Lithuania on Wednesday adopted a law that restricts migrants rights and speeds up asylum claims, following a spike in arrivals from Africa and the Middle East via Belarus.

President Gitanas Nauseda signed off on the legislation but called it "flawed" and asked for parliament to amend it later this year.

Nauseda said that vetoing the law altogether would have sent a "completely unacceptable signal to the countries of origin".

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The law allows for migrants to be detained for up to six months and makes it harder for them to appeal against asylum rejections.

"Today we have the law which violates fundamental principles of human rights and humanity," Akvile Krisciunaite, a researcher at Diversity Development Group, told AFP.

"Human rights are the same for everyone, whether we are talking about migrants or Lithuanian citizens."

The government has said the law will allow asylum claims to be processed in 10 days in order to swiftly separate genuine refugees from economic migrants.

Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis visited Iraq last week to persuade the country to establish an effective readmission policy, but he said Baghdad was "cautious" about the matter.

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The Baltic EU member state has seen more than 2,200 arrivals since the start of the year across the border from Belarus.

Lithuanian officials suspect that the influx is being orchestrated by the Russia-backed Belarusian regime as a form of retaliation against EU sanctions, calling it "hybrid aggression".

Lithuania on Wednesday adopted a law that restricts migrants rights and speeds up asylum claims, following a spike in arrivals from Africa and the Middle East via Belarus.

Lithuania on Wednesday adopted a law that restricts migrants rights and speeds up asylum claims, following a spike in arrivals from Africa and the Middle East via Belarus. President Gitanas Nauseda signed off on the legislation but called it "flawed" and asked for parliament to amend it later this year. Nauseda said that vetoing the law altogether would have sent a "completely unacceptable signal to the countries of origin". The law allows for migrants to be detained for up to six months and makes it harder for them to appeal against asylum rejections. "Today we have the law which violates fundamental principles of human rights and humanity," Akvile Krisciunaite, a researcher at Diversity Development Group, told AFP. "Human rights are the same for everyone, whether we are talking about migrants or Lithuanian citizens." The government has said the law will allow asylum claims to be processed in 10 days in order to swiftly separate genuine refugees from economic migrants. Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis visited Iraq last week to persuade the country to establish an effective readmission policy, but he said Baghdad was "cautious" about the matter. The Baltic EU member state has seen more than 2,200 arrivals since the start of the year across the border from Belarus. Lithuanian officials suspect that the influx is being orchestrated by the Russia-backed Belarusian regime as a form of retaliation against EU sanctions, calling it "hybrid aggression".

Lithuania adopts law restricting migrant rights

Lithuania has accused Belarus of using refugees and illegal migrants as a 'political weapon' to put pressure on the European Union because of the bloc's sanctions on Minsk.

Lithuania accused Belarus of using refugees and illegal migrants as 'political weapon'

The migrant rescue ship Ocean Viking has rescued 203 people, including 67 minors, in recent days, its owner SOS Mediterranee said Sunday.

The migrants came from Egypt, Gambia, Libya, South Sudan, Syria and Tunisia, the non-governmental organisation said in comments posted on Twitter.

They were rescued in four separate operations since Thursday.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/rest-of-collapsed-florida-apartment-demolished-ahead-of-tropical-storm-395845">Also read |&nbsp;Rest of collapsed Florida apartment demolished ahead of tropical storm&nbsp;</a>

In once rescue in the waters around Malta on Sunday, Ocean Viking picked up 71 migrants who were in an overloaded wooden boat that had embarked from Libya three days earlier, SOS Mediterranee said.

They had used up reserves of food and water and four people "had to be evacuated on stretchers", the group added.

Since the start of the year, 886 migrants have died in the Mediterranean while trying to reach Europe, according to figures compiled by the International Organisation for Migration.

SOS Mediterranee says it has rescued more than 30,000 people since February 2016.&nbsp;

The migrant rescue ship Ocean Viking has rescued 203 people, including 67 minors, in recent days, its owner SOS Mediterranee said Sunday. The migrants came from Egypt, Gambia, Libya, South Sudan, Syria and Tunisia, the non-governmental organisation said in comments posted on Twitter.

The migrant rescue ship Ocean Viking has rescued 203 people, including 67 minors, in recent days, its owner SOS Mediterranee said Sunday. The migrants came from Egypt, Gambia, Libya, South Sudan, Syria and Tunisia, the non-governmental organisation said in comments posted on Twitter. They were rescued in four separate operations since Thursday. Also read | Rest of collapsed Florida apartment demolished ahead of tropical storm In once rescue in the waters around Malta on Sunday, Ocean Viking picked up 71 migrants who were in an overloaded wooden boat that had embarked from Libya three days earlier, SOS Mediterranee said. They had used up reserves of food and water and four people "had to be evacuated on stretchers", the group added. Since the start of the year, 886 migrants have died in the Mediterranean while trying to reach Europe, according to figures compiled by the International Organisation for Migration. SOS Mediterranee says it has rescued more than 30,000 people since February 2016.

Rescue ship picks up over 200 migrants in Mediterranean

French police on Friday herded migrants on buses and cleared central Paris. The migrants had been protesting lack of accomodation and had even pitched tents in front of the Paris City Hall.

As the police cleared the crowd, there was no incident. Yann Manzi co-founder of the group Utopia 56 which organised the action, said they would come back if no viable solution is found

"All the persons evacuated stay in touch with us and if they are put back in the street, we'll start again with our actions", Manzi said.

Last year, a similar operation was organised on the Paris City Hall forecourt.

"We have way too many requests which means our accommodation network is saturated ... So we had no choice but to organise a "visibilation" action", Kerill Theurillat, a local leader of Utopia 56 told Reuters before the police cleared the protesters.

Around 200 tents, mainly red, had been set up Thursday, sheltering 300 people, including children, from sub-Saharan Africa.

"I'm living in the street, I have no home, my priority is to have a home and then to go to school", said Cisse Mohamed, an underage refugee sitting in of the tents.

Many refugees have moved to Paris since the closure of a huge migrant camp in Calais in 2016.

(With inputs from agencies)

French police on Friday herded migrants on buses and cleared central Paris. The migrants had been protesting lack of accomodation and had even pitched tents in front of the Paris City Hall.

French police on Friday herded migrants on buses and cleared central Paris. The migrants had been protesting lack of accomodation and had even pitched tents in front of the Paris City Hall. As the police cleared the crowd, there was no incident. Yann Manzi co-founder of the group Utopia 56 which organised the action, said they would come back if no viable solution is found "All the persons evacuated stay in touch with us and if they are put back in the street, we'll start again with our actions", Manzi said. Last year, a similar operation was organised on the Paris City Hall forecourt. "We have way too many requests which means our accommodation network is saturated ... So we had no choice but to organise a "visibilation" action", Kerill Theurillat, a local leader of Utopia 56 told Reuters before the police cleared the protesters. Around 200 tents, mainly red, had been set up Thursday, sheltering 300 people, including children, from sub-Saharan Africa. "I'm living in the street, I have no home, my priority is to have a home and then to go to school", said Cisse Mohamed, an underage refugee sitting in of the tents. Many refugees have moved to Paris since the closure of a huge migrant camp in Calais in 2016. (With inputs from agencies)

Police clear hundreds of migrants protesting in central Paris

From old denim fabrics, Afghan refugee Bagher Husseini fashioned a pair of baggy jeans with fringed patches that he hopes will be paraded down a French catwalk later this year. He's involved in a collaboration between French fashion students and migrants from Afghanistan and the Middle East.

Refugees in Paris with an eye on fashion

Actress America Ferrera has spoken out against US Vice President Kamal Harris after she discouraged migrants from coming to the US.&nbsp; 
 
On her recent visit &nbsp;to Guatemala, told migrants looking to come to this country that they should not travel to the US Mexico border and claimed that they would be turned back if they did. 
 
"I want to emphasize that the goal of our work is to help Guatemalans find hope at home, at the same time I want to be clear to folks in this region who are thinking about making the dangerous trek to the United States-Mexico border -- do not come, do not come," she said. 
 
Shortly after the Vice President's speech, Ferrera appeared on 'The View' and criticised Harris' speech and also called out lack of Biden's administration's efforts at the US southern border.&nbsp; 
 
"Well, I had so many thoughts, but first and foremost, extreme disappointment and confusion at just how useless and futile and ineffective a strategy that is," Ferrera told host Joy Behar. 
 
"I know that Vice President Harris knows the stories too, but I have spent many years sitting in shelters, detention centers on this side of the border and on the other side of the border with, you know, Honduran families, Mexican families, Guatemalan families — hearing the stories of the violent and life-threatening circumstances they’re fleeing," Ferrara further added. The actress has been an active voice for the Latin migrants in the US and runs a company that "inspires, affirms, and informs Latinas."&nbsp; 
 
Ferrera compared Harris’ comments to telling a drowning person to "stop flailing for their life".&nbsp; 
 
"It’s not only incredibly ineffective, as she knows, it’s cruel," she continued. "That’s such a disappointment because — because Vice President Harris and President Biden promised compassion. They promised humanity. They promised that we were going to bring humanity back into our country’s governance and including in our immigration policy." 
 
The actress said, that Harris' comments to potential U.S. migrants is a "slap in the face" to those like her who campaigned for her and Biden in the 2020 presidential election.&nbsp; 
 
"Quite honestly, as somebody who campaigned for, rallied, and voted for Biden and Harris — it’s a slap in the face for all of the immigrant advocates who believed, you know, what they promised, which was change and compassion," she said. "So they know better and they should do better and I’m not under the impression, never was, that we were electing perfect people." 
&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Actress America Ferrera has spoken out against US Vice President Kamal Harris after she discouraged migrants from coming to the US. On her recent visit to Guatemala, told migrants looking to come to this country that they should not travel to the US Mexico border and claimed that they would be turned back if they did.

