ASYLNYTT

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) welcomed Ecuador's regularization initiative that is expected to benefit thousands of Venezuelans.

Ecuador is host to the third-largest Venezuelan refugee and migrant population worldwide. While a majority of the half a million living there are undocumented, Ecuador's decision to begin regularizing their status will start providing those that benefit from the initiative with legal protection and stability.

It will ease their access to rights, basic services and the job market, helping fast-track their socio-economic integration in Ecuador.

"We commend Ecuador's effort in securing the rights and finding practical solutions for Venezuelans who have sought safety in the country," said UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi. "In these increasingly challenging times for many displaced communities worldwide, the government and the people of Ecuador have continued to show strong solidarity and compassion, and above all, commitment to protect the rights of Venezuelans on the move."

As the economic and health impact of the COVID-19 pandemic continues to be felt in countries and communities across Latin America and the Caribbean, refugees and migrants remain some of the most vulnerable populations - especially those without documentation.

"This initiative is one of the most pragmatic ways of eliminating barriers to a long-term integration. With a regular status, refugees and migrants can fully contribute to their host communities - something they have longed for years," said IOM Director General António Vitorino. "Diasporas play an invaluable role in the life and growth of host societies being a crucial driver for development."

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AIDA 22-06-10:

Europa/ AIDA 2021 Updates

The updated AIDA Country Reports provide detailed overviews on legislative and practice-related developments in asylum procedures, reception conditions, detention of asylum seekers and content of international protection in 2021.

Updated reports are available for Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Malta, The Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, The United Kingdom,

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Asylnytt 22-06-19:

Ungern/ Europadomstolen fäller åter för oacceptabelt förvarstagande vid gränsen

Europadomstolen har tidigare behandlat anmälningar från personer som hållits i Ungerns containerläger vid gränsen till Serbien. När det har gällt vuxna eller en kortare tid har domstolen inte ansett att förhållandena i lägret inneburit brott mot Europakonventionens artikel 3 (förbud mot tortyr och förnedrande behandling mm). I slutet av maj avvisades ännu en anmälan från en tvåbarnsfamilj där ingen bedömdes som speciellt sårbar och vistelsen ansågs kort - 40 dagar. Men Ungern fälldes i februari för att en småbarnsfamilj under en het period hållits i gränslägret under nästan fyra månader varav tidvis isolerade och med andra tvångsinslag. De nya fällningarna gäller två fyrabarnsfamiljer som tillbringade mer än fyra månader i lägret, vilket enligt domstolen var så lång tid under svåra förhållanden att det bröt mot artikel 3 både för barnen. Kvinnan i den ena familjen väntade barn och hade en komplicerad graviditet. Hon behövde komma till sjukhus flera gånger. Vid ett av dessa tillfällen fick mannen följa med försedd med handklovar och koppel. Denna behandling anser Europadomstolen i sig vara ett brott mot artikel 3, i och med att det skedde inför hans barn och sjukhuspersonal samt att det inte fanns någon anledning till fasthållandet. Alla familjemedlemmarnas rättigheter enligt konventionen har alltså kränkts både enligt artikel 3 och artikel 5 (förvarstagandets laglighet). För den andra familjen ansåg domstolen endast att barnens rättigheter kränkts.

Application no. 34883/17, A.S. and Others against Hungary (inadmissible) (Extern länk)

Application no. 38967/17, case of H.M. and Others v. Hungary (violation) (Extern länk)

Application no. 37327/17, case of A.A.A. and Others v. Hungary (Extern länk)

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Europarådet 22-06-17:

Moldavien/ Moldova needs more resources to welcome refugees fleeing Ukraine

The Special Representative of the Secretary General on Migration and Refugees (SRSG) has concluded her fact-finding visit to the Republic of Moldova (13-15 June 2022), which focused on the protection of the refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine.

The number of arrivals in the country has decreased compared to the massive influx at the beginning of the war in Ukraine, but the people arriving now are in a more vulnerable situation and are likely to stay for a longer time. Of the nearly 500,000 refugees who have crossed the border from Ukraine, Moldova is currently hosting about 80,000 persons, half of whom are children. Around 90% of these refugees are hosted by over 10,000 local families.

"Civil society, local communities and state authorities are deploying extraordinary efforts to welcome people from Ukraine, while being very attentive to the protection of their human rights. Even though there is uncertainty as to the length of their stay, more staff, resources and expertise are needed to build long-term solutions for the women, children, elderly and persons with disabilities currently in the country. Certain facilities are not meant to accommodate refugees for longer periods", said the Special Representative.

At the Palanca border crossing with Ukraine and in the Refugee Accommodation Centre MoldExpo, the SRSG talked to refugees who expressed their gratefulness for the hospitality while also making clear their wish to return home as soon as possible. The trend is that slightly more people are going back to Ukraine than coming in.

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Migrationsverket 22-06-16:

Rumänien/ Efter invasionen i Ukraina stöttar Migrationsverket kolleger i Rumänien

Sex medarbetare från Migrationsverket är just nu i Rumänien, med uppdrag att hjälpa myndigheterna i mottagandet av människor som flytt kriget i Ukraina.

- Här i Galati fungerar arbetet väldigt bra och de som ansöker får sina uppehållstillstånd direkt, säger Johanna Lidberg som är en av de utsända.

Den grå containern har fönster och dörrar, till och med luftkonditionering. På ytterväggarna sitter affischer med information för dem som ska ansöka om skydd, en gulblå örnlogotyp signalerar att rumänska myndigheter huserar här. Sedan hon kom till Galati i april är containern ofta Johanna Lidbergs arbetsplats.

EU-länder som behöver stöd inom asylområdet kan få det av andra medlemsstater via den europeiska asylbyrån EUAA. I spåren av Rysslands invasion av Ukraina har bland annat Rumänien bett om hjälp och Sverige har, genom Migrationsverket, hittills kunnat skicka sex personer som nu tjänstgör på flera olika orter.

Galati, där Johanna Lidberg befinner sig, är en hamnstad vid Donau i östra Rumänien, nära gränsen till Moldavien. Johanna arbetar här tillsammans med en finsk och ett drygt tiotal rumänska kolleger med att informera om massflyktsdirektivet och registrera ansökningar om skydd.

- Vi välkomnar dem som kommer och förklarar vad massflyktsdirektivet är och vad det ger för rättigheter. Jag har förstått att det skiljer sig mellan olika orter men här i Galati fungerar arbetet fantastiskt bra, säger Johanna, som till vardags är handläggare på Migrationsverket i Malmö.

35 000 har registrerat sig i Rumänien

Cirka 600 000 människor på flykt från Ukraina har passerat den rumänska gränsen sedan Rysslands invasion den 24 februari. Runt 85 000 personer bedöms ha stannat i landet och cirka 35 000 har hittills registrerat sig för uppehållstillstånd. I Galati registrerar man mellan 80 och 90 ansökningar per dag och avlastar då kontoret i staden Costanta.

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Arkiveringsdatum 220607:

EUAA 22-05-20:

Pakistan/ EUAA publishes report on Afghan refugees in Pakistan

Today, the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA) published an updated Country of Origin Information (COI) report on Pakistan. The report revises the previous EASO COI report Pakistan - situation of Afghan refugees, released in May 2020. It specifically covers developments between 1 May 2020 and 17 March 2022.

Split into three chapters, the report describes the presence of Afghan refugees in Pakistan, examines their legal status and provides information on their socio-economic situation in the country.

Amid the withdrawal of U.S. and NATO forces from Afghanistan, and the Taliban takeover of power in August 2021, a large number of Afghan refugees crossed the Pakistani border. Between January 2021 and February 2022, UNHCR documented 117 547 new arrivals from Afghanistan in Pakistan, with a significant peak of 35 289 persons in August 2021.

In recent years, Pakistan has shifted its policy towards Afghan refugees. Between early 2017 and January 2022, the country reportedly fenced around 90 % of its border with Afghanistan, making formal and informal border crossings much more difficult. However, due to the 'porous' nature of the border, undocumented crossings continue to occur.

As of January 2022, there were approximately 3 million Afghans living in Pakistan, around 1.4 million of them are Proof of Registration (PoR) cardholders, approximately 840 000 hold an Afghan Citizen Card (ACC), and an estimated 775 000 are undocumented. While PoR and ACC cardholders are offered limited protection, mainly from refoulement, undocumented Afghans are exposed to arrest, detention and deportation.

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IOM 22-05-31:

Jemen/ Human rights violations against migrants increase amid soaring arrivals

At least 27,800 people have crossed from the Horn of Africa to war-torn Yemen in the first five months of 2022, more than the total who made the journey all of last year along what was the world's busiest maritime migration route prior to COVID-19, according to the International Organization for Migration's (OIM) Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM).

IOM last year reported that an estimated 27,700 migrants entered Yemen through the so-called Eastern Route, down from 138,000 in 2019 due to heightened COVID-19 mobility restrictions. Approximately 37,500 made the journey in 2020.

The rise in arrivals is cause for alarm in a country now grappling with its eighth year of conflict.

"We are increasingly concerned about the safety and well-being of people moving through Yemen," said Christa Rottensteiner, IOM Yemen's Chief of Mission. "Our teams meet migrants every day who have been injured in the conflict or become stranded on their journeys."

A variety of factors may be influencing this year's increase, including a loosening of COVID-19 mobility restrictions, more favorable weather conditions, and the security situation and drought in Ethiopia, where most migrants originate from.

Upon arriving in Yemen, migrants face perilous onward journeys to Gulf countries in search of work. They often travel across conflict frontlines and face grave human rights violations such as detention in inhumane conditions, exploitation and forced transfers across lines of control.

Women and girls often report experiencing gender-based violence, abuse or exploitation, usually at the hands of traffickers and smugglers.?

In the north of the country, IOM's partners and the local community have reported that over 1,000 migrants - including women and children - have been injured or killed by attacks this year.

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EUAA 22-05-19:

Europa/ EUAA lays out next steps to protect Ukrainians in private accommodation

The European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA) has just published practical recommendations on the provision of emergency placement in private accommodation for persons displaced by the war in Ukraine. The publication aims to be a guide to relevant stakeholders (e.g., national, regional and local authorities, as well as civil society organisations) when matching displaced persons with available private accommodation.

The Agency's practical recommendations come as it reports that nearly 2,8 million people have registered for temporary protection in the EU. Beneficiaries of the Temporary Protection Directive have an automatic right to accommodation, access to medical care and public-school education (in the case of minors), while in the European Union.

Among many other suggestions and tips, the EUAA notably recommends that authorities:

+ Put in place a mechanism to check whether the person offering accommodation has the right profile. Only people with no criminal records should be considered, and particular attention should be given to safety considerations and preventing trafficking in human beings.

+ Establish a list of minimum criteria, together with other key services (e.g., local authorities, law enforcement, civil society organisations), both for the housing itself, but also for the profiles of potential hosts - to be verified - before any placement is agreed upon.

+ Design a mechanism to allow both parties to raise confidential complaints related to the arrangement at any time, ensuring that any emerging or urgent needs can be addressed swiftly.

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ECRE Editorial: TPD implementation: Ukraine displacement crisis at the end of its beginning (Extern länk)

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ELENA legal update 22-05-20:

Grekland/ German court: Asylum claims are not inadmissible because of protection

On 27 January 2022, the Administrative Court of Baden-Württemberg delivered its decision regarding a Syrian national who applied for international protection in Germany. Following the applicant's arrival in Germany with his wife, their asylum claim was deemed inadmissible on the basis that they were already beneficiaries of international protection in Greece. The couple were subsequently given 30 days to leave Germany or they would be subject to deportation.

The Court firstly noted that Article 33(2) of the Asylum Procedures Directive, which provides for inadmissibility, cannot be invoked if the applicant would be exposed to a serious risk of being subjected to inhuman or degrading treatment within the meaning of Article 4 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU (CFR) in the Member State where international protection was granted, due to the living conditions there. It continued that this assessment depends on all the circumstances of the case and a threshold for such treatment is only reached if the indifference of the authorities places a person, wholly dependent on public assistance and irrespective of their will and choices, in a situation of extreme material deprivation which would be incompatible with human dignity.

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Human Rights Watch 22-05-25:

Moldavien/ Romani refugees from Ukraine face segregation

Moldovan authorities are deliberately housing most Romani refugees separately from others fleeing the war in Ukraine, in a manner that constitutes unequal and discriminatory treatment, Human Rights Watch said today. Amid pervasive discriminatory attitudes toward Roma, government authorities have permitted and, in some cases, directed staff and volunteers to deny Romani refugees housing at government-run facilities.

"Moldovan authorities have offered critical support to people fleeing Ukraine, but that does not excuse segregation of Romani refugees," said Anastasiia Kroupe, assistant Europe and Central Asia researcher at Human Rights Watch. "Regardless of the economic and social problems Moldova faces, the government has a responsibility to ensure that refugees are not discriminated against on the basis of ethnicity."

Since February 24, 2022, more than 471,000 refugees have crossed into Moldova from Ukraine, the highest per capita influx to a neighboring country. About 87,700 refugees have stayed in Moldova, one of the poorest countries in Europe.

Between March 30 and April 5, Human Rights Watch visited and interviewed 7 members of police, border patrol, and social services at the Otaci and Palanca border crossings as well as 10 staff and volunteers working at transit and reception sites, and 13 refugees staying at 3 reception centers in the capital, Chisinau. Human Rights Watch also interviewed representatives of 3 United Nations agencies, 10 staff of nongovernmental organizations, and 2 Roma rights activists in Chisinau.

Human Rights Watch found a practice that appeared to be based on an agreed policy to segregate Romani refugees in designated state-run reception centers, and to deny Romani refugees housing together with other refugees in alternate state-run centers.

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Arkiveringsdatum 220518:

FRA 22-05-12:

Europa/ The war in Ukraine - Fundamental rights implications within the EU

EU countries are welcoming and supporting unprecedented numbers of people fleeing the war in Ukraine. It has serious implications for many fundamental rights within the EU and requires Member States to find sustainable solutions, as the first Ukraine bulletin from the EU Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA) shows.

FRA's first Bulletin on 'The war in Ukraine - Fundamental rights implications within the EU' looks at the challenges EU countries need to address to ensure people's fundamental rights are upheld:

Temporary protection - the quick activation of the EU Temporary Protection Directive helps Ukrainians settle and integrate in the EU. They have the right to work and to access services, without having to go through full asylum procedures. About 2.3 million people registered for this. EU countries now face an important task to make these rights a reality.

Trafficking and sexual violence - with so much support from drivers taking people from the border, unvetted volunteers, and private job and housing offers, the risk of trafficking and sexual exploitation is high. This is particularly the case for women and children, who make up 90 % of those fleeing Ukraine, according to UNHCR. Even though many countries have taken steps to prevent trafficking, more needs to be done to prevent it from happening. By the end of April, none of the EU countries covered by this bulletin had a central register of drivers or those offering private accommodation to people fleeing Ukraine. Further steps should include training and awareness raising among border guards, volunteers and humanitarian aid workers to recognise human trafficking and to work towards its prevention.

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Se även:

FRA 22-05-11: Full respect for LGBTI people fleeing Ukraine (Extern länk)

EU-parlamentet 22-05-05: War in Ukraine: protecting women refugees from violence and sexual exploitation (Extern länk)

ECRE 22-05-13: Editorial: TPD implementation: Ukraine displacement crisis at the end of its beginning (Extern länk)

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Human Rights Watch 22-05-12:

Storbritannien/ Afghan women evacuees in limbo

The uncertainty and crowding in temporary housing is causing growing tensions for Afghan evacuees in the United Kingdom, especially women.

Eight months after emergency evacuations from Afghanistan, many Afghan evacuees to the UK are still in temporary housing, usually hotel rooms. Human Rights Watch interviewed five women who have lived in three temporary housing locations in London since late August 2021. They described a heightened risk of domestic violence, surveillance, and constraints on their freedom of movement in temporary housing populated entirely by Afghan refugees.

"The Afghan women interviewed were all grateful for being evacuated," said Sahar Fetrat, assistant women's rights researcher at Human Rights Watch. "But they have dealt with a huge amount of trauma before and during their flight from Afghanistan, and now they are dealing with conditions that are affecting their mental health and keeping them from integrating into the community."

Human Rights Watch wrote to the home secretary, the minister for refugees, and other relevant UK authorities in April 2022 to raise our concerns and inquire about the government's plans to remedy the problems. At the time of publication, the government has not responded.

The UK evacuated about 18,000 people including more than 6,000 British nationals after the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in August and housed them in temporary accommodations while seeking more permanent housing for them. The Guardian reported that about 12,000 people remain in temporary housing, with many families living in one room.

The UK Home Office should step up the pace of providing more long-term housing and support services for Afghan refugees, Human Rights Watch said.

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Arkiveringsdatum 220429:

Mobile Info Team 22-04-19:

Grekland/ Blocked from the System

Report uncovers harrowing stories of those excluded from asylum procedures in Greece, who face heightened risk of pushbacks

People seeking asylum on mainland Greece, Crete and Rhodes are blocked from registering their claims, as testimonies prove that increasingly narrow avenues are almost impossible to navigate and hold the risk of grave consequences.

The devastating effects of the termination of the Skype pre-registration system in November 2021 have been revealed by in-depth research based on 144 case files and 18 interviews. Blocked from the System finds that six months after the policy changes requiring arrivals to pass through Reception and Identification Centres (RICs), there is a near-total lack of access to the asylum system.

NGO Mobile Info Team, based in Greece, demonstrates that all three narrow avenues to registering asylum claims - evidencing vulnerability, registering a police note, or passing through Fylakio RIC - are dysfunctional. Vulnerabilities are extremely difficult to prove, even for particularly vulnerable cases such as victims of torture, while police notes are inconsistently issued and registered. Research shows Fylakio RIC does not accept self- referred asylum-seekers, and furthermore it is located in the Evros region, where according to testimonies, 71% of pushback groups on mainland Greece in 2021 were apprehended.

Based on the voices of those excluded from asylum procedures, the report shows that undocumented asylum- seekers in Greece are now facing increased exploitation, ill health, and debilitating fear of being illegally pushed back.

New analysis by Mobile Info Team summarises that:

+ 80% of interviewees have experienced homelessness or relied on others for shelter since being in Greece.

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Arkiveringsdatum 220413:

Human Rights Watch 22-04-04:

Bangladesh/ New Restrictions on Rohingya Camps

Bangladesh authorities have, in recent months, intensified their restrictions on Rohingya refugees' livelihoods, movement, and education, Human Rights Watch said today. Officials have arbitrarily destroyed thousands of shops while imposing new obstacles on travel within the camps in Cox's Bazar, denying the Rohingya the ability to live freely and independently.

Bangladesh authorities should lift the new restrictions, allow markets and schools to reopen, and facilitate donors' efforts to improve refugees' access to livelihoods, health care, and education.

"Bangladesh is understandably burdened with hosting nearly one million Rohingya refugees, but cutting them off from opportunities to work and study is only compounding their vulnerability and dependence on aid," said Meenakshi Ganguly, South Asia director at Human Rights Watch. "The Bangladesh government should formalize and expand employment opportunities to bolster the Rohingya's self-reliance and enable them to support their families and communities."

Human Rights Watch, in February and March 2022, spoke with 13 Rohingya refugees who described how the new restrictions have prevented them from being able to provide for their families, give their children an education, or build communities. At the same time, Bangladesh officials have pressured the refugees to relocate to Bhasan Char island or return to Myanmar. The worsening conditions in the camps raises concerns that authorities are acting deliberately to coerce refugees to leave, Human Rights Watch said.

Even prior to the shop demolitions, Rohingya reported that access to employment was their greatest concern in the camps, according to a 2021 survey by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Although refugees are not officially permitted to work, over half the Rohingya and 30 percent of children ages 15 to17 reported doing informal work, putting them at risk of exploitation and arrest.

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UNHCR 22-04- 09:

Moldavien, Rumänien/ UNHCR lauds solidarity towards Ukrainian refugees

Concluding a week-long visit to Romania and the Republic of Moldova, Raouf Mazou expressed his appreciation for the remarkable solidarity displayed in both countries towards people fleeing Ukraine.

"In the past days, I have witnessed first-hand the generosity that has thus far characterized the response to the arrival of refugees from Ukraine," Mazou said at the conclusion of his visit. "We must all express our deep appreciation to the governments and the people of both Romania and the Republic of Moldova for opening their hearts and their homes to those in need, in these very difficult times."

At a meeting with Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuc? in Romania, the Assistant High Commissioner commended the robust emergency response at borders and inside the country, which has so far received some 650,000 refugees. He acknowledged the rapid action taken by the Romanian government to ensure access to rights and services through temporary protection, as well as the strong coordination of the overall national response by the National Emergency Cell.

National authorities have ensured swift access to territory, assistance and onward safe transportation. Visiting the joint UNHCR-UNICEF Blue Dots in Isaccea and Siret, Mazou witnessed the coordination between national NGOs and the authorities as they provide information and identify vulnerable refugees, including unaccompanied and separated children, for referral to protection structures.

On 7 April, Mazou observed the Palanca border crossing point, one of the busiest crossing points into Moldova from Ukraine. Earlier in the week, while in Romania, he visited the Transit Centre in Husi, to which over 7,000 refugees coming from Palanca had been transferred as a result of close cooperation between the two governments and with the support of UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, and the International Organization for Migration.

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UNHCR 22-04-09:

Rumänien/ UNHCR lauds solidarity of Romania, Moldova towards Ukrainian refugees

Concluding a week-long visit to Romania and the Republic of Moldova, Raouf Mazou expressed his appreciation for the remarkable solidarity displayed in both countries towards people fleeing Ukraine.

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Arkiveringsdatum 220324:

UNHCR 22-03-18:

Polen/ Poland welcomes more than two million refugees from Ukraine

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, today acknowledged the enormous support of the Polish authorities and civil society for those who have been forced to flee Ukraine, after the number of arrivals passed the two million mark within three weeks.

"This has been a tremendous effort from the people, local communities, municipalities and government of Poland in receiving and hosting new arrivals," said Christine Goyer, UNHCR's Representative in Poland. "What is important now is that the international community steps up to help provide more durable support, while access to protection and asylum is ensured and maintained for all people seeking safety at Poland's borders."

In Poland, UNHCR has been working with national authorities, local administrations, municipalities and civil society on refugee and asylum issues.

In response to the current Ukrainian refugee situation, UNHCR is managing the Poland chapter of the Regional Refugee Response Plan and is working to strengthen reception capacities.

This undertaking will deploy funds raised by UNHCR and partners globally to support the country in areas ranging from shelter to education, basic needs, water and sanitation, child protection and gender-based violence. Projects will be implemented through more than 50 NGO and humanitarian partners - largely national actors - in all parts of the country.

Together with partners and in close cooperation with the authorities, UNHCR is also rolling out a cash support programme in the country worth over US$190 million to help tide refugees over in meeting their basic needs until they are able to draw support from the state.

At the Ukraine border, UNHCR has been working with partners and adding staff to help support volunteers and reception centres with information provision, protection training and specialized interventions.

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Amnesty International 22-03-22:

Polen/ Authorities must act to protect people fleeing Ukraine from further suffering

The Polish authorities must relieve volunteers from the responsibility of receiving people fleeing from Ukraine and address the chaotic and dangerous situation in Poland to ensure that they do not face further suffering, said Amnesty International after the organization concluded a 10-day visit to the country.

The number of people fleeing within Europe is unprecedented since World War Two, with Poland receiving the majority. The openness to assist them displayed by volunteers has been outstanding. This has been facilitated by the government's much more open approach to people fleeing Ukraine, which is in contrast to the push back and lock up policies which they have been applying to people fleeing other conflicts and entering Poland through Belarus. The life-saving assistance that NGOs and volunteers are now providing to people fleeing Ukraine was previously obstructed and criminalized on the border with Belarus. Primary responsibility for assisting people fleeing Ukraine has largely fallen on ordinary citizens, non-governmental organisations and municipalities, resulting in enormous challenges.

Volunteers have stepped up

Thousands of volunteers have provided assistance to people at the Polish borders with Ukraine and in train stations. This has included food, housing, interpretation, and offering free transport across Europe.

