| Some 1,500 people died trying to reach Europe in 2018. Some 1,500 people have died so far in 2018 trying to reach Europe by crossing the Mediterranean, according to the UN International Organisation for Migration. This is the fifth consecutive year that the grim benchmark is being reached. Most of the deaths were drownings that occurred as people tried to cross from Libya to Italy. Last month, UNHCR said it was concerned about the increasing number of people dying on the Central Mediterranean route and called for international efforts to avoid further tragedies. | | |
| Syrian refugees return home from Lebanon. Hundreds of Syrian refugees returned to their country from Lebanon on Saturday in a bus convoy arranged by both governments. The move is part of efforts by Beirut to accelerate returns to areas where fighting has ended. According to Syrian state television, around 1,200 refugees were expected to cross back into the country from Lebanon on Saturday. Lebanon hosts over a million Syrian refugees who have fled the conflict at home, equating to more than a quarter of its population. | | |
| Spain rescues over 200 migrants at sea. Spain rescued over 200 refugees and migrants from 21 different boats on the Mediterranean Sea on Sunday. The boats were located in the Strait of Gibraltar, which separates Spain from Morocco. Over recent months, the rescue service has picked up more than 1,200 people attempting the perilous crossing from Morocco to Spain. | | |
| Save the Children: Children sexually exploited to 'pay' for cross-border crossing. Refugee and migrant children are being sexually exploited by drivers and other individuals, to pay for their safe passage into France from the Italian border, according to a report from Save the Children Italy. The charity says that minors are also being offered food or shelter in return for being abused. UNHCR strongly condemns all forms of sexual abuse and is willing to work with relevant authorities and partners to identify and ensure appropriate support to survivors. | | |
| Italy investigating German refugee rescue workers. Italian prosecutors are investigating more than 20 sea rescue workers for assisting refugees and migrants at sea, according to a report from German magazine Der Spiegel. The rescuers work for various international nongovernmental organizations, including Doctors Without Borders and Save the Children. | | |
| Refugees and asylum-seekers in Ireland are taking part in the 'Learning for life' programme, a 12-week training scheme designed by Guinness's parent company Diageo to prepare students for the hospitality industry. | | |
An estimated 182,600 people remain internally displaced in the south-west of Syria and still need safe passage out of the area.
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