Actress America Ferrera has spoken out against US Vice President Kamal Harris after she discouraged migrants from coming to the US. On her recent visit to Guatemala, told migrants looking to come to this country that they should not travel to the US Mexico border and claimed that they would be turned back if they did. "I want to emphasize that the goal of our work is to help Guatemalans find hope at home, at the same time I want to be clear to folks in this region who are thinking about making the dangerous trek to the United States-Mexico border -- do not come, do not come," she said. Shortly after the Vice President's speech, Ferrera appeared on 'The View' and criticised Harris' speech and also called out lack of Biden's administration's efforts at the US southern border. "Well, I had so many thoughts, but first and foremost, extreme disappointment and confusion at just how useless and futile and ineffective a strategy that is," Ferrera told host Joy Behar. "I know that Vice President Harris knows the stories too, but I have spent many years sitting in shelters, detention centers on this side of the border and on the other side of the border with, you know, Honduran families, Mexican families, Guatemalan families — hearing the stories of the violent and life-threatening circumstances they’re fleeing," Ferrara further added. The actress has been an active voice for the Latin migrants in the US and runs a company that "inspires, affirms, and informs Latinas." Ferrera compared Harris’ comments to telling a drowning person to "stop flailing for their life". "It’s not only incredibly ineffective, as she knows, it’s cruel," she continued. "That’s such a disappointment because — because Vice President Harris and President Biden promised compassion. They promised humanity. They promised that we were going to bring humanity back into our country’s governance and including in our immigration policy." The actress said, that Harris' comments to potential U.S. migrants is a "slap in the face" to those like her who campaigned for her and Biden in the 2020 presidential election. "Quite honestly, as somebody who campaigned for, rallied, and voted for Biden and Harris — it’s a slap in the face for all of the immigrant advocates who believed, you know, what they promised, which was change and compassion," she said. "So they know better and they should do better and I’m not under the impression, never was, that we were electing perfect people."

America Ferrera calls out US Vice President Kamala Harris for her comments on migrants: 'They'd promised compassion and humanity'

Vice President Kamala Harris told&nbsp;Mexico's President Andrés Manuel onLópez Obrador on Tuesday that the United States and Mexico are 'embarking on a new era' during her first in-person meeting with the leader, as she seeks to foster greater cooperation with Mexico on immigration to the US.

Speaking at the start of their bilateral meeting at the Mexican national palace, Harris emphasised the longstanding 'interdependence and interconnection' of the two nations.

Joined by her top foreign policy aides for the region, the two leaders met for over an hour in an elegant conference room at the palace, seated across from each other under a grand crystal chandelier.

Just prior to the meeting, Harris and&nbsp;López Obrador&nbsp;watched as the Mexican foreign affairs secretary and the&nbsp;chargé d'affaires&nbsp;of the US Embassy in Mexico signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at greater cooperation between the two countries on development programmes in Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras.

Harris was slated to meet with female entrepreneurs and labor leaders in Mexico before heading back to Washington on Tuesday night. The visit to Mexico capped Harris' first foreign trip as vice president, a brief foray focused on dealing with the root causes of migration that brought her first to Guatemala on Monday.

While in Guatemala, she met President Alejandro Giammattei. To coincide with their meeting, the Biden administration announced a number of new commitments to combat trafficking, smuggling, and corruption, as well as investments in economic development in the country.

Her visit to Mexico didn't yield any clear and concrete agreements; instead she emphasised the importance of the relationship.

López Obrador&nbsp;remains a key but complicated ally in the Biden administration's efforts to curb the spike in migration at the US border.

While&nbsp;López Obrador&nbsp;committed in a previous virtual meeting with Harris that the US can 'count on us' to help address irregular migration, the Mexican president has in the past blamed President Joe Biden for the increase in migration at the border. And he was chummy with Biden's predecessor, Donald Trump, despite that president's hardline border policies.

(With inputs from agencies)

Vice President Kamala Harris told Mexico's President Andrés Manuel onLópez Obrador on Tuesday that the United States and Mexico are 'embarking on a new era' during her first in-person meeting with the leader, as she seeks to foster greater cooperation with Mexico on immigration to the US.

Vice President Kamala Harris told Mexico's President Andrés Manuel onLópez Obrador on Tuesday that the United States and Mexico are 'embarking on a new era' during her first in-person meeting with the leader, as she seeks to foster greater cooperation with Mexico on immigration to the US. Speaking at the start of their bilateral meeting at the Mexican national palace, Harris emphasised the longstanding 'interdependence and interconnection' of the two nations. Joined by her top foreign policy aides for the region, the two leaders met for over an hour in an elegant conference room at the palace, seated across from each other under a grand crystal chandelier. Just prior to the meeting, Harris and López Obrador watched as the Mexican foreign affairs secretary and the chargé d'affaires of the US Embassy in Mexico signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at greater cooperation between the two countries on development programmes in Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras. Harris was slated to meet with female entrepreneurs and labor leaders in Mexico before heading back to Washington on Tuesday night. The visit to Mexico capped Harris' first foreign trip as vice president, a brief foray focused on dealing with the root causes of migration that brought her first to Guatemala on Monday. While in Guatemala, she met President Alejandro Giammattei. To coincide with their meeting, the Biden administration announced a number of new commitments to combat trafficking, smuggling, and corruption, as well as investments in economic development in the country. Her visit to Mexico didn't yield any clear and concrete agreements; instead she emphasised the importance of the relationship. López Obrador remains a key but complicated ally in the Biden administration's efforts to curb the spike in migration at the US border. While López Obrador committed in a previous virtual meeting with Harris that the US can 'count on us' to help address irregular migration, the Mexican president has in the past blamed President Joe Biden for the increase in migration at the border. And he was chummy with Biden's predecessor, Donald Trump, despite that president's hardline border policies. (With inputs from agencies)

In Mexico, Harris defends against criticism over border

US&nbsp;Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged Central American governments to do more to help contain illegal immigration and voiced concerns about the health of local democracy and human rights during a visit to the region on Tuesday. 
 
Speaking at a joint news conference with Costa Rican President Carlos Alvarado, Blinken said the United States wanted to hear from its partners in the region about their shared commitment to managing migratory pressures. 
 
"Good governance is crucial for confronting the challenges and seizing the opportunities of this moment, and yet we meet at a moment when democracy and human rights are being undermined in many parts of the region," Blinken told reporters. 
 
Blinken cited erosion of judicial independence, crackdowns on independent media and NGOs, as well as the suppression of anti-corruption efforts to illustrate his point, noting that the United States had also suffered its own setbacks. 
 
US&nbsp;President Joe Biden has been under pressure to reduce a sharp increase in undocumented immigration at the US-Mexico border since taking office in January. 
 
Regional cooperation to address the issue was now more important than ever, said Blinken, who travelled to Costa Rica, to hold talks with leaders from Central America and Mexico. 
 
Many immigrants stopped at the US&nbsp;border are from three violent and impoverished Central American countries, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, which Washington has pledged aid in return for commitments to improve local governance. 
 
That drive has been clouded by concern about graft, cronyism, signs of authoritarianism and efforts to block the appointment of judges with track records of tackling corruption. 
 
The United States has promised to help poorer countries in the fight against COVID-19 with vaccines, and Blinken said the government would in the next week or so set out plans for how millions of doses would be distributed. 
 
(With inputs from agencies)

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged Central American governments to do more to help contain illegal immigration and voiced concerns about the health of local democracy and human rights during a visit to the region on Tuesday.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged Central American governments to do more to help contain illegal immigration and voiced concerns about the health of local democracy and human rights during a visit to the region on Tuesday. Speaking at a joint news conference with Costa Rican President Carlos Alvarado, Blinken said the United States wanted to hear from its partners in the region about their shared commitment to managing migratory pressures. "Good governance is crucial for confronting the challenges and seizing the opportunities of this moment, and yet we meet at a moment when democracy and human rights are being undermined in many parts of the region," Blinken told reporters. Blinken cited erosion of judicial independence, crackdowns on independent media and NGOs, as well as the suppression of anti-corruption efforts to illustrate his point, noting that the United States had also suffered its own setbacks. US President Joe Biden has been under pressure to reduce a sharp increase in undocumented immigration at the US-Mexico border since taking office in January. Regional cooperation to address the issue was now more important than ever, said Blinken, who travelled to Costa Rica, to hold talks with leaders from Central America and Mexico. Many immigrants stopped at the US border are from three violent and impoverished Central American countries, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, which Washington has pledged aid in return for commitments to improve local governance. That drive has been clouded by concern about graft, cronyism, signs of authoritarianism and efforts to block the appointment of judges with track records of tackling corruption. The United States has promised to help poorer countries in the fight against COVID-19 with vaccines, and Blinken said the government would in the next week or so set out plans for how millions of doses would be distributed. (With inputs from agencies)

Blinken asks Central America's help on migrants, flags democracy concerns

A 23-year-old woman was rescued after she got stranded atop a wall as she attempted to enter the United States.&nbsp;

The woman from Honduras climbed to the 18-feet-high wall in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, but was not able to get down to the US side of the border.&nbsp;

Watch |&nbsp;

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A pregnant woman got stuck while trying to jump the border fence between El Paso and Ciudad Juarez. CBP helped her down and was immediately expelled to Mexico under Title 42. <a href="https://t.co/HWGlaZ4jO9">pic.twitter.com/HWGlaZ4jO9</a>
— Luis Chaparro (@LuisKuryaki) <a href="https://twitter.com/LuisKuryaki/status/1397374702948163584?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 26, 2021</a></blockquote>
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A video released by the federal immigration protection agency showed a firefighter vehicle's ladder successfully able to reach to the top of the wall and rescue the woman.&nbsp;

The woman was taken to a hospital where it was found that she and her baby were in good health, Border Patrol officials said.&nbsp;

She was sent back to Mexico under Title 42 as she illegally entered the United States.&nbsp;

The rule came to force under the presidency of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a> in March 2020 which allowed US Customs and Border Protection to deport migrants found at the southwestern border due to the coronavirus pandemic without offering them a chance to seek asylum.&nbsp;

Also read | <a href="http://wionews.com/world/nobody-cares-about-them-childrens-bodies-found-on-libyan-beach-after-migrant-boat-sinks-387325">'Nobody cares about them': Children’s bodies found on Libyan beach after migrant boat sinks</a>

Under Trump's successor <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/joe-biden">Joe Biden's</a> administration, the US border agency continues to send back the migrants, but unaccompanied children are allowed to stay in the country.&nbsp;

An article named 'It's time to end Title 42' published in the Immigration Impact, a project of the American Immigration Council criticised the policy.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

A 23-year-old woman was rescued after she got stranded atop a wall as she attempted to enter the United States. The woman from Honduras climbed to the 18-feet-high wall in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, but was not able to get down to the US side of the border.