Volunteers were far more visible and active than government authorities in all the places Amnesty International visited, including the reception points in the immediate proximity of Medyka, the main border crossing point used by people fleeing Ukraine, and Korczowa (Hala Kijowska), and in reception centres and train stations in Przemysl and Warsaw.

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Arkiveringsdatum 220304:

UNHCR 22-02-18:

Etiopien/ Thousands of Eritrean refugees displaced in clashes in Ethiopia's Afar region

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is working with the Ethiopian authorities and partners to provide emergency aid to thousands of Eritrean refugees who fled Barahle refugee camp and its environs in the Afar region after fighting engulfed the area.

Refugees who trekked the long distance to the regional capital in Semera told UNHCR staff that armed men entered the camp on 3 February, stole their belongings and occupied their homes. According to their testimonies, at least five refugees were killed and several women were kidnapped. Family members lost one another in the chaos of fleeing the camp.

So far, over 4,000 refugees are in Semera where UNHCR together with Ethiopia's Government Refugees and Returnees Service (RRS) and other partners are providing immediate support with shelter, relief items, food as well as clean water. We have also set up protection desks where the most vulnerable among the refugees, including separated children and others with specific needs, are being identified and provided with support.

Around 10,000 refugees are also reported to be living in Afdera town, approximately 225 kilometers from Semera. Others are also believed to have fled towards the towns of Altefa and Dabure, further inland.

The government has identified a temporary site in Serdo town, 40 kilometers from Semera, where UNHCR, RRS and partners are making preparations in order to quickly relocate refugees.

With yet another refugee camp severely impacted, UNHCR remains extremely worried about the safety and wellbeing of thousands of Eritrean refugees caught up in the conflict.

We condemn the attack on the refugee camp and reiterate the call for cessation of hostilities to avoid further destruction and potential loss of life for refugees and Ethiopians alike, and so that much needed humanitarian assistance can reach them.

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Asylnytt 22-03-00:

Polen/ Europadomstolen fäller Polen för förvarstagande av barnfamilj i nästan ett halvår

En familj från Armenien försökte flera gånger ta sig in i Polen senhösten 2016. Familjens hade tre barn, två i yngre tonåren och en ettåring. Gränspolisen tvingade dem tillbaka sex gånger, grundat på att familjen påstods ha ekonomiska skäl och inte sökte asyl. De sökande hävdar att de förklarat att de ville söka skydd. Till slut fick de lov att söka asyl den 6 november. Dagen därpå togs de i förvar, med motivering att deras påstått motstridiga skäl behövde utredas. Enligt den polska domstolen var förvarstagande enda möjligheten eftersom familjen inte hade någon adress i Polen och inga pengar till borgen. Samma motivering upprepades vid överklaganden. De vuxna intervjuades i asylärendet den 9 december men förvarstagandet fortsatte till den 5 maj 2017. Europadomstolen anser att frihetsberövandet i varje fall inte kan ha varit befogat efter den 9 december. Att barn tagits i förvar borde dessutom ha lett till en effektivare handläggning. Det finns detaljer i besluten som tyder på att de inte var grundade på individuella bedömningar. Europadomstolen konstaterar att förvarstagandet bröt mot Europakonventionens artikel 5. Polen ska betala familjen 15.000 euro plus eventuell skatt.

Application no. 14743/17, case of Nikoghosyan and Others v. Poland (Extern länk)

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Asylnytt 22-03-00:

Ungern/ Europadomstolen: Åtta personer i container var okej under kort tid

En familj om tre vuxna och fyra barn från Syrien som sökt asyl i Ungern placerades som många andra i en container om 13 kvadratmeter i ett stängt läger för familjer vid gränsen mot Serbien. Ytterligare ett barn föddes strax efter ankomsten. (Förlossningen skedde på klinik, med fyra dagars vistelse för mamman och barnet på sjukhuset.) Vistelsen i lägret blev 27 dagar lång. Därefter beviljades familjen alternativ skyddsstatus och flyttades till ett öppet boende för familjer. De klagade dock till Europadomstolen för att de som barnfamilj tvingats bo på detta sätt. Ungern har tidigare fällts för att en asylsökande barnfamlij hölls under liknande förhållanden i ett annat gränsläger. Men den vistelsen blev nästan fyra månader lång varav en del i isolering. I det aktuella ärendet kunde familjemedlemmarna under hela perioden röra sig fritt inom området utomhus och i allmänna utrymmen, däribland lekrum. De fick mat och andra nödvändigheter, till skillnad från det tidigare fallet då fadern, som hade en annan status, inte fick mat. Eftersom det inte föreligger någon kränkning av Europakonventionen avvisades ansökan.

Application no. 37325/17, N.A. and Others against Hungary (Extern länk)

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Asylnytt 22-03-00:

Ungern/ Sju månader i containerboende för barnfamilj bröt mot Europakonventionen

Detta ärende hos Europadomstolen gäller en familj bestående av två vuxna och fyra barn som fick bo i en container i Röszke, ett annat av Ungerns gränsläger, från 30 mars till 24 oktober 2017. De släpptes efter att ha beviljats flyktingstatus. Familjen anmälde också att ett av barnen hade belagts med handklovar och eskorterats av polis till ett sjukhus för att hjälpa till att tolka. Europadomstolen har i ett tidigare ärende, R.R. and Others, bedömt att barn som hållits i Röszke under liknande förhållanden i fyra månader bröt mot Europakonventionens artikel 3 om illa behandling. Samma bedömning görs i det här ärendet. Däremot anser domstolen att levnadsförhållandena i lägret var acceptabla för de vuxna, även om de påverkades av hur deras barn behandlades. Eftersom boendesituationen i praktiken var ett förvarstagande i nästan sju månader bröt det för både vuxna och barn mot artikel 5 som förbjuder obefogat frihetsberövande, också det i likhet med R.R. and others. Ungern döms för brotten mot konventionen och ska betala familjen 17.000 euro samt 1.500 för utgifter, plus eventuell skatt.

Application no. 73860/17, case of M.B.K and Others v. Hungary (Extern länk)

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Border Violence Monitoring Network 22-02-28:

Grekland/ Violence within state borders

This report considers violence within state borders experienced by people-on the-move (herein POM) and those seeking asylum in Greece. It draws on 40 testimonies collected in the last months of violence in detention, police brutality, racist violence, and hate crimes, as well as open- source data on structural forms of violence present in the management of migration and asylum in Greece. Since the BVMN's last report on internal violence in Greece in October 2020, the situation has continued to deteriorate, leaving POM at increasing risk of both physical, actual harm, and structural violence against their living conditions and immediate amenities.

This report is part of a relatively new branch of our network that documents violence within a state's borders on a recurring basis. Here, we look more broadly at violence against people-on-the-move in Greece and contextualize it in the political context. In the report you will find:

+ a case-study of Paranesti Pre-Removal Detention Center

+ Violence in the Port of Patras

+ evictions

Read the full report below for extended analysis and testimonies by people-on-the-move, as informed by our long-term monitoring through qualitative and quantitative observations of the situation on the ground by BVMN's partner organizations.

This report was produced within the Border Violence Monitoring Network's (BVMN) Internal Violence Working group. BVMN is a network of watchdog organizations active in Greece and the Western Balkans including No Name Kitchen, Rigardu, Are You Syrious, MobileInfoTeam, Push-back Alarm Austria, Josoor, InfoKolpa, Centre for Peace Studies, BlindSpots, Mare Liberum, Collective Aid, and Fresh Response. As such, this document was produced through joint collaboration of these groups.

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Arkiveringsdatum 220215:

British Red Cross 22-01-24:

Storbritannien/ Women: 'We want to be strong, but we don't have the chance'

The British Red Cross and VOICES Network report We want to be strong, but we don't have the chance: women's experiences of seeking asylum in the UK (PDF) shares women's first-hand experiences of seeking asylum.

It includes their proposals for changes that would make the UK's asylum system safer and fairer for women and girls.

The research was led by women who have first-hand experience of seeking asylum in the UK. It involved 47 women in different towns and cities across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, including young women from the Surviving to Thriving project who arrived when they were children.

Key findings

Our research found that, for many women, the UK's asylum process is not sensitive to gender or trauma and does not provide the support they need. Women described being required to disclose experiences of rape and sexual assault to a male asylum interviewer, living in unsafe accommodation and struggling to live on just over £5 a day - in some cases for several years.

As the UK government proposes to 'overhaul' the asylum system, it has missed opportunities to work with women and girls to make changes that would make the asylum system safer and fairer for them. All the women involved in this research had ideas for reform of the asylum system, but most felt that their ideas would not be valued, or even sought, by policymakers.

Our recommendations

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Mobile Infoteam 22-01-22:

Grekland/ Control and containment: Changes in access to asylum

At the end of November 2021, the Greek Government announced major changes in access to asylum for people seeking safety on mainland Greece, Crete and Rhodes. This policy saw the termination of the Skype pre-registration system for the registration of asylum claims. Instead, people seeking safety will now need to go to two reception centres on the mainland of Greece. However, such centres are not yet operational meaning that there has been no access to asylum for the majority of people on mainland Greece, Crete and Rhodes since 22 November 2021.

Temporarily blocking access to asylum not only leaves people in need of protection at risk, undocumented and destitue, it also violates national and international law. Even when such reception centres are opened, this policy will force people into de facto detention under prison-like conditions. Closed reception centres with policies of indiscriminate detention for men, women and children stand in contrast to any notion of protection, negatively impacting people's mental health, autonomy, liberty and ability to rebuild their lives.

An increasing number of people have been entering Greece via the mainland over the past six years with 2021 being the first year that more people entered Greece via the mainland than the sea (53%). Our projected impact analysis forecasts that Greece would need to register between 30,160 and 44,000 people annually on the mainland alone. This policy change will therefore undoubtedly have a significant impact on the lives of tens of thousands of people seeking safety in Europe.

The abrupt change in policy has left people in an information void. There are currently no details available on how and when individuals can enter the asylum system. It is deeply concerning that the Greek authorities are denying people access to the asylum system without offering any interim measures or information on how and when people can expect to register their asylum claims.

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Arkiveringsdatum 220125:

UNHCR 22-01-21:

Etiopien/ Deteriorating conditions putting Eritrean refugees at grave risk in Tigray

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is deeply alarmed at the deteriorating conditions faced by Eritrean refugees in the camps in Tigray.

After three weeks with no access due to the security situation, UNHCR staff managed to reach Mai Aini and Adi Harush refugee camps in the Tigray region of Ethiopia earlier this week for the first time since the recent air strikes in and near the camps. Our team found refugees scared and struggling to get enough to eat, lacking medicine and with little or no access to clean water.

Refugees told UNHCR of increasing preventable deaths - more than 20 over the last six weeks - linked to the overall decline in conditions, and in particular the lack of medicine and health services. The clinics in the camps have been essentially closed since early January when they finally completely ran out of medicine.

The lack of fuel means that clean water can neither be pumped nor trucked to the camps, with refugees resorting to collecting water from streams that are rapidly drying up, leading to a severe risk of water-borne diseases.

Despite concerted efforts, the complete inability to move supplies into the region means that extreme hunger is an increasing concern. With food running out in the camp and no additional stocks available for distribution, refugees told us they had resorted to selling their clothes and few belongings to try to get food.

Basic services for Eritrean refugees in the two camps have been severely compromised for many months due to the security situation. The desperate situation in these camps is a stark example of the impact of the lack of access and supplies affecting millions of displaced persons and other civilians throughout the region.

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Seimas (Litauens riksdag) 21-10-15:

Litauen/ Ombudsman report on human rights and freedoms in accommodation

After assessing the human rights of foreigners in places of temporary accommodation, the Seimas Ombudsman, Head of the Office Augustinas Normantas submitted a report recommending the Prime Minister Ingrida `imonyte to pay attention to violations identified in the report and take all measures to ensure that admission of foreigners fully complies with the European and international law, in particular the European Convention on Human Rights and the Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, signed in 1951.

In his report, the Seimas Ombudsman notes that the restriction of migrants freedom, which lasted for an average of forty days without adequate provision of material reception conditions, hygiene, weather-appropriate clothing, footwear and the right to privacy, equals to inhuman or degrading treatment prohibited under the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. The same conclusions were reached by the Seimas Ombudsman after assessing the provision of the right to adequate food in places of temporary accommodation of foreigners based in the units of the State Border Guard Service (SBGS).

Mr. Normantas pointed out that the implementation of the right of foreigners to the highest available standard of health care in the accommodation places of foreigners is not properly ensured, and the procedures for assessing the vulnerability of foreigners as well as identifying special needs in their temporary accommodation are not clear and uniform. In addition, the special needs, children rights and legitimate interests not of all vulnerable persons are safeguarded; therefore it can be assumed that conditions in places of temporary accommodation of foreigners are inhuman and degrading, which is strictly prohibited under the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.

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Arkiveringsdatum 211231:

Amnesty International 21-12-20:

Belarus/ Violence from Belarusian forces against migrants facing pushbacks from EU

New evidence of brutal violence from Belarusian forces against asylum-seekers and migrants facing pushbacks from the EU

Asylum-seekers and migrants trying to enter the EU from Belarus and facing pushbacks and other human rights violations on the Polish border, are subjected to horrific torture or other ill-treatment, inhumane conditions, extortion and other abuse at the hands of Belarusian forces, new evidence gathered by Amnesty International reveals.

Harrowing testimonies reveal that people including families with children, often in need of immediate help, have been beaten with batons and rifle butts and threatened with security dogs by Belarusian forces, as well as being forced to repeatedly cross the border in dangerous conditions by both Belarussian and Polish authorities, including through a fast-flowing river.

"People at the border find themselves between a rock and a hard place. Stranded in what is effectively an exclusion zone on Belarus's border with the EU, they face hunger, exposure and shocking levels of brutality from Belarusian forces repeatedly forcing them into Poland where they are systematically pushed back by Polish officers. The opposing forces are playing a sordid game with human lives," said Amnesty International Refugees and Migrant Rights Researcher Jennifer Foster.

Amnesty International interviewed a total of 75 people who were lured into Belarus between July and November 2021 by a false promise of easily crossing into the EU. They then experienced pushbacks by EU countries, including Poland. The interviewees included 66 Iraqi nationals, seven Syrian nationals who travelled from Egypt, Lebanon, and Syria, one Lebanese man, and one Sudanese man. With several of those interviewed travelling with family and friends, the testimonies account for a total of 192 affected people.

(...)

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IOM 21-12-15: IOM offers safe and dignified return assistance to migrants stranded in Belarus (Extern länk)

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EASO 21-12-16:

Belgien/ Belgium: EASO launches operation to support reception authorities

The European Asylum Support Office (EASO) will launch its 8th operation in an EU Member State in January 2022. The operational support for the Belgian Federal Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (FEDASIL) will focus on increasing reception capacity and improving reception quality, in the short and medium-term.

The Operational Plan was signed by the Executive Director of EASO, Nina GREGORI, and the Belgian Secretary of State for Asylum and Migration, Sammy MAHDI. At the request of the Belgian authorities, the agreement will see EASO providing reception assets and equipment, personnel and technical expertise. The Agency will work with FEDASIL in terms of increasing short and medium-term capacity while ensuring that reception standards are in line with the Common European Asylum System (CEAS).

EASO's operational support will be based on two pillars:

+ First response to address emergency reception needs, notably by increasing the number of reception spaces available and improving the quality of existing emergency reception facilities; and

+ Medium-term response to increase reception capacity, by conducting an evaluation for, and supporting the establishment of, a modular emergency reception centre, as well as the enhancement of arrival processes.

In the short term, EASO will provide up to 150 reception units in the coming months in order to support an increase of capacity. This may be supplemented by additional units in the medium term, based on a further needs assessment in respect of the development of a modular emergency reception centre.

Up to 100 EASO personnel may be deployed throughout the period, including Site Management Experts, Information Provision Experts, Social Workers, Trainers, Child Protection Experts, a Reception Center Designer and interpreters.

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ECRE 21-12-17: EASO to support authorities struggling with reception crisis (Extern länk)

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FRA 21-12-09:

Grekland/ Unaccompanied children outside the child protection system - Case study

Violence, exploitation, terrible living conditions or limited access to healthcare and education. These are the realities unaccompanied migrant children face in Europe. A new report from the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) suggests steps the EU and its Member States should take to offer better protection to unaccompanied children and ensure their rights are respected.

FRA's report 'Unaccompanied children outside the child protection system - Case study: Pakistani children in Greece' documents the hardships unaccompanied children faced coming to Europe. It also details the challenges of being in Europe.

It highlights how those who travel alone risk sexual and labour exploitation, and abuse.

Most Member States cover the protection of unaccompanied migrant children in their asylum policies rather than in general child protection systems for children without parental care. Therefore, children who are not in the asylum system face greater risks. These include children who had difficulties seeking asylum or had their application rejected.

The report suggests what the EU and its Member States could do to protect the rights of unaccompanied migrant children who are outside the child protection system. This includes:

+ improving the identification and registration of unaccompanied children, and then appointing them guardians;

+ providing unaccompanied children who fall through the asylum system with a clear legal status, so they can effectively access basic rights, such as healthcare and education;

+ improving data collection to allow authorities to design evidence-based responses;

+ preventing and investigating fundamental rights violations at borders;

+ addressing exploitation and victimisation.

(...)

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Arkiveringsdatum 211210:

Human Rights Watch 21-11-23:

Bangladesh/ Halt forced relocation of Rohingya refugees!

Bangladesh authorities should halt relocations to Bhasan Char island until freedom of movement and other rights of Rohingya refugees are protected, Human Rights Watch said today. Refugees and humanitarian workers said the authorities have already identified hundreds of families in the mainland camps to be relocated, starting imminently.

These relocations would contravene the October 2021 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) signed with the Bangladesh government establishing a framework for UN support for refugee operations on Bhasan Char. The government should ensure that the UN refugee agency can fully support and protect Rohingya refugees living on Bhasan Char island, Human Rights Watch said in a recent letter to donors. Donors should insist that Bangladesh fully halt relocations until UNHCR has developed a process for ensuring free and informed consent.

"Bangladesh's October agreement with the UN doesn't provide a free ticket to forcibly relocate Rohingya refugees to Bhasan Char," said Bill Frelick, refugee and migrant rights director at Human Rights Watch. "On the contrary, donor governments will now be scrutinizing Bhasan Char to ensure their assistance doesn't contribute to abuses."

Bangladesh authorities have already moved nearly 20,000 Rohingya refugees to the remote, flood-prone island, claiming that the relocations were necessary to ease the overcrowding in the Cox's Bazar camps. Many refugees were transferred to the island without full, informed consent, and have been prevented from returning to the mainland.

While the agreement permits the UN to have a presence on Bhasan Char, serious concerns remain regarding the island's safety, as well as the processes through which fundamental principles such as informed consent and freedom of movement will be upheld.

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Amnesty International 21-12-02:

Grekland/ Asylum seekers being illegally detained in new EU-funded camp

Asylum-seekers staying in a new EU-funded refugee camp on the island of Samos are being detained illegally by Greek authorities following a yet unpublished decision from the Greek Minister for Migration and Asylum, based on information received by Amnesty International.

In line with the decision, since 17 November those without valid government-issued IDs (asylum cards) are barred from leaving the camp for an indefinite period of time. The decision applies to individuals who have had cards withdrawn as a result of unsuccessful asylum applications or newcomers yet to be issued with a card. According to unofficial estimates, around 100 of the approximately 450 residents have been prevented from leaving the prison-like premises for more than two weeks, in violation of their right to liberty.

"This camp more closely resembles a prison than a place to house people seeking safety. This is a gross misuse of EU money, and a gross abuse of the residents' rights," said Adriana Tidona, migration researcher at Amnesty International.

The new EU-funded "closed-controlled centre" (KEDN) of Samos has been constructed in an isolated spot 6 km from the main city, Vathi. It can house up to 3000 people and is equipped with a rigid system of containment and surveillance, including double barbed wire metal fencing, CCTV throughout, and the 24/7 presence of patrolling police officers and privately contracted security officers.

Residents' movements in and out of the camp, which are only allowed between 8 am and 8 pm, are subject to security checks, and take place via magnetic gates.

Individuals and families affected by the 17 November decision cannot leave the camp to perform daily chores, attend classes or community activities at the nearby NGO-run "Alpha land", or to reach the city centre.

(...)

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Arkiveringsdatum 211104:

Human Rights Watch 21-11-03:

Libyen/ Asylum seekers, refugees need crisis response

More than 2,000 African asylum seekers, refugees, and migrants camping since early October 2021 in precarious conditions in front of a shuttered United Nations facility are in dire need of shelter, food, and medical treatment, Human Rights Watch said today. Libyan authorities need to respond to this humanitarian emergency, and European states, whose support enables Libyan authorities to prevent people from reaching European shores, should scale up humanitarian evacuations.

Thousands of migrants and asylum seekers gathered around the Community Day Centre (CDC) after armed groups linked to the Interior Ministry conducted widespread raids and makeshift shelter demolitions in Tripoli's Hai al-Andalous municipality. They were purportedly targeting criminal networks but left thousands homeless. Those who remain outside the CDC, where the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, previously provided medical assistance and other services, are peacefully demanding evacuation from Libya to a safe location amid worsening humanitarian conditions and attacks by armed groups.

"By demolishing migrants' and asylum seekers' makeshift shelters, Libyan authorities manufactured a humanitarian crisis, leaving thousands of people fending for themselves in the streets," said Hanan Salah, Libya director at Human Rights Watch. "Libya and European states should urgently respond to this rapidly deteriorating situation as people are being exposed to violence and lack basic any help for basic needs."

Human Rights Watch spoke with refugees and asylum seekers among those holding out near the CDC and with civic groups. Researchers also reviewed photos and videos sent by asylum seekers and refugees and derived from social media.

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TT / AB 21-10-24: Påven vädjar: Sänd inte migranter till Libyen (Extern länk)

UNHCR 21-10-22: UNHCR welcomes authorization to restart evacuations (Extern länk)

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GCR / AYS 21-10-16:

Grekland/ 7 in 10 people on the move subject to detention in Greece, report finds

A new report published by Oxfam and the Greek Council for Refugees found that seven in 10 people on the move are placed in 'administrative detention' in Greece - a practice which the report's authors say violates human rights.

"In Greece, the detention of migrants is the rule, not the exception," Vasilis Papastergiou of the Greek Council for Refugees (GCR) said upon the report's release.

The report, entitled "Detention as the default: How Greece and the EU are generalising the administrative detention of migrants," found an "excessive use of administrative detention" for some 3,000 people on the move as of June 2021. Administrative detention refers to the imprisonment of an individual without any charges being filed against them. The report found that 70% of people on the move were subjected to this kind of detention, while the majority remained detained even while their asylum claim was being processed.

"Administrative detention is just another tool to stop people from seeking safety in Europe," Papastergiou of GCR said. "Europe's hands not clean, either, as the EU funds the new 'closed and controlled' quasi-detention centres, places where migrants are left to be forgotten."

Nearly half of those detained (46%) remained in administrative detention for over six months, while one in five people were held for long periods of time in police cells, normally designed to hold individuals for only a few hours. Pregnant women, children and people with disabilities were detained without proper access to health care and legal aid, the report added.

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Arkiveringsdatum 211018:

Amnesty International 21-10-08:

Libyen/ Unlawful lethal force and mass arrests in unprecedented migrant crackdown

Libyan security forces and militias in Tripoli have used unlawful lethal force and other violence in an unprecedented roundup of over 5,000 men, women and children from Sub-Saharan Africa and are holding them in horrid conditions where torture and sexual abuse are rampant, said Amnesty International.

On 1 October, armed men from militias and security forces affiliated with Libya's Interior Ministry violently broke into homes and temporary shelters in the Gargaresh area in Tripoli, home to a sizable population of refugees and migrants, firing rounds of live ammunition, damaging belongings and stealing valuables. Terrified migrants and refugees, including several registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), were then transferred to detention centres in Tripoli, where they are denied regular and confidential access to UNHCR and other humanitarian agencies and subjected to torture and other ill-treatment.

