Headline

African Immigrants Struggle To Pay Bills In UK As inflation Soars – Report

Published

2 years ago

May 4, 2023

A new report has revealed that African immigrants in the United Kingdom are struggling to pay bills as they are most affected by the persistent rising cost of living crisis.

The report published on Wednesday by an African communications service community disclosed that many African residents in the UK suffer to afford basic needs such as food, housing and energy.

This has forced the African Diasporan community to seek financial support as the report said inflation upsets the economy.

With over 1,000 Africans surveyed, Robert Ekat, Lead Researcher, at BHM said, “The findings reveal the stark reality of the financial struggles faced by this community, with job security and monthly bills being the top concerns”.

“This report is critical as it highlights the impact of the cost of living crisis on African immigrants. It is a deliberately qualitative report with factual data to help us comprehend the practical impact of rising costs on individuals and communities,” adds BHM Founder, Ayeni Adekunle.

“It ultimately adds to the existing body of research on the impact of the cost of living crisis on different communities in the UK and we are enthusiastic that researchers, policymakers, and organisations will find the data useful in developing future policies and actions for the betterment of the African community.”

The report further said, “Almost 60% of those surveyed have turned to family for financial support in recent times, while 44.5% admit to borrowing to pay for everyday needs. As the crisis bites deeper, several participants say they have had to cut down on essentials to survive.”

According to the report, at least 28% of respondents in the African expatriate community say they struggle to afford gas monthly, 69.4% plan to reduce the use of power, and 47% of participants have had to miss meals so they could pay bills.

The emigration of Africans to the UK has seen an enormous rise over the past year. According to the University of Oxford’s Migration Observatory, net migration was unusually high in 2022 as rises in temporary work and study migration post-pandemic have contributed to the surge.

Despite significant contributions to the UK economy, the report showed that 84% of the respondents in the African immigrant community do not claim any form of financial support from the UK government. This is a clear contrast compared to other groups like citizens of the EU, European Economic Area (EEA), Switzerland and the UK who have access to benefits like Universal Credit, Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA), Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) to name a few.

About 48% of respondents revealed they feel worse off than they were a year ago. The African community’s experiences revolve around critical challenges and concerns including lack of job security, unaffordable housing, and mounting debt.

Since the start of the pandemic, at least 25% of respondents have had to opt out of their workplace pension, risking retirement security. The grim situation has necessitated an urgent need for attention, which has informed BHM UK’s research.

Back home in their native countries, many African diasporans are pressured by the black tax.

According to the report, Aishat, a 36-year-old store manager, said, “I am worried that after a while, I won’t be able to send money back home to my family and take care of my most mundane needs.”

Over 77% of participants in the report revealed family and friends expect some support, thereby intensifying the desperation for survival. This was reflected in the admittance by almost 59% of respondents that the current economic situation in the UK is affecting their mental and physical health.

Enitan Kehinde, General Manager, BHM UK, said, “We are delighted to inform public discourse and help raise awareness about the economic and psychological issues facing Africans in the UK. This is necessary for us to demonstrate increased understanding, empathy and support for these individuals and communities and to inspire practicable solutions.”

With many Africans seeking to migrate to the UK in the coming months, BHM UK’s report on the cost of living crisis critically expounds on the experiences of African expatriates and the interventions to embark upon, especially by government and organisations targeted at the African community.

It’s important for the UK to provide some support to Africans. “Apart from school fees paid by immigrants to British schools, the UK gains from Visa Fees, NHS payments, Rent, Economic productivity, Income taxes, etc.,” a report by SBM Intelligence, an Africa-focused geopolitical research and strategic communications firm states.

Headline

Family Of Five Killed In Iranian Missile Strike After Fleeing Ukraine For Safety In Israel

Published

4 hours ago

June 28, 2025

Editor

A Ukrainian family of five who fled Russia’s war in search of safety were killed in Israel by an Iranian missile — the very conflict they thought they had escaped.

Mariia Pieshkurova had brought her 7-year-old daughter, Anastasiia, to Bat Yam, a suburb of Tel Aviv, hoping to get lifesaving cancer treatment and refuge from the violence at home.

Along with Anastasiia’s grandmother, Olena Sokolova, and two young cousins, Illia and Kostiantyn, they had started over — believing they were finally safe.

But on June 15, an Iranian missile tore through their apartment building during a retaliatory strike on Israel, killing them all.

“I really thought they’d be safe,” said Artem Buryk, Anastasiia’s father and Mariia’s former partner. “I never thought they’d go to Israel to escape war — and find it there.”

The missile attack, part of Iran’s response to Israeli airstrikes on its territory, collapsed much of the building in Bat Yam.

It took four days to recover Mariia’s body from the rubble.

Their deaths marked a heartbreaking intersection of two wars — Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Iran’s conflict with Israel — both of which had already tested the family’s will to survive.

Mariia had moved to Israel in late 2022 after Anastasiia was diagnosed with leukemia.

Ukraine’s hospitals were overwhelmed, and its largest children’s hospital was later destroyed in a missile strike.