A 23-year-old woman was rescued after she got stranded atop a wall as she attempted to enter the United States. The woman from Honduras climbed to the 18-feet-high wall in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, but was not able to get down to the US side of the border. Watch | A pregnant woman got stuck while trying to jump the border fence between El Paso and Ciudad Juarez. CBP helped her down and was immediately expelled to Mexico under Title 42. pic.twitter.com/HWGlaZ4jO9 — Luis Chaparro (@LuisKuryaki) May 26, 2021 × A video released by the federal immigration protection agency showed a firefighter vehicle's ladder successfully able to reach to the top of the wall and rescue the woman. The woman was taken to a hospital where it was found that she and her baby were in good health, Border Patrol officials said. She was sent back to Mexico under Title 42 as she illegally entered the United States. The rule came to force under the presidency of Donald Trump in March 2020 which allowed US Customs and Border Protection to deport migrants found at the southwestern border due to the coronavirus pandemic without offering them a chance to seek asylum. Also read | 'Nobody cares about them': Children’s bodies found on Libyan beach after migrant boat sinks Under Trump's successor Joe Biden's administration, the US border agency continues to send back the migrants, but unaccompanied children are allowed to stay in the country. An article named 'It's time to end Title 42' published in the Immigration Impact, a project of the American Immigration Council criticised the policy.

Watch | Pregnant woman stuck at 18-feet-high wall as she attempts to enter US

The number of unaccompanied children encountered on the US border with Mexico in April eased from an all-time high a month earlier, while more adults were found coming without families, authorities said on Tuesday.&nbsp;

Authorities encountered 17,171 children traveling alone, down nine per cent from 18,960 in March, according to US Customs and Border Protection, but still well above the previous high of 11,475 reported in May 2019 by the Border Patrol, which began publishing numbers in 2009. &nbsp;

Overall, the Border Patrol's 173,460 encounters with migrants on the Mexican border in April were up three per cent from 169,213 in March, the highest level since April 2000. So, the number of illegal immigrants apprehended at the southern border hit a 21-year high last month.

The numbers aren't directly comparable because a solid majority of those stopped in April were quickly expelled from the country under federal pandemic-related powers that deny rights to seek asylum. Being expelled carries no legal consequences, so many people try to cross multiple times.&nbsp;

Border Patrol encounters with people coming in families fell in similar proportion to unaccompanied children, down 10 per cent to 48,226 from 53,406 in March. Slightly more than one of three family encounters resulted in pandemic-related expulsions. &nbsp;

The numbers offer the latest read on one of the most serious challenges to Joe Biden's young presidency. Despite some encouraging news in April on unaccompanied children and families, Biden has a lot riding on a new ‘humane’ asylum system that has yet to be unveiled. There don't appear to be quick, easy answers.&nbsp;

Single adults from Mexico and Central America drove the overall increase in activity in April. The Border Patrol had 108,301 encounters with adults traveling without children, up 12 per cent from 97,074 in March. Nearly nine of 10 adult encounters ended in expulsions under pandemic-related authority granted by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.&nbsp;

Biden has exempted unaccompanied children from expulsion, allowing them to stay in the US while pursuing asylum claims. Families with young children are also often released in the US while their cases wind through the bottlenecked immigration court system.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

The number of unaccompanied children encountered on the US border with Mexico in April eased from an all-time high a month earlier, while more adults were found coming without families, authorities said on Tuesday.

The number of unaccompanied children encountered on the US border with Mexico in April eased from an all-time high a month earlier, while more adults were found coming without families, authorities said on Tuesday. Authorities encountered 17,171 children traveling alone, down nine per cent from 18,960 in March, according to US Customs and Border Protection, but still well above the previous high of 11,475 reported in May 2019 by the Border Patrol, which began publishing numbers in 2009. Overall, the Border Patrol's 173,460 encounters with migrants on the Mexican border in April were up three per cent from 169,213 in March, the highest level since April 2000. So, the number of illegal immigrants apprehended at the southern border hit a 21-year high last month. The numbers aren't directly comparable because a solid majority of those stopped in April were quickly expelled from the country under federal pandemic-related powers that deny rights to seek asylum. Being expelled carries no legal consequences, so many people try to cross multiple times. Border Patrol encounters with people coming in families fell in similar proportion to unaccompanied children, down 10 per cent to 48,226 from 53,406 in March. Slightly more than one of three family encounters resulted in pandemic-related expulsions. The numbers offer the latest read on one of the most serious challenges to Joe Biden's young presidency. Despite some encouraging news in April on unaccompanied children and families, Biden has a lot riding on a new ‘humane’ asylum system that has yet to be unveiled. There don't appear to be quick, easy answers. Single adults from Mexico and Central America drove the overall increase in activity in April. The Border Patrol had 108,301 encounters with adults traveling without children, up 12 per cent from 97,074 in March. Nearly nine of 10 adult encounters ended in expulsions under pandemic-related authority granted by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Biden has exempted unaccompanied children from expulsion, allowing them to stay in the US while pursuing asylum claims. Families with young children are also often released in the US while their cases wind through the bottlenecked immigration court system. (With inputs from agencies)

Number of children travelling alone at US border eases in April 

More than 400 migrants arrived on the Italian island of Lampedusa on Sunday, Italian media reported, as authorities in Sicily again blocked a rescue boat from leaving port.

A 20-metre boat carrying 325 people was intercepted about eight miles (13 kilometres) off the coast of Lampedusa, and another was found slightly closer with 90 people aboard, news agencies reported.

Meanwhile judicial authorities in Sicily reinstated a detention order against the Sea-Watch 4 vessel, run by Germany's Sea-Watch organisation, which had kept it in Palermo for six months until March, media reports said.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="Migrant boat with 130 aboard capsizes off Libya: NGO">Migrant boat with 130 aboard capsizes off Libya: NGO</a>

The order followed a safety inspection that found too many life jackets on board, saying the ship's sewage system is insufficient for the potential number of people rescued.

Activists claim the inspection was a smokescreen to block the ship.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="Italy's Salvini to face trial over blocking migrant ship">Italy's Salvini to face trial over blocking migrant ship</a>

"We hope the authorities will not stop us from leaving for the central Mediterranean with the absurd accusations to which we have become accustomed," Sea-Watch Italy had tweeted on Friday after returning from its latest mission.

Another vessel, Sea-Watch 3, was impounded by the Italian coastguard in March in the Sicilian port of Augusta, again over safety issues.

The aid groups have also faced accusations of colluding with Libyan migrant traffickers to bring people to safety on European shores -- charges they strongly deny.

Italy is a prime entry point for Europe-bound migrants, but the stretch of water between Sicily and North Africa is one of the world's deadliest migration routes.&nbsp;

Almost 530,000 migrants have landed on Italian shores since the start of 2015, including some 6,000 in the year to date, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

More than 400 migrants arrived on the Italian island of Lampedusa on Sunday, Italian media reported, as authorities in Sicily again blocked a rescue boat from leaving port.

More than 400 migrants arrived on the Italian island of Lampedusa on Sunday, Italian media reported, as authorities in Sicily again blocked a rescue boat from leaving port. A 20-metre boat carrying 325 people was intercepted about eight miles (13 kilometres) off the coast of Lampedusa, and another was found slightly closer with 90 people aboard, news agencies reported. Meanwhile judicial authorities in Sicily reinstated a detention order against the Sea-Watch 4 vessel, run by Germany's Sea-Watch organisation, which had kept it in Palermo for six months until March, media reports said. Also read | Migrant boat with 130 aboard capsizes off Libya: NGO The order followed a safety inspection that found too many life jackets on board, saying the ship's sewage system is insufficient for the potential number of people rescued. Activists claim the inspection was a smokescreen to block the ship. Also read | Italy's Salvini to face trial over blocking migrant ship "We hope the authorities will not stop us from leaving for the central Mediterranean with the absurd accusations to which we have become accustomed," Sea-Watch Italy had tweeted on Friday after returning from its latest mission. Another vessel, Sea-Watch 3, was impounded by the Italian coastguard in March in the Sicilian port of Augusta, again over safety issues. The aid groups have also faced accusations of colluding with Libyan migrant traffickers to bring people to safety on European shores -- charges they strongly deny. Italy is a prime entry point for Europe-bound migrants, but the stretch of water between Sicily and North Africa is one of the world's deadliest migration routes. Almost 530,000 migrants have landed on Italian shores since the start of 2015, including some 6,000 in the year to date, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

400 migrants land on Lampedusa as rescue ship blocked

President Joe Biden announced that he is raising the maximum number of refugees allowed into the United States this year to 62,500 up from the 15,000 cap imposed by his predecessor Donald Trump. This comes after Biden faced heavy criticism from his allies.

Biden raises number of refugees allowed in the US to 62,500 after criticism

More than&nbsp;600&nbsp;migrants&nbsp;hoping to reach Europe from&nbsp;Libya&nbsp;have been stopped since Friday, the&nbsp;navy&nbsp;said, as the International Organization for Migration warned&nbsp;Libya&nbsp;was "not a safe port".

Three groups of illegal&nbsp;migrants&nbsp;were intercepted at sea on Friday and Saturday by&nbsp;Libya's coastguard and units in charge of securing ports, the&nbsp;navy&nbsp;said in a statement, released overnight Saturday to Sunday.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/migrant-boat-with-130-aboard-capsizes-off-libya-ngo-379556">Migrant boat with 130 aboard capsizes off Libya: NGO</a>

It said the 638 people were mostly citizens from sub-Saharan African nations trying to reach Europe, and they were brought to a naval base in the capital Tripoli ahead of handing them&nbsp;over&nbsp;to an anti-immigration squad run by the interior ministry.

The&nbsp;navy&nbsp;said a first group of 334&nbsp;migrants, who were on board four inflatable boats, were "rescued" on Friday.&nbsp;

Two other groups, of 132 and 172 people, were assisted separately on Friday and Saturday.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/latest-mediterranean-migrants-tragedy-a-time-for-shame-pope-380150">Latest Mediterranean migrants tragedy a time for shame: Pope</a>

The&nbsp;navy&nbsp;did not say if the boats were sinking or had technical problems.

International agencies have repeatedly denounced the return to&nbsp;Libya&nbsp;of&nbsp;migrants&nbsp;intercepted at sea, due to the chaotic situation in the country and poor conditions in detention centres.

The IOM repeated its concerns late Saturday.

"Today, 172&nbsp;migrants, including women and children, were&nbsp;returned&nbsp;to&nbsp;Libya&nbsp;by the coast guard," it said.