"Libyan forces have a harrowing record of subjecting refugees and migrants to unimaginable horrors with impunity. Using unlawful lethal force to capture thousands of unarmed men, women and children solely on the basis of their race is a new low and lays bare the authorities' utter disregard for the lives and dignity of refugees and migrants," said Diana Eltahawy, Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa at Amnesty International.

"We urge the Libyan authorities to immediately release all those arbitrarily detained solely on the basis of their migration status and to launch investigations into all incidents of unlawful use of force, torture and sexual violence. In the interim, authorities should ensure that those in detention are treated humanely, held in conditions that meet international standards and granted unimpeded access to UNHCR and other humanitarian actors without delay."

(...)

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SvT Utrikes 21-10-09: Sex ihjälskjutna i migrantförvar i Libyen (Extern länk)

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Amnesty International 21-10-11:

Nederländerna/ Authorities continue to deny protection to people fleeing the crisis in Venezuela

The Curaçaoan and Dutch authorities have violated the rights of Venezuelans seeking international protection in Curaçao, Amnesty International said today in the new report, Still no Safety: Venezuelans denied protection in Curaçao. The organization documented 22 cases of Venezuelans, including children, who have been subjected to human rights violations such as automatic detention under inhumane conditions, ill-treatment, family separations and the denial of their right to seek asylum.

Almost 5.7 million Venezuelans have fled the human rights crisis in their country, making it one of the largest forced displacement crises in the world. Curaçao, a nearby Caribbean island that is part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, is one of the destination countries. It is estimated that 17,000 Venezuelans live with irregular migratory status on the island.

"It's unacceptable that the Kingdom of the Netherlands has supported the Curaçaoan authorities in rounding up, detaining and deporting people who fled Venezuela in search of safety. Instead of turning a blind eye while people's human rights are being violated, the Dutch authorities should ensure that they receive the international protection they need," said Erika Guevara-Rosas, Americas director at Amnesty International.

Still no protection

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Arkiveringsdatum 211006:

Statewatch 21-10-06:

Tunisien/ EU border externalization policies further deepens the migrants' crisis

Statement circulated by the Forum Tunisien pour les Droits Economiques et Sociaux on 1 October 2021.

The Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights is following with great concern the escalation of systematic violations against migrants from sub-Saharan Africa during the recent period. Rhetoric of hate and stigmatization against migrants and their presence in Tunisia on social networks recurred and developed into clashes in some neighborhoods of the city of Sfax, where, during the month of June, the security authorities took a discriminatory decision to evacuate an entire neighborhood of migrants.

The Forum constantly receives testimonies of systematic forcible deportations on the Tunisian-Algerian and Tunisian-Libyan borders, including women, pregnant women, and children. Yielding to European pressures, the Tunisian navy deliberately intercepts migrant boats departing from the Libyan coast in international waters. The intercepted migrants are disembarked in unsafe Tunisian ports, where neither the logistical possibilities nor a legal system that protects the rights of migrants and refugees and preserves their dignity are available. As a result of European pressures, the unjustified objections deepened the humanitarian crisis of migrants and refugees in Tunisia, prompting many of them to protest in front of the offices of UN organizations to demand more comprehensive protection and services that preserve their dignity.

As the Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights condemns the official silence against all these violations, it:

+ Expresses its indignation at the forced deportations operations that are endangering the lives of migrants in contravention of Tunisia's international obligations

+ Calls for an international maritime rescue operation in the central Mediterranean to reduce the escalating human tragedies and to transfer migrants to safe ports

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OHCHR 21-10-04:

Libyen/ Evidence crimes against humanity and war crimes committed since 2016

There are reasonable grounds to believe that war crimes have been committed in Libya, while violence perpetrated in prisons and against migrants there may amount to crimes against humanity, the Independent Fact-Finding Mission on Libya says in a report published today.

"Our investigations have established that all parties to the conflicts, including third States, foreign fighters and mercenaries, have violated international humanitarian law, in particular the principles of proportionality and distinction, and some have also committed war crimes," said Mohamed Auajjar, Chair of the Fact-Finding Mission.

The Fact-Finding Mission, which is comprised of Aujjar and fellow human rights experts Chaloka Beyani and Tracy Robinson, gathered and reviewed hundreds of documents, interviewed more than 150 individuals and conducted investigations in Libya, Tunisia and Italy.

The focus of their work included the conduct of the parties to the armed conflicts that have taken place across Libya since 2016. The violence has had a dramatic impact on Libyans' economic, social and cultural rights, as evidenced by attacks on hospitals and schools.

"Civilians paid a heavy price during the 2019-2020 hostilities in Tripoli, as well as during other armed confrontations in the country since 2016. Airstrikes have killed dozens of families. The destruction of health-related facilities has impacted access to health care and anti-personnel mines left by mercenaries in residential areas have killed and maimed civilians," said Auajjar.

The Fact-Finding Mission also examined violations in the context of deprivation of liberty and documented the situation of internally displaced people as well as that of migrants, refugees and asylum-seekers.

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Statewatch 21-10-05: Evidence crimes against humanity and war crimes committed since 2016, UN report finds (Extern länk)

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UNHCR 21-09-29:

Libanon/ Refugees struggle to survive amid worst socioeconomic crisis in decades

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) are deeply concerned about the rapid deterioration in the living conditions of Syrian refugees in Lebanon. Almost the entire Syrian refugee population cannot afford the survival minimal expenditure basket (SMEB)

Lebanon's compounded socio-economic and health crisis has hit the most vulnerable Lebanese and refugee families the hardest. The preliminary findings of the 2021 Vulnerability Assessment of Syrian Refugees in Lebanon (VASyR), released today, reveal a dire situation, with nine out of ten Syrian refugees still living in extreme poverty.

In 2021, the vast majority of refugees continued to resort to negative coping strategies to survive, such as begging, borrowing money, not sending their children to school, reducing health expenses or not paying rent. The survey indicates that, in 2021, more family members took poorly paid jobs, high-risk jobs or extra shifts to make the same income the household made in 2020. These coping strategies negatively affect resilience and the capacity to generate income in the future, making refugee families more vulnerable to food insecurity and more dependent on humanitarian assistance.

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Arkiveringsdatum 210921:

Human Rights Watch 21-09-08:

Mexiko/ Mexican soldiers and immigration agents violently detain asylum seekers

Over the past week, Mexican immigration agents and National Guard members have been deployed to southern Mexico to break up a series of caravans of asylum seekers, including families and children, attempting to head north. Journalists and activists have followed the caravans and recorded many of their encounters with Mexican authorities. The scenes have been truly horrifying.

In one video, a Mexican immigration agent repeatedly kicks a migrant in the face while a second agent holds him down on the ground. In another video, National Guard members use their shields to knock over a Haitian man carrying a young child in his arms. "Kill me!" the man shouts, "Kill me with the child!" These examples are just a few among dozens.

According to reporters and activists traveling with the caravan, Mexican authorities have separated families, kicked and beaten migrants, broken into private homes in search of migrants, and assaulted journalists, activists, and representatives of Mexico's human rights commission, who were attempting to document abuses. Both migrants and Mexican authorities have been injured in clashes.

Four caravans heading north since late August have been violently broken up by Mexican authorities. Unlike previous caravans, these formed not in Central America, but in the southern Mexican city of Tapachula, near the Guatemalan border. They have mostly consisted of Haitians and Hondurans who have already applied for asylum in Mexico and are waiting for a resolution of their cases.

Following pressure from the administration of US President Joe Biden to stop migrants from reaching the US border, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has pursued a "containment" policy, focused on keeping migrants in southern Mexico - mostly in Tapachula.

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Amnesty International 21-09-30: Mass deportations must stop (Extern länk)

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OHCHR 21-09-12:

Libyen/ Commissioner extremely worried about the continued suffering of migrants

We are extremely worried about the continued suffering of migrants and asylum seekers in Libya who are experiencing a myriad of daily violations and abuses at the hands of both State and non-state actors.

Recently, there has been a perceptible increase in heavy-handed security operations and raids targeting migrants and asylum seekers. These have resulted in killings and serious injuries, a rise in detentions in appalling conditions, as well as expulsions of individuals to countries in sub-Saharan Africa without due process, in violation of the principle of non-refoulement and the prohibition of collective expulsion.

Last week, there was a series of major incidents, beginning on 1 October when Ministry of Interior personnel raided an informal settlement in Gergaresh - about 12 kilometers west of the capital, Tripoli - where hundreds of migrants and asylum-seekers live, including people registered with the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), awaiting completion of their resettlement procedures. Women, children and men were arrested and handcuffed. Security forces used unnecessary and disproportionate force to detain them, including shooting and beating those who resisted or tried to escape. As a result, at least one person died, five were injured, and more than 4,000 were detained.

All those arrested were taken to the al-Mabani Government-run detention centre in Tripoli and kept in extremely overcrowded cells with little access to food or water.

On 2 October, hundreds of migrants were transferred from al-Mabani to Gheriyan detention centre where they are held in unsanitary conditions, with very little access to food or water.

On 6 October, 500 migrants managed to escape from the Gheriyan centre and were chased by guards who opened fire using live ammunition. According to preliminary information, at least four individuals were shot dead, and many others injured.

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AYS 21-09-18:

Grekland/ Nobody is welcome - A new hotspot to keep refugees out of sight, out of mind

"In December 2020, the European Commission and the Greek government published a memorandum of understanding establishing plans for the construction of Multi-Purpose Reception and Identification Centres (MPRICs) to replace the infamous refugee camps on five Greek islands." (Walling Off Welcome, 2021).

This is Samos Advocacy Collective's report on the situation one day after the centre's inauguration.

The long-announced MPRIC was officially inaugurated yesterday, Saturday 18th of September, on Samos - the first of the five Aegean islands where these facilities will become operational. The Samos MPRIC, entirely funded by the EU Commission, is located in Zervou, a far-removed area on the island. The camp is approximately 7 km from Vathy town, the place on the island most of the people seeking asylum are familiar with, and 5 km away from Mytilinioi, the closest village to the new facility. The remote location of the camp also implies that the residents will be isolated from both local communities, external services and solidarity networks.

In many aspects, the opening of this large-scale, highly controlled, isolated facility represents a new chapter in EU migration policy. This policy has been a long-time in the making - initiated with the 2015 'hotspot approach' and consolidated in last year's Migration Pact signed by the Von der Leyen Commission.

This very Commission, under the lead of DG Home Commissioner Ylva Johansson, sponsored and funded the construction of these five 'super-structures' in the Aegean islands, bestowing on Greece about 250 million euros to this purpose. Being the figurehead of a containment policy on the reception of displaced people that many reckon as unlawful under EU acquis and Asylum Law, the Commissioner has been the target of many criticisms in the months since the signing of the MoU for the construction of the five new hotspots.

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AYS 21-09-17: Old suffering in a new camp, while Frontex steps up their securitization game (Extern länk)

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Arkiveringsdatum 210808:

PLOS One 21-03-23:

USA/ Associations between memory loss and trauma in US asylum seekers

A retrospective review of medico-legal affidavits

Altaf Saadi, Kathryn Hampton, Maria Vassimon de Assis, Ranit Mishori mfl

Background

The U.S. immigration system mandates that persons seeking asylum prove their persecution claim is credible and their fear of returning home is well-founded. However, this population represents a highly trauma-exposed group, with neuropsychiatric symptoms consequent to prior torture or maltreatment that may interfere with cognitive function and their ability to recall their trauma. These memory lapses may be incorrectly perceived by asylum adjudicators as indicators of dishonesty and jeopardize the person's credibility and asylum claim. Our retrospective mixed methods study seeks to present associations between trauma and memory loss in a sample of persons seeking asylum to the U.S. and describe how memory impairments manifest in this trauma-exposed population.

Methods

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Amnesty International 21-07-15:

Libyen/ Horrific violations in detention highlight Europe's shameful role in forced returns

Fresh evidence of harrowing violations, including sexual violence, against men, women and children intercepted while crossing the Mediterranean Sea and forcibly returned to detention centres in Libya, highlights the horrifying consequences of Europe's ongoing cooperation with Libya on migration and border control, said Amnesty International in a report published today.

'No one will look for you': Forcibly returned from sea to abusive detention in Libya documents how decade-long violations against refugees and migrants continued unabated in Libyan detention centres during the first six months of 2021 despite repeated promises to address them.

The report also found that since late 2020 Libya's Directorate for Combatting Illegal Migration (DCIM), a department of the interior ministry, had legitimized abuse by integrating two new detention centres under its structure where hundreds of refugees and migrants had been forcibly disappeared in previous years by militias. At one recently rebranded centre, survivors said guards raped women and subjected them to sexual violence including by coercing them into sex in exchange for food or their freedom.

"The report also highlights the ongoing complicity of European states that have shamefully continued to enable and assist Libyan coastguards in capturing people at sea and forcibly returning them to the hellscape of detention in Libya, despite knowing full well the horrors they will endure."

Amnesty International is calling on European states to suspend cooperation on migration and border control with Libya. This week Italy's parliament will debate the continuation of their provision of military support and resources to Libyan coastguards.

The report details the experiences of 53 refugees and migrants previously detained in centres nominally under the control of DCIM, 49 of whom were detained directly following their interceptions at sea.

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Human Rights Watch 21-08-02:

Bangladesh/ Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh at risk during monsoon

Heavy rains over the past week have displaced more than 21,000 Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh. The resulting flooding and mudslides have destroyed about 6,418 shelters. With months of monsoon season still ahead, the refugees face heightened risks because they are being prevented from taking measures that could lessen the devastation from flooding.

In the refugee camps in Cox's Bazar, where nearly one million Rohingya refugees who fled atrocities by the Myanmar military live, Bangladesh authorities have prohibited the construction of stronger shelters capable of withstanding not just the annual monsoon, but also frequent dry-season fires. This prohibition is a constant reminder to the Rohingya living in the world's largest refugee camp that their stay in Bangladesh is temporary.

Making that political point has cost lives. Ever since the vast majority of refugees arrived in 2017, humanitarian agencies have warned that shelters made of bamboo and tarpaulin leave the inhabitants in danger. But the Bangladesh authorities have refused to let the agencies build any permanent structures that can be used as schools and double up as evacuation shelters in an emergency.

"We wish the authorities would allow us to build a little stronger shelters so that we do not have to face the same tragedy every year," one refugee said, explaining that his tarpaulin roofing was leaking even before the monsoon started. Others described a shortage of drinking water because of inundated wells, lack of food, and clogged sewage facilities. Some refugees said they were moving in with relatives, risking spread of Covid-19.

An additional 5,000 Rohingya in the "no man's land" at the Myanmar border are also experiencing floods. "Of over 500 shelters, only about 50 or 60 are still intact," a 38-year-old Rohingya man said.

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Arkiveringsdatum 210720:

Elena legal update 21-07-17:

Grekland/ ECSR: The situation of migrant children violates the European Social Charter

The European Committee on Social Rights finds that the situation of migrant children in Greece violates several provisions of the European Social Charter

On 12 July, the European Committee on Social Rights published its decision on a collective complaint (No. 173/2018) brought by the ICJ and ECRE regarding the treatment of migrant children in the country, finding several violations of the European Social Charter.

Regarding the right to shelter, the Committee noted that exceptional circumstances cannot absolve a state of its obligations to provide shelter under Article 31 (2) of the Charter and found that substandard conditions and overcrowding, as well as absence of long-term accommodation for unaccompanied minor children on the mainland, led to a violation of Article 31 (2). The right to adequate housing under Article 31 (1) was considered to entail an obligation for more permanent accommodation if the children have remained in temporary facilities for longer than necessary. Consequently, the lack of adequate accommodation for all children on the islands and the lack of sufficient long-term accommodation for unaccompanied children on the mainland violated their right to adequate housing under that article. Moreover, the "persistent failure" to provide appropriate accommodation indicated a failure to take necessary measures and violated the children's rights to protection against social and moral danger under Article 7 (10).

Similarly, the inadequate accommodation situation, the failure of Greek authorities to provide a functioning guardianship system to unaccompanied and separated migrant children, as well as the routine use of detention under the "protective custody" regime, were all found to violate the right to social and economic protection under Article 17 (1). According to the Committee, detention in police stations or closed facilities cannot be an alternative to proper accommodation schemes, even for short periods of time.

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Arkiveringsdatum 210701:

UNHCR 21-06-16:

Libyen/ IOM and UNHCR condemn the return of migrants and refugees to Libya

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) and UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, can confirm that over 270 migrants and refugees were handed over to the Libyan Coast Guard by the ship "Vos Triton", sailing under the flag of Gibraltar.

"Vos Triton" had rescued the group in international waters during their attempt to reach Europe on 14 June. On 15 June, the Libyan Coast Guard returned them to the main port of Tripoli, from where they were taken into detention by the Libyan authorities.

The two organizations reiterate that no one should be returned to Libya after being rescued at sea. Under international maritime law, rescued individuals should be disembarked at a place of safety.

IOM and UNHCR staff are in Libya, providing life-saving humanitarian assistance. However, the agencies reiterate that the basic preconditions to ensure the safety and protection of rescued migrants and refugees post-disembarkation are lacking; therefore, Libya cannot be considered a safe place.

In the absence of predictable disembarkation mechanisms, maritime actors should not be obliged to return refugees and migrants to unsafe places. IOM and UNHCR call on States to coordinate so that merchant vessels rescuing people in distress are granted swift permission for disembarkation in a place of safety, to avoid lives being placed at risk.

The Libyan Coast Guard has returned more than 13,000 people to Libya this year, already surpassing the number of people intercepted or rescued and disembarked in all of 2020. Hundreds of others have perished at sea.

The continuing departures from Libya highlight the need for a predictable rescue and disembarkation mechanism along the Central Mediterranean route, with immediate effect and in full compliance with international human rights principles and standards.

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Annick Pijnenburg in EU Migration Law Blog 21-07-16: Socio-economic Rights and Migration deals: Obligations and Responsibility of EU Member States (Extern länk)

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Arkiveringsdatum 210616:

UNHCR 21-06-08:

Mexiko/ Relocations for refugee integration top 10,000 mark

An innovative integration program led by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, has helped more than 10,000 refugees relocate within Mexico and restart their lives in their new communities.

The 10,000 mark was reached in late May, as UNHCR steps up its effort to assist the increasing number of refugees who find protection in the country.

More than 70 percent of all asylum claims in Mexico are made in the south of the country, where integration opportunities and services are limited for recognized refugees. Since its inception in 2016, the program helps them relocate to one of eight cities in the country's center and north. There, the labour and housing markets, as well as the education and health systems have the capacity to integrate refugees, as a result of demographic transition and economic growth.

UNHCR supports program participants with temporary housing, cultural orientation, vocational training, school enrolment and job placement. After two years of permanent residence, refugees can apply for naturalization.

A recent UN review showed the program's effectiveness: while they were in southern Mexico, only 10 per cent of the refugees were employed and 17 per cent counted on sporadic informal jobs. After their relocation, 92 per cent were formally employed, with incomes that were on average 60 per cent higher than in the south. Currently, more than 170 national and multinational companies employ refugees as part of the program.

Local communities also benefit from the increased tax revenues and social security contributions. Indicatively, in the next 12 months, the 10,000 refugees relocated so far are projected to generate taxes that exceed the 2021 budget of COMAR, the Mexican Commission for Assistance to Refugees.

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AIDA / ECRE 21-06-11:

Grekland/ AIDA 2020 Update: Greece

The updated AIDA Country Report on Italy tracks recent developments in the area of asylum procedures, reception conditions, detention of asylum seekers and content of international protection in 2020.

In 2020, 26,963 persons applied for asylum in Italy. This is a sharp decrease compared to 2019, when 43,783 persons applied. Due to the outbreak of Covid-19, the Italian Government adopted temporary measures, affecting asylum procedures.

Access to the territory was severely hindered in 2020. A decree issued on 7 April 2020 declared Italian ports unsafe aiming at safeguarding the functionality of national health structures and containing the spread of the coronavirus. Indirect refoulement to Libya and privatised expulsions were still reported in 2020. In February 2020, the Memorandum of Understanding between Italy and Libya was renewed. According to the agreement, Italy undertakes continued financial support for training courses and equipment, the Libyan coast guard of the Ministry of Defence, for search and rescue activities at sea and in the desert, and for the prevention and fight against irregular immigration. According to data collected by IOM present at the landing sites a total of 12,000 people were intercepted and returned by the Libyan coastguard in 2020.

Following legislative changes, the reception system for asylum seekers has significantly changed, at least in theory. The changes partially restore the reception model that had been outlined by the Reception decree of 2015, which intended a single system for asylum seekers and beneficiaries of international protection, albeit divided into different phases. The accommodation system (former SPRAR, then Siproimi) is now called S.A.I.: System of accommodation and integration, and allows asylum seekers to be accommodated in the SAI, although with a different level of services provided. The law, as amended by Decree Law 130/2020, also ensures access to these centers only "within the limits of the available places".

De facto detention of asylum seekers continued to be reported in hotspots, as prefectures did not establish dedicated detention facilities for identification purpose.

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Arkiveringsdatum 210520:

Amnesty International 21-05-12:

Internationellt/ Refugees and vaccinations: Part of the solution but not part of the plan

In various countries around the world, refugees' access to vaccines has been delayed and hampered by different obstacles, including uncertainty about eligibility. These challenges reflect the same barriers that refugees routinely face in accessing national health care systems. In this public statement, Amnesty explains that in meeting the unprecedented challenge of fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, governments must not just fully integrate marginalized groups, including refugees, asylum seekers and migrants, in their vaccinations plans, but must do so effectively so that such groups are not discriminated against based on their migration status.

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Amnesty International 21-05-18:

Zeeland/ Please take me to a safe place: The imprisonment of asylum seekers

This research report highlights the experiences of refugees and asylum seekers sent to New Zealand's prisons whilst their asylum claims are being processed. Asylum seekers described ill treatment in prison from other criminal detainees and lack of due process in considering their claims. The New Zealand government must end harmful detention practices, in particular placing immigration detainees in prisons which is a clear violation of international human rights law.

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Asylnytt 21-05-20:

Italien/ Inget hinder mot att överföra barnfamiljer till Italien enligt Europadomstolen

Två fall har behandlats, ett rörande en kvinna med två barn från Eritrea, det andra en familj med fem barn från Libyen. De sökte asyl i Nederländerna respektive Finland men fick beslut om att sändas till Italien enligt Dublinförordningen. Ett av barnen i familjen i Finland hade genomgått en ryggmärgsoperation. Europadomstolen avgjorde för ett antal år sedan att överföringar av barnfamiljer till Italien inte skulle ske utan individuella garantier om lämpligt mottagande. Sedan Italien börjat lämna generella garantier om inkvartering i boende för nyanlända krävdes inte längre individuell garanti. Vid tidpunkten för de här familjernas ansökningar hade de så kallade "Salvini-reglerna" införts i Italien. Dessa regler försämrade villkoren för asylsökande. Bland annat erbjöds inte längre adekvat boende för familjer som överförts från andra EU-länder. Därför hävdade familjerna att barnen inte kunde överföras utan garantier från Italien. Men när ärendet nu behandlats av Europadomstolen så har Salvini-reglerna åter avskaffats. Barnfamiljer behandlas nu som en sårbar grupp och kommer enligt den nuvarande regeringen i Italien att erbjudas boende och annan service de har rätt till inom ett nytt system (SAI). Anmälningarna bedömdes därför som uppenbart ogrundade.

Case of M.T. v. the Netherlands, Application no. 46595/19 (Extern länk)

Case of A.B. and others against Finland, application no. 41100/19 (Extern länk)

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Arkiveringsdatum 210504:

Human Rights Watch 21-04-27:

Bangladesh/ Rohingya refugees allegedly tortured

Investigate security force beatings for attempting to flee Bhasan Char Island

Bangladesh authorities should immediately investigate allegations that security forces beat and arbitrarily detained Rohingya refugees who tried to leave Bhasan Char island, Human Rights Watch said today. The Bangladesh government has relocated nearly 20,000 Rohingya refugees to the remote island without consulting international experts to ensure their safety or determining their humanitarian needs.

Bangladesh security forces on April 6, 2021 arrested and beat at least 12 refugees who were caught trying to leave the island, restricting their freedom of movement. The authorities have not informed family members of their whereabouts. On April 12, a Bangladesh sailor allegedly beat four children with a PVC pipe for leaving their quarters to play with refugee children in another area. The authorities should immediately release any refugees who are arbitrarily detained, and hold to account those responsible for abuses.

