Ireland: Asylum seekers face long periods in inadequate living conditions as waiting times reach crisis point
The Ombudsman of Ireland has released the first report on the Irish Direct Provision system for those awaiting asylum decisions, highlighting the inadequacy of the living conditions where asylum seekers are left waiting for months or even years as the government...
Italy strengthens engagement in controversial migrant management initiatives in Libya
The Italian government has announced an additional 80 million euro investment in its African Fund to fight illegal migration and the deployment of troops in Libya “to combat illegal immigration and counter terrorism threats.” The deployment of troops is condemned as a...
Four years after tragedy, NGOs still call for proper investigation and the end of push backs in Spanish enclaves
This week marked the fourth anniversary of the “Tarajal tragedy”, when a group of Sub-Saharan nationals who attempted to reach the Spanish territory by swimming towards the Tarajal beach in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta was violently repelled by the Spanish Civil...
Danish ‘left’ takes it a step further than European far right
The leading left-centre opposition party in Denmark the Social Democrats have launched a policy package under the headline ‘Just and Realistic (Retfærdig og Realistisk) – an immigration policy uniting Denmark’ calling for a total stop for spontaneous asylum...
Refugee destitution, a by-product of UK policy
An “invisible epidemic” of destitution is unfolding in Glasgow, and cities across the UK as a result of the UK government’s ‘hostile environment’ policy. Refugee Survival Trust, a small charity working in Scotland, distributed more than 125,000 € in emergency one-off...
Netherlands: Plans to curtail legal aid to asylum seekers
The Dutch Senate (Eerste Kamer) Commission on Justice and Security discussed the provision of legal aid to asylum seekers in a debate on the rule of law on 6 February 2018. The debate follows an announcement in the Coalition Agreement of October 2017 to curtail asylum...
European countries continue to have difficulties in identifying and protecting victims of human trafficking
Two recent reports, one by the OSCE and one by a group of civil society organizations lead by Forum Refugiés-Cosi on the TRACKS project, reveals gaps in the way national authorities identify and address the vulnerabilities of human trafficking victims. Trafficking...
Weekly Editorial: Hungary’s crack down on civil society requires urgent action
The Hungarian government started the year with the latest attack in its war of attrition against civil society, the “Stop Soros” package of laws that continue the country’s assault on democracy and rule of law. Knowing that an outright ban on organisations and...