"Our teams provided emergency assistance to more than&nbsp;600&nbsp;migrants&nbsp;intercepted&nbsp;over&nbsp;the past 48 hours, it added.

"We reiterate that&nbsp;Libya&nbsp;is not a safe port".

Libya&nbsp;is a major route for&nbsp;migrants&nbsp;trying to reach Europe via the Mediterranean, and traffickers have thrived in the lawlessness that followed the 2011 overthrow of dictator Moamer Kadhafi.

More than 600 migrants hoping to reach Europe from Libya have been stopped since Friday, the navy said, as the International Organization for Migration warned Libya was "not a safe port".

More than 600 migrants hoping to reach Europe from Libya have been stopped since Friday, the navy said, as the International Organization for Migration warned Libya was "not a safe port". Three groups of illegal migrants were intercepted at sea on Friday and Saturday by Libya's coastguard and units in charge of securing ports, the navy said in a statement, released overnight Saturday to Sunday. Also read | Migrant boat with 130 aboard capsizes off Libya: NGO It said the 638 people were mostly citizens from sub-Saharan African nations trying to reach Europe, and they were brought to a naval base in the capital Tripoli ahead of handing them over to an anti-immigration squad run by the interior ministry. The navy said a first group of 334 migrants, who were on board four inflatable boats, were "rescued" on Friday. Two other groups, of 132 and 172 people, were assisted separately on Friday and Saturday. Also read | Latest Mediterranean migrants tragedy a time for shame: Pope The navy did not say if the boats were sinking or had technical problems. International agencies have repeatedly denounced the return to Libya of migrants intercepted at sea, due to the chaotic situation in the country and poor conditions in detention centres. The IOM repeated its concerns late Saturday. "Today, 172 migrants, including women and children, were returned to Libya by the coast guard," it said. "Our teams provided emergency assistance to more than 600 migrants intercepted over the past 48 hours, it added. "We reiterate that Libya is not a safe port". Libya is a major route for migrants trying to reach Europe via the Mediterranean, and traffickers have thrived in the lawlessness that followed the 2011 overthrow of dictator Moamer Kadhafi.

Over 600 Europe-bound migrants returned to Libya: Navy

To most eyes, the scruffy, sun-faded ship that left Venice for Sicily last week might have looked like a junkyard-ready wreck.

Instead, as the ship embarked upon what might have been its final voyage, via barge and tugboat, and arrived in Sicily on Tuesday, others were hoping it would become a monument to the devastating toll exacted by the trafficking of people across the Mediterranean from Africa to Europe by unscrupulous operators.

The ship, the relic of the deadliest wreck in the Mediterranean in living memory, is a symbol of contemporary migration in Europe that has become part of its cultural heritage, said Maria Chiara Di Trapani, an independent curator working on future projects for the vessel.

On April 18, 2015, the unnamed ship, originally built as a fishing vessel for a crew of around 15, capsized off the coast of Libya, becoming the watery grave for the more than 1,000 people — many from Mali, Mauritius and the Horn of Africa — crammed onboard. Only 28 passengers survived.

The ship’s fate “has to be a reminder that this situation cannot happen in a civilized country,” said Cristina Cattaneo, a forensic pathologist and anthropologist who has been working to identify the hundreds of victims who were trapped in the hull when it sank.

The ship became a tangible symbol of Europe’s failings on migration and of the continent’s inability to conceive of, let alone implement, coordinated policies to handle the mass arrival of migrants, which has intensified in recent decades. Since that disaster, the Missing Migrants Project, run by the International Organization for Migration, has recorded a minimum of 12,521 deaths or disappearances during migration across the Central Mediterranean route.

The ship sank after colliding with a Portuguese freighter that had come to its assistance. An analysis of the shipwreck has been treated by migration activists as a case study on the perils of inexpert assistance at sea. The ship was later used as evidence in a case against the Tunisian captain who piloted the ship and in 2018 was convicted of human trafficking.

“The story of the boat is very complex, involving many people,” said Enzo Parisi, spokesman for the Comitato 18 Aprile, a citizens group in Augusta, Sicily, that wants the boat to become a monument, “a testimony to tragedies at sea.”

In June 2016, the Italian government decided to raise the wreck 1,200 feet from the bottom of the sea to identify the victims. The ship was taken to a naval base in Augusta, and the victims were extracted.

Genetic data was sampled, and corpses and remains were photographed, as were passports, vaccination records and scraps of paper with hand-scribbled telephone numbers. Everything was sent to a forensic laboratory at the University of Milan for the laborious task of cataloging and possible identification.

The ship’s destiny, at that point, was to head to the scrapyard, like hundreds of ships that have been seized by Italian authorities.

But the wreck’s symbolic power had become apparent. In 2019, supported by the Comitato 18 Aprile, Augusta’s municipal council was granted custody of the ship. The region lobbied to have it declared a monument of cultural interest and the committee came up with proposals for a memorial that would have the ship as the centerpiece.

“As a seaport, Augusta has always been welcoming,” said Mayor Giuseppe Di Mare.

The Sicilian city is a first landing spot for many migrants rescued in the Mediterranean, before they are processed and shuttled off to other Italian cities. Because of the coronavirus, the sea rescues now include an interim stop on quarantine ships, and currently there are two such ships in Augusta’s harbor.

In 2019, the ship took an unexpected detour, when — with the approval of city hall and the committee — Swiss Icelandic artist Christoph Büchel took the wreck to the Venice Biennale, mooring it at the Arsenale, the former shipyard of the once-formidable Venetian Republic.

Now christened “Barca Nostra” (Italian for “Our Ship”), the vessel was presented at the art exhibit as a “monument to contemporary migration” and restrictions on personal freedoms.

Last Wednesday, the ship was loaded onto a barge. It arrived in Augusta on Tuesday.

With its return to Sicily, the wreck can become a “starting point to reflect on Italy’s responsibility for these deaths at sea,” said Giorgia Mirto, a doctoral student at Columbia University who has mapped where migrants who die at sea are buried in Italian cemeteries. In a 2019 documentary about the disaster and the attempts to identify the victims, Mirto counted headstones in a cemetery that read: “Unknown Immigrant Deceased in the Strait of Sicily on 18.4.2015.”

The project to identify victims continues. Cattaneo, who is responsible for the university laboratory in Milan, said that funding shortages had hampered the work and that, so far, only six victims had been identified using their methodology, which involves comparing the DNA extracted from the victims to that of family members, as well as anthropological and dental traits.

She is hopeful that progress will be made this year, as the university is now working with other academic institutions, as well as Italian law enforcement authorities, but she cautioned that the condition in which researchers had found the bodies after a year underwater made everything “extremely complex.”

The International Committee of the Red Cross and other national affiliates have also been involved in identifying the victims of the tragedy. They have adopted a different, complementary approach, attempting to draft a list of the passengers onboard by cross-referencing the accounts of survivors, witnesses, relatives and friends, as well as from the objects recovered from the ship. Currently, they are calling some of the nearly 1,500 phone numbers — which have been tracked to 56 countries — that were found in the wreckage in hopes of gleaning new clues.

“For us, the passenger manifest is the most important thing, because by naming victims you are acknowledging them as persons,” said Jose Pablo Baraybar Do Carmo, transregional forensic coordinator for the Red Cross, who has been “working like crazy” on the wreck since 2017. “It’s important to remove these people from invisibility” and let their families know that “there is someone who is trying to find out what happened” to someone who is missing, he said.

So far, his team has managed to identify 474 people who were on the boat.

The coronavirus has drastically reduced Mediterranean crossings over the past 14 months, as well as deaths. Even so, as of Tuesday, 449 migrants are known to have died in the first months of 2021.

The ship will now undergo urgent maintenance, after two years exposed to a north Italian climate.

Augusta has envisioned placing the ship in what the authorities describe as a “Garden of Memory,” which “will have to be in the open, because that boat gives a sense of the sea, the air, the skies. To enclose it in a building would clash with its’ story,” said Di Mare. “Certainly, the ship has attained an international dimension and we want this garden to become a place of reflection for the world, so that all people can ponder.”

To most eyes, the scruffy, sun-faded ship that left Venice for Sicily last week might have looked like a junkyard-ready wreck. Instead, as the ship embarked upon what might have been its final voyage, via barge and tugboat, and arrived in Sicily on Tuesday, others were hoping it would become a monument to the devastating toll exacted by the trafficking of people across the Mediterranean from Africa to Europe by unscrupulous operators.