In Israel, treatment began immediately. It was effective but costly. Mariia turned to Instagram, sharing photos of her daughter in treatment and videos of Artem pleading for help while serving on Ukraine’s front lines.

“Masha did everything for her little girl,” said Anastasiia’s godmother, Khrytsyna Chanysheva. “She dedicated her life to her, moved to Israel to get her full treatment.”

Despite the pain, Anastasiia always smiled at visitors.

“She was in pain, and she would close her eyes for a second,” said charity worker Lada Fichkovsi. “But every time I walked into her room, she would smile.”

Her cousins joined the family in May 2024 as the situation in Odesa deteriorated.

“The shelling made my children cry,” said Hanna Pieshkurova, Mariia’s sister. “I decided to let them go.”

Though Israel was at war with Hamas, Mariia had assured her sister that Bat Yam was calm. Air raid sirens were rare, and the Iron Dome defense system offered hope.

“Ukrainians often say, ‘This is not Ukraine, it’s not as scary,’” said Inna Bakhareva of Chance4Life, a charity helping sick children in Israel. “They felt secure due to the Iron Dome.”

That sense of security evaporated after Israel struck Iranian targets on June 12. Iran retaliated with missile attacks across Israeli cities.

“Dad, at night I saw how the missiles were falling,” Anastasiia told her father in a voice message the night before she died.

She and her mother had been scheduled to visit the hospital the next morning. The missile struck before dawn.

Mr. Buryk, who had just returned from the front lines near Sumy, received the news that same day.

“I still don’t understand what’s happening,” he said. “I still can’t believe it.”

He used to promise Anastasiia they’d go fishing together when peace returned.

“Every time I talked to her, I’d say, ‘Sweetheart, we’ll go fishing. Just us,’” he said. “And now I just don’t understand. I still don’t even grasp that she’s gone.”

“Last night,” he added quietly, “I sent her voice messages.”

(New York Times)

Headline

Militia Attack On DRC IDP Camp, Kills 10, Mostly Women, Children

Published

15 hours ago

June 27, 2025

Editor

An armed group at the centre of a long-running ethnic conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s northeast attacked a camp for displaced people on Friday, killing 10, local sources told AFP.

Bordering Uganda, Ituri province has for years been the scene of pitched battles between the Lendu, a group mainly made up of settled farmers, and the Hema people, typically nomadic herders.

The fighting has led to the deaths of thousands of civilians and the mass displacement of many more.

Friday’s assault on the Djangi displaced persons camp was carried out by the self-proclaimed Cooperative for the Development of Congo (Codeco), a Lendu-aligned militia responsible for previous civilian massacres, the camp’s head told AFP.

“They were many and armed with firearms and machetes. They surprised us, they killed 10 displaced people, most of them women and children,” said Richard Likana.

An employee of the Red Cross, who asked to remain anonymous, confirmed the attack, which took place around 60 kilometres (37 miles) from Bunia.

“They were cut up with machetes while others were shot,” the humanitarian worker added.

Congolese army Colonel Ruffin Mapela, the local administrator for Djugu territory where the camp is located, gave the same toll of 10 dead and put the number of injured at 15.

According to local and humanitarian sources, Codeco was responsible for an attack on February 10 which killed 51 people in Ituri province. Most of the victims were also displaced persons.

That raid was said to be a response to a strike by the rival Hema-led Zaire militia in the same area.

Violence between the Hema and Lendu killed thousands in gold-rich Ituri from 1999-2003, which only ended after European forces intervened.

The conflict erupted again in 2017, killing thousands more.

The violence has led to more than 1.5 million people leaving their homes, according to the UN.

AFP

Headline

Israel Wants Global Action Against Iran’s Nuclear Plans

Published

15 hours ago

June 27, 2025

Editor

Israel’s foreign minister said on Friday that the world was obliged to stop Iran from developing an atomic bomb, days after Israel claimed it had “thwarted Iran’s nuclear project” in a 12-day war.

“Israel acted at the last possible moment against an imminent threat to itself, the region, and the international community,” Gideon Saar wrote on X.

“The international community must now prevent, by any effective means, the world’s most extreme regime from obtaining the most dangerous weapon.”

Israel and Iran each claimed victory in the war that ended with a ceasefire on June 24.

The conflict erupted on June 13 when Israel launched a bombing campaign, stating it aimed to stop Iran from developing a nuclear weapon—an ambition Iran has consistently denied.

Following waves of Israeli attacks on nuclear and military sites, the United States bombed three key facilities, with President Donald Trump insisting it had set Iran’s nuclear programme back by “decades”.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in an address to the nation after the ceasefire, announced that “we have thwarted Iran’s nuclear project”.

However, there is no consensus as to how effective the strikes were.
On Friday, Iran rejected a request by UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi to visit the bombed facilities, saying it suggested “malign intent”.

The comments from Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi came after parliament approved a bill suspending cooperation with the UN watchdog.

In a post on X following the move, Saar said Iran “continues to mislead the international community and actively works to prevent effective oversight of its nuclear programme”.