"The Bangladesh government saved countless lives by providing refuge to Rohingya people, but this doesn't justify detaining them on an island and beating them if they try to move," said Brad Adams, Asia director. "The burden Bangladesh has taken on in caring for Rohingya refugees does not negate its responsibility to ensure they are safe, and their rights are respected."

Witnesses said that security forces beat the refugees during an interrogation in the newly built police station on Bhasan Char. According to one witness, a police officer said, "Tell your Rohingyas that if they are thinking of escape, their fate will be same." The authorities also raided Bhasan Char shelters to identify those missing, and beat residents demanding information.

Families of two detained Rohingya said that they had no information about the whereabouts of their relatives. They also said that unidentified people claiming to be from the police had demanded a bribe to provide information.

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Arkiveringsdatum 210416:

Human Rights Watch 21-04-06:

Libanon/ Lebanon: Refugees, migrants left behind in vaccine rollout

The Lebanese government's Covid-19 vaccination program risks leaving behind marginalized communities, including refugees and migrant workers, Human Rights Watch said today. Despite the government's promises of an equitable program, the effort has been tainted by political interference and a lack of information.

United Nations data shows that Syrian and Palestinian refugees have died from Covid-19 at a rate more than four and three times the national average, respectively. Yet, according to the government's online Covid-19 vaccine registration and tracking platform, only 2.86 percent of those vaccinated and 5.36 percent of those registered to receive vaccinations are non-Lebanese, even though they constitute at least 30 percent of the population.

"With one in three people in Lebanon a refugee or migrant, a third of the population risks being left behind in the vaccination plan," said Nadia Hardman, refugee and migrant rights researcher at Human Rights Watch. "The government needs to invest in targeted outreach to build trust with long-marginalized communities or the Covid-19 vaccination effort is doomed to fail."

Between February and March 2021, Human Rights Watch spoke to 21 Syrian refugees, 6 Palestinian refugees, the caretaker labor minister, and staff from the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and the Anti-Racism Movement (ARM), a grassroots collective in Lebanon that fights discrimination.

The Health Ministry has said that it aims to vaccinate 80 percent of the population by the end of 2021 and that the national vaccination plan covers everyone living in Lebanon, regardless of nationality. The first phase of the vaccine rollout prioritizes healthcare workers and those over age 75, followed by those over 65, and then those over 54 who suffer from certain underlying health conditions.

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ECRE 21-04- 02:

Grekland/ Millions of euros for fenced structures, pushbacks dismissed as "fake news"

European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson toured the eastern Aegean and announced over 250 million euro of EU funds for reception structures on five Greek islands. The Commissioner and Greek Minister of Migration and Asylum Notis Mitarachi said new structures on Lesvos and Samos will be fenced and have controlled entry and exit. Journalists criticised lack of access to the so-called Moria 2.0 camp. Two deadly incidents took place in Greek detention centres; the Greek Refugee Council called for an end to detention. Mitarachi dismissed reports of pushbacks as "fake news", while the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) urged Greece to investigate "hundreds of pushbacks." A relocation flight for recognised refugees took off from Lesvos to Germany, amid calls for more solidarity.

On the occasion of her visit to the eastern Aegean islands Samos and Lesvos, European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson announced that the EU would provide ¤155 million to the Greek authorities for the construction of new reception centres on the islands Lesvos and Chios. With ¤121 million awarded in November 2020 for structures in Samos, Kos and Leros, the financial support for reception in the eastern Aegean totals a quarter of a billion euro. During a joint press conference in Lesvos, Greek Minister of Migration and Asylum Notis Mitarachi said the construction process currently underway on Samos, Kos and Leros will be finalised in three months. In regard to the planned structures in Lesvos and Samos he pointed out that they will be fenced all around with areas for separating vulnerable groups inside the main structure, and that entry and exit to the camp will be controlled and possible only at set hours. No date was specified for when the structures will be operational, but both Johansson and Mitarachi stressed that no-one should spend the next winter in the current facilities. A statement issued by Johansson ahead of the visit read: "Winter hardship in 2020-2021 was unfortunate. Winter hardship in 2021-2022 must be avoided."

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ECRE News 21-04-16: Newly arriving people are systematically beaten back to Turkey or abandoned, those granted international protection status are left destitute (Extern länk)

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Refugee Support Aegean 21-04- 13:

Grekland/ Excluded and Segregated - The vanishing education of refugee children

The exclusion of refugee children[1] from the Greek education system reached record levels during the COVID-19 pandemic, prompting reactions from across the education sector, ?embers of Parliament and civil society.[2] Many children have been unable to attend school for over a year, while others have never managed to enrol. At the same time, worrying emerging discourse promotes education of refugee children solely through non-formal education inside Reception and Identification Centres (RIC) and camps.

From 15 January to 15 February 2021,[3] Refugee Support Aegean (RSA) interviewed 13 education professionals working with refugee children in different regions (Lesvos, Samos, Attica, Evia, Kilkis, Preveza, Thessaloniki), as well as 13 families living in reception facilities, i.e. RIC on the Aegean islands and camps on the mainland, in apartments, or outside of the reception system.[4] All interviewed parents stated that education of their children is their major concern following safety and health. All had only temporary or no access to education back home, as war and conflict disrupted their daily lives and the authorities often discriminated against girls' education. Despite the difficulties, their children had in all cases been to school in their country of origin, sometimes facing disruptions of attendance due to war or individual persecution. Parents stated that they wished for their children to go to school in order to be able to build their own lives and become active members of the societies they live in now.

In this report, RSA tracks barriers to refugee education stemming from problems in the implementation of the dedicated framework activated by Greece in 2016. It then discusses the aggravating role played by wider deficiencies in the asylum procedure and reception system of the country, coupled with xenophobic stances at school, local and regional level, and the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic on physical access to schools and remote learning for refugee children.

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Arkiveringsdatum 210402:

Amnesty International 21-03- 23:

Libanon/ Torture of Syrian refugees arbitrarily detained on counter-terror charges

Lebanese security forces have committed shocking violations against Syrian refugees who have been arrested, often arbitrarily, on terrorism-related charges, employing some of the same atrocious torture techniques that are used in Syria's most notorious prisons, said Amnesty International in a damning new report published today.

Amnesty's report, "I wish I would die": Syrian refugees detained on terrorism-related charges and tortured in Lebanon, documents an array of violations committed by primarily Lebanese military intelligence against 26 detainees, including fair trial violations as well as torture - including beatings with metal sticks, electric cables, and plastic pipes. Detainees also described being hung upside down or forced into stress positions for prolonged periods of time.

"This report offers a snapshot of the Lebanese authorities' cruel, abusive and discriminatory treatment of Syrian refugees detained on suspicion of terrorism-related charges. In many cases refugees who escaped war, ruthless repression and widespread torture have found themselves arbitrarily detained and held incommunicado in Lebanon, where they face many of the same horrors employed in Syrian prisons," said Marie Forestier, Researcher on Refugee and Migrants Rights at Amnesty International.

"There is no question that members of armed groups responsible for human rights abuses must be held accountable for their actions, but the Lebanese authorities' flagrant violation of Syrian refugees' right to due process has made a mockery of justice. At every stage, from arrest through to interrogation, detention and prosecution in unfair trials, the Lebanese authorities have utterly disregarded international human rights law."

The report documents the cases of 26 Syrian refugees, including four children, detained in Lebanon on terrorism-related charges between 2014-2021. It is based on interviews with former and current detainees, lawyers and an examination of legal documents.

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UNHCR 21-03-23:

Bangladesh/ Massive fire leaves some 45,000 Rohingya refugees without shelter

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is deeply saddened at the loss of life and immense suffering caused by yesterday's massive fire in the Kutupalong Balukali refugee camp in Cox's Bazar.

Based on provisional reports, as of this morning (Tuesday 23 March), 15 refugees are confirmed to have tragically lost their lives in the fire. More than 560 have been injured and an estimated 400 people are still missing.

In support of the ongoing response led by the Bangladeshi authorities, UNHCR, in coordination with IOM and other UN and NGO partners as well as refugee volunteers, is rushing to provide critical support and protection to some 45,000 Rohingya refugees who lost their shelters and belongings in the devastating blaze.

At least 10,000 shelters are estimated to have been destroyed or damaged, but figures are expected to climb in the coming days as assessments continue. Refugees who have been displaced are being temporarily accomodated within the camp community.

With an unknown number of refugees having sustained burn injuries, UNHCR has provided medical supplies through ICRC in support of the management of burn patients. Emergency first aid including psychosocial support is also being provided. Health volunteers from the refugee community are helping to refer those in need of critical support services .

Rohingya refugees remain at the centre of the response and have been mobilized since the fire was brought under control last night. UNHCR is preparing to reissue registration documents to those who lost theirs in the fire.

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UNHCR 21-05-14: UNHCR, aid partners call for renewed and strong support for the Rohingya refugees (Extern länk)

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EU-kommissionen 21-03-29:

Grekland/ Questions and Answers: Commission support for the situation on the islands

What are the next steps in establishing the new reception facility on Lesvos?

With the funding agreement for the construction of the new centre, the Commission has provided clarity on the financing. The European Commission and the Ministry of Migration and Asylum will proceed with the finalisation and signature of the grant agreement, which includes the description of the plan, the estimated budget and the conditions linked to interim payments and the progress of the works.

In parallel, the Greek authorities are obtaining the necessary permits to allow for construction, as well as finalising the technical designs for the future centre so that the procurement process to contract the construction works can start quickly. In this design process, EASO technical experts are associated.

Is the Commission supporting new reception facilities on other Greek islands?

In December 2020, the Commission signed a grant agreement with the Greek authorities for the construction of 3 new reception centres on the Greek islands of Samos, Kos and Leros. These new facilities will include i) reception facilities, ii) safe zones for unaccompanied children and teenagers and other vulnerable people, iii) facilities for procedures after initial arrivals and required administrative areas, iv) facilities needed to guarantee access to services, v) common and recreational areas and vi) pre-removal centres. The EU funding amounts to ¤121 million.

In addition to the fresh award for the new facilities in Lesvos, the Commission has also awarded funding to build a new centre in Chios.

How did the EU respond to the emergency situation in Lesvos following the fires?

After the fire in the Moria camp in September 2020, the Commission provided immediate support to assist the Greek authorities to ensure that the 12,362 people left without shelter would be accommodated as a matter of priority.

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Arkiveringsdatum 210314:

UNHCR 21-03-02:

Niger/ Surging violence in Nigeria drives displacement to Niger

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is alarmed at surging violence in north-west Nigeria which has fuelled displacement into neighbouring Niger's Maradi region, where violence is also on the rise.

Fearing armed groups and communal clashes, more than 7,660 refugees have fled Nigeria into Maradi this year and another 3,500 citizens of Niger have been displaced inside the country. Most of the refugees are women and children, displaced following recent attacks in Nigeria's Sokoto state.

The Maradi region, in southern Niger, now hosts nearly 100,000 displaced people, including 77,000 Nigerian refugees, who have fled relentless attacks in Katsina, Sokoto, and Zamfara states.

UNHCR commends the generosity of Niger as it continues to grant access to asylum, despite border restrictions brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.

UNHCR teams in Niger have recorded a spike in deadly violence inside Maradi itself, with more casualties and serious incidents reported in January and February 2021 than in the second half 2020. Refugees describe gruesome murders, kidnappings for ransom, and looted villages. Many have also been caught up in clashes between farmers and herders as well as vigilantism, as self-defence groups are being set up in most villages.

People fleeing are in urgent need of water, food, shelter, and health services. Most have fled empty handed in the rush to save their lives.

UNHCR is providing life-saving assistance and protection and has scaled up border monitoring activities. Our teams are also registering new arrivals to identify people with vulnerabilities and other specific needs.

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UNHCR 21-03-23: UNHCR outraged by deadly attack against displaced population in Western Niger (Extern länk)

UNHCR 21-04-16: Tens of thousands forced to flee violent attacks in Nigeria's Borno State (Extern länk)

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Human Rights Watch 21-03-25:

Bangladesh/ Refugee camp fencing cost lives in blaze

Barbed wire fencing trapped thousands of refugees while a massive fire spread through Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh on March 22, 2021, Human Rights Watch said today. The Bangladesh government should immediately remove the fencing surrounding the camps in Cox's Bazar and promptly issue the results of its investigation into the deadly fire.

At least 15 people, including 6 children, were killed in the fire, and over 50,000 people were displaced. However, with nearly 400 people reported missing, the actual number of fatalities is yet unknown. Hundreds were injured, some while trying to escape the blaze by climbing over or cutting through barbed wire fencing.

"Refugees have horrifying accounts of being trapped inside barbed wire fencing as the fire swept through the Rohingya refugee camps," said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. "The authorities should immediately take down all fencing around the camps and make public the outcome of its investigation into the fire's cause."

Human Rights Watch interviewed 17 witnesses and refugees who lost family members during the fire who said that they were unable to quickly escape because of the barbed wire fencing that authorities built around the camps.

The blaze erupted in camp 8W and rapidly spread to three adjacent camps - 8E, 9, and 10. Satellite imagery recorded on March 23 showed the destruction of roughly 61 hectares and at least 10,000 shelters in the camps. It was the biggest fire in the camps since refugees fled to Bangladesh from arson attacks and other crimes against humanity by the Myanmar military in 2017. This was the third fire in the camps in just four days.

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European Migration network / FRA 21-03-10:

Europa/ Housing migrant children

On 10 March, the European Migration network launched its report on the state of implementation in 2019 of the EU's Communication on protecting migrant children.

During discussions on housing, FRA outlined capacity and adequacy challenges in relation to the initial reception, as well as the use of immigration detention of children in several Member States. FRA also shared its findings on the difficulties unaccompanied children face as they transition to adulthood.

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Arkiveringsdatum 210226:

UNHCR 21-02-12:

CostaRica/ UNHCR commends Costa Rica for commitment to those forced to flee

UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi thanked President Carlos Alvarado for Costa Rica´s commitment to protect and promote the inclusion of refugees and asylum seekers through an agreement with UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, to extend health insurance to 10,000 of those who are most vulnerable.

"Costa Rica's generosity in assisting people in need of international protection is an example to countries the world over," said Grandi.

President Alvarado also announced his decision to extend Costa Rica´s commitments to address the challenges of forced displacement, as part of its participation in the MIRPS, a regional framework for protection and solutions for those forced to flee. Grandi celebrated the decision as another demonstration of Costa Rica´s leadership in the region.

Costa Rica hosts more than 85,000 Nicaraguan refugees and asylum seekers who have fled their country since 2018. Grandi lauded the government's efforts to strengthen its asylum system to be able to continue receiving asylum claims, including during the pandemic, and provide alternative protection solutions for persons who require such arrangements.

"These extraordinary times call upon the international community to assist countries that welcome, host and support people who are fleeing persecution," Grandi said.

During his three-day visit, Grandi traveled to the northern city of Upala, to hear directly from Nicaraguan refugees and asylum seekers about their needs and struggles to integrate. Grandi met with mayors from the northern region to learn about the host communities' integration efforts and called for additional development plans. Later, he visited a local market supported by UNHCR, where nationals and asylum seekers sell their goods to the community, in an example of economic reactivation and peaceful coexistence.

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UNHCR 21-02-10: UNHCR welcomes expansion of Guatemala's asylum capacity (Extern länk)

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Arkiveringsdatum 210208:

Human Rights Watch 21-01-27:

Grekland/ Migrant camp lead contamination

The Greek government should release test results and other vital information about lead contamination in a migrant camp on Lesbos island to protect the health of residents and workers, Human Rights Watch said today.

After testing soil samples in November, the government confirmed publicly on January 23, 2021 the presence of dangerous levels of lead in the soil in the administrative area of the Lesbos camp. It says that samples from residential areas showed lead levels below relevant standards but did not release the locations where samples were collected or the actual test results. The government has yet to indicate that it will take the necessary steps to adequately assess and mitigate the risk, including comprehensive testing and measures to remove people from areas that could be contaminated.

"The Greek government knowingly built a migrant camp on a firing range and then turned a blind eye to the potential health risks for residents and workers there," said Belkis Wille, senior crisis and conflict researcher at Human Rights Watch. "After weeks of prodding, it took soil samples to test for lead contamination while denying that a risk of lead exposure existed. It did not make the results public for over seven weeks, and has yet to allow independent experts to analyze them or vow to take the necessary steps to protect residents and workers and inform them about the potential health risks."

Human Rights Watch published a report in December documenting that thousands of asylum seekers, aid workers, and United Nations, Greek, and European Union employees may be at risk of lead poisoning in the Lesbos camp. Greek authorities built the new camp, Mavrovouni (also known as new Kara Tepe), on a repurposed military firing range. It now houses 6,500 people. According to a government announcement on January 23, one out of 12 soil samples taken in November came back on December 8 with lead levels that "exceeded the acceptable limit." The announcement also mentions some steps to mitigate the risk.

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Book Aid International 21-02-02:

Grekland/ Books change lives in Greece's refugee camps

ECHO is a mobile library based in Athens, Greece. Founded in the summer of 2016, its mission is to provide people seeking asylum with books, learning resources and a shared community space whilst they live in the camps.

Since 2017 we've sent over 2,000 books, including 326 books in 2020, to support ECHO with their mission and help reach those who need books more than ever.

We spoke to one of the coordinators of ECHO, Becka, about the library, the people who use it and the ways it impacts the many lives it reaches.

"The educational services within the camps are extremely limited, the WiFi is patchy or non-existent and these camps are not safe places. There is no neutral community space, nowhere you can just relax that's warm and comfortable, like a library. If we wanted to set up permanent library spaces it would be extremely challenging, so we bring in our lending library service once a week. Even though it's just once a week and it's an outside space, which isn't ideal, we have a rug for children and we have spaces for adults so people come to us to relax and learn.

There's very little to look forward to in these camps, and one of the very few things you can actually do is sit and read a book, either for study or for the sake of exploring a different world.

With the pandemic affecting our access to the camps, it's clear that people notice when we're not there. Covid-19 has exacerbated a situation which was already very bad.

Getting the desired books for the camps is a constant source of stress. Thanks to Book Aid International, English books are fortunately one of our less stressful things. These are one of our most used resources because they support people who are learning English. Greek is a very challenging language, and not everyone living in the camps will settle in Greece for life.

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Arkiveringsdatum 210125:

Amnesty International 21-01-12:

Bosnien/ Long-term solutions needed to end recurring humanitarian crisis

Approximately 2,500 people, including 900 residents of temporary camp Lipa, remain without basic shelter in perilously cold conditions in Bosnia and Herzegovina as authorities fail to provide adequate accommodation to migrants and asylum-seekers, and EU agencies continue to support short-term solutions.

In a statement issued today, leading human rights organizations, Amnesty International, Jesuit Refugee Service Europe, Médecins du Monde Belgique and Refugee Rights Europe have called for immediate humanitarian support to address the current emergency as well as durable institutional solutions to meet the needs of people transiting through the country.

No long-term solutions despite ¤88 million of EU assistance

The EU has provided over ¤88 million in assistance to Bosnia and Herzegovina to strengthen its migration management capacity over the past three years. Despite this, the country has failed to identify suitable facilities for the accommodation of migrants and asylum-seekers, assume full responsibility for the management of existing facilities or to provide minimal guaranteed support to those stranded in the country.

"The EU's responsibility is clear - the current humanitarian crisis is also a consequence of EU's policy of fortifying its borders that has left thousands of people stranded on its periphery or in the neighbouring countries."

Lipa unsafe, as temperature plummets

Many of those at risk were housed in a temporary makeshift camp in Lipa, northwest Bosnia, which was shut down on 23 December. A fire broke out during closure, converting the area into an uninhabitable wasteland. Over the weekend, the authorities installed dozens of heated tents on the ground, but close to 400 people remain in makeshift shelters despite heavy snow and the temperatures that are forecasted to plummet in the coming days.

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ECRE 21-01-15: Life-threatening conditions for people trapped in Bosnia as temperatures fall (Extern länk)

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Arkiveringsdatum 210111:

Human Rights Watch 20-12-19:

Libanon/ Dire conditions for Syrian refugees in border town

Two winters since homes dismantled, many refugees in Arsal unprotected

Syrian refugees in Arsal, a Lebanese town on the border with Syria, do not have adequate shelters to withstand the harsh winter months, Human Rights Watch said today, releasing a video showing their dire living conditions.

More than 15,000 Syrian refugees in Arsal are experiencing their second winter since a 2019 order from the Higher Defense Council, which is chaired by the president and responsible for implementing national defense strategy, required them to dismantle their shelters. The order has forced them to live without adequate roofs and insulation, exposed to harsh winter conditions, including subzero temperatures and flooding.

"Living conditions for the Syrian refugees living in Arsal forced to dismantle their shelters in 2019 remain dire," said Michelle Randhawa, refugee and migrant rights senior coordinator at Human Rights Watch. "Their situation, compounded by Covid-19 movement restrictions, threatens their safety and their very lives."

In November and December 2020, Human Rights Watch researchers returned to Arsal to interview seven refugees first interviewed during the summer of 2019 to assess the impact of the demolitions on their standard of living, and in particular on their access to adequate shelter during the winter months. The refugees described dire living conditions. They also said they lack information and resources to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

All seven refugees interviewed described harsh weather conditions and inadequate building materials. Due to flooding and heavy rains, four said that mold had formed on the wood used to rebuild the top portions of the shelters. A few said the mold caused health problems for children and asthmatic relatives.

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Arkiveringsdatum 201218:

UNHCR 20-12- 11:

Sudan/ Refugees report obstacles to reach safety as numbers approach 50,000

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, working with the local authorities, has now registered nearly 50,000 Ethiopian refugees who have crossed into eastern Sudan, with some reporting having to evade armed groups to reach safety.

Since 6 December, the number of refugees escaping ongoing conflict in the northern Tigray region have been trending downward to under 500 per day.

The recent groups coming from areas deeper inside Tigray are arriving weak and exhausted, some reporting they spent two weeks on the run inside Ethiopia as they made their way to the border.

They have told us harrowing accounts of being stopped by armed groups and robbed of their possessions. Many have spent time hiding in fields and bushes to avoid being spotted. Without access in Ethiopia we are unable to verify these disturbing reports.

UNHCR remains very worried about the safety and condition of the Eritrean refugees in Tigray that have been caught in the conflict and have had no access to services and supplies for more than a month. We echo the UN Secretary-General's call for unfettered access to Tigray in order to reach people in need.

We repeat the joint UN call for all parties to allow freedom of movement to affected civilians seeking assistance, safety, and security within the Tigray region or outside the affected areas. This includes respecting and upholding the right to cross international borders to seek asylum.

Inside Sudan, UNHCR is working with the local authorities and partners, and continues to scale up its humanitarian response to assist Ethiopian refugees.

We have seen increasing requests for family tracing, as many were separated at the start of the conflict or during flight and have not been able to get in contact since. More medicines are needed, especially for those who were taking chronic medication for diabetes, HIV and other illness.

(...)

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UNHCR 21-01-05: UNHCR relocates first Ethiopian refugees to a new site in Sudan (Extern länk)

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Arkiveringsdatum 201207:

Migreurop 20-12-02:

Europa/ Locked up and excluded

Informal and illegal detention in Spain, Greece, Italy and Germany

The report of Migreurop "Locked up and excluded": Informal and illegal detention in Spain, Greece, Italy and Germany" looks back at how four EU member states practiced the administrative detention of non- nationals in 2019. The report shows how, in both first arrival countries such as Italy, Greece and Spain and in a presumed destination country, Germany, the detention of non-nationals is evolving, taking new forms and based on new grounds. In particular, this report argues that, in 2019, administrative detention was increasingly happening outside or at the margins of existing legal frameworks. We consider that locking migrants up without respecting or by bending existing legislations amounted to a generalization of ad hoc and informal detention and that it led to the further precarisation and deterioration of detention conditions.