To most eyes, the scruffy, sun-faded ship that left Venice for Sicily last week might have looked like a junkyard-ready wreck. Instead, as the ship embarked upon what might have been its final voyage, via barge and tugboat, and arrived in Sicily on Tuesday, others were hoping it would become a monument to the devastating toll exacted by the trafficking of people across the Mediterranean from Africa to Europe by unscrupulous operators. The ship, the relic of the deadliest wreck in the Mediterranean in living memory, is a symbol of contemporary migration in Europe that has become part of its cultural heritage, said Maria Chiara Di Trapani, an independent curator working on future projects for the vessel. On April 18, 2015, the unnamed ship, originally built as a fishing vessel for a crew of around 15, capsized off the coast of Libya, becoming the watery grave for the more than 1,000 people — many from Mali, Mauritius and the Horn of Africa — crammed onboard. Only 28 passengers survived. The ship’s fate “has to be a reminder that this situation cannot happen in a civilized country,” said Cristina Cattaneo, a forensic pathologist and anthropologist who has been working to identify the hundreds of victims who were trapped in the hull when it sank. The ship became a tangible symbol of Europe’s failings on migration and of the continent’s inability to conceive of, let alone implement, coordinated policies to handle the mass arrival of migrants, which has intensified in recent decades. Since that disaster, the Missing Migrants Project, run by the International Organization for Migration, has recorded a minimum of 12,521 deaths or disappearances during migration across the Central Mediterranean route. The ship sank after colliding with a Portuguese freighter that had come to its assistance. An analysis of the shipwreck has been treated by migration activists as a case study on the perils of inexpert assistance at sea. The ship was later used as evidence in a case against the Tunisian captain who piloted the ship and in 2018 was convicted of human trafficking. “The story of the boat is very complex, involving many people,” said Enzo Parisi, spokesman for the Comitato 18 Aprile, a citizens group in Augusta, Sicily, that wants the boat to become a monument, “a testimony to tragedies at sea.” In June 2016, the Italian government decided to raise the wreck 1,200 feet from the bottom of the sea to identify the victims. The ship was taken to a naval base in Augusta, and the victims were extracted. Genetic data was sampled, and corpses and remains were photographed, as were passports, vaccination records and scraps of paper with hand-scribbled telephone numbers. Everything was sent to a forensic laboratory at the University of Milan for the laborious task of cataloging and possible identification. The ship’s destiny, at that point, was to head to the scrapyard, like hundreds of ships that have been seized by Italian authorities. But the wreck’s symbolic power had become apparent. In 2019, supported by the Comitato 18 Aprile, Augusta’s municipal council was granted custody of the ship. The region lobbied to have it declared a monument of cultural interest and the committee came up with proposals for a memorial that would have the ship as the centerpiece. “As a seaport, Augusta has always been welcoming,” said Mayor Giuseppe Di Mare. The Sicilian city is a first landing spot for many migrants rescued in the Mediterranean, before they are processed and shuttled off to other Italian cities. Because of the coronavirus, the sea rescues now include an interim stop on quarantine ships, and currently there are two such ships in Augusta’s harbor. In 2019, the ship took an unexpected detour, when — with the approval of city hall and the committee — Swiss Icelandic artist Christoph Büchel took the wreck to the Venice Biennale, mooring it at the Arsenale, the former shipyard of the once-formidable Venetian Republic. Now christened “Barca Nostra” (Italian for “Our Ship”), the vessel was presented at the art exhibit as a “monument to contemporary migration” and restrictions on personal freedoms. Last Wednesday, the ship was loaded onto a barge. It arrived in Augusta on Tuesday. With its return to Sicily, the wreck can become a “starting point to reflect on Italy’s responsibility for these deaths at sea,” said Giorgia Mirto, a doctoral student at Columbia University who has mapped where migrants who die at sea are buried in Italian cemeteries. In a 2019 documentary about the disaster and the attempts to identify the victims, Mirto counted headstones in a cemetery that read: “Unknown Immigrant Deceased in the Strait of Sicily on 18.4.2015.” The project to identify victims continues. Cattaneo, who is responsible for the university laboratory in Milan, said that funding shortages had hampered the work and that, so far, only six victims had been identified using their methodology, which involves comparing the DNA extracted from the victims to that of family members, as well as anthropological and dental traits. She is hopeful that progress will be made this year, as the university is now working with other academic institutions, as well as Italian law enforcement authorities, but she cautioned that the condition in which researchers had found the bodies after a year underwater made everything “extremely complex.” The International Committee of the Red Cross and other national affiliates have also been involved in identifying the victims of the tragedy. They have adopted a different, complementary approach, attempting to draft a list of the passengers onboard by cross-referencing the accounts of survivors, witnesses, relatives and friends, as well as from the objects recovered from the ship. Currently, they are calling some of the nearly 1,500 phone numbers — which have been tracked to 56 countries — that were found in the wreckage in hopes of gleaning new clues. “For us, the passenger manifest is the most important thing, because by naming victims you are acknowledging them as persons,” said Jose Pablo Baraybar Do Carmo, transregional forensic coordinator for the Red Cross, who has been “working like crazy” on the wreck since 2017. “It’s important to remove these people from invisibility” and let their families know that “there is someone who is trying to find out what happened” to someone who is missing, he said. So far, his team has managed to identify 474 people who were on the boat. The coronavirus has drastically reduced Mediterranean crossings over the past 14 months, as well as deaths. Even so, as of Tuesday, 449 migrants are known to have died in the first months of 2021. The ship will now undergo urgent maintenance, after two years exposed to a north Italian climate. Augusta has envisioned placing the ship in what the authorities describe as a “Garden of Memory,” which “will have to be in the open, because that boat gives a sense of the sea, the air, the skies. To enclose it in a building would clash with its’ story,” said Di Mare. “Certainly, the ship has attained an international dimension and we want this garden to become a place of reflection for the world, so that all people can ponder.”

After a tragedy at sea, a wrecked ship becomes a powerful symbol in Italy

The Biden administration has struck an agreement with Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras to temporarily increase border security in an effort to stop migrants from reaching the US border.

US strikes agreement with Mexico, Honduras and Gautemala to secure borders

Amidst a sharp rise in illegal border crossings over the past few months, the Biden administration is reviewing cases of nearly about 5,600 migrant children to see whether they were separated from their parents at the border under the Trump administration.

US probes cases of family separation: 5600 migrant children cases under review

Federal authorities in California charged a man Tuesday with coordinating a smuggling attempt that resulted in the deaths of 13 Mexican and Guatemalan citizens in one of the deadliest border-related crashes in decades.

The man, Jose Cruz Noguez, 47, a resident of the United States, was accused of arranging transportation for people entering the country illegally, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California.

The victims were riding in an SUV that was transporting 25 people when it crashed into a tractor-trailer just after sunrise March 2 on the outskirts of Holtville, California, in the Imperial Valley, a rich agricultural region and a busy corridor for migrant smuggling. The crash occurred about 12 miles from the Mexican border.

“These smuggling networks seek maximum profit by moving as many people as possible across the border with zero regard for their safety and well-being,” Randy Grossman, the acting U.S. attorney for the Southern District of California, said in the statement. “Cramming dozens of people into eight-passenger vehicles and driving recklessly to avoid detection shows an utter disregard for human life.”

Cruz was charged with conspiracy to bring aliens to the United States outside a port of entry and causing serious bodily injury or placing a life in jeopardy, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison; as well as transporting migrants without legal status for financial gain, which could carry a maximum penalty of 15 years of imprisonment.

He was arrested Monday and appeared in federal court in El Centro, California, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ruth Bermudez Montenegro on Tuesday.

Smugglers along the U.S. border with Mexico often use vans or SUVs to transport large numbers of migrants to cities — often charging thousands of dollars per person — after meeting them in remote areas once they have managed to enter the United States. Car wrecks near the border are common, but fewer have occurred during the coronavirus pandemic.

About two weeks after the crash near Holtville, eight immigrants were killed in southwestern Texas when a pickup truck they were riding in crashed head-on into another pickup during a police chase, the authorities said.

No law enforcement agencies were chasing the SUV that crashed outside Holtville on March 2, according to the authorities.

The vehicle had entered the United States at a spot where a fence along the border had been dismantled. According to the authorities, surveillance footage reviewed by the Border Patrol showed two vehicles — a GMC Yukon and a Ford Expedition SUV — crossing through a 10-foot gap in the 18-foot-high steel bollard border fence around 5:30 a.m.

The Yukon apparently burst into flames after crossing through the fence; Border Patrol agents extinguished the fire and apprehended 19 people who were hiding in the surrounding brush.

The Expedition continued until around 6 a.m., when the driver pulled into the path of the tractor-trailer on State Route 115. The truck hit the SUV on the driver’s side. The driver of the tractor-trailer was hospitalized with moderate injuries, and many people in the SUV who survived the crash were seriously injured.

The Border Patrol did not immediately respond to a question about what happened to the survivors of the crash.

An associate of Cruz who was arrested in connection with a different episode of smuggling this month said he had originally been recruited to drive the Expedition on March 2, but declined, according to the U.S. attorney’s office.

The associate secretly recorded a conversation with Cruz, authorities said, in which Cruz said that he had been involved in the March 2 episode and that his other associates had cut the border fence.

Cruz will be represented by a federal public defender. An organization of federal defense lawyers in Southern California did not immediately respond to questions Wednesday evening.

Federal authorities in California charged a man Tuesday with coordinating a smuggling attempt that resulted in the deaths of 13 Mexican and Guatemalan citizens in one of the deadliest border-related crashes in decades.

Federal authorities in California charged a man Tuesday with coordinating a smuggling attempt that resulted in the deaths of 13 Mexican and Guatemalan citizens in one of the deadliest border-related crashes in decades. The man, Jose Cruz Noguez, 47, a resident of the United States, was accused of arranging transportation for people entering the country illegally, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California. The victims were riding in an SUV that was transporting 25 people when it crashed into a tractor-trailer just after sunrise March 2 on the outskirts of Holtville, California, in the Imperial Valley, a rich agricultural region and a busy corridor for migrant smuggling. The crash occurred about 12 miles from the Mexican border. “These smuggling networks seek maximum profit by moving as many people as possible across the border with zero regard for their safety and well-being,” Randy Grossman, the acting U.S. attorney for the Southern District of California, said in the statement. “Cramming dozens of people into eight-passenger vehicles and driving recklessly to avoid detection shows an utter disregard for human life.” Cruz was charged with conspiracy to bring aliens to the United States outside a port of entry and causing serious bodily injury or placing a life in jeopardy, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison; as well as transporting migrants without legal status for financial gain, which could carry a maximum penalty of 15 years of imprisonment. He was arrested Monday and appeared in federal court in El Centro, California, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ruth Bermudez Montenegro on Tuesday. Smugglers along the U.S. border with Mexico often use vans or SUVs to transport large numbers of migrants to cities — often charging thousands of dollars per person — after meeting them in remote areas once they have managed to enter the United States. Car wrecks near the border are common, but fewer have occurred during the coronavirus pandemic. About two weeks after the crash near Holtville, eight immigrants were killed in southwestern Texas when a pickup truck they were riding in crashed head-on into another pickup during a police chase, the authorities said. No law enforcement agencies were chasing the SUV that crashed outside Holtville on March 2, according to the authorities. The vehicle had entered the United States at a spot where a fence along the border had been dismantled. According to the authorities, surveillance footage reviewed by the Border Patrol showed two vehicles — a GMC Yukon and a Ford Expedition SUV — crossing through a 10-foot gap in the 18-foot-high steel bollard border fence around 5:30 a.m. The Yukon apparently burst into flames after crossing through the fence; Border Patrol agents extinguished the fire and apprehended 19 people who were hiding in the surrounding brush. The Expedition continued until around 6 a.m., when the driver pulled into the path of the tractor-trailer on State Route 115. The truck hit the SUV on the driver’s side. The driver of the tractor-trailer was hospitalized with moderate injuries, and many people in the SUV who survived the crash were seriously injured. The Border Patrol did not immediately respond to a question about what happened to the survivors of the crash. An associate of Cruz who was arrested in connection with a different episode of smuggling this month said he had originally been recruited to drive the Expedition on March 2, but declined, according to the U.S. attorney’s office. The associate secretly recorded a conversation with Cruz, authorities said, in which Cruz said that he had been involved in the March 2 episode and that his other associates had cut the border fence. Cruz will be represented by a federal public defender. An organization of federal defense lawyers in Southern California did not immediately respond to questions Wednesday evening.

