driven decision-making, stronger institutional coordination and calls for closer private sector involvement.

Stability and development

“This national plan demonstrates that when policies are grounded in evidence and shaped by people’s needs, migration can benefit migrants, communities, and the country as a whole,” said Ms Daniels.

Th new policy responds to Iraq’s current migration realities, framing migration as a tool for national development and stability, says IOM.

“Today, we are here to commit ourselves to ensuring that migration is about dignity, safety, and opportunity for migrants, their families, and the communities they join,” said Claudio Cordone, UN Deputy Special Representative in Iraq.

The plan outlines a vision for a future that upholds human dignity and serves the national interest.

World News in Brief: Global growth slows, deadly Ukraine attacks, Haiti hurricane hunger risk, legal migration for refugees

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Growth is projected to weaken to 2.3 per cent, or nearly half a percentage point lower than expected at the start of the year, according to the Global Economic Prospects report.

“The global outlook is predicated on tariff rates close to those of late May prevailing,” it said.

“Accordingly, pauses to previously announced tariff hikes between the United States and its trading partners are assumed to persist.”

Although a global recession is not expected, average global growth is on track to be the slowest of any decade since the 1960s.

Poor countries suffer

Growth forecasts are being slashed in nearly 70 per cent of all economies, with the poorest countries most affected.

In most developing countries, nearly 60 per cent, growth should average 3.8 per cent in 2025 before reaching an average 3.9 per cent in the following two years – more than a percentage lower than the average in the 2010s.

The slowdown will impact efforts by developing countries in areas such as job creation, poverty reduction and closing income gaps with richer economies.

“The world economy today is once more running into turbulence. Without a swift course correction, the harm to living standards could be deep,” said Indermit Gill, Senior Vice President and Chief Economist.

The report calls for rebuilding trade relations as “economic cooperation is better than any of the alternatives – for all parties,” he said.

Countries are also urged to improve business climates and to promote employment by ensuring workers are equipped with necessary skills.

At least three dead in new Russian drone assault on Ukrainian cities 

A massive new wave of Russian drone attacks has killed at least three civilians and left Kyiv, Odesa and Zaporizhzhia engulfed in clouds of thick smoke, aid teams said on Tuesday. 

The attack was reportedly one of the largest since Russia’s full-scale invasion more than three years ago.

In an online update, the UN aid coordinating office, OCHA, said that a maternity ward in Odesa had come under fire, causing injuries and widespread damage to homes. 

Another terrible night

The UN Children’s Fund, UNICEF, underscored the impact of the violence on civilians, citing 16-year-old Sonya from Kyiv in an online post. “It was a terrible night,” she said. “The sounds were so frightening – a buzzing sound that was getting closer and explosions every five minutes.”

Russia has intensified its airstrikes on Ukraine in recent days. 

According to Moscow, it stepped up its bombing campaign in retaliation for Ukraine’s suprise drone attacks deep inside Russian territory last week codenamed operation spiderweb.

Amid the ongoing conflict, UN humanitarian teams and partners continue to work to help civilians in cities across Ukraine.

They provide first aid, protection services, food, construction materials and other support including counselling and legal advice.

Haiti: Hurricane season is here, but there are no food supplies

The World Food Programme (WFP) has reported that for the first time ever, it has no prepositioned food supplies in Haiti for the hurricane season, which lasts from June to November. 

WFP also said staffers do not have the financial resources to respond quickly to an emergency weather event in the country. 

Other UN agencies have prepositioned water and sanitation kits for 100,000 and health supplies for 20,000 people. However, these are not sufficient, especially in the absence of food, to meet needs during an emergency. 

“The current lack of contingency stocks and operational funds leaves Haiti’s most at-risk communities dangerously unprotected at a time of heightened vulnerability,” Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq said in a briefing Tuesday. 

Famine-like conditions

Food insecurity and malnutrition are already rampant, with over half the population facing acute hunger. Haiti is one of five countries worldwide which is experiencing famine-like conditions. 

Continuing armed violence by gangs in the capital and in other regions has displaced over one million people, compounding the hunger crisis and limiting access to other basic services such as clean water and health care. 

UN agencies in the country estimate that they will need $908 million to continue providing life-saving resources in Haiti, but currently, they have only received $78 million in emergency support. 

Refugees find hope through legal migration

Nearly one million refugees from eight countries with high asylum recognition rates were granted entry permits to 38 destination countries between 2019 and 2023, according to a new report from UN refugee agency, UNHCR, and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Safe Pathways for Refugees. 

These permits were issued through existing systems for work, study, or family reunification.