The recent release of the New Pact on Migration and Asylum has triggered debates about whether this proposal by the European Commission will improve the situation of migrants and asylum seekers and the way migration is governed in the EU. This report shows that many of the practices proposed in the Pact are in fact already been taking place in member states and that they are harmful for migrants and asylum seekers.

The way detention is evolving in different member states is not homogenous across EU territory. The form, modalities and grounds taken by administrative detention depend on national contexts and on the geographic position of each member state in the EU border regime. The Migreurop network has long argued that the EU has developed a regime of migration and border governance that is premised on an unequal sharing of control duties within and outside the EU territory, with peripheral member states tasked to filter unwanted mobilities on behalf of their northern and western counterparts. Within this system, the twin practices of detention and deportation have been playing a key role.

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EU-kommissionen 20-12-03:

Grekland/ Commission and Greece agree on plan for a reception centre in Lesvos

Today, the Commission concluded a memorandum of understanding with Greek authorities and EU agencies to better manage migration and asylum processes and to establish a new reception and identification centre on the island of Lesvos by early September 2021.

Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson said: "This is about people and their basic right to feel safe. This agreement is an important step towards a sustainable solution in Lesvos and in making sure that a situation like Moria can never happen again. It is also an important step in changing how we approach migration management and it paves the way for bringing into practice the guiding principles of the new Pact on Migration and Asylum."

Today's agreement sets out the following areas of cooperation between the Commission, the Greek authorities and the EU agencies:

Development and construction of a multi-purpose centre designed to provide adequate conditions and to operate with swift, fair and effective procedures.

Improved management of arrivals through implementation of full reception and identification procedures, including screening upon arrival with health checks and security checks.

Seamless asylum and return procedures and integration measures to ensure that nobody's application is left untreated for prolonged period of time and persons in need of international protection are better supported.

Reception conditions in line with EU law taking into account international standards and best practices, notably with regard to health, security, sanitation, food, information provision and counselling, clothing and non-food items, and common areas, with special focus on families and children.

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Arkiveringsdatum 201124:

ECRE 20-11-13:

Italien/ Italy considers patrols off Tunisia to halt sea arrivals

Italy is considering patrols off Tunisian territorial waters to reduce sea arrivals. Human rights advocates, including Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Dunja Mijatovi?, condemn the use of quarantine ships as the approach would raise human rights concerns.

Italy is considering to deploy ships and planes off Tunisian territorial waters to monitor migratory movements, said Italian Interior Minister Luciana Lamorgese during a press conference with her French counterpart Gerald Darmanin. The plan aims at strengthening information channels between Italy and Tunisia for the sake of reducing migratory movement across the Mediterranean Sea. "We would give an alert to Tunisian authorities to make it easier to track down the boats that leave from those territories to come to Italian shores," she said.

More than 11,000 Tunisian nationals have reached Italy by sea in 2020, but most receive removal decisions. Based on an agreement between the two countries, up to eighty people are deported to Tunisia on a weekly basis. The new plan on increasing surveillance capacity in the Mediterranean Sea follows the non-disclosure of an agreement reached in August that, according to media reports, includes financial support of 11 million euro for the strengthening of border control systems and training of security forces aimed at both preventing the departure of migrants and intercepting vessels in Tunisian territorial waters.

High numbers in arrivals at Italian shores continued in November, with 2,430 people who disembarked in Lampedusa within six days. After health checks and identity screening, 650 people were transferred from the island's overcrowded hotspot to the Rhapsody quarantine ship and more than 200 people boarded the Suprema quarantine ship.

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Arkiveringsdatum 201111:

Migrationsverket 20-11- 10:

Etiopien/ Situationen för eritreanska asylsökande och flyktingar i Etiopien

/Utdrag:/

Eritreaner utgör den tredje största flyktinggruppen i Etiopien. I juni 2020 fanns 172750 registrerade flyktingar i landet, vilket var en marginell minskning jämfört med 2018, då antalet uppgick till 173879. Gränsöppningen mellan Etiopien och Eritrea i september 2018 medförde en mycket kraftig ökning av antalet nyanlända asylsökande från Eritrea (främst kvinnor och barn). Gränsöppningen blev emellertid kortvarig, då gränsövergångarna successivt började stängas redan vid årsskiftet 2018-2019. I mars 2019 var samtliga övergångar stängda, dock enbart från den eritreanska sidan.

Ny asylprocess I slutet av januari 2020 antog Etiopien en ny policy, varpå situationen för eritreaner ändrades markant. En ny asylprocess introducerades, vilket innebär att den sedan länge etablerade praxisen att bevilja flyktingstatus prima facie ersattes med individuell flyktingstatusbedömning. Dessutom utesluts vissa grupper automatiskt från asylprocessen.

Den nya asylprocessen för eritreaner rapporterades i slutet av september 2020 fortsätta att implementeras. Det är även fortsatt så att vissa grupper utesluts från asylprocessen och alltså inte kan ansöka om asyl i Etiopien. Detta har lett till en mycket kraftig minskning av asylsökande, även om eritreaner fortsätter att passera den numera stängda landgränsen.

Enligt en internationell organisation är det svårt att säga exakt vilka grupper som utesluts från asylprocessen, då inget kommunicerats i skrift. Generellt uppger statliga Agency for Refugee and Returnee Administration (ARRA) att personer som flyr från nationaltjänsten eller från andra livshotande omständigheter i Eritrea kan ansöka om asyl. Bland annat ensamkommande barn och personer som kommer för att återförenas med familj i Etiopen eller någon annan-stans tycks dock inte kunna fådel av asylprocessen

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Amnesty International 20-11- 04:

Egypten/ Protests over brutal killing of a child met with violence and arrests

The Egyptian authorities must immediately unconditionally release all Sudanese refugees and migrants detained solely in relation to their peaceful protests over the chilling killing and mutilation of a Sudanese child in Cairo on 29 October, and effectively investigate the beating and other ill-treatment of protesters by security forces, Amnesty International said today.

Egyptian security forces dispersed two peaceful protests using tear gas and water cannon, and arbitrarily arrested tens of Sudanese refugees and migrants. Protesters were subjected to beatings with batons, racial and xenophobic slurs and other forms of ill-treatment. At least 10 individuals are currently detained, and a prosecutor is expected to decide whether to release them or extend their detention today.

News of the horrific killing of Mohamed Hasan, a 12-year-old Sudanese child, by an Egyptian man on 29 October prompted dozens of members of the Sudanese community to gather in front of Masaken Othman where the child had lived, while others protested in front of the UNHCR office in 6th October City, an area in the western part of Greater Cairo, which is home to a large number of refugees and migrants. Protesters also voiced anger about violence and discrimination they have endured in Egypt, amid the state's failure to protect them.

"There can be no justification for the Egyptian security forces' brutal crackdown on Sudanese refugees and migrants who took the streets to demand justice for the horrifying killing of a child. The way the security forces are lashing out against people exercising their rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly is abhorrent and must immediately end," said Philip Luther, Amnesty International's Middle East and North Africa Research and Advocacy Director.

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Asylum Matters 20-11- 02:

Storbritannien/ 'Locked into poverty' - report shows reality of life on asylum support

Asylum Matters today publishes a new report which reveals a picture of poverty, exclusion and hardship for people seeking asylum reliant on Government support payments - as ministers choose to increase rates by just 3p a week.

Asylum support levels force individuals and families to live in poverty for months, or even years at a time, as they wait for a decision on their asylum claim. This can have a devastating impact on the physical and mental health and wellbeing of both adults and children.

We worked with more than 30 of our partner organisations across England, Wales and Scotland this summer to hear from people in the asylum system on their experiences of living on asylum support.

Our report sets out the findings of our survey among 184 people seeking asylum, and reveals that:

92% of respondents did not have enough money to buy all they need;

84% said they don't always have enough money to buy food;

Just 2% of families can afford to buy the shoes and clothes they need for themselves and their children;

63% of people stated they could not always afford the medicines they needed;

Only 1 in 4 people stated they could afford essential cleaning products;

95% of people stated they could not afford to travel by public transport;

Only 1 in 10 people could afford data and phone credit they needed.

Meanwhile, recent polling data found that 64% of people in key marginal constituencies thought the amount people currently receive on asylum support was too little.

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Arkiveringsdatum 201023:

UNHCR 20-10-10:

Internationellt/ COVID-19 inducing 'widespread despair, UNHCR appeals for support

The consequences of the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, deteriorating socio-economic conditions, protracted displacement and the critical shortfall in solutions to displacement are leading to widespread despair among refugees, warns UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency today.

Joining the World Health Organization in observing World Mental Health Day today, UNHCR is urging the international community to prioritize and boost essential mental health programs for refugees and those internally displaced.

"The need to support mental health assistance for displaced populations was critical before the pandemic but now we are dealing with an emergency and a picture of widespread despair," said UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi.

"Many refugees tell us they see their futures crumbling. The issues that drove them from their countries remain unresolved and they can't return home. Many who have survived in exile by eking out a living in the informal economy have lost their jobs. They are also anxious about their health and that of their families, not knowing when the pandemic will end and how they can really protect themselves. They see a lack of solutions and lack hope in the future."

Alarmingly, some field reports have pointed to a rise in suicide attempts since the onset of the pandemic, including among those living in protracted situations of displacement. The number of suicide attempts among refugees in Uganda increased significantly with 210 attempts reported this year compared to 129 last year. In Lebanon, calls to the UNHCR National Call Center from refugees thinking about suicide or self-harm also increased in the past few months.

"There is growing desperation in the calls to helplines from refugees who are afraid or who tell us they don't see a way out," said Grandi.

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UNHCR 20-09-30: UNHCR and some 100 NGOs urge world not to leave refugees behind in COVID-19 responses (Extern länk)

Amnesty International 20-10-09: Mental Health and Human Rights of People on the Move (Extern länk)

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Human Rights Watch 20-10-01:

Bangladesh/ Protesting Rohingya refugees beaten

Authorities prepare to relocate thousands to dangerous island

Bangladesh authorities beat refugees protesting their detention on Bhasan Char Island with sticks and tree branches, Human Rights Watch said today. Naval officers allegedly beat the refugees, including children, in retribution for their hunger strike beginning on September 21, 2020 to demand reunification with their families in the Cox's Bazar refugee camps.

The beatings occurred while the Bangladesh government reportedly formed a committee to begin relocation of 10,000 Rohingya refugees to Bhasan Char, despite widespread concerns over the island's habitability.

"In a darkly ironic attempt to portray Bhasan Char as a safe location, Bangladesh authorities beat Rohingya refugees, including children, who were protesting their detention and begging to return to their families in Cox's Bazar," said Brad Adams, Asia director. "The real way to show Bhasan Char is secure and habitable would be to allow United Nations experts to conduct an independent assessment of the island and to ensure that any relocation there is voluntary."

Human Rights Watch interviewed eight refugees who went on the hunger strike.

"Navy personnel used tree branches and black rubber sticks to beat us," one refugee said. "They beat the protesting women and men, and even the children who were standing with their mothers." Human Rights Watch examined photos that showed injuries sustained by refugees because of beatings, but was unable to find out whether they received medical care for their injuries.

In video accounts received and analyzed by Human Rights Watch, one Rohingya woman on hunger strike said: "We don't want food, what we want is to go back to our families.... It's better to die than to live here."

(...)

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Amnesty International 20-10-09: Rohingya refugees' safety must be ensured amid violent clashes in Cox's Bazaar (Extern länk)

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EDAL 20-09-10:

Frankrike/ General living conditions in tent camp on a carpark do not violate ECHR

In the case of B.G. and others v. France (application no. 63141/13) the ECtHR unanimously ruled on 10 September that, inter alia, the living conditions in a French tent camp on a carpark did not violate Article 3 ECHR.

The case concerns 17 applicants, four families including minor children, who were seeking international protection. They were based in Metz, where they were forced to live in a tent camp on a carpark, sleeping directly on the concrete ground, from 29 June 2013 to 9 October 2013. They claimed that their exclusion from the accommodation facilities provided for under domestic law during the abovementioned period, and their placement for over three months in a camp, had exposed them to inhuman and degrading treatment contrary to Article 3 ECHR and had infringed their right to respect for family life, under Article 8 ECHR, especially considering the inappropriate conditions to which their very young children were exposed. Furthermore, they claimed to have lacked the material and financial support to which they were entitled under domestic law.

The applicants had filed urgent applications for the protection of a fundamental freedom with the Administrative Court of Strasbourg, but saw those applications rejected on various grounds, including because the precarity of which they complained was to be remedied promptly or because they had been summoned to the Moselle prefecture for an examination of their situation. A subsequent appeal with the Conseil d' État (Council of State) was also rejected.

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Amnesty International 20-10-01:

Bosnien/ Authorities create gratuitous suffering for hundreds left without shelter

Responding to the forcible removal by the authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina of hundreds of migrants and asylum-seekers from an official accommodation centre, which has left almost 400 people without shelter and basic support, Amnesty International's Balkans researcher Jelena Sesar said:

"The Bosnian authorities' decision, which has left hundreds of people to roam the streets and forests looking for shelter whilst a fully equipped centre sits empty, defies belief.

"As temperatures drop, the authorities should be taking steps to ensure refugees and migrants are able to cope this winter, rather than playing politics with their lives. To do so is not only inhumane, but could have catastrophic consequences.

"The European Commission must work with the authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina to urgently find a solution to accommodate and provide humanitarian relief to people who are stranded in the country.

European leaders cannot call for 'No more Morias', whilst at the same time ignoring the plight of desperate people sleeping under open skies cut off from water, food and medical support on the EU's doorstep."

Background

Bosnian special police emptied the camp late on Wednesday and bussed residents to the outskirts of Una-Sana Canton, abandoning them there to fend for themselves. While some people managed to find accommodation in Lipa, a dangerously overcrowded and inadequate facility nearby, others were left to face near freezing temperatures outdoors. There are already close to 3,000 migrants and asylum-seekers who are sleeping rough in the area.

(...)

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ECRE 20-10-02: Thousands stuck at external EU borders face destitution and violence from locals and those keeping the gate closed (Extern länk)

AYS 20-10-05: Call for human(itarian) crisis when 'strongly condemning' made any difference (Extern länk)

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Arkiveringsdatum 201002:

Amnesty International 20-09-24:

Libyen/ New evidence shows refugees and migrants trapped in horrific cycle of abuses

Tens of thousands of refugees and migrants in Libya are trapped in a vicious cycle of cruelty with little to no hope of finding safe and legal pathways out, Amnesty International said in a new report published today. After enduring unconscionable suffering in Libya, refugees and migrants risk their lives at sea seeking safety in Europe, only to be intercepted, transferred back to Libya and delivered to the same abuses they sought to escape. This comes a day after the European Commission announced its new 'Migration Pact', a major pillar of which is even stronger cooperation with countries outside the EU to control migration flows.

The report 'Between life and death': Refugees and migrants trapped in Libya's cycle of abuse documents the harrowing accounts of refugees and migrants who have suffered or witnessed a litany of abuses in Libya including unlawful killings; enforced disappearances; torture and other ill-treatment; rape and other sexual violence; arbitrary detention; and forced labour and exploitation at the hands of state and non-state actors in a climate of near-total impunity. The report also details more recent developments, including the transfer of people disembarked in Libya to unofficial places of detention - such as Tripoli's notorious Tobacco Factory - and the summary deportation of thousands of refugees and migrants from Libya's eastern regions.

"Libya, a country torn apart by years of war, has become an even more hostile environment for refugees and migrants seeking a better life. Instead of being protected, they are met with a catalogue of appalling human rights abuses and now unfairly blamed for the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic on deeply racist and xenophobic grounds. Despite this, even in 2020 the EU and its member states continue to implement policies trapping tens of thousands of men, women and children in a vicious cycle of abuse, showing a callous disregard for people's lives and dignity," said Diana Eltahawy, Amnesty International's Deputy Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa.

(...)

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TT / AB 20-09-24: Svåra övergrepp i Libyen - EU kritiseras (Extern länk)

ISS 20-09-17: Migrant disaster in Libya stoked by EU strategy (Extern länk)

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Amnesty International 20-09-15:

Bangladesh/ Rohingya refugees must participate in decisions affecting their lives

Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh must be given the right to participate in decisions affecting their lives and speak for themselves, Amnesty International said today in a new briefing.

The briefing, "Let us speak for our rights", outlines how exclusion from decision-making is impacting the human rights of Rohingya refugees - from freedom of expression, assembly and movement to access to healthcare and education. The briefing also calls for a full and thorough investigation into allegations that Rohingya refugees have been subjected to extrajudicial executions.

"For decades, the Rohingya were subjected to persecution and discrimination in Myanmar, with hundreds of thousands forced to flee their homes because of crimes against humanity committed against them. Now, three years since their displacement, they are still suffering and prevented from speaking up for their rights," said David Griffiths, Director of the Office of the Secretary General at Amnesty International.

"While the Bangladeshi authorities have taken many positive steps to support the Rohingya refugees, there is a lack of transparency in decisions, which almost entirely exclude Rohingya involvement. What is needed is a clear policy that is inclusive of Rohingya voices to ensure their human rights are properly protected."

Amnesty International is also calling on the international community to support and work with the Bangladeshi authorities to develop the policy as part of their international cooperation and assistance to protect the Rohingya refugees.

Freedom of Movement and Liberty

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UNHCR 20-09-15:

Grekland/ UNHCR urges for long-term solutions to address overcrowding on islands

With an estimated 11,000 asylum seekers without adequate shelter on the Greek Island of Lesvos after the Moria Reception and Identification Centre (RIC) burned down last week, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency is stepping up its support to respond to critical and immediate needs.

Greek authorities, who hold overall responsibility for the management and coordination of the humanitarian response, have now identified a location on Lesvos, close to Mytilene town, in the area of Kara Tepe, to temporarily house the most vulnerable children, men and women who were made homeless in a series of blazes beginning Tuesday last week.

At the request of the government and to respond to urgent humanitarian needs, UNHCR is assisting in the setup of this new temporary tented facility to accommodate those most at risk and providing technical advice and sharing expertise regarding site setup and planning.

Site planning and works are currently underway, including gravelling. So far, UNHCR has provided 600 family tents, which are already accommodating some 700 as of yesterday evening. We have also provided chemical toilets and handwashing stations and are ready to provide additional water, hygiene and sanitation support that may be required.

To prevent and mitigate the spread of COVID-19, asylum seekers are undergoing rapid COVID-19 testing, by the national health authorities, before entering the new facility.

UNHCR is also supporting the national health authorities in establishing a medical area in the new site, in accordance with WHO guidance, providing three tents, installing a Rubb hall and fencing to serve as isolation areas. Already functional, 20 people confirmed with COVID are now quarantining in this isolation area.

(...)

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EASO 20-09-15:

Grekland/ Lesvos: Asylum interviews to resume

Approximately 160 EASO personnel assisting in ensuring that asylum procedures are not disrupted. Agency also supporting establishment of emergency reception facility.

The European Asylum Support Office (EASO) confirms that its personnel will be resuming interviews for international protection on Lesvos in the coming days. Interviews were temporarily suspended following large fires which destroyed the Moria reception facility on 8 and 9 September 2020.

Other elements of EASO's operational activities on Lesvos, such as the drafting of Opinions, as well as Relocation workflows, were unaffected by the fires and continued without disruption.

Together with the European Commission and other EU actors, EASO has been in constant contact with the Greek authorities to offer any assistance possible, including ensuring that applicants for international protection are able to continue their procedures.

EASO also confirms that, contrary to some speculation, the destruction of EASO's facilities in Moria did not result in the loss of documents relating to applications for international protection. All such documents are not stored by EASO, and in any case are done so electronically. Furthermore, interviews carried out by EASO personnel did not take place in Moria, but rather at EASO's dedicated premises in Pagani.

EASO, which has approximately 160 personnel deployed in Lesvos, including caseworkers, registration assistants and reception assistants, has also re-deployed personnel to assist the Greek authorities with the ongoing establishment of an emergency reception facility in Kara Tepe. The Agency also stands ready to engage in the establishment of a new reception facility built to EU standards.

The Agency is fully engaged with the Greek authorities, as well as the European Commission, in addressing not only the immediate needs in Lesvos, but also in terms of finding long term solutions in line with European legal obligations and best practices.

Any further information may be obtained from the European Asylum Support Office on the following email address: press@easo.europa.eu

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EU-kommissionen 20-09-23: A European taskforce to resolve emergency situation on Lesvos (Extern länk)

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UNHCR 20-09-24:

Grekland/ UNHCR: Call for urgent action to improve conditions in reception centres

Alleviating suffering and overcrowding in Greek islands' reception centres must be part of the emergency response

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is calling for urgent action to improve conditions and ensure humane solutions for asylum seekers in reception centres in the Aegean islands, including in the new emergency site on Lesvos.

In the aftermath of the series of blazes that devastated the Moria Reception and Identification Centre on Lesvos and forced some 12,000 men, women and children on to the streets, the Government of Greece has swiftly mobilized the Hellenic Army and humanitarian partners to establish an emergency facility to shelter those made homeless. Some 9,400 asylum seekers left homeless by the fire are now residing in this government-run site, which was set-up in a matter of days. Several hundred of most vulnerable have been transferred to safe accommodations on the island or relocated to the mainland.

All partners involved in the refugee response on Lesvos, including national and local non-governmental organizations have been working around the clock to ensure that all asylum-seekers and refugees received immediate assistance, shelter and core relief items.

UNHCR, however, emphasizes the urgent need for adequate solutions for asylum-seekers, who have been living in unacceptable conditions on the Aegean islands for far too long.

"The events in Moria are a wake-up call of the long-standing need to address the precarious situation for thousands of people in the islands and to accelerate their safe and orderly transfer to more appropriate accommodation on mainland", said UNHCR Representative in Greece, Philippe Leclerc.

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UNHCR 20-09-18: update on Lesvos situation after Moria fires (Extern länk)

IOM 20-09-14: More solidarity from European states needed to address the situation in Lesvos (Extern länk)

Europarådet 20-09-28: Rapporteur calls for solidarity to urgently remedy refugee situation after fires (Extern länk)

SvT Nyheter 20-09-13: MSB skickar tält till flyktinglägret Moria (Extern länk)

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Arkiveringsdatum 200913:

UNHCR 20-09-03:

Internationellt/ Coronaviruset - hälften av världens flyktingbarn går inte i skolan

I en rapport som släpps i dag - "Coming Together for Refugee Education" - varnar UNHCR, FN:s flyktingorgan, för att miljontals unga flyktingars potential hotas ytterligare om inte omedelbara och kraftiga åtgärder vidtas av det internationella samfundet för att motverka COVID-19:s katastrofiska påverkan på flyktingars utbildning. Världens mest utsatta grupper är särskilt i riskzonen. Uppgifterna i rapporten är baserade på siffrorna för inskrivning för skolåret 2019.

Samtidigt som barns utbildning i alla länder påverkats negativt av COVID-19 visar rapporten att flyktingbarn missgynnats särskilt. Redan före pandemin var sannolikheten dubbelt så hög för att ett flyktingbarn inte gick i skolan som ett barn som inte befann sig på flykt. Situationen kommer att ytterligare förvärras; många kanske inte har möjlighet att återuppta sina studier på grund av att skolor stängs, svårigheter att betala skolavgifter, uniformer eller böcker, brist på tillgång till teknik, eller för att de måste arbeta för att försörja sina familjer.

"Hälften av världens flyktingbarn var redan utestängda från skolan", säger Filippo Grandi, FN:s flyktingkommissarie. "Efter allt de har gått igenom kan vi inte beröva dem deras framtid genom att neka dem en utbildning här och nu. Trots de enorma utmaningar som pandemin medför, däribland bättre internationellt stöd till flyktingar och de länder där de befinner sig, kan vi fortsätta med nyskapande metoder och befästa de viktiga framsteg som gjorts när det gäller flyktingars utbildning under de senaste åren."

Utan fortsatt stöd kan dessa hårt vunna framsteg i skolan, på universitet och i yrkesutbildningar vändas i negativ riktning - i vissa fall permanent - vilket potentiellt skulle riskera möjligheterna att uppnå det globala hållbara utvecklingsmålet 4 (att säkerställa en inkluderande och likvärdig utbildning av god kvalitet för alla).

(...)

