Greece: PM Declares Pushbacks Legal, Migration Minister Says Border Monitoring May Breach International Law, Large Scale Expulsion Attempted
In a heated exchange with a Dutch journalist over mounting evidence of pushbacks, the Greek prime minister stated authorities were “intercepting” boats at sea in accordance with EU regulations. According to the minister of immigration and asylum, extra...
Med: Sea-Eye 4 Allowed to Disembark, 250 Survivors Wait Onboard the Ocean Viking, More Returns to Unsafe Libya, Italy Provides Safety for Syrians and Afghans
More than 800 survivors onboard the German search and rescue vessel Sea-Eye 4 have finally been allowed disembarked in Trabiani in Sicily. 306 people onboard the Ocean Viking were given permission to dock in Sicily but 250 people remain on the boat due to...
Channel: Lack of Regular Routes Drives Dangerous Journeys, Deaths at Sea Generate Resistance to Pushbacks from Border Force, Hunger Strike in Calais Continues
An uptick in Channel crossings illustrates that people are increasingly forced to reach the UK via small boats due to a lack of safe and legal avenues to protection. Two people have died making the journey in the past week, while another is missing. UK border...
EU Eastern Borders: States Deploy Troops, Dehumanise Migrants and Decry Belarus as Border Tensions Escalate – Locals Offer Humanitarian Aid
Poland has deployed 20,000 border guards and soldiers at the border with Belarus, where large groups of people on the move have amassed. The European response has been “security-focused and politically charged”, with the UN accusing EU states of failing to treat the...
ECRE Policy Note: A Seamless Link?
ECRE has published a Policy Note that demonstrates that linking asylum and return procedures generates serious human rights concerns while failing to meet the objectives stated by the European Commission. It draws on experience from national practice in Member States...
Editorial: The Pact: First Drafts on APR and RAMM
This week, the Pact moved forward a step with the presentation of the first of the draft reports prepared by the European Parliament’s rapporteurs. The shadow rapporteurs from the other political groups will now prepare their amendments to the reports and the final...
Belgium: Asylum Seekers (Once Again) Left Destitute
Another reception crisis has emerged in Belgium, with hundreds of asylum seekers denied access to the registration procedure between 19 and 22 October and subsequently left without access to reception. Vluchtelingenwerk Vlaanderen, a Belgian NGO, active near...
Greece: Criminalisation of Rescuers, Death for People on the Move, Impunity for Vigilantes, States Persist with Dublin Take-Back Requests Despite Risks and Deficiencies
While three rescuers face trial on Lesvos, deaths at sea continue and vigilantes are found to have operated with impunity in the Evros region for years. Despite significant deficiencies in the Greek reception system and the risk of refoulement, European states...