The government of Cyprus declared a “migrant emergency” in April after more than 2,000 people arrived there by sea in the first three months of 2024. That’s compared to just 78 in the same period of 2023. Many are Syrians fleeing war and economic crises in Lebanon, which has been home to more than a million refugees since the Syrian civil war started. In Nicosia, Cyprus, the government has stopped processing asylum requests from Syrians, which has left a whole community in limbo.
Each year, thousands of tourists visit the demilitarized zone that separates North and South Korea. Now a North Korean defector is guiding tourists and offering his view of what it is actually like to grow up on the other side.
When the terrorist group ISIS emerged in Syria in the last decade, some 30,000 foreign fighters went to Syria to fight for the group. Most were from Europe and Asia. About 300 Americans joined or attempted to join ISIS, including one woman who was married to an American ISIS fighter.
For years, Colombia has been the main destination for Venezuelans escaping their nation’s humanitarian crisis. But that’s changing as Colombia’s government makes it harder for them to get residency permits.