Nils Muižnieks welcomes German efforts but is concerned at surge in racial attacks

2nd October 2015 | News

2 October 2015 On 1 October, Nils Muižnieks, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, presented his report on Germany following his visits to the country on 24 April and from 4 to 8 May 2015. The Commissioner welcomed the efforts undertaken by Germany in the...

ECRE Annual General Conference and UNHCR NGOs Consultations 2015

2nd October 2015 | News

2 October 2015 From 14 to 16 October, ECRE members will gather in The Hague for the 2015 Annual General Conference (AGC) and to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the consultation that led to the founding of ECRE. UNHCR will hold NGO Consultations, creating the space...

EU starts the ‘active phase’ of a critical operation against human smugglers

1st October 2015 | News

1 October 2015 The European Union’s naval mission against human smugglers becomes operational next week, after getting a green light from the EU Council’s Political and Security Committee on 27 September. ECRE and several other civil society organisations fear that...

EU Commission calls on Greece to return to the Dublin system within six months

1st October 2015 | News

1 October 2015 In a document setting out the priority actions for the management of the refugee crisis, the European Commission called for Greece to normalise the asylum situation within their territory and return to the Dublin system in the coming months. The...

After Dublin – the urgent need for a real European asylum system

1st October 2015 | News

1 October 2015 On 29 September, in Strasbourg, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) adopted a resolution that called for the urgent reform of the EU Dublin system which determines the country responsible for treating an asylum application....

EU Council agrees on relocation of thousands of asylum-seekers

25th September 2015 | News

25 September 2015 On 22 September, the Justice and Home Affairs Council (JHA) reached a decision to relocate thousands of people in clear need of international protection from Italy and Greece. The provisional measures foresee the relocation of 15,600 people from...

European citizens show solidarity with refugees

25th September 2015 | News

25 September 2015 On 12 September 2015, tens of thousands of people took part in solidarity marches all over Europe to show their solidarity with refugees coming to Europe and their disagreement with the refugees-related policies of their respective governments....

European Commission adopts 40 infringement decisions to make European Asylum System work

25th September 2015 | News

25 September 2015 On 23 September 2015, the European Commission sent formal notice to 19 Member States for failure to comply with EU law in the area of migration and asylum. These infringement decisions come as a follow-up to the second implementation package of the...

HRW: asylum seekers beaten, abused and detained in degrading conditions in Macedonia

25th September 2015 | News

25 September 2015 Refugees and asylum seekers are routinely subjected to violence, inhuman treatments and abuses by the Macedonian police at the border with Greece and in the Gazi Baba detention centre, documents Human Rights Watch (HRW) in a report released on Monday...

SHARE Network Conference ‘Protecting and Welcoming Refugees in Europe: responding to an unprecedented refugee crisis’

25th September 2015 | News

25 September 2015 On Tuesday 20 October, ICMC and the Committee of the Regions will hold a one-day SHARE Network Conference in Brussels. The conference aims to build on the momentum of public support and actions for refugees in Europe in the context of the newly...