Amid a sharp increase in southbound migration, International Organization for Migration (IOM) Director General Amy Pope visited Guatemala this week to reaffirm IOM’s commitment to supporting people caught in crisis, providing life-saving humanitarian assistance, and advancing sustainable solutions that ensure people can build a future back home.

During this first official visit to Guatemala, DG Pope met with President Bernardo Arévalo and Vice President Karin Herrera to discuss migration management, regional cooperation, and support for Guatemalan returnees in line with the Guatemalan government’s National Return Home Plan (Plan Retorno al Hogar). These discussions underscored the critical role of coordinated efforts in addressing migration challenges and ensuring returning migrants receive the assistance they need to reintegrate with dignity.

“More people are returning home, often under incredibly difficult circumstances,” said DG Pope. “IOM is committed to ensuring that return is safe and dignified while strengthening the conditions that allow people to build a future where they are. That’s why IOM is working closely with the Guatemalan government and other partners to make sure that returning home isn’t just a moment—it’s the start of something better.”

In recent weeks, southbound migration has surged, with 65% of migrants recorded on irregular routes in Guatemala traveling south. Many face extreme hardship, requiring urgent humanitarian assistance, reintegration support, and safe return options. IOM’s Assisted Voluntary Return (AVR) programs are playing a critical role in supporting this shift, facilitating safe returns from key transit points and responding to emerging migration routes through the Guna Yala territory.

Through partnerships with governments, donors, and the private sector, IOM remains committed to meeting the urgent needs of people on the move while advancing long-term solutions that address the root causes of migration and promote stability.

Eighty people are at risk of deportation to Lebanon, Alarm Phone said on its X handle. It also informed that 35 lives are at risk between Libya and Crete.

The post reads: “80 people at risk of being deported to #Lebanon! Cypriot authorities confirmed the arrival of 3 boats carrying 80 people who departed from #Syria. They were brought to a camp in #Cyprus. What will happen next?

“There is no direct contact with the people. Their relatives are worried that they will be deported to #Lebanon. So far, Cypriot & Lebanese authorities refused to confirm or deny any information regarding this & leave the relatives in fear! Stop all #deportations to #Lebanon!

“SOS 35 lives at risk between #Libya & #Crete, #Greece!  Alarm Phone is in contact with a boat reportedly adrift. After we alerted authorities, the merchant vessel YM Wisdom altered course to the position of distress. While we hope for rescue, we fear a return to #Libya!”

Libyan authorities have allegedly killed a Sudanese young man Ibrahim Adam.

According to Refugees In Libya, Ibrahim was  killed in Sabratha on March 12, 2025.

A report on the incident shared by Refugees In Libya reads: “A Sudanese young man named Ibrahim Adam was killed last night in Sabratha by Libyan authorities during a raid on his residence.

“He had just fled the destruction in Sudan, only to meet death in a place where he sought refuge. His killing is not an isolated event—it is part of a brutal and ongoing campaign against Sudanese refugees in Libya, where those who have already lost everything to war are now hunted down, arrested without reason, and murdered without consequence.

“The very people who should be given protection are instead met with violence, as if the war they escaped had only changed its scenery, not its nature.”