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UNHCR September 2020:

Libyen/ Libya as a safe third country and as a place of safety for disembarkation

UNHCR position on the designations of Libya as a safe third country and as a place of safety for the purpose of disembarkation following rescue at sea

/Utdrag:/

Designation of Libya as a place of safety for the purpose of disembarkation following rescue at sea

33. In the context of rescue at sea and in line with international maritime law, disembarkation is to occur in a predictable manner in a place of safety and in conditions that uphold respect for the human rights of those who are rescued, including adherence to the principle of non-refoulement. When persons are rescued at sea, including by military and commercial vessels, "the need to avoid disembarkation in territories where [their] lives and freedoms (...) would be threatened" is relevant in determining what constitutes a place of safety. In light of the volatile security situation in general and the particular protection risks for foreign nationals (including arbitrary and unlawful detention in substandard conditions in State-run detention centres, and reports of serious violations and abuses against asylum- seekers, refugees and migrants by, among others, militias, traffickers and smugglers), UNHCR does not consider that Libya meets the criteria for being designated as a place of safety for the purpose of disembarkation following rescue at sea.

(...)

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Rädda Barnen 20-09-02:

Europa/ Barn på flykt sedan 2015: Mer än 700 barn har mist sina liv på Medelhavet

Fem år efter Alan Kurdis tragiska död, slår Rädda Barnen larm om att Europa har misslyckats med att hjälpa barn som befinner sig på flykt.

Den 2 september 2015 drunknade treåriga Alan Kurdi utanför Turkiets kust. Sedan dess har mer än 700 barn mist sina liv när de försökt ta sig med båt över Medelhavet.

För de som överlevt väntar en osäker och farlig resa för att nå trygghet. Många av dessa barn befinner sig fortfarande på flykt. Varje dag sedan augusti 2019 har i genomsnitt 10 000 barn strandsatts på de grekiska öarna utan att lyckas ta sig därifrån. 60 procent av dem är under 12 år.

-Vissa av EU-länderna har valt att ta hand om barn som anlänt till Grekland, men många länder har avstått. Det betyder att barn fortsätter att leva i stor utsatthet i de grekiska lägren. Det ser vi på Rädda Barnen som ett stort politiskt misslyckande , säger Helena Thybell, generalsekreterare på Rädda Barnen.

Ahmed, 15 år från Syrien, befinner sig just nu i Belgrad. Han säger:

"När vi försökte ta oss över gränsen blev vi misshandlade av gränspolisen. Jag tror de ville skrämma oss så att vi inte försökte ta oss över igen. Jag har inte sett min familj på länge nu. Jag lämnade Syrien för att åka till Europa eftersom det inte fanns någon framtid för mig i landet. "

Alan Kurdis död förväntades bli en väckarklocka för att skydda barn på flykt. Men rapporten visar att det istället blev tvärtom. Många av barnen upplever en ännu värre situation. Många europeiska länder reagerade mot flyktvågen genom att stänga sina gränser, minska möjligheterna för barn att återförenas med sina föräldrar samt ta fler barn i förvar. Rapporten visar att barn som sätts i förvar mår psykiskt dåligt efter bara några timmar. De kan inte röra sig fritt, har ingen möjlighet till lek eller att gå i skolan, och vet ofta inte hur länge de kommer att behöva stanna.

Helena Thybell menar att det finns mycket länderna kan göra.

(...)

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Hämta rapporten (Extern länk)

Intervju i SvT Utrikes 20-09-02: Fem år sedan bilden på Alan Kurdis kropp spreds (Extern länk)

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Asylrättscentrum 20-09-03:

Grekland/ Vad händer i Moria?

/Asylnytt: Denna notis samt bloggen publicerades före branden i Moria/

En stor del av de flyktingar som tar sig in i EU kommer till Grekland. I transitlägret Moria bor idag ungefär 18 000 människor, lägret är byggt för 3000. Hur ser vardagen ut för människorna som bor där och hur går det till när de ska söka asyl?

I det här avsnittet av Människor & Migration gästas podden av människorättsjuristen Anna Benedictsson som jobbat med både juridisk rådgivning i lägren på Lesbos och search and rescue-insatser. Tillsammans med Asylrättscentrums chefsjurist Anna Lindblad och kommunikationsansvarig Maja Dahl pratar Anna Benedictsson om utvecklingen i lägren, våldet mot flyktingar och hjälparbetare, de snabba ändringarna i grekisk migrationsrätt och hur man arbetar som jurist i en situation där de mänskliga rättigheterna kränks.

I avsnittet diskuteras även Dublinförordningen och Turkietavtalet, samt varför Sverige inte vill vara med och ta emot de ensamkommande barn som bor i lägren, trots att 11 andra EU-länder nu ställer upp.

Läs mer (Extern länk)

AYS 20-09-03: Coronavirus reaches Moria First infection reported from Moria Camp (Extern länk)

Se även:

ECRE 20-09-04: 10,000 people prevented access, lockdown extended, recognition increases (Extern länk)

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IOM 20-08-29:

Spanien/ Response needed to the alarming conditions of migrants detained in Melilla

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) call on Spanish authorities to adopt urgent and coordinated measures to respond to the concerning situation of refugees, asylum seekers and migrants hosted in the autonomous city of Melilla, both in the CETI (Center for Temporary Stay of Immigrants) and the city's bullring.

At this very moment the CETI hosts close to 1,400 people, twice its intended capacity, including some 150 children, as well as women and highly vulnerable people with pre-existing medical conditions and profiles that put them at risk of COVID-19. Many of them have fled war or persecution and some have applied for asylum in Spain.

Considering the persistent overcrowding of the CETI, new arrivals are hosted in improvised spaces in extremely inadequate conditions, such as the city's bullring. Despite the efforts taken by the authorities, and with no alternatives, the current hosting conditions make it impossible to practice social distancing and implement sanitation measures that would protect residents from COVID-19.

The recently confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the CETI, added to the described conditions and the lockdown of the center, have triggered fear of infection and tensions amongst the residents, which have been the origin of the protests in the center since Tuesday.

Well aware of the complexity of the issue, IOM and UNHCR urge the relevant authorities to take concrete and coordinated action to improve reception conditions in Melilla, in order to guarantee a reception in accordance with the relevant and specific legal instruments.

(...)

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Arkiveringsdatum 200831:

UNHCR 20-08-06:

Guatemala/ Death of transgender asylum seeker highlights increased risks

The violent death of a transgender asylum seeker in Guatemala last weekend highlights the need for effective protection to be granted to people forced to flee their countries, including members of the LGBTI community, urges UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency today

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic and related movement restrictions, violence and persecution against people on the basis of their gender and sexual orientation continues unabated.

The 27-year-old asylum seeker, whose name is being withheld for the protection of her family, had fled gender-based violence and persecution by gangs in her native El Salvador and applied for asylum in Guatemala in 2018.

"We express our deep condolences to the family and loved ones of this woman who was trying to rebuild her life in Guatemala after being forced to flee her country due to violence and persecution," said Giovanni Bassu, UNHCR Regional Representative for Central America and Cuba.

UNHCR urges states to bring to justice those responsible for crimes against people on the basis of their gender and sexual orientation while taking decisive steps to prevent future crimes of this nature. In El Salvador, three policemen were sentenced to 20 years in prison last week for the murder of Camila Díaz Córdova. This is the first ever conviction in El Salvador in a homicide of a transgender person.

UNHCR also reiterates its call on governments to ensure that all those who are not able to receive such protection in their countries have unhindered access to full and fair asylum procedures, in line with international law.

(...)

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UNHCR 20-08-28:

Costa Rica/ COVID-19 driving Nicaraguan refugees to hunger and desperation

More than three quarters of Nicaraguan refugees and asylum seekers in Costa Rica are going hungry, eating only once or twice a day as a result of the socio-economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is concerned that this could drive returns in adverse conditions.

Before the pandemic hit, and thanks to effective local integration initiatives in Costa Rica, only three percent of refugees were eating once a day or less. Now, this has more than quadrupled to 14 per cent. This is according to a humanitarian assessment conducted by UNHCR in July and August aimed at supporting Costa Rican authorities address the needs of more than 81,000 Nicaraguans who have sought international protection in the country.

The majority of Nicaraguan refugees and asylum seekers in the country, 63 per cent, now report eating only two meals a day.

Refugee hosting communities are facing similar conditions and the economic contraction in these countries will make it even more difficult for refugees and their hosts to recover.

Costa Rica generously hosts nearly 80 percent of all refugees and asylum seekers from Nicaragua who have fled human rights violations and persecution, or some 81,000 people. It is among ten countries worldwide that received the most new asylum claims last year, some 59,200.

With a large proportion of forcibly displaced people in Latin America reliant on the informal economy, especially as they begin their integration into the communities that host them, COVID- related quarantine measures are now impacting livelihoods and driving food insecurity.

(...)

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UNHCR 20-08-24:

Brasilien/ UNHCR expands support to refugees and host communities

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is stepping up efforts in Brazil to protect tens of thousands of refugees and migrants from Venezuela and their host communities, as the Latin American country battles the COVID-19 pandemic.

Brazil has become the second worst affected country in the world, with nearly 83,000 confirmed deaths and a continuing increase in confirmed cases.

Considered an epicenter of the pandemic in Latin America, the situation is taking its toll on the most vulnerable - including the poorest, indigenous populations and other native communities, as well as refugees. All have been disproportionately impacted.

Brazil is host to more than 345,000 refugees and asylum seekers, for whom the consequences of the pandemic are especially harsh.

While the total number of refugees who have contracted the virus in Brazil is unknown owing to the fact that disaggregated data based on status is not available and absence of widespread testing, UNHCR is aware of at least 19 COVID-19 related deaths among refugees of whom nine were indigenous Venezuelan refugees.

Since the onset of the pandemic, UNHCR has been supporting local and national authorities in prevention and response efforts. The agency has been scaling-up its support to help mitigate the threat of the virus among refugees, migrants and the local communities hosting them by providing infrastructure to strengthen the national health system, cash assistance, hygiene items and life-saving information such as informative sessions on preventive measures.

Since March, UNHCR has been supporting an emergency hospital in Boa Vista, the capital of the northern border state of Roraima, which has the capacity to treat and isolate up to 1,782 COVID-19 confirmed and suspected patients.

(...)

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Hämta rapporten (Extern länk till pdf-fil)

Se även:

UNHCR 20-08-28: Costa Rica: COVID-19 driving Nicaraguan refugees to hunger and desperation (Extern länk)

Human Rights Watch 20-08-21: Venezuelan migrants face Covid-19 risk in Aruba detention centers (Extern länk)

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Rädda Barnen 20-08-25:

Bangladesh/ Tre år efter flykten - en hel generation riskerar att gå miste om sin framtid

För tre år sedan flydde över 700 000 rohingyer från Myanmar efter, vad FN kallar, ett skolboksexempel av etnisk rensning. Många flydde till världens största flyktingläger, Cox's Bazar, där nästan 76 000 barn beräknas vara under tre års ålder och alltså har levt hela sina liv i lägret.

- Ett flyktingläger är inte ett bra hem att växa upp i. Även om många barn föddes efter familjernas flykt från Myanmar så formas deras uppväxt av en av 2000-talets största humanitära kriser, säger Anna Eggelind, internationell chef på Rädda Barnen.

Tre år gamla Runa föddes när hennes mamma, pappa och fyra syskon flydde från Myanmar till Bangladesh. Nu bor hon med familjen i världens största flyktingläger, Cox's Bazar, och har själv aldrig upplevt ett liv utanför lägret. Även om Runas mamma Hamida är glad över att familjen nu lever i trygghet så räcker inte pengarna till för att ge tillräckligt med mat till barnen. Därför lider Runa av kronisk undernäring.

- Jag är orolig för mina barns utbildning, deras framtid och deras beteende. Vi kan inte uppfylla deras drömmar. Vi kan inte ta hand om dem tillräckligt. Jag kan inte ge dem bra mat. När de frågar om något kan jag inte ge dem det, säger Runas mamma Hamida.

2017 intervjuade Rädda Barnen kvinnor och barn som flytt från Myanmar och samlat det i rapporten "Horrors I will never forget"* . I princip alla barn vi intervjuade hade sett när en förälder eller någon närstående dödades. Barnen har sett och utsatts för övergrepp som inget barn ska behöva uppleva.

De barn som är kvar i Myanmar riskerar också, precis som barnen i Cox's Bazar, att gå miste om en framtid med utbildning, lek, mat och trygghet. I Myanmar finns det 21 läger där rohingyer och kaman-muslimer tvingats bo sedan 2012. I dessa läger har drygt 32 000 barn under sju år växt upp utan möjlighet att se ett annat liv än det i lägret (siffror från december 2019).

(...)

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ECRE 20-07-27:

Europa/ Asylum in Europe 2019: human rights under pressure

Evidence from the Asylum Information Database (AIDA) shows that compliance with existing EU asylum law should be a priority

The Asylum Information Database (AIDA) is a database managed by the European Council on Refugees and Exiles (ECRE), containing up-to-date and comprehensive information on asylum procedures, reception conditions, detention and the content of international protection across 23 European countries. ECRE has now concluded the cycle of updating the country reports to cover the year 2019. Despite the challenging circumstances under which many of our national experts had to deliver this year's update, we collectively managed to achieve the objective of providing accurate and quality information on asylum systems in Europe. The database is widely relied upon by European and national policy makers, legal practitioners and Courts, for example, the European Commission uses it in its monitoring activities as does EASO for its annual reports.

The evidence collected through AIDA confirms the worrying trend of violations of human rights of people in need of protection both at the internal and external borders of Europe. It indicates a further restriction of rights in national legal systems and practice, raising serious questions as to compliance with EU law.

Restricting access to asylum, including access to territory

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Europadomstolen / Migrationsverket 20-07-02:

Frankrike/ fälls för förnedrande behandling av asylsökande som inte kom in i systemet

Europadomstolen fäller Frankrike för kränkning av artikel 3 i Europakonventionen när det gäller behandlingen av tre asylsökande som under sin asylprocess inte fått tillgång till materiellt eller finansiellt stöd från franska staten.

Ansökningarna gällde från början fem män. En av ansökningarna avskrevs och en bedömdes ogrundad (SG). De franska myndigheterna hade tagit mellan 90 - 131 dagar på sig att registrera asylansökningarna. Under denna period hade NH, KT och AJ riskerat att bli utvisade utan att få sin asylansökan prövad. När asylansökan väl registrerats hade NH, KT och AJ under långa perioder ändå tvingats leva utan tillräckligt stöd från myndigheterna.

NH hade vidtagit alla åtgärder han kunde men fick varken tak över huvudet eller ekonomiskt stöd under 262 dagar. KT och AJ hade fått ersättning först efter 185 respektive 133 dagar. Domstolen noterar att Frankrike haft ett ökat antal asylsökande från 2007 och framåt. Domstolen noterar även att franska myndigheter arbetat aktivt med att få fram boenden och att reducera handläggningstiderna för asylansökan. Detta förhindrar dock inte att Frankrike fälls för kränkning av artikel 3 när det gäller dessa personers situation.

När det gäller SG konstaterar domstolen att hans asylansökan bekräftades 28 dagar efter hans första möte med myndigheterna. Fastän han bott i tält så har han fått ekonomiskt stöd 63 dagar efter det första mötet med myndigheterna. Även om den första tiden måste ha varit svår har han därefter fått ett grundläggande stöd. Domstolen finner därför att hans levnadsförhållanden inte är så allvarliga att det skett en kränkning av artikel 3.

Referatet med länk till pressmeddelande om målet N.H. m.fl. mot Frankrike (Extern länk)

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AIDA 20-07-23:

Tyskland/ AIDA 2019 Update

The updated Country Report on Germany provides a detailed overview of the main developments in the area of asylum procedures, reception conditions, detention of asylum seekers and content of international protection in 2019.

The year 2019 was marked by two main trends:

An extensive reform of German asylum and migration legislation: Seven laws were enacted as part of the so-called "migration package" in July 2019 and introduced numerous changes to the Asylum Act (Asylgesetz), the Residence Act (Aufenthaltsgesetz), the Asylum Seekers Benefits Act (Asylbewerberleistungsgesetz) and several other accompanying laws.

A high proportion of "family protection" cases: Around 80% of the persons recognised as refugees in Germany in 2019 were granted protection status because they were family members (i.e. spouses or minor children) of a person who had already been granted protection. The proportion of such "family protection" decisions has significantly increased in recent years. In more than 50% of these cases, protection was granted to children who were born in Germany.

The main changes can be summarised as follows:

Asylum procedure

The reform introduced a state-run counselling service for asylum seekers to be established in all initial reception centres. This service is meant to provide general information to asylum seekers about the proceedings but it does not amount to legal advice. Moreover, medical grounds brought forward in the asylum procedure must now be verified through a comprehensive medical certificate.

Reception conditions

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Amnesty International 20-08-25:

Bosnien/ Reckless restrictions leave refugees stranded without protection

The decision by authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina to impose restrictions on freedom of movement of migrants and asylum-seekers stranded in the country is discriminatory and reckless, said Amnesty International.

On the 19 August, the Coordination Committee on Migration in Una-Sana Canton adopted measures to severely restrict freedom of movement of refugees, migrants and asylum-seekers not accommodated in official reception centres. Roadblocks were put in place to intercept buses in order to inspect passengers. Vigilante groups have been doing the same.

"This decision to further limit the rights and freedoms of already marginalised people on the move is not only unlawful, but potentially reckless," said Amnesty International's Balkans researcher Jelena Sesar.

"The authorities should be working to find solutions to accommodate and support several thousand people outside of official reception centres, rather than targeting them and leaving without protection and at a mercy of vigilante groups."

The measures imposed a full crackdown on migrants and asylum-seekers outside of official reception centres in Una-Sana Canton and activists who support them.

Measures include the complete prohibition of new arrivals into the Canton, ban on transporting migrants and asylum-seekers including in public transport and taxis, ban on gathering of migrants and asylum-seekers in public places and prohibition of providing them with private accommodation.

Police have set up roadblocks to prevent new arrivals, raided squats and private houses and forcibly removed migrants occupying them without providing alternative accommodation. Meanwhile, self-organised vigilante groups have intercepted buses and pulled off migrants and asylum-seekers leaving many of them, including families with children, stranded in administrative no-man's land.

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AYS 20-08-26: Movement restrictions strand people on the move in Una-Sana Canton (Extern länk)

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AYS 20-08-10: Bosnia, shocking attempt to burn asylum seekers alive (Extern länk)

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Arkiveringsdatum 200805:

IOM 20-07-14:

Jemen/ Tens of thousands of migrants stranded in Yemen fear for their lives

COVID-19 related restrictions have led to a 90 per cent reduction in migrant arrivals in Yemen between February to June; they also have caused tens of thousands of Ethiopian migrants to be stranded on their journeys. These migrants face increasing dangers throughout Yemen-a major transit country on the Horn of Africa-Arabian Gulf migration route-without vital services or a means to return home.

With the route through the country blocked and migrants being forcibly transferred between governorates, at least 14,500 migrants today are estimated to be stranded in Yemen's Aden, Marib, Lahj and Sa'ada governorates. This figure is a base-line estimate; the actual figure is likely to be much higher.

"For nearly six years, Yemen has been an extremely unsafe place to be a migrant," said Christa Rottensteiner, the International Organization for Migration's (IOM) Chief of Mission in Yemen.

"COVID-19 has made this situation worse - migrants are scapegoated as carriers of the virus and, as a result, suffer exclusion and violence."

IOM works across the Horn of Africa and Arabian Gulf to provide assistance and protection to vulnerable migrants. In 2019, IOM reached nearly 60,000 migrants in Yemen with shelter support, health care, distribution of essential items like hygiene kits, voluntary return assistance and psychosocial support.

Aid agencies like IOM are providing assistance to the stranded migrants, but major funding shortages jeopardize the response, putting lives at risk.

As a reaction to the COVID-19 pandemic, migrants in Yemen have been experiencing verbal and physical harassment, increased detention, movement restrictions as well as forced movements to areas far from main urban centres or services. This is in addition to the abuses many already endure at the hands of smugglers and traffickers-among them exploitation and torture.

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IOM 20-07-21: Internal Displacement in Yemen Exceeds 100,000 in 2020 with COVID-19 an Emerging New Cause (Extern länk)

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Statewatch 20-08-03:

Grekland/ EU to provide ¤130 million for detention centres on Aegean islands

Three new detention centres will be constructed with EU funds on the Aegean islands of Samos, Leros and Kos.

"The disbursement of 130 million euros for the construction of three controlled-access refugee and migrant facilities at the islands of Samos, Leros and Kos has been approved by the European Commission's Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF), it was reported on Tuesday.

In a letter to the Migration Ministry, the European Commission said 'it welcomes the ministry's efforts to address the migration crisis in Greece and fully recognizes the urgent need for this financial support.'"

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AYS 20-07-24: Greek Camps on Lockdown until August 2nd (Extern länk)

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Arkiveringsdatum 200715:

Mixed Migration Centre 20-06-23:

Turkiet/ Destination Unknown: Afghans on the move in Turkey

For decades, Turkey has been a host country and transit hub for hundreds of thousands of Afghan refugees, who constitute the second-largest group of refugees and asylum seekers registered in the country. Triggered by this increase, this research report aims to improve understanding of the migration experiences of Afghans arriving in Turkey. It outlines key drivers behind Afghan migration and examines the factors influencing short- to long-term intentions, such as decisions to either stay in Turkey or continue onward movement. The report details living conditions of Afghans in Turkey, focusing on the policy framework that shapes legal and socio-economic factors, while highlighting vulnerabilities and protection challenges they encounter.

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Human Rights Watch 20-06-26:

Jordanien/ Secondary school gap for Syrian refugee kids

The majority of Syrian refugee children in Jordan don't have the chance to go to secondary school, close to a decade after Syrian refugees began arriving, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. International donors and humanitarian agencies should work with Jordan and other countries hosting Syrian refugees at this year's Supporting the Future of Syria and the Region conference on June 30, 2020 to urgently improve access to quality, secondary education for Syrian refugee children.

The 61-page report, "'I Want to Continue to Study': Barriers to Secondary Education for Syrian Refugee Children in Jordan," documents increasingly difficult obstacles to education the further Syrian refugee children progress in school, with enrollment rates collapsing from nearly 90 percent in primary classes to just 25 to 30 percent in secondary school, according to governmental and United Nations data. With UN support, Jordan has created humanitarian education plans for Syrian refugees that aim to increase enrollment overall, but without specific secondary-school enrollment goals. Few foreign donors support secondary education. Informal education programs hosted by nongovernmental groups only reach a tiny fraction of children, Human Rights Watch found.

"The vast majority of Syrian refugee children lose the chance to study and learn before they even get to high school," said Breanna Small, children's rights fellow at Human Rights Watch and author of the report. "For years, donors have promised to prevent a lost generation, so at this year's Brussels conference they need to move beyond pledges and ensure that secondary education is the norm and not the exception for Syrian children."

Children who do not complete secondary education are more likely to suffer other human rights abuses. Globally, studies find that secondary education pays long-term dividends, as children's income as adults increases by nine percent with each year of education and health outcomes improve, especially for girls, who can prioritize education and defer marriage and pregnancy.

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Europarådets parlament 20-07-03:

Europa/ Strengthening guardianship for unaccompanied and separated children

According to the Migration Committee, member States do not currently ensure effective guardianship systems for unaccompanied and separated migrant children, guaranteeing the protection and respect of their fundamental rights.

Guardianship systems are not harmonised across Europe. There is a serious lack of qualified professionals to act as guardians and there are considerable delays in their appointment, in particular in the countries which face large influxes of migrants, the parliamentarians stressed, recalling the need to safeguard the children's best interests in all processes concerning them.

By adopting a draft resolution, based on the report by Rosa Björk Brynjolfsdottir (Iceland, UEL), the committee proposed a series of measures to member States to strengthen guardianship systems, with a view to providing assistance to unaccompanied and separated migrant children as soon as they arrive in Europe. In particular, it recommends that States review their legislation in this field, allocate the necessary financial, technical and human resources to ensure that every child is assigned a guardian immediately on reception, and create a Europe-wide unified database to make sure that these children are identified and provided with timely protection.