“Refugees are using the same legal channels that millions rely on every day,” said Ruven Menikdiwela, UNHCR’s Assistant High Commissioner for Protection. 

“We don’t need new systems – just safer access to the ones already in place.”

In 2023 alone, nearly 255,000 permits were issued, marking a 14 per cent increase from 2022 and the highest number recorded since tracking began in 2010. 

Countries such as Germany, Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom and Sweden have played a leading role. 

UNHCR is urging States to remove obstacles for refugees and integrate them into regular migration systems. It also calls for stronger partnerships to expand access to legal pathways amid growing displacement and strained asylum systems. 

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Sanctions relief for Syria offers ‘powerful message of hope,’ says UN migration agency

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After more than a decade of conflict and severe economic stagnation, lifting the punitive measures will encourage long-term recovery and peacebuilding in Syria, Amy Pope, IOM Director-General, said in a statement.

“The lifting of sanctions sends a powerful message of hope to millions of displaced Syrians, both within the country and across the region,” she said.

$800 billion lost

UN estimates suggest that the Syrian economy lost over $800 billion during the 14-year civil war. 

According to a UN Development Programme (UNDP) report, if the current annual growth rate continues, Syria’s economy will not return to its pre-conflict gross domestic product (GDP) levels until 2080.

The sanctions relief from the US, UK and EU – covering around $15 billion in restricted assets and trade measures – could unlock important investment opportunities for rebuilding key infrastructure, IOM said.

Most of these sanctions were originally imposed during the Assad era and have long been blamed for Syria’s hindering economic recovery.

Alongside the sanctions relief, Saudi Arabia and Qatar pledged to pay $15.5 million of Syria’s arrears to the World Bank. Together with Türkiye, they also offered to fund public salaries and support energy infrastructure.

These changes reflect “momentum from re-engagement and reconstruction,” IOM added.

A country torn apart

The Syrian conflict, which began March 2011 after pro-democracy protests against Bashar Al-Assad, lasted almost 14 years. During this time, tens of thousands of Syrians were killed and countless more disappeared. The fighting and insecurity also displaced more than 10 million civilians – within the country or as refugees outside its borders.

Poverty rates tripled, affecting 90 per cent of the population, with 66 per cent living in extreme poverty.

Since the end of the war in December 2024 with the overthrow of the Assad regime, half a million Syrian refugees have returned. A further 1.5 million internally displaced persons (IPDs) have also returned to their places of origin.

They returned home amidst great hope for the future of Syria, but also severe economic projections.

“Hope must be matched with concrete support,” Director General Pope said. “Syrians need not just the ability to return but the means to rebuild their lives in safety and dignity.”

Moving from relief to resilience

The UN estimates that over 16.5 million Syrians – roughly 70 per cent of the population – continue to require humanitarian assistance.

But funding shortfalls have complicated aid efforts. Already in the last week of May, only 10 per cent of the estimated $2 billion needed between January and June to assist eight million Syrians has been received.

Ms. Pope noted that it is important for the Syrian people and economy to begin moving towards longer-term solutions outside of humanitarian aid.

“While humanitarian assistance remains critical, IOM urges donors and development partners to expand their focus to medium- and long-term recovery. A transition from relief to resilience is not only necessary – it is urgent,” she said. 

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UN migration agency helping migrants in the US return home voluntarily

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In a statement on Monday, the UN agency said it is supporting Assisted Voluntary Return (AVR) – not deportation – for those who decide to leave the US.

At the request of the US Government, IOM is helping people who register to go back to their countries of origin voluntarily.

“AVR is a well-established, rights-based approach that helps migrants navigate complex global migration systems, regain control over their lives, and make informed choices,” the agency said.

Safe, dignified returns

“Our role is to ensure that those who lack the means to return on their own can do so in a safe, dignified, and informed way,” IOM added.

The agency made it clear that the US determines its own policies on migration. “IOM does not facilitate or implement deportations. Our involvement begins only after an individual gives informed consent to receive assistance.”

In these instances, “IOM ensures that people have access to accurate information and essential services, in line with international standards.”

The announcement comes as the US seeks to expand deportation of undocumented migrants in continuation of a policy President Donald Trump began nearly 10 years ago under his first administration.

He returned to office in January for a second term and has been cracking down on illegal immigration through raids, detentions and deportations. 

In a video posted to social media on Friday, President Trump said that he had signed an Executive Order “to launch the first-ever self-deportation programme for illegal aliens,” offering free flights from the US and payment of an “exit bonus.”

