Thousands of Ethiopian migrants have returned to their home country from Sudan, Djibouti, Saudi Arabia and other countries, according to IOM. Many returned because they lost their jobs abroad due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Members of the S&D group in the EU parliament have called on the European Commision to create a permanent mechanism for migrant search and rescue operations in the Mediterranean Sea.
The NGO Mediterranea Saving Humans launched its eighth migrant rescue mission at sea on Tuesday. Their Mare Ionio boat left the Trapani port and is heading for the central Mediterranean.
Asylum applications in Europe fell in April to their lowest level in over a decade. But an asylum lawyer has warned that migrants prevented from applying for protection because of coronavirus restrictions are now especially vulnerab1
The bodies of 20 people have been recovered from a shipwreck in waters off Tunisia. A search is underway for 30 others believed to have set off for Italy last Thursday night.