In times of disorder, the UN’s victim-centric approach to human trafficking and irregular migration reminds us why multilateralism still matters.
By Faryal Shahzad

Read more: thefridaytimes.com/12-Feb-2026/...

#UnitedNations #IOM #HumanRights #UN #HumanTrafficking #IrregularMigration #RuleOfLaw

How Europe’s Migration Rules Keep Creating the “Irregular Migrants” They Claim to Catch What if irregular migration is not something that happens despite the system, but because of it?

and as a result they are creating irregular migrants, with the very policies that allegedly are meant to combat #irregularmigration politicalquarterly.org.uk/blog/how-eur...

Return or Regularization? A Temporal Analysis of Rejected Asylum Seekers in Germany This study examines the temporal dynamics and policy influences on pathways out of irregular(ized) status among rejected asylum seekers in Germany through the lens of temporal liminality, a concept h...

📣New OPEN ACCESS article:

What are the pathways taken by rejected asylum seekers to resolve their irregular(ized) status?
And how do these trajectories unfold over time?

📈Answers based on longitudinal administrative data can be found here:
doi.org/10.1002/psp....

#irregularmigration

The narrative construction of migrant irregularity in the United Kingdom This report investigates the narrative construction of migrant irregularity in the United Kingdom across three primary domains: media, politics, and civil society. The research employs corpus analysis...

"Need a guide to decode the script behind UK anti-immigration rhetoric? This is your roadmap", @stefano-piemontese.bsky.social argues. It unpacks how #irregularmigration was constructed during one of the most turbulent periods in British politics (2019–2023). zenodo.org/records/1511...

This is a really important and much needed report on how the UK public view and understand #irregularmigration from @nandosigona.bsky.social and Laurence Lessard-Phillips @iclaimeu.bsky.social

The main goal was to find out:
What do Britons know and think about #irregularmigration and irregular migrants?
But before going into this we asked about their views on #migration more broadly.
The majority of Britons thinks immigrants contribute positively to the economy. But...

Public understanding and attitudes to irregular migration in the UK - I-CLAIM This report summarises findings from the February 2025 I-CLAIM survey of 1,147 UK adults, exploring public knowledge of irregular migration, how people define it, and their attitudes toward irregular ...

Today we published a report on public understanding & attitudes to #irregularmigration in the UK.
this is my a one-line summary:
strong opinions, wrong facts.
But there is so much more to it. Ultimately the picture is much more nuanced and complex...
i-claim.eu/project/publ...

Public understanding and attitudes to irregular migration in the UK - I-CLAIM This report summarises findings from the February 2025 I-CLAIM survey of 1,147 UK adults, exploring public knowledge of irregular migration, how people define it, and their attitudes toward irregular ...

Views on #irregularmigration are complicated. Academics always say so. But what if who we think #irregularmigrants are is deeply distorted by political and media narratives?

check out our new @iclaimeu.bsky.social report to find out more.
i-claim.eu/project/publ...

Strong opinions and wrong facts - new report reveals public understanding and attitudes to #irregularmigration in the UK #mustread

2 Irregularity is strongly associated with border crossings and asylum claims, even though many irregular migrants lose status through everyday administrative or employment-related routes.
#irregularmigration
#moralpanic

Public understanding and attitudes to irregular migration in the UK - I-CLAIM This report summarises findings from the February 2025 I-CLAIM survey of 1,147 UK adults, exploring public knowledge of irregular migration, how people define it, and their attitudes toward irregular ...

What do Britons know and think about #irregularmigration?
Read new @iclaimeu.bsky.social report out today

i-claim.eu/project/publ...

We must protect our borders to defend our democracies. Here's how This is our strong message to our friends in Europe. Unless responsible governments reflect their citizens’ concerns, populists will win, say British PM Keir Starmer and Danish PM Mette Frederiksen

🚨🚨"We must protect our borders to defend our democracies." Dystopian and very #populist opinion piece by British PM #KeirStarmer and Danish PM #MetteFrederiksen suggesting #irregularmigration is at the heart of the challenges of today's society. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Irregular migration as an assemblage: New IRIS Working paper unpacks how “irregularity” is made in Europe Written by Nando Sigona (University of Birmingham) and Ilse van Liempt (Utrecht University), The irregularisation of migration and migrants’ irregular condition: an assemblage perspective draws on …

#Irregularmigration as an #assemblage: New IRIS Working Paper by @ilsevanliempt.bsky.social and me unpacks how “irregularity” is made in Europe drawing on @iclaimeu.bsky.social findings superdiversity.net/2025/10/31/i...

