Quarterly Mixed Migration Updates, Quarter 2 – 2025 (April-June)
This article presents the key updates on mixed migration from six regions around the world during the second quarter of 2025. Links to the full Quarterly Mixed Migration Updates (QMMU) per region are included below.
Asia and the Pacific | Eastern and Southern Africa | Europe | Latin America and the Caribbean | North Africa | West Africa
Asia and the Pacific
Key Updates Quarter 2 – 2025
- Afghan deportations from Iran and Pakistan: As part of a national immigration crackdown, exacerbated by the outbreak of conflict with Israel, the Government of Iran has accelerated the forced and voluntary return of Afghan migrants in Iran, with over 700,000 returning since January 2025, and a record 256,000 in June alone. Similarly, Pakistan initiated the second phase of its deportation plan on 1 April 2025, targeting around 800,000 Afghan Citizen Card (ACC) holders. In total, UNHCR estimates 1.4 million Afghans returned to Afghanistan this year from both Pakistan and Iran with limited financial resources and employability, straining already over-stretched resources.
- Rohingya and Bangladeshi deportations from India: Following a terrorist attack in Kashmir in April 2025, the Ministry of Home Affairs has ordered an expedited process for verifying nationality or valid migration status of Bangladeshis and Rohingya. As of June 2025, more than 2,000 Bangladeshi migrants have been deported from six states. India has also allegedly been unlawfully arresting, detaining, and casting Rohingya refugees in the sea, forcing them to return to Myanmar territory.
- More Rohingya die at sea: 427 Rohingya refugees died after two boats sunk off the coast of Myanmar in May.
- Last Uyghur detainees in Thailand resettled: After a decade in immigration detention, the final three Uyghur detainees in Thailand were resettled in Canada in April 2025. This follows the controversial deportation of 40 Uyghur detainees to China in February 2025, which critics hold violates the non-refoulment principle. The three remaining detainees were distinguished from others in the cohort as they were verified to hold Kyrgyz nationality, and entered Thailand on their Kyrgyz passports in 2014.
- Permanent citizenship pathway for Tuvaluans affected by climate change: Under the Falepili Union Treaty, Australia and Tuvalu have agreed to create the world’s first special visa pathway granting permanent citizenship for 280 Tuvaluans (of a total population of 11,000) annually. The pathway is presented as a catalyst for economic development for climate resilience, but also allows for gradual resettlement given Tuvalu’s vulnerability to sea level rise and climate change.
Eastern and Southern Africa | Egypt & Yemen
Key Updates Quarter 2 – 2025
- War in Sudan continues to fuel cross-border displacement: compared to the previous quarter, cross border movements have increased by 22% in Libya (313,000), 12% in Chad (863,501), 12% in Uganda (79,693), 7% in the Central African Republic (45,184), 6% in South Sudan (1,156,949) and 4% in Ethiopia (74,594).
- East African migrants caught in Yemen’s conflict: In April, at least 68 African migrants, primarily Ethiopians and Somalis, were killed and 47 injured when a United States (US) airstrike hit a detention centre in Saada, in Northern Yemen.
- Multiple shipwrecks reported along Eastern routes: A boat carrying 260 migrants capsized off the coast of Shabwah, Yemen, killing 49 and leaving 140 missing. In June, smugglers forced 150 migrants into the sea off Djibouti’s coast, causing eight to drown; 22 remain missing.
- Mixed migration along Southern Route triggers arrests and deportations: Migrants from Burundi, DRC, Ethiopia, Rwanda and Tanzania were intercepted across Kenya, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. In June, 520 Malawians were deported from South Africa via the Mwanza border crossing.
- Double shipwreck occurred off the Comorian coast: six migrants died and several went missing after two Kwassa Kwassa capsized off the Comorian coast in mid-May during a rescue mission.
- Zambian women trafficked to Pakistan: under the guise of recruiting domestic workers in Pakistan, a human trafficking ring lured Zambian women into precarious situations where they faced labour violations.
- Continued returns of East Africa victims of trafficking from Thai-Myanmar scam centres: in April, the Kenyan government repatriated 153 citizens and in May, the Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced it had repatriated 121 citizens from Myanmar.
- Possible US-Rwanda deal in development: in early May, reports surfaced of a potential agreement between the US and Rwanda under which Rwanda would receive third-country nationals denied entry or deported from the US.