While welcoming the adoption by the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers of Recommendation CM/Rec(2019)11 on effective guardianship for unaccompanied and separated migrant children, the committee invited the Steering Committee on the Rights of the Child (CDENF) to set up a mechanism for the quick and safe relocation of unaccompanied migrant children to countries with developed child protection systems.

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ELENA update 20-07-03:

Frankrike/ Failure of domestic authorities resulted in inhuman and degrading conditions

On 2 July 2020, the European Court of Human Rights published its judgment in N.H. and others v France (Application No. 28820/13) concerning the living conditions of homeless asylum applicants as a result of the failures of the French authorities.

The case concerns 5 single men of Afghan, Iranian, Georgian and Russian nationality who arrived in France on separate occasions. After submitting their asylum applications, they were unable to receive material and financial support and were therefore forced into homelessness. The applicants slept in tents or in other precarious circumstances and lived without material or financial support, in the form of Temporary Allowance, for a substantial period of time. All of the applicants complained, inter alia, that their living conditions were incompatible with Article 3 ECHR. The complaint in respect of applicant G.I. was struck out of the list as he could not be contacted.

The Court observed that the applicants were entitled to material and financial support under domestic law, providing they had been authorised to reside in France as registered asylum seekers. As such, it was necessary to highlight the substantial lapse in time between the applicants submitting requests for asylum and the date on which their asylum applications were registered by the relevant authorities. Indeed, applicants N.H., K.T., and A.J. waited over 90 days for their asylum applications to be registered, while S.G.'s application was registered after 28 days. It was also noted by the Court that receipt of the Temporary Allowance was conditional on presenting an asylum seeker's residence permit to the job centre. As a result, N.H., K.T., and A.J. were unable to prove their status for over 90 days and lived in fear of being arrested or deported.

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AIDA 20-06-23:

Grekland/ Country Report update: 2019

The updated AIDA Country Report on Greece tracks numerous legislative, policy and practice-related developments relating to the asylum procedure, reception conditions, detention of asylum seekers, and content of international protection. While it mainly covers the year 2019, it also contains information on the first five months of 2020 as well as COVID-19 related measures.

48 % increase of arrivals in 2019

In 2019, 74,613 persons arrived in Greece. This is an increase of 48% compared to 2018. Out of those a total of 59,726 persons arrived in Greece by sea in 2019, compared to 32,494 in 2018. The majority originated from Afghanistan (40%), Syria (27.4%) and DRC (6.7%). More than half of the population were women (23%) and children (36%), while 41% were adult men.

The average processing time at first instance also increased in 2019, reaching about 10.3 months, compared to 8.5 months in 2018. Out of the total of 87,461 applications pending by the end of 2019, in 81.6% of the cases the personal interview had not yet taken place and in 67% of the cases the interview is scheduled for the second semester of 2020 or even after 2020. In certain cases, interviews have been scheduled as late as 2023 and even 2024.

Pushbacks and suspension of the asylum procedure

The increase in the number of alleged pushbacks at the Greek-Turkish border of Evros continued during 2019. The United Nations Committee Against Torture expressed serious concerns as regards the principle of non-refoulement. Incidents of pushbacks are also reported at the Aegean Sea since 2020, as pointed out by the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights in early March 2020.

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HIAS 20-07-06:

Grekland/ Criminal charges against asylum seekers who arrived in March 2020

The public prosecutor of Mytilene, Lesvos, has pressed criminal charges against the asylum seekers who entered Greece through Lesvos between 1st of March and 1st of April 2020, during which time the Greek government had suspended the submission of new asylum applications in an unprecedented violation of international and European law[1].

This group of asylum seekers - amongst them a mother who lost her child at sea while trying to reach Lesvos, persons with kidney failure, pregnant women and unaccompanied children - were not allowed to apply for international protection and were placed in administrative detention. They were initially detained in the inhuman and degrading conditions of a warship in the port of Mytilene and then, in the camps of Malakasa and Serres were they remained in detention until the beginning of April.

On the 7st of April, after the expiration of the relevant Emergency Legislative Decree, the press office of the Ministry for Migration and Asylum issued a statement declaring that finally, all asylum seekers that arrived during March would go through the asylum procedure[2], partially restoring the injustice suffered by this group of asylum seekers.

However, the recent decision of the Public Prosecutor of Mytilene to press criminal charges for illegal entry against the arrivals of March- a decision that affects approximately 850 individuals[3]- adds one more injustice to the plethora of them already committed against these asylum seekers, including the denial of the right to international protection and detention in inhuman and degrading conditions

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Arkiveringsdatum 200624:

EASO 20-05-29:

Pakistan/ EASO publishes a COI report on the situation of Afghan refugees in Pakistan

Today, the European Asylum Support Office (EASO) published the Country of Origin Information (COI) report "Pakistan - Situation of Afghan refugees". The report provides relevant information on the situation of registered and unregistered Afghan refugees in Pakistan.

Afghanistan has a long history of protracted international displacement, and historically, there has always been movement of persons and groups across the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan. The developments in the recent history of Afghanistan have generated successive waves of displacement of Afghan refugees to Pakistan. According to sources interviewed for this report in February 2020, although there is no reliable data available on the population of Afghan refugees in the country, nearly three million Afghan refugees (registered and unregistered) are currently being hosted by Pakistan. The majority of Afghan refugees in Pakistan are children and adolescents who are born and raised in the country.

The report provides a brief historical overview of Afghan migration to Pakistan. It describes the legal status of Afghans living in Pakistan and its impact on their ability to access education, employment, health services, housing, financial and communication services, and legal aid. Furthermore, the report provides information on the attitude of the Government of Pakistan as well as on the general attitude of Pakistan's population towards Afghan refugees.

As of mid-2019, the majority of registered Afghan refugees continued to be hosted by Pakistan (1.4 million), while Afghanistan remained the second largest country of origin of refugees in the world, with 2.7 million refugees in the first half of 2019. Afghans continued to be the second most common citizenship of asylum applicants in the EU+ as of March 2020.

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ECRE 20-05-29:

Europa/ Covid-19 measures related to asylum and migration across Europe

In response to requests for information, ECRE has compiled this non-exhaustive list of measures related to asylum and migration introduced in response to the COVID-19 health crisis in Europe. The list includes measures introduced by governments and is based on open-source information, and information provided directly by ECRE members. ECRE has used its AIDA database and the ELENA network, including information provided by ELENA network members, as well as information compiled by PICUM. In particular, ECRE has benefited from and included the extensive information compiled by JRS Europe.

The information sheet is published and distributed to assist others in monitoring the impact of COVID-19. It is not intended to be exhaustive or definitive. All efforts have been made to ensure that the information is up-to-date, but note that the information has been collected over the last few weeks and measures in place might evolve rapidly.

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Global detention project, uppdateras löpande: Covid-19 Global Immigration Detention Platform (Extern länk)

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AIDA 20-05-20:

Serbien/ Update of country report: 2019

The updated Country Report on Serbia documents the main developments in the area of asylum procedures, reception conditions, detention of asylum seekers and content of international protection in 2019.

Asylum procedure

Access to the territory remains a serious concern as a significant number of pushbacks persisted in 2019. At least 16,000 persons likely to be in need of international protection were pushed back by Serbian border police authorities to Bulgaria and North Macedonia. Serious concerns about the practices carried out by the Border Police Station Belgrade (BPSB) at the airport have also been reported, putting individuals at risk of refoulement.

The procedure at first instance has been significantly improved as the Asylum Office has stopped its previous practice of automatically applying the 'safe third country concept'. This means that for the first time in the history of the Serbian asylum system, the majority of applications for international protection were examined on the merits. However, inconsistencies in the decision-making process continued to be reported in certain cases - thus requiring enhanced harmonization - and the overall length of the first instance procedure remains very lengthy. No imrpovement was noted with regard to the procedure at second instance. The Asylum Commission and Administrative Courts continued to systematically uphold first instance decisions, thus rendering the chances of success of appeals extremely low.

Reception conditions

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Border Violence Monitoring Network 20-06-08:

Grekland/ Police raid humanitarian distribution site and pushback people in need

Since late February, volunteers within the Border Violence Monitoring Network (BVMN), an alliance of groups documenting pushbacks in the Western Balkans and Greece, have been monitoring with concern the spike in pushbacks to Turkey over the Evros river. Whilst recent cases represent a peak in these practices by Greek authorities, they are not novel. Rather, they represent long standing trends that have been intensifying gradually. This press release details the latest mass pushback of people who were seized crudely while accessing essential food and medical assistance in Thessaloniki, Greece.

The expansive use of pushbacks in recent months can be mapped through the new Greek government's response to various events: namely the deployment of the 'international protection and other provisions' bill, the handling of protests in Moria, the fortification of border security in the face of Erdogan's threats, and finally the suspension of the asylum system in response to COVID-19. The weaponisation of lockdown period during the pandemic was simply the last in a long list of measures cracking down on asylum seekers in the country. In May, BVMN began documenting a new pattern of violence in the region in which asylum seekers and transient communities were taken from inland government institutions, like camps and detention centres, and pushed back to Turkey. This represents a stark difference to usual border security practices which target those in, or nearby to the border area. This week the trend of pushbacks from the deep interior of the Greek mainland has ramped up considerably.

On Friday 5th June 2020, twenty Greek police officers arrived at a well-known food distribution site where homeless asylum seekers go to access essential supplies and medical care. The authorities informed volunteers working in the area they had received a call to address a fight; contrasting witness statements confirming that a number of police vehicles and motorbikes had been situated around the area and in various side streets to apprehend those who attempted to flee: suggesting the raid was pre-planned.

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Legal Centre Lesvos 20-05-27: Hostility towards migrants and those working to support them continues (Extern länk)

ECRE 20-05-22: Chaotic resumption of procedures, hundreds of children detained, crack-down on NGOs, new evidence of push-backs to Turkey (Extern länk)

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AIDA 20-05-27:

Italien/ Update of country report: 2019

The updated Country Report on Italy documents the main developments in the area of asylum procedures, reception conditions, detention of asylum seekers and content of international protection in 2019.

Access to the territory and the asylum procedure

Closed ports policy, indirect refoulement to Libya and privatised pushbacks policy were reported in 2019. At least 8,406 people were tracked down by the Libyan coastguard and brought back to Libya. Despite the opposition of numerous associations including ASGI, and the call of the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, the Memorandum of Understanding between Italy and Libya, also judged by a Criminal Court to be not conform the Italian Constitution and to international laws, has been renewed in February 2020.

In 2019 the Civil Court of Rome allowed access to the asylum procedure from abroad to some Eritreans who were unlawfully returned to Libya in 2009. In two other cases, it ordered to issue humanitarian visas to allow the entry of minors, one of whom was in Libya.

A border procedure, applicable in border areas and transit zones, that was introduced last year in the legal framework has now been implemented, following a ministerial decree. This decree identifies the border and transit areas where the accelerated procedure for the examination of asylum applications applies when a person evades or attempts to evade border controls. The first applications of the decree have already revealed a controversial application of the concept of "border controls' evasion. A list of 13 safe countries of origin has also been adopted.

It has further reported that there is a disproportionate and incorrect use of manifestly unfounded decisions in asylum applications examined within accelerated procedures, which compromises the rights of defence and protection of asylum seekers.

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Se även:

Aida 2019 update: Ireland (Extern länk)

Aida 2019 update: Serbien (Extern länk)

Aida 2019 update: Grekland (Extern länk)

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Arkiveringsdatum 200523:

AIDA 20-04-29:

Turkiet/ AIDA 2019 update

The updated Country Report on Turkey documents the main developments in the area of asylum procedures, reception conditions, detention of asylum seekers and content of international and temporary protection in 2019.

Turkey currently hosts both a population of over 3,5 million refugees from neighbouring Syria and several hundred thousand asylum seekers and beneficiaries of protection of other nationalities, most principally originating from Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran and Somalia. These two populations of protection seekers are subject to two different sets of asylum rules and procedures. As such, the Turkish asylum system has a dual structure. In line with the legislative framework the report is divided into two sections, the first on international protection and the second on temporary protection (for Syrian nationals and stateless Palestinians originating from Syria).

The European Union (EU) continued to provide funding and support to the Turkish authorities through the EU-Turkey statement in 2019, including considerable sums for education. The EU also provides significant funding for detention in Turkey thus supporting the construction of 6 detention centres with six more centres to be co-financed.

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Center for Global Education 2020:

Libanon/ The impact of the war in Syria on Palestinian refugees in Lebanon and Syria

Stephen McCloskey

Summary

One of the largely unreported aspects of the Syrian conflict has been its impact on Palestinian refugees. Sixty per cent of these refugees (Palestinian Refugees Syria (PRS)) have been displaced at least once since the start of the conflict in 2011 and more than 4,000 have been killed. Three Palestinian refugee camps have been destroyed and more than 77,329 Palestinians are estimated to have been born since the start of the war into highly vulnerable and deprived communities. 29,000 PRS have fled to Lebanon and many have taken refuge in the camps for Palestinian Refugees Lebanon (PRL) administered by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). This has increased pressure on UNRWA services which include cash and food aid, employment, schools and vocational training centres, health clinics and women's centres. Following the Trump administration's withdrawal of funding for UNRWA in 2018, which amounted to approximately one third of its budget, the agency has been under extreme financial pressure at a time when arguably the need for its services has never been greater. UNRWA's struggle to maintain support to 5.4 million Palestinian refugees across the Middle East will be put to the ultimate test with the 2020 pandemic, COVID-19, sweeping across the world. Palestinian refugees living in densely populated camps, many with high levels of illness and disability, are extremely vulnerable to the virus. This report will consider the current situation confronting PRL and PRS in the context of the Syrian war, economic upheaval in Lebanon, the threat posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and cuts to UNRWA's budget.

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Refugee Rights Europe April 2020:

Frankrike/ A brief timeline of the human rights situation in northern France

In April 2020, during the unprecedented challenges brought on by the Covid-19 health crisis across Europe, Refugee Rights Europe in partnership with Help Refugees and Human Rights Observers sought to produce an updated version of the summary report originally published to mark the occasion of the two-year milestone since the demolition of the Calais 'Jungle' camp.

This report provides an overview of the human rights situation which has been unfolding in northern France over the past few decades, and which continues today, and reaches new depths of crisis due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

In addition to a desk review of news pieces and academic materials, the report draws heavily on from-the- ground updates by Help Refugees, Human Rights Observers and other organisations operating in Calais 'and Grande-Synthe, as well as several Refugee Rights Europe research reports published in 2016-2018.

This summary report also makes a number of recommendations in its final section. We believe that our recommendations would have the potential to contribute to the transformation of a cyclical and unsustainable state approach to the situation in northern France, characterised by violence, closed communication channels and widespread human rights infringements. We believe that a different reality can and must be possible.

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AIDA 20-04-29:

Rumänien/ AIDA 2019 update

The updated Country Report on Romania documents the main developments in the area of asylum procedures, reception conditions, detention of asylum seekers and content of international protection in 2019.

Reports from UNHCR Serbia show that in 2019 1,561 persons were collectively expelled from Romania to Serbia, with higher numbers registered in the last months of the year. This is an increase in the number in comparison to 2018 (during which 746 persons were collectively expelled). The Border Police reported that a total of 2,048 persons were apprehended for irregular entry in 2019. In 2019, as well as in 2018, it was reported that unaccompanied children who were apprehended trying to cross irregularly the border from Serbia to Romania, were prosecuted for having crossed illegally the border and for migrant smuggling. The children were held in pre-trial detention.

In 2019, 2,587 first time applicants applied for international protection. The availability and quality of interpretation has remained an issue, throughout 2019, including at the border. In some regions the authorities still use double interpretation. In 2019 interviews were conducted through videoconferencing in most of the regional centres, when there was no interpreter of certain languages.

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AIDA 20-04-23:

Malta/ AIDA 2019 update

The updated Country Report on Malta provides a detailed overview of the main developments in the area of asylum procedures, reception conditions, detention of asylum seekers and content of international protection in 2019.

2019 saw an increase in sea arrivals to Malta due to the ending of an informal agreement between Malta and Italy where Italy had agreed for migrants rescued in Maltese territorial waters to be disembarked in Italy. As a result of the rise in arrivals and the saturation of the reception system, the Maltese authorities in 2019 decided to detain each and every person arriving irregularly to the country under national health regulations. Such systematic detention is applicable to unaccompanied children, families and vulnerable persons and it has been implemented on the ground that there is a reasonable suspicion that new arrivals might spread contagious diseases. The health regulations allow the authorities to restrict a person's movements for up to four weeks - with a possible extension of up to ten weeks - on suspicion that a disease may be spread. In practice, no form of assessment is conducted, and applicants are only provided with a simple document stating the duration of detention. In addition, despite the limitation on the duration of detention as provided by the health regulations, it has been observed that applicants would not be released even after they were medically screened and cleared. Instead, individuals would only be released when a place is made available in open centres. This is also the case for children and vulnerable persons.

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Arkiveringsdatum 200521:

Europarådet 20-04-14:

Internationellt/ Refugees are in a vicious circle that make them particularly vulnerable

"The special session of the UN Security Council on 9 April rightfully emphasised the severe repercussions of the Covid 19 pandemic on civilian populations in conflict zones. Internally displaced persons and refugees are in a vicious circle of being forced to leave their homes and take shelter in camps which are often poor and vercrowded, both of which are factors that make them particularly vulnerable to the pandemic," Fabien Gouttefarde (France, ALDE), rapporteur on the protection of victims of forced displacement under international law, said.

"In addition, international humanitarian assistance by the United Nations and NGOs is frequently interrupted worldwide due to closed borders under anti-pandemic measures. Even media reports about human rights violations in conflict zones are hindered. In these extreme circumstances, it is vital to recognise the fundamental rights of forcibly displaced persons and to immediately stop any action which causes more displacement of persons or a continuation of their forced displacement."

"As the UN Secretary General stated clearly, war lords, mercenaries and terrorists are trying to take advantage of the fact that states are paralysed by the pandemic. Therefore, it is important to strongly recall that international law cannot be compromised by a pandemic and those who seek to benefit from it. As national parliamentarians, we must do all we can to hold those legally and politically responsible who forcibly displace persons - in Europe and abroad."

Artikeln (Extern länk)

Europarådets parlament 20-05-05: COVID-19: A rapporteur praises Greece for humanitarian transfer of vulnerable migrants from island camps (Extern länk)

Europarådets parlament 20-05-11: COVID-19: A rapporteur urges aid for internally displaced children (Extern länk)

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Refugees International 20-05-07:

Internationellt/ Gender Matters: COVID-19's Outsized impact on displaced women

In a matter of months, the swift spread of the novel coronavirus has had devastating ramifications on global public health. As of May 1, 2020, there were more than 3.3 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 around the world. In addition, the pandemic is having tremendous effects on the economy and social fabric of every society.

Since the outbreak began, humanitarian workers, journalists, and researchers have warned that people in displaced communities are at high risk for contracting and spreading the virus. Globally, approximately 71 million people-or one out of every 108 people-are forcibly displaced. A majority of them live in countries with weak and under-resourced healthcare infrastructure where systems are unlikely to be capable of handling the scale of this crisis. Even in some of the wealthiest countries such as the United States, COVID-19 is exposing massive gaps in the healthcare system and significant inequalities resulting in deadly outcomes.

Displaced persons-including refugees, asylum seekers, internally displaced people (IDPs), and stateless people-often live in especially cramped quarters, have limited access to health services, are not included in public information campaigns, work in the informal economy, and face restrictions on their movement. These conditions create significant challenges even when there is no global health emergency. In the context of a pandemic, however, they become more acute, increasing the risk of individuals contracting and spreading the disease. Moreover, the additional strain on governmental and non-governmental organizations' (NGO) finances as a result of the current health crisis is likely to further stretch the humanitarian system and exacerbate displaced communities' difficulty accessing basic needs and staying safe.

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Sam Mednick in The New Humanitarian 20-05-12: Syrian refugee women face new COVID-19 battleground (Extern länk)

British Medical Journal 20-05: Gendered implications of the COVID-19 pandemic for policies and programmes in humanitarian settings (Extern länk)

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Amnesty International 20-05-13:

Internationellt/ Ignored by COVID-19 responses, refugees face starvation

The inhumane treatment of refugees and migrants threatens to stall progress on tackling COVID-19, Amnesty International said today, warning that overcrowded camps and detention centres will become new epicentres unless urgent action is taken. The organization said that lockdowns and movement restrictions have exacerbated dire living conditions, leaving millions of people at risk of starvation and illness.

The organization is calling for concerted global action to ensure hundreds of thousands of people on the move are provided with adequate access to food, water, sanitation and healthcare to ensure their survival as countries prepare to come out of lockdown.

"It is impossible to properly contain this virus when so many people worldwide are living in desperately overcrowded, unsanitary camps and detention centres. At a time when we need compassion and cooperation more than ever some governments have instead doubled down on discrimination and abuse - preventing deliveries of food and water, locking people up, or sending them back to war and persecution," said Iain Byrne, Head of Amnesty's Refugees and Migrants Rights team.

"In many camps death by starvation is now reported to be a bigger threat than the virus itself. This is an appalling abdication of the collective responsibility to protect refugees and migrants, and we are urging states to take immediate action to prevent this becoming a human rights catastrophe."

Many governments have taken actions driven by discrimination and xenophobia, which needlessly place refugees at risk of starvation and disease.

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Human Rights Watch 20-05-15: US: Free detained asylum seekers in pandemic (Extern länk)

Human Rights Watch 20-05-12: Lockdown should not discriminate against migrants, refugees (Extern länk)

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IOM 20-05-15:

Internationellt/ Mental health needs of migrants and displaced must be part of response

Highlighting the deep impact that the COVID-19 pandemic is having on the mental health of people worldwide, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) calls for pro-active measures to be taken by governments worldwide to ensure that the mental health and psychosocial needs of migrants and displaced persons are taken into consideration in governments' responses.

The call is in line with the launch yesterday by the United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres,?of a policy brief titled COVID-19 and the Need for Action on Mental Health,?which?highlights the mental health consequences of the pandemic and urges governments, civil society, health authorities and others to invest in and prioritize mental health during the COVID-19 response and beyond.

Next week, the World Health Organization (WHO) will be holding its 73rd World Health Assembly, in which Member States and other stakeholders are due to discuss the impacts of COVID-19, IOM reiterates the importance of taking into consideration the mental health dimensions of the crisis, in particular the effects it has on migrants, displaced persons and other vulnerable groups.

"Everyone is affected by this pandemic," said António Vitorino, IOM Director-General.

"The stresses of confinement, job loss, stigma and xenophobia certainly have an impact on mental health. Those most vulnerable including migrants, mobile populations, and seasonal workers, face a unique set of challenges. We must ensure everyone is included in our mental health response, especially during COVID-19."

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UNHCR 20-05-19:

Colombia/ Indigenous refugees battle Coronavirus in Latin America

As the Coronavirus pandemic spreads through Latin America, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is warning that many displaced indigenous communities are now dangerously exposed and at risk.

There are almost 5,000 indigenous Venezuelans displaced in Brazil, mainly from the Warao ethnic group, but also from the Eñapa, Kariña, Pemon and Ye'kwana communities. With COVID-19 hitting this Amazon region hard and Brazil emerging as an epicenter of the pandemic, UNHCR is worried that many may struggle without adequate health and sanitation conditions.

In Colombia, a number of bi-national indigenous groups, including the Wayuu, Bari, Yukpa, Inga, Sikwani, Amorúa, live near the border with Venezuela. While their ancestral homes straddle both countries, many have not been able to regularize their stay in Colombia and are undocumented. Some now also face threats from irregular armed groups who control the areas where they live.

UNHCR is concerned that for some indigenous Venezuelans, documentation issues, most notably their irregular status, and living conditions are placing them at heightened risk.

Many live in isolated or remote areas, where they lack access to health services, clean water and soap. Others live in cramped dwellings or in informal urban settlements without access to protective equipment. Most of the border indigenous groups are threatened by physical and cultural extinction because of insufficient food and severe malnutrition that can increase the risk of contagion. These areas have lacked adequate health services which can now exacerbate the current situation.