Man is charged with smuggling in crash that killed 13 migrants in California

According to a top US border official, more than a million migrants are set to arrive at the US-Mexico border this year. The constant influx of migrants on the Southwest border is posing a growing humanitarian challenge for US President Joe Biden.

US witnesses constant influx of migrants at Mexico border

Shocking images of a Biden-Era detention centre have emerged. The photos from Texas show children sleeping on mats under foil blankets. A report claims the migrants haven't been given adequate access to soap or food. WION's Molly Gambhir tells you more.

Gravitas: Shocking images of Biden-era detention centre

Unaccompanied migrants at the US-Mexico border are an unprecedented challenge for the Biden administration. US President Joe Biden has planned to visit the US-Mexico border to review the situation of migrants seeking refugee status in the country.

Joe Biden plans to visit Mexican border to review migrants situation

Lawmakers in the House of Representatives passed two bills that would establish paths to citizenship or legal status for millions of undocumented immigrants in the United States.

US lower house passes two bills to protect migrants

United States President Joe Biden has urged migrants not to come to the US as criticism mounted over a surge in people arriving at the southern border with Mexico, including thousands of unaccompanied children.

United States: President Joe Biden tells migrants 'don't come over'

US President Joe Biden has urged migrants to not make their way to the United States, as criticism mounted over a surge in people arriving at the southern border with Mexico -- including thousands of unaccompanied children.

"Yes I can say quite clearly don't come over... Don't leave your town or city or community," he said in an interview with ABC News, addressing the migrants.

Biden on Tuesday spoke a day after top Republican congressman, Kevin McCarthy, visited the border in Texas with fellow Republican lawmakers and accused Biden of creating a "crisis," and hours after his head of homeland security, Alejandro Mayorkas, defended the administration's immigration policies.

He also shrugged off claims that his dismantling of former president Donald Trump's tough stance had encouraged the surge, pointing out that there had been similar surges in 2019 and 2020.

"The idea that Joe Biden said 'come' - I heard the other day that they're coming because I'm a nice guy... Here's the deal, they're not," he said.

On January 20, his first day in office, Biden scrapped several of Donald Trump's contentious immigration policies, including halting new construction of a border wall and proposing legislation to create a citizenship pathway for the nearly 11 million people living illegally in the US.

Mayorkas acknowledged the United States was "on pace" to encounter more migrants at the border than at any time in two decades, but said such spikes were "not new," having also occurred in 2019, 2014 and earlier.

"The situation we are currently facing at the southwest border is a difficult one," Mayorkas said in a statement.&nbsp;

"We are keeping our borders secure, enforcing our laws, and staying true to our values and principles."

Mayorkas said the rise in unaccompanied children -- some as young as six or seven -- comes from ending the policies of Trump, whose administration "cruelly expelled young children into the hands of traffickers."

"They are vulnerable children and we have ended the prior administration's practice of expelling them," he said.

The Biden administration continues to expel most single adults and people travelling in families.

In February, the US Customs and Border Protection agency (CBP) arrested about 100,000 people at the southern border -- including nearly 9,500 unaccompanied children -- a 28 percent jump over January.

Mayorkas blasted the Trump administration for having cut aid to El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras meant to tackle the root causes of migration such as violence and the impacts of natural disasters.

Holding facilities for apprehended migrants are crowded, Mayorkas said, noting authorities had not "had the capacity to intake the number of unaccompanied children we have been encountering."

Complicating conditions, pandemic-related physical distancing protocols have further reduced space, said Mayorkas, who has asked the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to help activate additional facilities.

(with inputs)

US President Joe Biden has urged migrants to not make their way to the United States, as criticism mounted over a surge in people arriving at the southern border with Mexico -- including thousands of unaccompanied children.

US President Joe Biden has urged migrants to not make their way to the United States, as criticism mounted over a surge in people arriving at the southern border with Mexico -- including thousands of unaccompanied children. "Yes I can say quite clearly don't come over... Don't leave your town or city or community," he said in an interview with ABC News, addressing the migrants. Biden on Tuesday spoke a day after top Republican congressman, Kevin McCarthy, visited the border in Texas with fellow Republican lawmakers and accused Biden of creating a "crisis," and hours after his head of homeland security, Alejandro Mayorkas, defended the administration's immigration policies. He also shrugged off claims that his dismantling of former president Donald Trump's tough stance had encouraged the surge, pointing out that there had been similar surges in 2019 and 2020. "The idea that Joe Biden said 'come' - I heard the other day that they're coming because I'm a nice guy... Here's the deal, they're not," he said. On January 20, his first day in office, Biden scrapped several of Donald Trump's contentious immigration policies, including halting new construction of a border wall and proposing legislation to create a citizenship pathway for the nearly 11 million people living illegally in the US. Mayorkas acknowledged the United States was "on pace" to encounter more migrants at the border than at any time in two decades, but said such spikes were "not new," having also occurred in 2019, 2014 and earlier. "The situation we are currently facing at the southwest border is a difficult one," Mayorkas said in a statement. "We are keeping our borders secure, enforcing our laws, and staying true to our values and principles." Mayorkas said the rise in unaccompanied children -- some as young as six or seven -- comes from ending the policies of Trump, whose administration "cruelly expelled young children into the hands of traffickers." "They are vulnerable children and we have ended the prior administration's practice of expelling them," he said. The Biden administration continues to expel most single adults and people travelling in families. In February, the US Customs and Border Protection agency (CBP) arrested about 100,000 people at the southern border -- including nearly 9,500 unaccompanied children -- a 28 percent jump over January. Mayorkas blasted the Trump administration for having cut aid to El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras meant to tackle the root causes of migration such as violence and the impacts of natural disasters. Holding facilities for apprehended migrants are crowded, Mayorkas said, noting authorities had not "had the capacity to intake the number of unaccompanied children we have been encountering." Complicating conditions, pandemic-related physical distancing protocols have further reduced space, said Mayorkas, who has asked the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to help activate additional facilities. (with inputs)

Biden asks migrants to not head to US as criticism grows

The Joe Biden administration is granting temporary protected status to Venezuelan migrants living in the United States and is also working to coordinate international pressure against President Nicolas Maduro to hold free and fair elections.

US grants temporary protection to Venezuelan refugees

Malaysia's government will repatriate 1,200 Myanmar migrants next week despite a military coup in their home country, but has assured that they will not include minority Muslim Rohingya refugees or those registered with the UN refugee agency.&nbsp;

But the UN High Commissioner for Refugees voiced concern on Tuesday that there may be vulnerable women and children among the group. Myanmar's leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, was detained as the military seized power on February 1, sparking protests in the country.&nbsp;

Malaysia's immigration chief, Khairul Dzaimee Daud, said in a statement late on Monday that the detainees will be deported February 23 on Myanmar navy ships.&nbsp;

He said the 1,200 were held for offenses including not having valid travel documents, overstaying and violating their social visit passes.&nbsp;

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“There are no UNHCR cardholders or ethnic Rohingya involved in the repatriation. It is just part of a usual programme to deport immigrants in our detention depots," Khairul Dzaimee said.&nbsp;

The department said Malaysia repatriated 37,038 migrants last year, including 3,322 from Myanmar. This was down from 59,114 in 2019, as many countries shut their borders due to the Covid-19 pandemic, it added.&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/myanmar-cops-file-new-charge-against-suu-kyi-to-extend-detention-indefinitely-364061">Myanmar cops file new charge against Suu Kyi to extend detention indefinitely</a>

The UNHCR said it has been barred from accessing Malaysia's immigration detention centers since August 2019 and was unable to verify who needs protection.&nbsp;

We are concerned that there remains in detention in Malaysia a number of people, including vulnerable women and children, who may be in need of international protection but whose claims have not been verified and thus do not have the requisite UNHCR documentation," the UNHCR said.&nbsp;

If found to be in need of international protection, these individuals should not be deported to a situation where their lives or freedoms may be at risk," it said.&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/myanmar-monks-march-seek-end-to-military-rule-364052">Myanmar monks march, seek end to military rule</a>

Malaysia is home to some 180,000 UN refugees and asylum seekers including more than 100,000 Rohingya and other Myanmar ethnic groups.&nbsp;

More than 700,000 Rohingya have fled from Myanmar since August 2017, when the military launched a clearance operation in response to attacks by a rebel group. The security forces have been accused of mass rapes, killings and the burning of thousands of homes.

Malaysia's government will repatriate 1,200 Myanmar migrants next week despite a military coup in their home country, but has assured that they will not include minority Muslim Rohingya refugees or those registered with the UN refugee agency.

Malaysia's government will repatriate 1,200 Myanmar migrants next week despite a military coup in their home country, but has assured that they will not include minority Muslim Rohingya refugees or those registered with the UN refugee agency. But the UN High Commissioner for Refugees voiced concern on Tuesday that there may be vulnerable women and children among the group. Myanmar's leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, was detained as the military seized power on February 1, sparking protests in the country. Malaysia's immigration chief, Khairul Dzaimee Daud, said in a statement late on Monday that the detainees will be deported February 23 on Myanmar navy ships. He said the 1,200 were held for offenses including not having valid travel documents, overstaying and violating their social visit passes. × “There are no UNHCR cardholders or ethnic Rohingya involved in the repatriation. It is just part of a usual programme to deport immigrants in our detention depots," Khairul Dzaimee said. The department said Malaysia repatriated 37,038 migrants last year, including 3,322 from Myanmar. This was down from 59,114 in 2019, as many countries shut their borders due to the Covid-19 pandemic, it added. Also Read: Myanmar cops file new charge against Suu Kyi to extend detention indefinitely The UNHCR said it has been barred from accessing Malaysia's immigration detention centers since August 2019 and was unable to verify who needs protection. We are concerned that there remains in detention in Malaysia a number of people, including vulnerable women and children, who may be in need of international protection but whose claims have not been verified and thus do not have the requisite UNHCR documentation," the UNHCR said. If found to be in need of international protection, these individuals should not be deported to a situation where their lives or freedoms may be at risk," it said. Also Read: Myanmar monks march, seek end to military rule Malaysia is home to some 180,000 UN refugees and asylum seekers including more than 100,000 Rohingya and other Myanmar ethnic groups. More than 700,000 Rohingya have fled from Myanmar since August 2017, when the military launched a clearance operation in response to attacks by a rebel group. The security forces have been accused of mass rapes, killings and the burning of thousands of homes.

