UK: Detention and Accommodation in Shambles During Third Wave, Home Office Using Untrained Staff in Detention Appeals, Former Minister Warns “Inhuman” Policies will Not Work
Hundreds of asylum seekers are on hunger strike protesting conditions in the former army barracks in Kent. The Home Office is ignoring complaints from asylum seekers at Penally military camp over food quality and conditions. UK’s largest detention and removal centre...
France: Calais Evictions Continue Despite Winter, Family Reunifications Continue to be Blocked
Civil society organisations are alarmed over French authorities continued evictions of migrants from their tents and other belongings despite the freezing temperatures in Calais. Journalists are effectively prevented from covering the evacuations and dismantling of...
Germany: Deportation to Afghanistan amid Low Asylum Applications and Lengthy Procedures in Anchor Centres
On 12 January a deportation flight took off to Afghanistan which ranks least peaceful country in the world. In 2020, fewer people have applied for asylum while asylum procedures in anchor centres took longer than average. This week, 26 people whose asylum claims had...
Greece: Deaths and Push-backs Continue, Racist Attack on Hosting Centre for Unaccompanied Children, Camp Conditions Deteriorating
Violent pushbacks continue with another incident in the Evros region on 29 December. Yet another life lost at the Aegean where a 26-year old woman drowned on 4 January. Four children were injured on 26 December when 12 armed people attacked an accommodation centre for...
Bosnia and Herzegovina: Thousands Remain Stuck in Freezing Temperatures on EU’s Doorstep over Political Dissent
As temperatures drop below zero, about 2,500 people are sleeping rough in the northwest of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) of which several hundreds remain in squalid conditions at the burned-down Lipa camp that was destroyed by a fire on 23 December. While housing...
Med: 265 Survivors Disembarked in Italy, Loss of Lives at Sea Continues, Ongoing Fight for Freeing the Civil Fleet
265 people rescued by the NGO Open Arms disembarked in Italy, where survivors and crew members were placed in quarantine. At least 35 people drowned within the past two weeks in the Mediterranean Sea. Rescue capacity remains low as the civil fleet continues to be...
Atlantic Route: Deadly Incidents and Concern over Conditions for Children
Four dead bodies were found onboard a boat carrying 47 people, landing in Tenerife on 5 January. 15 people lost their lives on 23 December after authorities failed “to act quickly” to alerts of a boat in distress in Spanish waters. Concern over conditions for 2,500...
UK: Landmark Ruling on Non-Binary Identity, Home Office Fails to Compensate Windrush Victims and Refuses to Investigate Impact of Deportations on Children and Families
In a landmark ruling, refugee status has been granted relating to a person’s non-binary identity for the first time in a UK Court. This comes amidst critique of the Home Office for failing to compensate Windrush victims despite plans to fast-track payments. The Home...