- US expands scope of proposed travel ban: in June 2025, the US announced potential travel bans on nationals from 36 countries, including Burundi, Djibouti, DR Congo, Egypt, Eritrea, Malawi, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Yemen, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Full or partial restrictions of nationals from these countries may be imposed if certain criteria are not met within 60 days.
Europe
Key Updates Quarter 2 – 2025
- Irregular migration to the EU falls by a fifth compared to previous year: According to preliminary Frontex data for the first half of 2025, the number of irregular arrivals in the EU has dropped 20% compared to the same period in 2024, totalling around 75,900. However, while certain routes saw significant reductions, including the Western Balkans (-53%), the Atlantic route (-41%), the Eastern Mediterranean route (-24%) and the Eastern Land Border (-50%), the Western Mediterranean (+19%) and Central Mediterranean (+12%) routes saw an increase.
- Sharp rise in arrivals in Crete prompts diplomatic tensions between Greece and Libya: by far the most popular destination within Greece this year is Crete and surrounding islands, with 7,135 arrivals as of 29 June. While the EU has been pressuring Libyan authorities to do more to prevent these crossings, the Greek government threatened to dispatch warships to reduce migration and in early July announced that for three months it would be suspending asylum applications from migrants who had embarked from North Africa.
- Italy’s failed Albania migrant facilities repurposed as return hubs: Italy’s controversial migration facilities in Albania, suspended shortly after opening in October 2024, have been repurposed to detain rejected asylum seekers prior to deportation. The first deportations direct from the facilities in Albania reportedly took place in early May, though were only reported in late June.
- Portugal announces migrant expulsion drive: In early May, ahead of national elections later that month, the Portuguese government announced plans to expel approximately 18,000 undocumented migrants in the country.
- Bosnia and Herzegovina agrees new deal on migration management with the EU: In June, Bosnia and Herzegovina entered into a new agreement with Frontex to undertake joint operations along its borders to reduce irregular movement through the country.
- France and the UK in discussion around maritime interceptions and migrant exchanges: France will begin intercepting migrant boats at seafrom July to reduce crossings to the UK. The UK and France are also discussing a potential migrant exchange programme.
- Tougher border measures in Poland and Finland: A new asylum law that was passed at the end of March in Poland that allows authorities to suspend asylum rights for up to 60 days at a time was subsequently renewed towards the end of May. Finland is piloting a new reception centre to promote voluntary and forced returns.
- Germany imposes stricter measures: in May, the Germany government announced plans to increase border security, with numerous undocumented migrants, including asylum seekers, turned back. Subsequently, despite a court ruling that turning away asylum seekers was unlawful, the government announced further plans to facilitate deportations through a speedier determination of whether migrants came from “safe countries of origin”.
- Italy’s referendum on citizenship fails to pass: A referendum held in Italy in June, proposing a reduction in the current 10-year requirement for foreign residents to gain citizenship, was annulled due to the low turnout.
- EU announces seven “safe countries”: In April, the EU announced the designation of seven countries—Bangladesh, Colombia, Egypt, India, Kosovo, Morocco and Tunisia—as safe to return to, meaning that nationals from these countries can be subjected to accelerated procedures.
- EU temporary protection for displaced Ukrainians extended to 2027: In June, the EU announced that the temporary protection for displaced Ukrainians would be extended until March 2027.
Latin America and the Caribbean
Key Updates Quarter 2 – 2025
- Efforts by the US administration to rewrite immigration law and policy face legal challenges. In its first months in office, the new administration has made sweeping changes to US law and policy, as covered in the first Quarterly Mixed Migration Update of 2025. Now, the administration is facing a range of legal challenges to those changes, including demands to restart the refugee resettlement programme and a Supreme Court suspension of use of the Alien Enemies Act while the issue is adjudicated.
- Attempts to enter the US remain low, but Canada expects an increase. Encounters at the US Southern border remained low, but entries to Canada from the US increased, driven in particular by the revocation of temporary protected status and humanitarian parole.
- Mexico struggles with stranded migrants. A recent IOM study indicated that seven in ten migrants stranded in Mexico following the immigration changes in the US wish to stay in the country, with asylum applications likely to rise in the southern city of Tapachula, where many migrants are stranded. However, the uncertainty of funding for refugee protection systems in the country, including an estimated 87% of UNHCR’s support, raises questions about the sustainability of this strategy.
