Ms. Favour Henshaw has been appointed as the new Administrator of the Platform for Cooperation on Mixed Migration (PCMM), the organisation’s Secretariat has announced.

In a statement issued to members, the Secretariat said Henshaw will support the platform by coordinating administrative activities, facilitating communication among members, managing documentation, and strengthening the day-to-day operations of the organisation.

The Secretariat called on all members to extend their full cooperation and support to Henshaw as she assumes her new responsibilities.

“We kindly ask all members to extend their usual cooperation and support to her as she undertakes this important responsibility,” the statement read.

The Secretariat also expressed confidence in Henshaw’s ability to contribute to the platform’s mission of promoting coordinated, rights-based responses to mixed migration.

Reacting to her appointment, Henshaw expressed gratitude to the PCMM Secretariat and members for the confidence reposed in her.

“Thank you everyone for your felicitations and to PCMM for the appointment. I hope that together we can do great things and showcase the diversity of our initiative to the world,” she said.

The Platform for Cooperation on Mixed Migration brings together stakeholders working to advance collaborative and rights-based approaches to addressing mixed migration challenges.

The Italian island of Lampedusa, located between Sicily and Tunisia, continues to serve as one of Europe’s main entry points for migrants crossing the Mediterranean from North Africa in search of safety and better economic opportunities.

The island’s main reception facility, the Centro di Primo Accoglienza (First Reception Centre), was built to accommodate around 400 people. However, repeated surges in migrant arrivals have pushed the centre far beyond its intended capacity. In 2024, nearly 46,000 migrants arrived on the island, with daily arrivals frequently exceeding 1,000 people.

The overcrowding has placed severe pressure on the reception centre, commonly referred to as a “hotspot.” Originally designed for short-term reception, the facility lacks sufficient infrastructure to process large numbers of arrivals, including adequate registration areas, medical services and security screening facilities.

Human rights organisations and humanitarian agencies have reported deteriorating living conditions inside the centre, with migrants facing shortages of clean water, food and medical care. Reports have also described overcrowded sleeping areas and inadequate sanitation facilities as the number of residents regularly exceeds the centre’s capacity by three to four times.

The situation has intensified following Italy’s 2023 decision to extend the maximum administrative detention period for migrants from three months to 18 months while asylum applications and deportation procedures are processed. The government says the measure is intended to strengthen immigration enforcement and ensure compliance with national migration laws.

Critics, however, argue that prolonged detention has contributed to chronic overcrowding and transformed temporary reception centres into long-term detention facilities. They contend that extended stays have worsened humanitarian conditions and increased pressure on already limited resources.

Italy’s asylum policy also distinguishes between migrants based on their country of origin. Under national legislation, individuals from countries designated as “safe countries of origin” may have their asylum applications processed through accelerated procedures. The government’s list, which has been revised from 22 to 19 countries, includes nations considered generally free from widespread conflict.

Human rights advocates argue that the classification does not adequately account for political instability, discrimination or other forms of persecution that individuals may face despite the absence of armed conflict. They warn that relying primarily on nationality rather than individual circumstances could place vulnerable asylum seekers at risk.

Legal experts have also raised concerns that automatic detention and the return of unsuccessful asylum seekers could conflict with international refugee law. They point to the principle of non-refoulement under the 1951 Refugee Convention, which prohibits returning individuals to countries where they may face persecution or threats to their lives or freedom.

Italy has recently strengthened cooperation with Tunisia and Albania through bilateral migration agreements aimed at reducing irregular migration and managing asylum procedures. Under the agreements, some migrants may be transferred to facilities outside Italy or returned to their countries of origin.

The agreements have drawn criticism from international rights groups, which cite concerns over migrants’ treatment following their return. Similar arrangements with Libya, introduced in 2017, were widely criticised after migrants returned to Libyan detention centres reported torture, violence and other serious human rights abuses.

Migration management remains a broader challenge for the European Union. Under the Dublin Regulation, asylum seekers are generally required to submit their claims in the first EU country they enter, placing significant responsibility on frontline states such as Italy, Greece and Spain.

Although other EU member states may voluntarily accept relocated asylum seekers, there is currently no binding relocation mechanism across the bloc. The EU adopted a new Pact on Migration and Asylum in May 2024, but observers note that disagreements over mandatory burden-sharing among member states remain unresolved.

Analysts say both immediate and long-term measures will be required to ease pressure on Lampedusa.

In the short term, expanding Italy’s reception capacity through additional temporary centres could help reduce overcrowding. Existing facilities in Pozzallo, Messina and Taranto currently receive transfers from Lampedusa, but their combined capacity remains limited compared with the number of daily arrivals.

Humanitarian organisations have also called for increased European Union funding, additional medical personnel and greater logistical support to improve migrant registration, healthcare and psychological services. They have highlighted the role of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in providing interpretation services, legal information and refugee protection.

Long-term proposals include expanding legal migration pathways, strengthening international cooperation to combat human smuggling networks and improving search-and-rescue coordination across the Mediterranean.

Many migration experts also argue that reforming the Dublin Regulation and establishing a binding EU-wide relocation system would distribute responsibility more evenly among member states and reduce pressure on frontline countries.

As migrant arrivals continue, Lampedusa remains at the centre of Europe’s migration debate, balancing humanitarian obligations with the practical challenges of managing one of the Mediterranean’s busiest migration routes.

A refugee rights organisation, Refugees In Libya, has condemned the decision by authorities in eastern Libya to ban the entry of nationals from Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia, while ordering the deportation of those considered to be in an “irregular situation.”

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the organisation described the move as part of a wider campaign targeting migrants, refugees and asylum seekers across Libya.

The group alleged that, in recent months, thousands of Black Africans have been arbitrarily detained, subjected to forced labour, abandoned in the desert, forcibly deported or returned to detention camps because of their nationality, race or migration status.

According to the organisation, the policy promotes racism, encourages collective punishment and denies people fleeing conflict and persecution their right to seek safety.

Refugees in Libya also accused the European Union of contributing to the worsening situation through its continued engagement with authorities in eastern Libya.

The statement claimed that the EU provides funding, political recognition, equipment and legitimacy to forces linked to eastern Libyan commander Khalifa Haftar despite allegations of serious human rights violations and crimes against humanity.

The group further criticised the proposed Rescue Coordination Centre in eastern Libya, describing it as an “Abduction Coordination Centre.” It alleged that security forces involved in migration control have repeatedly intercepted migrants at sea and subjected them to arbitrary detention, torture, rape, forced labour, extortion, enforced disappearances and racial violence.

The organisation argued that responsibility for abuses against migrants should not rest solely with Libyan authorities, insisting that the European Union and its member states share accountability because of their long-standing financial, political and operational support for migration policies in Libya.

It called on eastern Libyan authorities to immediately reverse the entry ban, end what it described as campaigns targeting Black migrants and refugees, and guarantee the rights and dignity of all people regardless of nationality or migration status.

The group also urged the European Union to halt all political, financial and operational support for policies and actors it said were responsible for ongoing human rights abuses against migrants and refugees in Libya.