News Highlights: Experts call for de-escalation of Tigray conflict, Nearly 1,000 refugees returned to Libya, UN calls for new resettlement system in the UK

In this week’s news highlights: Experts call for de-escalation of violence in Ethiopia as military offense starts against Tigray; 54 Amhara people killed in Oromia region of Ethiopia; Renewed relations between Sudan and Israel leaves refugees in fear of deportation; Increase in COVID-19 cases in the East and Horn of Africa; 1,000 refugees returned by Libyan coastguards within days; Statistical analysis on migrant vulnerability on the move in Libya; UN calls for new resettlement system in the UK after tragic family death; Two smugglers taken into custody for piloting boats across the Channel; 1,600 refugees arrive in Lampedusa and 300 await to disembark; Fires burn down tents in refugee centre on the island of Samos; Dutch Government leads a project for digital transition in Africa; Second COVID-19 wave puts women, children, and migrants in danger of human trafficking; 10 countries that receive the most refugees.

Ratio of deaths in the Mediterranean Sea increases as new discussions on migration policies unfold in the EU

News about shipwrecks, returns or disembarkation of boats carrying migrants and refugees across the Mediterranean Sea is reported at least weekly, but more often daily, in international newspapers. This often includes loss of life, adding up to hundreds of people every year. The constant flow of information can numb one to the sheer frequency and numbers of deaths and missing people at sea. In the wake of the new Migration Pact proposed by the European Commission, experts warn that some EU policies may increase the risk for migrants and refugees.

News Highlights: ‘Al-Bidja’ arrested in Libya on charges of trafficking, RSF starts case against Eritrean authorities, Minors in UK held in unfit detention for days

In this week’s news highlights: Eritrea’s President accused of crimes against humanity in case launched by RSF; 12 migrants found dead along Djibouti coast; UK Africa Minister worries about human rights violations in Eritrea; Eritrean refugees cross the Ethiopian border; “Al-Bidja” arrested in Libya accused of trafficking and smuggling; UNHCR restarts refugee evacuation flights from Libya; New documentary depicts difficult lives of migrants and transporters in Agadez; 15 migrants drown off Libyan coast; Croatian police accused of violence towards asylum seekers; Refugee children forced to wait long for accommodation in the UK; Greece finalises planning to build a new wall against migrants at Turkish border; Young victims of child trafficking risk of deportation when turning 18 in the UK; “Welcome event” for asylum seekers in Kent (UK); COVID-19 causes decrease in remittances in 2020; And joint statement on the new EU Pact on Migration and Asylum.