Greek Council of State dismisses all complaints on fast track border procedure and declares Turkey ‘safe third country’ based on doubtful documentation
On 22 September 2017, the Greek Council of State, the highest administrative court of the country, delivered two long-awaited judgments (2347/2017 and 2348/2017) regarding two Syrian nationals whose claims were rejected as inadmissible. The rulings will have important...
Immediate return of migrants from the Spanish enclave of Melilla to Morocco violated the European Convention on Human Rights
On 3 October 2017, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) ruled that Spain violated the prohibition of collective expulsion (Article 4 Protocol 4) and the right to an effective remedy (Article 13 ECHR) on a case related to the return to Morocco of migrants who had...
Interview with Abdul Ghafoor, Afghanistan Migrants Advice & Support Organisation on one year Joint Way Forward between EU & Afghanistan
This week marks the anniversary of the Joint Way Forward between Afghanistan and the European Union. What impact did the agreement have and what is your opinion of its effectiveness and sustainability? The impact of the Joint Way Forward deal, as I would call it was,...
Conditions on Greek islands remain critical, as arrivals continue
The hotspots on the Eastern Aegean islands continue to be marred by overcrowding and deteriorating living conditions. At the beginning of October, a total 13,538 people remained on the islands of Lesvos, Chios, Samos, Leros and Kos. With the exception of Leros, all...
Weekly Editorial: Success of the European Agenda on Migration should not be judged by reduction of arrivals
This week the European Commission published its Communication on the “Delivery of the European Agenda on Migration”. ECRE provided its own assessment in the consultation leading up the Communication. Needless to say, there are some differences between our analysis and...
12 Million Euro invested in removing blind spots along the border fence of Ceuta
CLEARIFICATION: ECRE misquoted Statewatch and the correct amount invested by the Spanish Government is 12 Million Euro. Statewatch reports that the Spanish Interior Minister Juan Iganacio Zoido announced a 12 million euro investment to improve the fence in the...
The dismantling of the Hungarian asylum system in the past two years
On 22 September 2017, the Hungarian Helsinki Committee published a new information note summarising the changes that took place in the field of asylum in Hungary since September 2015 and how it affected the rights of refugees and asylum seekers. The note presents a...
Council of Europe report maps age assessment practice and issues across Europe
The Council of Europe has published a report mapping procedures, practices and methods for assessing the age of unaccompanied children in Europe. The report raises concern over inaccuracies in age assessment of migrants related to widely different and often inadequate...