Balkan Route: Thousands Stuck at External EU Borders Face Destitution and Violence from Locals and Those Keeping the Gate Closed
Local authorities in Krajina emptied a reception centre and restrict access to others, despite available capacity, leaving more than 2,500 people without shelter. New attacks by local residents towards people on the move occurred in Velika Kladuša municipality. In...
Greece: Closure of Accommodation for Vulnerable Amid Deteriorating Conditions in Camps, Transfers to Mainland
Accommodation centres for vulnerable people are being closed while the situation continues to deteriorate in Greek camps including in the new tented camp on Lesvos, the Vathy camp on Samos, and Malakasa north of Athens. 930 recognized refugees departed for Athens from...
Med: Death Toll Rising, Search and Rescue Capacities Low and the Pact Misses Opportunity to Decriminalise Saving of Lives at Sea
September has seen almost 200 drownings at the Mediterranean Sea within only a few days. Authorities delay rescue missions and capacities remain low with several rescue vessels blocked in ports. The Italian government plans to reduce fines for NGOs that violate...
France: Ban on Food Distribution in Calais City Centre Appealed to Council of State, Police Dismantles Makeshift Camp
After the administrative court in Lille rejected a request to suspend the ban on food distribution in the city centre of Calais, 13 civil society organisations filed an appeal with the Council of State on 23 September. French police dismantled a makeshift camp in...
UK: Plans to Outsource Asylum Interviews, Offshore Asylum Processing Centres, and Requirements to Sign on Amid the Second Wave
Earlier this week, the UK Home Office announced that it is considering outsourcing asylum interviews to commercial contractors. It was also reported that the Home Office had considered the possibility of the construction of offshore asylum processing centres on...
Campaign: European Pact on Asylum and Migration
When the European Pact on Asylum and Migration was presented by the European Commission on 23 September, 2020 ECRE’s campaign under the tag-line: “Human Rights Compliance – #HardlyRocketScience” was already well underway. We were joined by...
Editorial: The Pact on Migration and Asylum: it’s never enough, never, never
One of ECRE’s predictions for the Pact was that no-one would be happy with it, and so it has come to pass. The next few weeks will witness a competition about who is most unhappy with it, but when the dust settles the detailed debates on the nearly 500 pages of...
UK: Plans to Evict Asylum Seekers Amid Second Wave, Weekly Deportation Flights, Home Office Under Scrutiny
Thousands of asylums seekers currently in hotel accommodation are facing eviction amid the UK’s second wave of coronavirus. A letter from the Home Office to charities stated evictions of refused asylum seekers will take place “with immediate effect.” It was also...