Support for a life-changing decision

IOM was established in 1951 and promotes humane and orderly migration.

For decades the agency has supported AVR programmes in more than 100 countries, “helping people without resources, legal options, or support return to their countries of origin safely and with dignity,” it said.

IOM noted that in the US, “many migrants face a challenging reality – navigating complex systems with limited options and resources,” and “this initiative provides support to those who choose to return, helping them make a life-changing decision with care and clarity.” 

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China archeo-tools suggest Man left Africa earlier than previously thought

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Ancient tools and bones discovered in Shangchen in the southern Chinese Loess Plateau by archaeologists suggest early humans left Africa and arrived in Asia earlier than previously thought.

The artefacts show that our earliest human ancestors colonised East Asia over two million years ago. They were found by a Chinese team that was led by Professor Zhaoyu Zhu of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and included Professor Robin Dennell of Exeter University.

The tools were discovered at a locality called Shangchen in the southern Chinese Loess Plateau. The oldest are ca. 2.12 million years old, and are c. 270,000 years older than the 1.85 million year old skeletal remains and stone tools from Dmanisi, Georgia, which were previously the earliest evidence of humanity outside Africa.

The artefacts include a notch, scrapers, cobble, hammer stones and pointed pieces. All show signs of use – the stone had been intentionally flaked. Most were made of quartzite and quartz that probably came from the foothills of the Qinling Mountains 5 to 10 km to the south of the site, and the streams flowing from them. Fragments of animal bones 2.12 million years old were also found.

The Chinese Loess Plateau covers about 270,000 square kilometres, and during the past 2.6m years between 100 and 300m of wind-blown dust – known as loess – has been deposited in the area.  “Our discovery means it is necessary now to reconsider the timing of when early humans left Africa,” said Professor Dennell.

The 80 stone artefacts were found predominantly in 11 different layers of fossil soils which developed in a warm and wet climate. A further 16 items were found in six layers of loess that developed under colder and drier conditions. These 17 different layers of loess and fossil soils were formed during a period spanning almost a million years. This shows that early types of humans occupied the Chinese Loess Plateau under different climatic conditions between 1.2 and 2.12 million years ago.

The layers containing these stone tools were dated by linking the magnetic properties of the layers to known and dated changes in the earth’s magnetic field.

 

Choice Based Credit System Not to Hamper Academic Liberty, Clarifies UGC

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The UGC has clarified that the introduction of Choice Based Credit System will not in any way hamper the academic liberal environment of the universities, despite rumblings from several institutions and universities in the country.
The University Grants Commission (UGC) has been trying to introduce the Choice Based Credit System (CBCS) for quite some time and guidelines have been framed for its effective implementation, which were uploaded in the month of November, 2014. The guidelines per se provide a template to the universities to design the CBCS according to their strength while keeping the overall uniformity among the universities, said the UGC.

The UGC said to keep fairness in assessment and evaluation, it has also given template of procedures to be followed so that the standards of education are equally maintained. Numerous communications have been sent to the Vice-Chancellors (VCs) of all Universities for effective implementation of the system, said UGC refuting allegations made by some varsities on the issue.

Eight Workshops have been held all over India in which VCs of all Central, State and Private Universities participated and the Vice-Chancellors of Central Universities, in the Conference held in February 2015, have given their commitment to the Visitor to implement the same from the academic year 2015-16, said the statement.
This system is already in vogue in some private universities and the new endeavour will bring State Universities and Central Universities at par with international standards so that the pass outs of these universities are not at any disadvantage in comparison to the private universities. It may be noted that none of the Indian universities rank within 100 in Times Higher Education Ranks in the world.

To handhold the Universities, UGCsaid it has embarked on an extensive exercise of designing curricula for undergraduate course which would assimilate with the provisions of CBCS. The syllabi by the experts have been put in the public domain for feedback and for subsequent modification before they are finalised.

The syllabi, once finalised, will give leverage to the universities to modify the same to the extent of 30%, which will be enhanced from 20% after feedback,  depending upon their areas of specialisation.
The UGC has clarified that this is not deviation from the earlier practice where inter-university migration required a minimum 70% equivalency as such implying that the syllabi all over India in undergraduate level are similar to the extent of 70%.
Under the CBCS system the elective subjects so offered will only be from the subjects which are available in the Universities or Institutes and it will not add the teaching load of the teachers beyond the norms stipulated by UGC.

Also there will be no inter-institute/inter-college migration or transfer of teachers and the UGC said it will not suppress the academic liberal environment of the university as nothing contrary has been suggested in the template of the syllabi so designed by the experts.