- An increasing number of Nicaraguans are being subjected to de facto denationalisation, with the government of Nicaragua failing to issue travel documents or refusing them entry. With the US revoking status and the country increasingly unwilling to take its nationals back, more individuals risk being caught in limbo.
- A new crackdown on Haitian immigrants in the Dominican Republic sees a significant increase in deportations, fear, and rights abuses as Dominican business leaders express trepidation over the economic impact of mass deportations.
- Chile tightens immigration policy, extending border militarisation measures to cut irregular arrivals and considering restrictions on birthright citizenship.
- Argentinian President Milei issues a decree intended to tighten immigration control, restricting access to services, adding additional requirements for immigration statuses, and making it easier to remove people. Critics argue that Milei lacks the authority to implement these changes, which should be made by the legislature.
North Africa
Key Updates Quarter 2 – 2025
- Sea arrivals in Italy are rising, primarily driven by departures from Libya. As of 29 June, Italy recorded 29,705 irregular sea arrivals in 2025, a 17% increase compared to the same period in 2024. Departures from Libya increased by 116%, accounting for 91% of arrivals in Italy, while departures from Tunisia are accounting for 6% of arrivals only.
- The number of migrants arriving in Greece from eastern Libya continued to rise, with a 174% increase since the beginning of 2025 compared to last year. In response, the Greek government announced plans to deploy naval warships near Libyan waters as deterrent measures.
- Since early April 2025, large-scale security operations have been carried out to dismantle migrant settlements in the Tunisian city of Sfax, impacting over 9,000 people who were displaced. With limited alternatives, some migrants are returning home while others are resorting to dangerous sea crossings, including self-smuggling.
- Italy approved a €20 million programme aimed at facilitating the voluntary return of approximately 3,300 migrants from Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya. This follows a joint statement by civil society organisations warning that such returns, from Libya and Tunisia, are rarely voluntary in practice.
- France and Morocco announced the creation of a joint task force to facilitate the return of irregular Moroccan nationals.
- The European Commission proposed designating Tunisia and Morocco as “safe countries of origin,” enabling faster processing of asylum claims. Rights groups warn this may undermine safeguards like protection against refoulement and could also formalise wider deportation agreements.
- Despite some signs of a more open migration and asylum policy, Algeria has intensified expulsions to Niger. Between April and early June 2025, Algeria expelled over 16,000 migrants to Niger, more than half of all recorded deportations in 2024.
West Africa
Key Updates Quarter 2 – 2025
- Arrivals to the Canary Islands dropped by 41% in the first half of 2025 (as of 29 June), compared to the same period last year, largely due to tighter migration controls in Mauritania, Senegal, and Morocco. On the other hand, arrivals to Spain via the Western Mediterranean Route increased by 15% in the same period.
- Mauritania reportedly apprehended over 30,000 irregular migrants in raids and interceptions between January and April 2025, with many being expelled to Mali and Senegal.
- Mauritania intensifies bilateral migration diplomacy with Mali and Senegal, focusing on enhancing cooperation on irregular migration control.
- The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) validated its Labour Migration Strategy and Action Plan (LMSAP) to promote safe and regular migration; protect migrant workers’ rights; enhance regional migration governance; and advance gender equality and social inclusion.
- In May and June, torrential rains triggered flooding in parts of Nigeria and Ghana, leaving dozens dead and displacing thousands. As of 1 July, floods have displaced 21,000 people in Nigeria and 3,000 in Ghana.
- The United States has enacted a travel ban imposing full and partial restrictions on countries such as Togo and Sierra Leone, and is considering expanding it to nearly 40 African states – including Senegal, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria, Mauritania, and Niger – which may face full or partial restrictions.
- Between April and early June 2025, Algeria expelled over 16,000 migrants to Niger. In response, the Nigerien government has launched a repatriation plan, supported by IOM, to return over 4,000 migrants to their countries of origin by July 2025.
- hana’s authorities arrested over 2,200 migrants from neighbouring countries, such as Burkina Faso, Togo, Niger, and Nigeria, citing rising street begging and irregular migration.