Eighteen migrant bodies recovered, over 90 rescued off Libya, Red Crescent says - Sight Magazine The bodies of at least 18 migrants, who died when their boat capsized west of Tripoli, were recovered, a Red Crescent branch said.

Eighteen migrant bodies recovered, over 90 rescued off Libya, Red Crescent says @sightmagazine.bsky.social #LIbya #migrantboats #irregularmigration #RedCrescent #Sabratha

sightmagazine.com.au/news/eightee...

Migrant boat capsizes off Yemen, killing more than 60 Dozens are missing after a boat carrying more than 150 migrants, many believed to be Ethiopian, sank in bad weather.

Dozens of migrants die in boat capsize off Yemen bbc.com/news/article... #Yemen #Migration #IrregularMigration #SaudiArabia #Ethiopia #HornOfAfrica #InternationalOrganizationForMigration #IOM #UnitedNations #MissingMigrantsProject #YemenCivilWar #Houthis #HouthiRebels #Somalia #Djibouti #Eritrea

UK launches sanctions regime targeting people smuggling gangs - Sight Magazine Britain on Monday launched a new sanctions regime targeting people smuggling gangs in what it said was the first move of its kind globally.

UK launches sanctions regime targeting people smuggling gangs @sightmagazine.bsky.social #UK #peoplesmuggling #migrantboats #DavidLammy #irregularmigration

sightmagazine.com.au/news/uk-laun...

Poland begins controls on borders with Germany and Lithuania Move after far-right protests is latest example of measures within EU that are straining passport-free Schengen zone

Poland begins controls on borders with Germany and Lithuania www.theguardian.com/world/2025/j... #Poland #Germany #Lithuania #EU #EuropeanUnion #Schengen #IrregularMigration #Migrants #AsylumSeekers #Russia #Belarus

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Portugal's Minister António Leitão Amaro criticized the prior Socialist government's inaction on irregular migration, as return rates for illegal immigrants remain low. The EU is stepping up efforts to address this pressing issue. #IrregularMigration #Portugal #EUImmigration

Using data from interviews with over 13,000 young people, Nicolás Caso Castellón and Jørgen Carling explain the reasons why campaigns designed to instill fear about the risks of #IrregularMigration might not be effective.

Full reading 📌 migrationresearchtopolicy.eu/2025/06/26/d...

#MigrationCoLab

This testimonial highlights the tragic consequences of irregular migration, where even today, the bodies of many lost migrants remain missing. It calls for urgent awareness to prevent such heartbreaking outcomes and promote safe, legal migration pathways.
#IrregularMigration
@danishmfa.bsky.social

The narrative construction of migrant irregularity in the United Kingdom - I-CLAIM This report investigates the narrative construction of migrant irregularity in the United Kingdom across three primary domains: media, politics, and civil society.

Interesting to hear about @runnymedetrust.bsky.social report on #hostileenvironment at #ssahe conference, there are several findings that resonates with out @iclaimeu.bsky.social corpus analysis of political and public narratives on #irregularmigration i-claim.eu/project/the-...