Despite coup, Malaysia to deport 1,200 Myanmar migrants next week

In a week, Libya has rescued more than 1,500 would-be migrants off its west coast, a non-governmental organisation said.&nbsp;

"The Libyan coastguard has conducted several rescue operations from a week ago until (Wednesday) and rescued about 1,500 people," Adel al-Idrissi from the International Rescue Committee said.&nbsp;

On Wednesday alone, 240 African migrants were rescued from two boats off the port city of Al-Khums, said Lieutenant-Colonel Mohammed Abdel Aali of the coastguard.&nbsp;

"We encountered difficulties in getting the (migrants from the first boat) on board, but the second group showed less opposition," he said.&nbsp;

Migrants intercepted off the Libyan coast object to being returned to the country, preferring to wait for humanitarian rescue ships.&nbsp;

Despite unabated violence in Libya since the fall of Moamer Kadhafi's regime in 2011, the country remains an important transit point for migrants fleeing instability in other parts of Africa and the Middle East and seeking to reach Europe.&nbsp;

International agencies frequently denounce the return to Libya of migrants intercepted at sea due to the chaotic situation in the country and poor conditions in detention centres.&nbsp;

Veronica Alfonsi, a spokeswoman for the Spanish aid ship Open Arms, confirmed on Wednesday that around 200 people had been returned to Libya.&nbsp;

"Men, women and children taken back to Libya against their will," the charity's founder Oscar Camps said on Twitter.&nbsp;

More than 1,200 migrants and asylum-seekers died while crossing the Mediterranean in 2020, according to the International Organization for Migration.

In a week, Libya has rescued more than 1,500 would-be migrants off its west coast, a non-governmental organisation said. "The Libyan coastguard has conducted several rescue operations from a week ago until (Wednesday) and rescued about 1,500 people," Adel al-Idrissi from the International Rescue Committee said.

In a week, Libya has rescued more than 1,500 would-be migrants off its west coast, a non-governmental organisation said. "The Libyan coastguard has conducted several rescue operations from a week ago until (Wednesday) and rescued about 1,500 people," Adel al-Idrissi from the International Rescue Committee said. On Wednesday alone, 240 African migrants were rescued from two boats off the port city of Al-Khums, said Lieutenant-Colonel Mohammed Abdel Aali of the coastguard. "We encountered difficulties in getting the (migrants from the first boat) on board, but the second group showed less opposition," he said. Migrants intercepted off the Libyan coast object to being returned to the country, preferring to wait for humanitarian rescue ships. Despite unabated violence in Libya since the fall of Moamer Kadhafi's regime in 2011, the country remains an important transit point for migrants fleeing instability in other parts of Africa and the Middle East and seeking to reach Europe. International agencies frequently denounce the return to Libya of migrants intercepted at sea due to the chaotic situation in the country and poor conditions in detention centres. Veronica Alfonsi, a spokeswoman for the Spanish aid ship Open Arms, confirmed on Wednesday that around 200 people had been returned to Libya. "Men, women and children taken back to Libya against their will," the charity's founder Oscar Camps said on Twitter. More than 1,200 migrants and asylum-seekers died while crossing the Mediterranean in 2020, according to the International Organization for Migration.

Over 1,500 migrants ‘rescued’ off Libya coast in week

Europe-bound migrants are been bottlenecked in Bosnia, with the hope of entering through Croatia one day. Currently, about 8000 migrants stranded bound to live in harsh conditions. Wion brings you more details.

Europe-bound migrants are been bottlenecked in Bosnia

French patrol boat rescued 36 migrants aboard two boats "in difficulty" in the Channel, seeking to cross to Britain, maritime authorities said Saturday.

The first group of 13 migrants were rescued by a patrol boat after being spotted off&nbsp;the Pas-de-Calais region of northern France.

Later a ferry spotted a boat in trouble in the Channel. The same patrol boat picked up the 23 people on board and brought all 36 migrants back to Calais before handing them over to border police.

Conditions are currently relatively good for such clandestine departures with the waters unusually calm for winter.

Last year, officials recorded a fourfold increase over 2019 in the number of Channel crossings or attempted crossings from France, involving 9,551 people.

Attempts by migrants to make the journey by sea have soared in recent years, despite the risks of hypothermia and accidents in the choppy waters of the busy shipping lane.

A number of migrants also continue to try to stow away on trucks heading across the Channel by ferry or by train through the Channel Tunnel.

Calais continues to attract migrants from the Middle East and Africa who set up makeshift camps along France's northern coast from where they hope to eventually slip across to England unnoticed.

France and Britain signed a new accord in November aimed at shutting down the route&nbsp;through increased patrols and the use of radar and drones to spot boats more quickly.

French patrol boat rescued 36 migrants aboard two boats "in difficulty" in the Channel, seeking to cross to Britain, maritime authorities said Saturday. The first group of 13 migrants were rescued by a patrol boat after being spotted off the Pas-de-Calais region of northern France.

French patrol boat rescued 36 migrants aboard two boats "in difficulty" in the Channel, seeking to cross to Britain, maritime authorities said Saturday. The first group of 13 migrants were rescued by a patrol boat after being spotted off the Pas-de-Calais region of northern France. Later a ferry spotted a boat in trouble in the Channel. The same patrol boat picked up the 23 people on board and brought all 36 migrants back to Calais before handing them over to border police. Conditions are currently relatively good for such clandestine departures with the waters unusually calm for winter. Last year, officials recorded a fourfold increase over 2019 in the number of Channel crossings or attempted crossings from France, involving 9,551 people. Attempts by migrants to make the journey by sea have soared in recent years, despite the risks of hypothermia and accidents in the choppy waters of the busy shipping lane. A number of migrants also continue to try to stow away on trucks heading across the Channel by ferry or by train through the Channel Tunnel. Calais continues to attract migrants from the Middle East and Africa who set up makeshift camps along France's northern coast from where they hope to eventually slip across to England unnoticed. France and Britain signed a new accord in November aimed at shutting down the route through increased patrols and the use of radar and drones to spot boats more quickly.

French boats rescue 36 migrants 'in difficulty' in Channel

A Mexican law has stopped the United States from rapidly turning away migrant families at one of the busiest sections of the southwestern border, forcing agents to resume releasing families into the country, according to three Biden administration officials.

The Trump administration began turning back migrants entering the United States in March, citing the threat of the coronavirus, and the emergency rule effectively sealed the border from asylum-seekers. But because of a law Mexico passed in November that prohibits the detention of immigrant children and families, the country has stopped accepting such families from South Texas, an area typically susceptible to illegal crossings, officials said.

The recent shift has alarmed officials at the Department of Homeland Security and presents an immediate challenge to the Biden administration. Homeland security officials have said the emergency rule was necessary to prevent the coronavirus from spreading in detention facilities along the border, even as it prevented vulnerable families from having their asylum claims heard. An increasing number of families have been held in recent weeks in such facilities in the Rio Grande Valley, as well as in Del Rio, Texas, officials said.

Stephanie Malin, a spokeswoman for Customs and Border Protection, said because of pandemic precautions and social distancing guidelines, some facilities had reached full “safe holding capacity.”

“CBP takes very seriously the safety and well-being of its workforce and those they encounter, and we are taking even more precautions due to COVID-19,” Malin said. “As they always have, the number of individuals crossing the border continues to fluctuate, and we continue to adapt accordingly.” She said the agency was working with organizations in the community when releasing migrants into the public.

The United States has sent more than 390,000 migrants back to Mexico or their home countries since March. The rule lowered the number of migrants detained on the U.S. side of the border, but it also sent Central American families scrambling at times when they learned that their children had been delivered to Mexico, a violation of international agreements. And while the policy was a crucial piece of the Trump administration’s attempts to close the border to migrants, the rule also had the unintended effect of giving migrants more chances to enter illegally.

Customs and Border Protection recorded more than 73,000 crossings in December, an increase from the more than 40,000 in July. Agents detained more than 40,000 migrants in December 2019.

The Mexican law, which took effect in January, does not apply to the entire border, officials said. U.S. border agents are still turning back single adults and, in places like Arizona, families, as well, officials said. It is unclear how the law will affect other parts of the border.

A spokesman for the Foreign Ministry in Mexico declined to comment on whether it had stopped accepting migrant families, saying only that the United States continued to have the pandemic emergency rule in place.

But the Biden administration has been unable to return migrant families to Reynosa, Mexico, a change that was first reported by The Washington Post. The shift has elicited concern at Customs and Border Protection of a potential rise of crossings by families to the neighboring Rio Grande Valley. Border crossings in recent years have been fueled mostly by Central American families fleeing persecution, violence and poverty.

The Department of Homeland Security is building a tent facility in Donna, Texas, to house migrants, but an administration official said that was unrelated to the law in Mexico. Customs and Border Protection said in November it would shut the main detention facility in McAllen for renovations.

President Joe Biden campaigned on restoring asylum at the southwestern border and signed an executive order this week directing the administration to review rolling back President Donald Trump’s restrictionist policies.

The new administration has not detailed publicly when the pandemic emergency rule will be lifted. After a federal judge in the District of Columbia lifted a block on the rule, which prevented the United States from turning away unaccompanied migrant children, the White House said it would use its discretion in deciding when to apply the policy.

Biden said in December that his administration would take a cautious approach to reversing Trump-era policies to avoid a surge at the border.

His immigration plan involved relying more on programs that track migrants after they are released into the United States to ensure they show up for immigration court and less on detaining them.

Mexico, for its part, drew praise for enacting restrictions on whom it detained.

“Mexico is making a decisive step to end immigration detention for children, and we are encouraged by this promising development,” said Gillian Triggs, the assistant high commissioner for the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees.

While top officials in the Trump administration argued its emergency rule was only an attempt to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, Trump’s White House tried to use the policy to further his goals of curtailing illegal immigration.

A Mexican law has stopped the United States from rapidly turning away migrant families at one of the busiest sections of the southwestern border, forcing agents to resume releasing families into the country, according to three Biden administration officials.

