Op-ed: The French Asylum Bill – a deeply unbalanced proposal
By Hélène Soupios-David, Head of European affairs and studies, France terre d’asile Last week the French government presented a new Asylum and Migration Bill. This text comes only two years after a major reform took place, the effects of which have yet to be...
Norway: strengthening enforced returns despite sizable decline in applications for international protection
In its recently published report the Global Detention Project documents the increased use of detention and deportation amid a decline of lodged asylum applications. In contrast to the usual practice, a family hosted in church asylum was arrested and is to be deported....
AIDA 2017 Update: serious problems with asylum procedures, reception conditions and detention in Cyprus*
The updated AIDA Country Report on Cyprus documents key developments in the area of asylum procedures, reception conditions, detention and content of international protection. Findings include serious gaps in asylum procedures, deteriorating reception conditions and...
Libya: migrants and refugees out by plane and in by boat
The joint European Union (EU), African Union (AU) and United Nations (UN) Task Force visited Tripoli last week welcoming progress made evacuating and returning migrants and refugees out of Libya. EU has announced three new programmes, for protecting migrants and...
AIDA 2017 Update: push backs and improper detention conditions in Poland*
The updated AIDA Country Report on Poland provides the latest information and developments relating to the asylum procedure, reception conditions, detention and content of international protection. People seeking international protection face systematic push backs and...
Push backs and human rights violations at Bulgarian and Greek borders with Turkey
Persisting human rights violations against people seeking protection at Bulgaria’s border with Turkey have been confirmed following a recent visit of the European Parliament Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE). At the Greek border with Turkey...
Special Representative on Migration and Refugees calls for solidarity and respect for human rights in his first activity report
The Council of Europe’s Special Representative on Migration and Refugees, Ambassador Tomáš Boček, has published his first activity report covering the period of his first mandate (February 2016 to January 2018). The report provides an overview of the Special...
Israeli government to appeal ruling on asylum for Eritrean deserter while implementing first step of mass deportation plan
In a new ruling by an Israeli immigration appeal panel, desertion from the Eritrean army has been accepted as a sufficient basis for granting refugee status to an Eritrean asylum seeker. Recognition rates in Israel are dramatically low and Sudanese and Eritrean asylum...