Beyond Borders: Irregular Migration from Africa and the Global Crisis On 10 July 2023, a fishing boat carrying more than 100 young West African men left Senegal, bound for Europe. One month later, only 38 had survived. The others died at sea – unaccounted for, unnamed and unacknowledged by the systems that failed them. This tragedy is not an isolated event. It is part of a recurring and intensifying pattern of irregular migration. Every year, tens of thousands of young Africans undertake treacherous journeys across the Sahara Desert, through Libya and over the Mediterranean Sea. These journeys are marked by exploitation, abuse and profound risk. While international policymakers continue to debate solutions, a fundamental question remains unanswered: Why do so many young people choose to leave their countries of birth? The standard responses – poverty, limited education, and misinformation – fall short of explaining the complexity of these decisions. Drawing from qualitative research conducted with irregular migrants from The Gambia and Cameroon now living in Germany, my findings suggest that irregular migration is not solely a flight from hardship. Rather, it is a calculated and often necessary response to entrenched inequality, systemic failure and the enduring desire for dignity, mobility, and opportunity. STRUCTURAL FAILURES, HISTORICAL CONTINUITIES Irregular migration cannot be understood in isolation from the broader context of governance – both in Africa and in Europe. Across the African continent, young people are often marginalised from political participation. They face limited employment prospects, underfunded education systems and governance structures that lack transparency and accountability. In response, European governments have largely adopted restrictive policies. Since 2015, the European Union has externalised border controls through funding detention centres in Libya, reinforcing security forces in the Sahel, and negotiating repatriation agreements. Though framed as humanitarian measures, these initiatives often produce human rights violations and encourage riskier migration routes. This policy architecture reflects a continuity with colonial and postcolonial dynamics. The global migration system, as it stands, perpetuates a history of extraction and inequality – where mobility is reserved for the privileged and criminalised for the marginalised. Migration then becomes both an act of survival and a form of resistance against systems that deny young Africans access to a viable future. STRATEGY, NOT DESPERATION Irregular migrants are often depicted as desperate or deceived. In reality, their choices often reflect strategy and resilience. Ruben, a young Gambian man I interviewed, described feeling intense family pressure to migrate. Stories of success from peers abroad made staying home feel like failure. He migrated knowing the risks. Sanama, a Cameroonian woman, travelled on a falsified sports visa. Despite her education, she faced no realistic pathway for legal migration. In Europe, her undocumented status left her vulnerable. These stories reflect agency within constraint. Migrants navigate systems that deny them formal mobility, yet they persist in seeking a better future. REFRAMING THE DEBATE The prevailing question in migration policy – “How can we stop them?” –fundamentally misrepresents the nature of irregular migration. A more constructive question would be: “What are these migration patterns revealing about our global systems, and what can we learn from those undertaking these journeys?” Irregular migrants offer vital insight into systemic breakdowns and human resilience. Their stories reflect how individuals respond when faced with unliveable conditions and unresponsive governance. By adopting a narrative and practice-based approach to migration research, we can better understand migration as an ongoing social process, shaped not only by structural factors but also by emotional drivers such as hope, shame, and ambition. Therefore, irregular migration from Africa is not just a regional issue – it is a global one. It reflects structural injustice and the unequal distribution of opportunity. – George Shan holds a master’s degree in sociology. He is a researcher into migration. The post Beyond Borders: Irregular Migration from Africa and the Global Crisis appeared first on The Namibian.

#IrregularMigration #MigrationCrisis #AfricanYouth #HumanRights #MediterraneanCrossing

Fourth session from Sialkot—youth in focus again!
At Government Postgraduate College, Pasroor, SSDO, IOM Pakistan, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark engaged students in an informative session on the risks of irregular migration and human trafficking.
#awareness #irregularmigration

Join us (in person or online) on Thursday (1-2.30pm CET) for this event on the governance of #irregularmigration in Europe!
Register via eventbrite: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/states-of-...

This Thursday, I’ll be giving a lecture at Ca’ Foscari University and Polis Social Hub in Venice: Irregular Migration in Practice

If you're in Venice and interested, feel free to join!

#Migration #IrregularMigration #Research #CaFoscari #PolisSocialHub @iclaimeu.bsky.social

@nandosigona.bsky.social reflecting on the present and future of research on #irregularmigration in the final plenary at #imiscoe2025 conference in Krems, bringing insights from @iclaimeu.bsky.social study

No Way Out, No Way In | COMPAS

this is from a long time ago, but it is a piece of research that really left a mark in how i think and understand the present
www.compas.ox.ac.uk/article/no-w...

interesting to see how absent the position of children is in the #imiscoe2025 conference on #irregularmigration

The episode also features Bastian Vollmer presenting the findings of @iclaimeu.bsky.social research on the narratives of #irregularmigration among media, politicians and CSOs. One of the key findings is around the centrality of irregular border crossings and what it does...

Yesterday's Scholars of Excellence workshop featured impactful presentations on #irregularmigration from researchers across the globe. Thanks to all who joined the discussion on how irregularity varies across regions. 📅 Future events: www.torontomu.ca/cerc-migrati...

Country reports - I-CLAIM

8/ Read the full report by Dr Stefano Piemontese (@stefano-piemontese.bsky.social): 🔗 i-claim.eu/project/the-...
#Migration #IrregularMigration #UKPolitics