A Mexican law has stopped the United States from rapidly turning away migrant families at one of the busiest sections of the southwestern border, forcing agents to resume releasing families into the country, according to three Biden administration officials. The Trump administration began turning back migrants entering the United States in March, citing the threat of the coronavirus, and the emergency rule effectively sealed the border from asylum-seekers. But because of a law Mexico passed in November that prohibits the detention of immigrant children and families, the country has stopped accepting such families from South Texas, an area typically susceptible to illegal crossings, officials said. The recent shift has alarmed officials at the Department of Homeland Security and presents an immediate challenge to the Biden administration. Homeland security officials have said the emergency rule was necessary to prevent the coronavirus from spreading in detention facilities along the border, even as it prevented vulnerable families from having their asylum claims heard. An increasing number of families have been held in recent weeks in such facilities in the Rio Grande Valley, as well as in Del Rio, Texas, officials said. Stephanie Malin, a spokeswoman for Customs and Border Protection, said because of pandemic precautions and social distancing guidelines, some facilities had reached full “safe holding capacity.” “CBP takes very seriously the safety and well-being of its workforce and those they encounter, and we are taking even more precautions due to COVID-19,” Malin said. “As they always have, the number of individuals crossing the border continues to fluctuate, and we continue to adapt accordingly.” She said the agency was working with organizations in the community when releasing migrants into the public. The United States has sent more than 390,000 migrants back to Mexico or their home countries since March. The rule lowered the number of migrants detained on the U.S. side of the border, but it also sent Central American families scrambling at times when they learned that their children had been delivered to Mexico, a violation of international agreements. And while the policy was a crucial piece of the Trump administration’s attempts to close the border to migrants, the rule also had the unintended effect of giving migrants more chances to enter illegally. Customs and Border Protection recorded more than 73,000 crossings in December, an increase from the more than 40,000 in July. Agents detained more than 40,000 migrants in December 2019. The Mexican law, which took effect in January, does not apply to the entire border, officials said. U.S. border agents are still turning back single adults and, in places like Arizona, families, as well, officials said. It is unclear how the law will affect other parts of the border. A spokesman for the Foreign Ministry in Mexico declined to comment on whether it had stopped accepting migrant families, saying only that the United States continued to have the pandemic emergency rule in place. But the Biden administration has been unable to return migrant families to Reynosa, Mexico, a change that was first reported by The Washington Post. The shift has elicited concern at Customs and Border Protection of a potential rise of crossings by families to the neighboring Rio Grande Valley. Border crossings in recent years have been fueled mostly by Central American families fleeing persecution, violence and poverty. The Department of Homeland Security is building a tent facility in Donna, Texas, to house migrants, but an administration official said that was unrelated to the law in Mexico. Customs and Border Protection said in November it would shut the main detention facility in McAllen for renovations. President Joe Biden campaigned on restoring asylum at the southwestern border and signed an executive order this week directing the administration to review rolling back President Donald Trump’s restrictionist policies. The new administration has not detailed publicly when the pandemic emergency rule will be lifted. After a federal judge in the District of Columbia lifted a block on the rule, which prevented the United States from turning away unaccompanied migrant children, the White House said it would use its discretion in deciding when to apply the policy. Biden said in December that his administration would take a cautious approach to reversing Trump-era policies to avoid a surge at the border. His immigration plan involved relying more on programs that track migrants after they are released into the United States to ensure they show up for immigration court and less on detaining them. Mexico, for its part, drew praise for enacting restrictions on whom it detained. “Mexico is making a decisive step to end immigration detention for children, and we are encouraged by this promising development,” said Gillian Triggs, the assistant high commissioner for the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees. While top officials in the Trump administration argued its emergency rule was only an attempt to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, Trump’s White House tried to use the policy to further his goals of curtailing illegal immigration.

Mexican law halts US from turning back some migrant families

The UN Human Rights Committee Wednesday claimed Italy failed to protect the right to life of more than 200 migrants on a boat that sank in the Mediterranean Sea in 2013.

Italy "failed to respond promptly to various distress calls from the sinking boat, which was carrying more than 400 adults and children," the committee found.

Rome "also failed to explain the delay in dispatching its navy ship, ITS Libra, which was located only about an hour away from the scene".

Three Syrians and a Palestinian, who survived the sinking but lost their families in the tragedy, brought a joint complaint before the committee, a body of 18 independent experts tasked with monitoring the implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

The incident happened on October 11, 2013. The boat had set out from the Libyan fishing port of Zuwarah, carrying mostly people who had fled from Syria.

The fishing vessel began taking on water after it was fired on by a boat flying a Berber flag when in international waters, 113 kilometres (70 miles) south of the Italian island of Lampedusa and 218 kilometres south of Malta.

Those on board made several calls to the Italian number for emergencies at sea, but were eventually told after 1:00pm that they were in the Maltese search and rescue zone.

After desperate calls to the Maltese authorities, a Maltese patrol boat arrived at 5:50pm. The vessel had already capsized. Malta urgently requested Italian help, and the ITS Libra navy ship, which was nearby, was finally instructed to go to the rescue after 6:00pm.

As a result of the delayed action, more than 200 people, including 60 children, drowned.

The committee urged Italy to conduct an independent and timely investigation, and to prosecute those responsible.

Italy and other countries involved in the tragedy also need to provide effective remedy to those who lost their families in the accident, the committee concluded.

The UN Human Rights Committee Wednesday claimed Italy failed to protect the right to life of more than 200 migrants on a boat that sank in the Mediterranean Sea in 2013.

The UN Human Rights Committee Wednesday claimed Italy failed to protect the right to life of more than 200 migrants on a boat that sank in the Mediterranean Sea in 2013. Italy "failed to respond promptly to various distress calls from the sinking boat, which was carrying more than 400 adults and children," the committee found. Rome "also failed to explain the delay in dispatching its navy ship, ITS Libra, which was located only about an hour away from the scene". Three Syrians and a Palestinian, who survived the sinking but lost their families in the tragedy, brought a joint complaint before the committee, a body of 18 independent experts tasked with monitoring the implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The incident happened on October 11, 2013. The boat had set out from the Libyan fishing port of Zuwarah, carrying mostly people who had fled from Syria. The fishing vessel began taking on water after it was fired on by a boat flying a Berber flag when in international waters, 113 kilometres (70 miles) south of the Italian island of Lampedusa and 218 kilometres south of Malta. Those on board made several calls to the Italian number for emergencies at sea, but were eventually told after 1:00pm that they were in the Maltese search and rescue zone. After desperate calls to the Maltese authorities, a Maltese patrol boat arrived at 5:50pm. The vessel had already capsized. Malta urgently requested Italian help, and the ITS Libra navy ship, which was nearby, was finally instructed to go to the rescue after 6:00pm. As a result of the delayed action, more than 200 people, including 60 children, drowned. The committee urged Italy to conduct an independent and timely investigation, and to prosecute those responsible. Italy and other countries involved in the tragedy also need to provide effective remedy to those who lost their families in the accident, the committee concluded.

UN committee says Italy could have saved 200 drowning migrants

In a sign that it expects increased influx of migrants, Spain is launching a new migration policy in the Canary Islands. Spain largely refuses to transfer migrants from Canary Islands to the mainland. A huge jump in arrivals from Morocco and sub-Saharan Africa occurred last year and it created tensions in the archipelago. Authorities have started moving some migrants to tents in two camps on Gran Canaria.

Four more will be opened in mid-February on Gran Canaria, Tenerife and Fuerteventura islands for up to 7,000 migrants.

They mostly comprise outdoor tents in unused military facilities where people can enter and leave freely, and are meant to house migrants pending extradition or having their international protection requests processed, officials said. The tents will be later replaced by permanent facilities.

Spanish government says that it does not want to transfer migrants to mainland because it can encourage more migrants to come to Europe. Migrants from north or west Africa come to Canary Islands in rickety boats often in hopes of reaching mainland Spain.

Txema Santana, spokesman of refugees non-profit CEAR, criticised this, saying: "Accumulating people in a reception territory like the Canaries will generate nothing positive for the local population or the migrants because it complicates their access to rights."

The government, he said, was acting too late, not coordinating with local authorities and not providing good enough living conditions in the camps.

The Migrations Ministry, responsible for the camps, declined to comment.

The government has repeatedly defended its policy while insisting the Canaries would not be similar to Greece's Lesbos island where a massive overcrowded migrant camp suffered a fire in September.

Around 23,000 migrants arrived in the Canaries last year, up from 2,687 in 2019.

Often seeking to flee from the coronavirus' ravaging economic impact on their home countries, they travel mainly from Morocco along a dangerous route in the Atlantic as smugglers avoid journeys from the better-policed Mediterranean coast, a Spanish Interior Ministry source and police source said.

(With AFP inputs)

In a sign that it expects increased influx of migrants, Spain is launching a new migration policy in the Canary Islands. Spain largely refuses to transfer migrants from Canary Islands to the mainland.

In a sign that it expects increased influx of migrants, Spain is launching a new migration policy in the Canary Islands. Spain largely refuses to transfer migrants from Canary Islands to the mainland. A huge jump in arrivals from Morocco and sub-Saharan Africa occurred last year and it created tensions in the archipelago. Authorities have started moving some migrants to tents in two camps on Gran Canaria. Four more will be opened in mid-February on Gran Canaria, Tenerife and Fuerteventura islands for up to 7,000 migrants. They mostly comprise outdoor tents in unused military facilities where people can enter and leave freely, and are meant to house migrants pending extradition or having their international protection requests processed, officials said. The tents will be later replaced by permanent facilities. Spanish government says that it does not want to transfer migrants to mainland because it can encourage more migrants to come to Europe. Migrants from north or west Africa come to Canary Islands in rickety boats often in hopes of reaching mainland Spain. Txema Santana, spokesman of refugees non-profit CEAR, criticised this, saying: "Accumulating people in a reception territory like the Canaries will generate nothing positive for the local population or the migrants because it complicates their access to rights." The government, he said, was acting too late, not coordinating with local authorities and not providing good enough living conditions in the camps. The Migrations Ministry, responsible for the camps, declined to comment. The government has repeatedly defended its policy while insisting the Canaries would not be similar to Greece's Lesbos island where a massive overcrowded migrant camp suffered a fire in September. Around 23,000 migrants arrived in the Canaries last year, up from 2,687 in 2019. Often seeking to flee from the coronavirus' ravaging economic impact on their home countries, they travel mainly from Morocco along a dangerous route in the Atlantic as smugglers avoid journeys from the better-policed Mediterranean coast, a Spanish Interior Ministry source and police source said. (With AFP inputs)

Spain opens migrant camps in the Canaries expecting fresh influx

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