News Highlights: UNHCR concern over ‘scattered’ refugees in Tigray, 1000 refugees returned to Libya, EU visa restrictions proposed over returns

In this week’s news highlights: UNHCR confirms destruction of refugee camps in Ethiopia; Reports of forced displacement of Tigrayans in western Tigray region by Amhara troops; Report of meeting between Eritrean and Ethiopian senior officials and foreign experts in Tigray; Kenya aims to close two refugee camps housing Somali refugees; Joint EU-IOM plan for returning migrants from Libya to Horn of Africa and other countries; IOM appeals for $99 million for migrants stranded in Yemen; Around 1000 migrants intercepted and forced to return to Libya; Spanish NGO rescues more than 200 migrants and refugees at sea; IOM report on high number of deaths at sea; EU to consider visa restrictions for 13 African and Middle East countries; EU Commissioner calls on Greece to investigate allegations of illegal pushbacks; Drones used for surveillance on migrants and refugees at EU external borders; Angela Merkel approves the EU-Turkey deal on migration; and IOM analysis on benefits of migration on communities.

News Highlights: UN and EHRC agree on joint war crime probe in Tigray, EU proposes visa pressure to force returns to Africa 

In this week’s news highlights: UN agrees to joint probe on possible war crimes in Tigray with Ethiopian Human Rights Commission; NRC says situation in Sheraro “beyond dire”; Funding needed to tackle humanitarian crisis in South Sudan; Intentional attacks on health facilities in Tigray;  Returns of stranded Ethiopians from Yemen resume; Police raid migrant and refugee camp in Melilla; EU considering rejecting visas to African countries not cooperating with returns; EU-Turkey migration deal should not be used as “blueprint”, says Amnesty International; EU’s Frontex Agency under investigation by Parliament and OLAF for possible violation of human rights and misconduct; UK criticised for spending on  “unnecessary” anti-migrants policies; UK plans to process asylum seekers abroad; Father on trial for his son’s death while crossing the Aegean; Women refugees marginalized in humanitarian system.

News Highlights: Report on massacre in Aksum by Amnesty, EU Envoy warns Tigray situation “out of control”, Illegal pushback in the Aegean

In this week’s news highlights: Amnesty International reports on massacre in Aksum; EU Special Envoy warns situation in Tigray is out of control, urges for mandate to negotiate humanitarian access; Witness report on events in Shimelba refugee camp; Refugees from Benishangul-Gumuz flee to Sudan; Tigrayan peacekeepers in South Sudan fear ethnic targeting; Migration from the HoA to Gulf countries down 73%; Human traffickers arrested in Kufra; Press remarks from the EU High Representative on the situation in Ethiopia; At least 41 deaths in a shipwreck, while 45 others rescued in Central Mediterranean; Illegal pushbacks from Greek island reported; Scrutiny over private contractor hotels hosting asylum seekers in the UK; MSF calls to ensure vaccinations for undocumented migrants in EU; New UN Network centre on migration in Turkey; Open letter to G20 for financial support to developing countries amidst COVID-19.

For frequent updates about the situation in the Horn, please see the EEPA Horn situation reports.