E.g., 07/24/2026
E.g., 07/24/2026

Smuggling & Trafficking: All Activity

A crowd in Benin City, Nigeria. (Photo: IOM/Agara Barinedum)

Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country and one of its largest economies, sits at the crossroads of the continent’s migration landscape. As both a regional immigration hub and an origin for significant emigration, the country contends with a wide range of migration issues that have evolved over time. This country profile situates Nigeria's migration trends and policies.

Women at a site for displaced people in Niger.

Migration governance in Africa's Sahel region has been been pulled in different directions, torn between security-focused border restrictions and economic visions for free movement. New complexity was added after Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger withdrew from the regional ECOWAS bloc. This articles provides insight on the migration and policy trends in a dynamic region.

Map of North and South Korea

As the number of defections from North to South Korea has declined, South Korea has struggled to respond to a new trend: a rising number of children born during defectors' long stays in China or other third country. As this article explains, these children automatically become South Korean citizens upon arrival but are not eligible for the range of government benefits designed to support defectors, leaving many to fall through the cracks. 

Cover image for Small Boats, Big Stakes
Policy Briefs
June 2025

Crossings of Channel waters in small, often unseaworthy vessels have become a top concern in France and the United Kingdom. As UK policymakers and their European counterparts consider striking a readmissions deal to more collaboratively manage these small boat crossings, this policy brief explores what is at stake, options for future cooperation, and what it will take for a deal to work in practice.

Cover image for Facing New Migration Realities...
Policy Briefs
May 2025

No country has been more critical to U.S. border enforcement than Mexico, with Mexican policies central to reductions in irregular border arrivals witnessed since the start of 2024. As the United States and Mexico navigate the next chapter in their long-standing engagement on migration issues, this policy brief provides an account of how migration patterns and policy responses changed in recent years and the challenges ahead.

An Eritrean refugee in Ethiopia.

Eritreans account for a disproportionately large share of the world’s refugees. But fleeing the harshly repressive country is rarely easy. This article provides a primer on the situation in Eritrea and the conditions that refugees and other emigrants have encountered abroad.

A German border sign next to a road
Short Reads
September 2024
By  Hanne Beirens, Susan Fratzke and Camille Le Coz
Turkish authorities assist a migrant.

Turkey is engaged in wide-ranging efforts to halt irregular migration and break up migrant smuggling networks. In recent years, the government has installed a three-meter-high wall along much of its borders with Syria and Iran, arrested thousands of smugglers, and engaged in agreements and cooperation with the European Union. This article explains the motivations behind the enforcement and how the strategy is evolving.

European and UK leaders at 2024 European Political Community summit
Short Reads
July 2024
By  Camille Le Coz and Meghan Benton
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at a press conference
Short Reads
June 2024
By  Meghan Benton and Susan Fratzke

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