Rohingya refugees in Sri Lanka protest planned closure of U.N. office, fearing abandonment

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — A group of Rohingya refugees living in Sri Lanka staged a protest outside the office of the U.N. refugee agency Tuesday, saying they fear losing their living allowance once the agency’s office in the island nation closes at the end of this year. The protesters also want to be resettled in … Read more

More Rohingya refugees arrive in Indonesia despite rejection from locals

MEDAN, Indonesia — Nearly 150 Rohingya refugees, mostly hungry and weak women and children, have reached a beach in Indonesia’s North Sumatra province after weeks at sea, officials said Sunday. The group of 53 men, 39 women and 55 children arrived on Karang Gadih beach in Langkat district late Saturday, said the village head, Muhammad … Read more

Displaced, repatriated and crossing borders: Afghan people make grueling journeys to survive

TORKHAM, Afghanistan — The barren desert plain among the mountains of eastern Afghanistan is filled with hundreds of thousands of people. Some live in tents. Others live out in the open, among the piles of the few belongings they managed to take as they were forced from neighboring Pakistan. The sprawling camp of people returning … Read more

Students in Indonesia protest the growing numbers of Rohingya refugees in Aceh province

BANDA ACEH, Indonesia — Students in Indonesia’s Aceh province rallied on Wednesday, demanding the government drive away Rohingya refugees who have been arriving by sea in growing numbers. The protest came as police named more suspects in human trafficking of refugees. Over 1,500 Rohingya — who fled violent attacks in Myanmar to subsequently leave overcrowded … Read more

‘Pray for us’: Eyewitnesses reveal first clues about a missing boat with up to 200 Rohingya refugees

PIDIE, Indonesia — Their screams and sobs could be heard from the ailing boat soon after it emerged into view amid the vastness of the Andaman Sea. Crowded on board were tiny babies and children, alongside mothers and fathers begging to be saved. The passengers were ethnic Rohingya Muslims who had fled surging gang violence … Read more

5 more boats packed with refugees approach Indonesia’s shores, air force says

BANDA ACEH, Indonesia — Indonesian authorities detected at least five boats packed tight with refugees approaching shores of Aceh province, officials said Thursday. The boats are the latest in a surge of vessels that have arrived in Aceh, most carrying Rohingya refugees from southern Bangladesh, where the persecuted Muslim minority fled in 2017 following attacks … Read more

Life in Russian-controlled areas of Ukraine is grim. People are fleeing through a dangerous corridor

SUMY, Ukraine — Whenever 52-year-old Anna is agitated, she senses the chilling touch of a gun barrel between her brows — a haunting reminder of an encounter with a group of Russian soldiers on her street about a year ago. On that day, amid tears and screams, the soldiers threatened to kill her and her … Read more

Over 300 Rohingya Muslims fleeing Myanmar arrive in Indonesia’s Aceh region after weeks at sea

ACEH BESAR, Indonesia — Two boats carrying more than 300 Rohingya Muslims, including emaciated women and children, arrived at Indonesia’s northernmost province of Aceh on Sunday morning after being adrift for weeks. One boat, which had been at sea for about one and a half months and carrying 135 passengers, arrived at a beach in … Read more

Dutch election candidates make migration a key campaign issue in the crowded Netherlands

TER APEL, Netherlands — It is a familiar sight in this remote rural town: a migrant in a headscarf and thick winter coat carrying her belongings to the overcrowded reception center as a storm brews over the flat landscape. For many here and across this nation once known as a beacon of tolerance, it is … Read more

Pakistani premier tries to reassure Afghans waiting for visas to US that they won’t be deported

ISLAMABAD — Pakistan’s prime minister on Wednesday sought to reassure Afghans waiting in Pakistan for resettlement in the United States that they won’t be deported as part of his government’s widely criticized crackdown on undocumented migrants in the country. Islamabad this month launched a crackdown on illegal migration, saying any unregistered foreign national and migrant … Read more