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UNHCR 20-05-19:

Brasilien, Colombia/ Indigenous refugees battle Coronavirus in Latin America

As the Coronavirus pandemic spreads through Latin America, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is warning that many displaced indigenous communities are now dangerously exposed and at risk.

UNHCR is concerned that for some indigenous Venezuelans, documentation issues, most notably their irregular status, and living conditions are placing them at heightened risk.

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UNHCR 20-04-27:

Europa/ Coronavirus: UNHCR offers recommendations to ensure access to asylum

With the world mobilizing to combat the spread of COVID-19, many countries in Europe and beyond have adopted exceptional measures to manage their borders, limiting air travel and cross-border mobility. UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, has called today on European countries to safeguard the many good practices and redouble their efforts to strengthen asylum systems in Europe in these trying times.

It is encouraging that nearly two thirds of European countries have found ways to manage their borders effectively while allowing access to their territories for people seeking asylum. Medical screenings at borders, health certification or temporary quarantine upon arrival are some of the measures put in place by European countries. These are important positive precedents for other States in Europe and beyond.

"With refugees and asylum-seekers at the centre of our efforts, we have prepared a series of practical recommendations in support of national asylum systems as we continue to provide our expertise to governments," said Pascale Moreau, UNHCR's Regional Director for Europe.

Measures to mitigate a COVID-19 spread, such as physical distancing and restrictions on movements and gatherings, have impacted the functioning of asylum systems in Europe, be it the registration of new asylum claims and documentation, status determination or judicial reviews. Consequences can be serious for individuals concerned as well as States. For example, where new asylum claims are not registered, people's stay is not regulated, and they have no access to basic assistance and health services. Where asylum procedures are suspended, national asylum authorities will face significant challenges upon resumption, or worse, risk to lose or even reverse past investments in national asylum systems.

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UNHCR 20-05-15: Key Procedural Considerations on the Remote Participation of Asylum-Seekers in the Refugee Status Determination Interview (Extern länk till pdf-fil)

UNHCR 20-04-20: Displaced and stateless women and girls at heightened risk of gender-based violence in the coronavirus pandemic (Extern länk)

UNHCR 20-05-20: As COVID-19 pandemic continues, forcibly displaced children need more support than ever (Extern länk)

UNHCR 20-05-22: Beware long-term damage to human rights and refugee rights from the coronavirus pandemic (Extern länk)

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AIDA 20-05-13:

Portugal/ AIDA 2019 update

The updated AIDA Country Report on Portugal details legislative and practice-related developments in asylum procedures, reception conditions, detention of asylum seekers and content of international protection.

Asylum procedure

The pressure on the Portuguese asylum system persisted in 2019 due to the increase in the number of spontaneous applications. A total of 1,849 spontaneous asylum applicants were recorded during that year, up from 1,270 in 2018. Both the United Nations (UN) Committee against Torture and the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child published Concluding Observations raising concerns inter alia about the situation of vulnerable applicants. This includes a lack of identification mechanisms and inadequate procedural guarantees for specific categories of applicants such as unaccompanied minors, victims of violence and torture as well as victims of human trafficking.

Diverging jurisprudence in the context of Dublin procedures was also reported, both with regard to the right to be heard and the suspension of Dublin transfers, in particular to Italy. A judgment from the Supreme Administrative Court in January 2020 determined that the authorities are only bound to obtain up-to-date information on the risk of inhuman or degrading treatment where there are valid reasons to believe that there are systemic flaws in the asylum procedure and/or reception conditions of the receiving Member State.

Reception conditions

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Arkiveringsdatum 200426:

IOM 20-04-10:

Libyen/ Migrants flee as Tripoli's port shelled

Dozens of migrants held at Tripoli's main port since yesterday fled the facility as it was being shelled early Friday morning.

The group were among 277 people aboard a vessel returned to the capital by the Libyan coast guard, who were forced to remain at the port due to security concerns.

Roughly 200 of them were later apprehended by the authorities and transferred to two detention facilities. One is an investigation and data collection centre under the Ministry of Interior and the other is not an officially recognized facility.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has previously reported disappearances of migrants apprehended and detained by Libyan authorities and remains extremely concerned about the fate of those that are unaccounted for.

"We are at a breaking point," says IOM Libya Chief of Mission Federico Soda. "We have repeatedly raised the alarm over the situation in Libyan detention centres and appealed to the international community to end the return of migrants to Libya. The intensifying conflict coupled with the COVID19 crisis are putting unprecedented pressure on migrants, displaced Libyans and those trying to assist them."

IOM has consistently called for alternatives to disembarkation in Libya and the dismantling of the system of arbitrary detention.

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Human Rights Watch 20-04-21:

Etiopien/ Unaccompanied Eritrean children at risk

Asylum policy changes threaten Eritreans' rights

The Ethiopian government's changes to asylum procedures for Eritreans undermines their access to asylum and denies unaccompanied children necessary protection. The Ethiopian authorities should ensure that all Eritreans have the right to apply for asylum and publicly announce changes to its asylum and camp management policies.

In late January 2020, the Ethiopian government unofficially changed its asylum policy, which for years granted all Eritrean asylum seekers refugee status as a group. Staff from Ethiopia's Agency for Refugees and Returnees Affairs (ARRA) have only registered some categories of new arrivals at the Eritrea border, excluding others, notably unaccompanied children, the United Nations and aid groups say. Ethiopia's refusal to register these asylum seekers could force them to return to abusive situations in violation of international refugee law.

"Ethiopia has long welcomed tens of thousands of Eritreans fleeing persecution each year," said Laetitia Bader, Horn of Africa director at Human Rights Watch. "With no letup in repression in Eritrea, the Ethiopian government shouldn't be denying protection to Eritrean nationals, particularly unaccompanied children."

Each year, thousands of Eritrean secondary school students, some still under 18, are conscripted into the country's abusive indefinite national service program. National service is supposed to last 18 months, but the government often extends it to well over a decade. National service hampers children's access to education and family life.

To apply for asylum and gain official refugee status, Eritreans need to register with Ethiopia's refugee agency at "collection centers" when they cross the border. After registration, many then move into 1 of 6 refugee camps, 4 in the Tigray region. A smaller number live as urban refugees. With official refugee status, Eritreans are eligible for services and protection.

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AIDA 20-04-16:

Polen/ AIDA 2019 update: Poland

The updated Country Report on Poland provides a detailed overview of the main developments in the area of asylum procedures, reception conditions, detention of asylum seekers and content of international protection in 2019.

Asylum procedure

Access to the territory and to the asylum procedure at the border in Terespol remains one of the main challenges in 2019, with about 4,378 persons being refused entry there. While civil society organisations and other actors continue to document unlawful practices and incidents occurring at the border, the Polish government denies any allegations in this regard. Moreover, there is still no border procedure in Poland, but the bill that had been presented in 2017 with the aim to introduce such a procedure has been updated in 2019. The latter also provides for the adoption of a list of safe countries of origin and safe third countries. Several NGOs raised concerns and commented on the bill, which was still under discussion as of February 2020.

Other issues reported during the asylum procedure relate to improper interpretation, for which asylum seekers are sometimes being held responsible, as well as issues in the recording of interviews. Despite the new call for proposal for funding possibilities which finally opened to NGOs in 2019 after three years of suspension, access to legal assistance remains severely limited in practice.

The main development in 2019 concerns onward appeals to the Administrative Courts, as the latter have started to suspend the enforcement of negative decisions during appeal proceedings, thus protecting applicants against refoulement during this time. The Supreme Administrative Court also issued judgements in 2019 in which the suspensive effect was upheld.

Reception conditions

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ECRE 20-04-10:

Tyskland/ Protests in reception centre with residents exposed to COVID-19

Protests are reported in a reception centre in Halberstadt, where more than 800 people have been under lockdown since Friday 27 March due to positive COVID-19 tests in the facility. The insufficient hygiene, supply of food and lack of space to ensure social distance leaves the residents extremely exposed.

After confirmed cases in the facility access to leave was suspended and exits are now controlled by security guards. The combination of limited space for physically distancing themselves, the lack of sufficient hygiene products and adequate sanitary facilities, and the lack of information in multiple languages caused alarm among residents. While the lockdown aims to prevent the virus spreading to the outside of the centre, residents inside feel unprotected. Currently there are 30 people who have been tested positive and evacuated to another facility.

The situation led to a protest last Saturday by some residents, who clashed with security guards. Around 100 refugees entered a hunger strike. Additionally, residents issued a letter demanding enough supply of food, hygiene products as well as protective gloves for all residents. Also, an immediate evacuation of elderly, people with a precondition, pregnant women and families. After a meeting between residents and the facility management, an improvement of the situation is promised.

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AIDA 20-04-22:

Kroatien/ AIDA 2019 update: Croatia

The updated Country Report on Croatia documents the main developments in the area of asylum procedures, reception conditions, detention of asylum seekers and content of international protection in 2019.

Access to territory and situation at Croatian border

It sheds light in particular on the situation at the Croatian border where push backs and violent police practices have been documented, affecting several thousands of persons. Overall, the Ministry of Interior stated that, from January to September 2019, it had prevented 9,487 people in their attempt to illegally cross the border, which marks a significant increase of 200% compared to the same period in 2018. This strict border regime limits access to the territory and to the asylum procedure. It puts individuals at risk of serious human rights violations, including vulnerable groups, and is particularly worrying in light of the level of violence that has been reported, involving incidents of torture, shootings, accidents and deaths of migrants in certain cases. The situation at the border is being heavily criticised by a variety of national and international organisations and is under particular scrutiny in the context of Croatia's accession to Schengen.

Asylum procedure and reception conditions

Other developments relevant to the asylum procedure include inter alia the re-structuring of the determining authority, concerns regarding the length of appeal procedures as well as the Constitutional Court's ruling highlighting the importance of thoroughly examining individual circumstances in subsequent applications.

As regards reception, the living conditions in the Reception Centre in Zagreb have significantly improved following renovations. These were carried out, however, because the local population voiced strong opposition against the creation of a new Reception Centre near Petrinja, in Mala Gorica, as was initially planned in 2018. Hate speech and discrimination has been reported as a growing issue in Croatia in 2019.

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Human Rights Watch 20-04-14:

Grekland/ Free unaccompanied migrant children

New campaign to shelter children, end detention amid COVID-19

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis should free hundreds of unaccompanied migrant children detained in unhygienic police cells and detention centers in Greece, Human Rights Watch said today in opening a campaign to free the children. Their release from abusive detention conditions would better protect them from infection amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The campaign to #FreeTheKids, which starts on April 14, 2020, urges people to press Prime Minister Mitsotakis to immediately release unaccompanied migrant children who are in detention, and to transfer them to safe, child-friendly facilities. Human Rights Watch is initiating this campaign after years of research and advocacy on Greece's practice of locking up children who are in Greece without a parent or relative in police cells and detention centers, urging successive governments to end these serious rights abuses.

"Keeping children locked up in filthy police cells was always wrong, but now it also exposes them to the risk of COVID-19 infection," said Eva Cossé, Greece researcher at Human Rights Watch. "The Greek government has a duty to end this abusive practice and make sure these vulnerable kids get the care and protection they need."

According to the National Center for Social Solidarity, a government body, as of March 31, 331 children were in police custody awaiting transfer to a shelter, a sharp increase from January, when 180 unaccompanied children were behind bars.

Infectious diseases like COVID-19 pose a serious risk to populations in closed institutions such as jails and immigration detention centers. These institutions have often been found to provide inadequate health care even under normal circumstances. In many detention centers, overcrowding, shared bathrooms, and poor hygiene make it virtually impossible to put in place basic measures to prevent a COVID-19 outbreak.

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ECRE 20-04-17:

Grekland/ 1000 evacuated, relocation of children started, procedures suspended

EU Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson has announced the temporary evacuation of 1000 vulnerable refugees from the Greek island camps to hotels on the islands and on the mainland due to the COVID-19 crisis. UN agencies welcome the relocation of the first twelve unaccompanied children from the Greek island camps to Luxembourg with Germany set to receive 58 over the weekend. The Greek government has announced that asylum services are suspended until 15 May, and has placed its forces under high alert due to alleged gathering of people at the Greek Turkish border.

Commissioner Ylva Johansson defined the temporary evacuation of 1000 vulnerable refugees from the overcrowded Aegean island camps as "EU values in practice, even in such trying times". The Commissioner further established that it had been possible "thanks to combined efforts" of the European Commission, the UN Agencies UNHCR and IOM as well as the Greek government. The camps with a maximum capacity of 6-7000 people are currently hosting close to 40,000 under harsh conditions and exposed to increasing health risks due to the COVID-19 crisis. Two camps on the mainland have already been quarantined as a result of Corona outbreaks. The group is transferred to vacant hotels on the islands and the mainland.

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Arkiveringsdatum 200410:

UNHCR 20-03- 31:

Internationellt/ UNHCR Policy and Guidance in the Context of the COVID-19 Response

Documents relating to protection considerations in the context of the COVID-19 response

New topic page. Includes UNHCR guidance on AGD considerations, gender-based violence concerns, protection, and risk communication and engagement.

Till samlingssidan (Extern länk)

Key Legal Considerations on access to territory for persons in need of international protection in the context of the COVID-19 response, 16 March 2020 (Extern länk)

Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) - COVID-19, 21 March 2020 (Extern länk)

Age, Gender and Diversity Considerations - COVID-19, 21 March 2020 (Extern länk)

Gender-based violence prevention, risk mitigation and response during COVID-19, 26 March 2020 (Extern länk)

THE COVID-19 CRISIS: KEY PROTECTION MESSAGES, 31 March 2020 (Extern länk)

IOM 20-03-20: COVID-19 does not discriminate; nor should our response (Extern länk)

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Unicef 20-04-03:

Internationellt/ Coronaviruset kan få förödande konsekvenser för barn på flykt

Coronaviruset sprider sig snabbt över vår värld, och de miljontals barn som lever på flykt kommer inte att skonas. Sannolikt kommer viruset snart få fäste i flyktingläger, där många lever extremt trångt utan tillgång till rinnande vatten och sjukvård. UNICEF arbetar för att hindra spridning av viruset, men vi kan inte göra det ensamma.

Hela 31 miljoner barn befinner sig just nu på flykt. De flesta har inte möjlighet att tvätta händerna med tvål och vatten eller hålla fysiskt avstånd för att hindra smittspridning. De har inte heller lyxen att komma i kontakt med en läkare när de är sjuka. Alla dessa barn är redan idag i stort behov av hjälp, och om coronaviruset får fäste i de överfulla flyktinglägren kan konsekvenserna bli katastrofala.

UNICEFs högsta chef Henrietta Fore uppmanar nu samtliga insatser att försöka nå barn och familjer som befinner sig på flykt med den hjälp de behöver. Vi måste säkerställa att de får tillgång till tester och sjukvård, och att de nås av information om hur spridning av viruset kan förebyggas. Det är mycket brådskande att se till att de får tillgång till vatten, tvål och säkerhet, och att de ges möjlighet att hålla fysiskt avstånd till andra människor.

Det är även väsentligt att ta fram en plan för hur vi på ett säkert sätt ska kunna hjälpa de barn som har blivit separerade från sina föräldrar eller vars föräldrar har dött. Rörelsebegränsning och stängning av gränser till följd av coronaviruset får inte hindra barns rätt att söka asyl och återförenas med sina familjemedlemmar. Inte heller ska det hindra hjälparbetare att nå fram med humanitär hjälp till de mest utsatta.

Vad gör UNICEF?

UNICEF arbetar tillsammans med partners för att hindra spridning av coronaviruset bland barn och familjer på flykt. Det gör vi bland annat genom att:

+ Leverera hygienartiklar och säkra tillgången till rent vatten.

+ Hindra smittan från att spridas i skyddsrum, läger och bostadsområden.

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UNHCR 20-04-03:

Libyen/ humanitarian crisis worsening amid deepening conflict and COVID-19 threat

One year since the launch of a military offensive in Tripoli, Libya, fighting is further worsening with COVID-19 now bringing new threats, warns UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency.

More than 300 civilians have been killed and 150,000 others displaced from their homes since last April. Despite the tentative agreement on a humanitarian truce, fighting escalated significantly in the past week. The deteriorating security has also undermined the ability of the tens of thousands of formerly displaced persons to safely return to their areas of origin.

Meanwhile, the authorities have now confirmed ten cases of COVID-19 and one death in Libya, raising new fears about the ability of the country's weakened health services to respond.

The ongoing conflict has severely impacted the country's health system and medical services, which have limited financial resources and face shortages of basic equipment and medicines. Many hospitals or health facilities, located in areas close to the conflict, have also been damaged or closed.

UNHCR and partners are providing generators, ambulances, prefab-containers and tented clinics, in support of local health-care services. We are also raising public health awareness amongst refugees, asylum-seekers and Libyans, through posters, text messages and social media, aimed at mitigating the risks of exposure to COVID-19.

Together with other humanitarian agencies, UNHCR is calling on the Libyan authorities to ensure the access and inclusion of all population groups in Libya to health surveillance, preparedness, response plans and activities.

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ECRE 20-03-26:

Frankrike/ NGOs urged sanitary measure to those stuck in Calais and Grand-Synthe

On 16 March, 24 NGOs sent an open letter to the prefects and the mayors of Calais and Grand-Synthe to demand urgent measures to address the sanitary crisis at the border between France and the UK and protect the people stuck there from the COVID-19.

Despite a recent assurance from President Emmanuel Macron, that the care of vulnerable people is a priority during the COVID-19 crisis, asylum seekers stuck on the French coast in Calais and Grand-Synthe remain exposed. According to an open letter from organisations working in the informal camps: "the situation of exiled people is unspeakable: lack of accommodation, cold, humidity, stress, fatigue, crowding together in light tents, daily expulsion from places of life, deplorable sanitary conditions." The organisations demand the right to shelter and housing, decent living conditions, food distribution and improved sanitary conditions.

Civil society organisations are facing difficulties in providing a minimum of aid to people, due to the closure of day centres and the drop in the number of available volunteers. Juliette Delapace, project manager of Caritas France, commented the closure of their centre in Calais: "Now we have had to close the hundreds of people we give somewhere warm and safe to stay for a few hours really have nobody to help them and nowhere to go. (...) They can't even call the emergency services because to do that you need to be able to charge your phone".

On 23 March, the mayor of Calais, Natacha Bouchat, announced the decision to set up a closed system for the reception and confinement of migrants. The centre was to be based in the region of Hauts de France, far from Calais and Grand Synthe, keeping people away from the border. At the moment, about 800 people are estimated to live in Calais camp.

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AIDA 20-04-02:

Frankrike/ AIDA 2019 update: France

The updated AIDA Country Report on France details legislative and practice-related developments in asylum procedures, reception conditions, detention of asylum seekers and content of international protection.

Access to the territory

In 2019, France notified the European Commission of the temporary reintroduction of border control at internal borders until 30 April 2020. The Council of State has further validated in October 2019 a decision of reintroduction of temporary border controls that had been taken in 2018. The practice of systematic refusal of entry of persons arriving at the Italian land border persisted in 2019 regardless of protection needs of asylum seekers, including unaccompanied minors.

Asylum procedures

The length of the asylum procedure remains a concern. While the average waiting time to register asylum claims has decreased since 2018, the Council of State confirmed in July 2019 that waiting times remained an issue and ordered the authorities to take measures to comply with the time limits laid down in law. In the Ile-de-France region, asylum seekers face an additional administrative layer in the registration process resulting from the telephone appointment system operated by the French Office of Immigration and Integration (OFII). In November 2019, the Administrative Court of Paris thus ordered the Prefecture to increase the number of daily appointments.

Reception conditions

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AIDA 20-04-02:

Nederländerna/ AIDA 2019 update: Netherlands

The updated country report on the Netherlands documents developments in the area of asylum procedures, reception conditions, detention of asylum seekers and content of international protection in 2019.

2019 has been marked by a significant delay in the asylum procedure, which further continued in 2020. In February 2020, almost 9,000 asylum seekers were still awaiting - some of them for almost two years - the start of their asylum procedure. Asylum seekers stay in a rest and preparation period, which should normally take around six days after which the actual asylum procedure should start. In 2018, this period has been considerably extended. Due to capacity problems within the Immigration Authorities (IND), this has not changed in 2019. The rest and preparation period still takes about 12 months (in general 47 weeks) before the general asylum procedure takes place. The Secretary of State of Justice announced that it will be difficult to reduce the delay by 2021, but measures are being taken to limit the delay. The Dutch Council for Refugees reported that the excessive waiting time in the rest and preparation period created tension in the centers and serious concerns among asylum seekers about family reunification.

Due to the long waiting times at the IND, applicants also spend longer periods in the reception centres. The COA has announced that they will need 5000 extra places in 2020 due to this development. At the end of 2019, the State Secretary announced she wanted to open separate reception locations for applicants originating from safe countries of origin. However, at this point there have been no concrete plans for these locations.

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AIDA 20-04-09:

Belgien/ AIDA 2019 update: Belgium

The updated country report on Belgium documents developments in the area of asylum procedures, reception conditions, detention of asylum seekers and content of international protection in 2019.

2019 was marked by a significant delay in the processing of asylum applications, and the lack of reception accommodation, resulting in asylum seekers left homeless and destitute. Despite the numerous warnings of the federal reception agency for asylum seekers Fedasil as well as civil society actors, a new reception crisis emerged in 2019. This is due to the government' scaling down of capacity to adapt reception systems to a drop in asylum applications in previous years, which was therefore not able to address the increase of applications for international protection in 2019. Moreover, as a result of the lack of staff within the determining authority, asylum procedures took longer and asylum seekers had to remain in reception centers for longer periods. The saturation of Fedasil's reception network also led to a suspension of resettlement operations of refugees since July 2019.

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AIDA 20-04-09:

Schweiz/ AIDA 2019 update: Switzerland

The updated country report on Switzerland describes the functioning of the new asylum procedure which entered into force in March 2019. It documents the most recent legislative and practice-related changes in the asylum procedure, reception conditions, detention and content of international protection.

New asylum procedure

The overall aim of the new system is to significantly speed up the procedure, including by bringing together the main actors of the procedure "under the same roof"; namely in federal centres located in six defined regions in Switzerland. The reform sets up several procedures (accelerated, extended, Dublin) strictly limited in time, thus shortening processing times and deadlines for appeals.

Against that backdrop, the new asylum system introduces several safeguards such as the right for asylum seekers to receive information, free counselling and legal representation at first instance, regardless of the applicable procedure. However, the shortened deadlines put the asylum authorities under significant pressure and risk to undermine an adequate examination of medical needs and related evidence. This was confirmed by the recent case law of the Federal Administrative Court which highlighted several shortcomings in this regard.

Reception conditions

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AIDA 20-03-26:

Österrike/ AIDA 2019 update: Austria

The updated AIDA Country Report on Austria documents numerous legislative, policy and practice developments relating to the asylum procedure, reception conditions, detention of asylum seekers, and content of international protection.

It draws particular attention to the introduction of the law establishing a Federal Agency for Supervision and Support Services (Bundesagentur für Betreuungs- und Unterstützungsleistungen, BBU-G) which will drastically change the Austrian legal aid system. This law foresees that the new Federal Agency will be in charge of providing both reception conditions (i.e. basic care) and legal assistance to asylum seekers in first and second instance as of January 2021, thus excluding the possibility for NGOs to receive funding to that end. The cancellation of their contracts with the Government has been confirmed at the end of February 2020. Moreover, the Federal Agency falls under the responsibility of the Ministry of Interior, whose influence will inevitably affect the provision of objective and independent legal assistance.

Other persisting issues relate to the conditions in return and detention centres, as confirmed by several civil society organisations and United Nations (UN) bodies. Detention of vulnerable persons, capacity gaps and the lack of training of detention staff remain unaddressed concerns. Furthermore, the increased focus of the determining authority on procedures withdrawing the protection status, in particular of Afghan nationals, has also been reported in 2019 and seems to be exacerbated by important discrepancies in the rulings of the Administrative Court and the Constitutional Court on the matter.

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AIDA 20-03-26:

Slovenien/ AIDA 2019 update: Slovenia

The updated country report on Slovenia documents developments in the area of asylum procedures, reception conditions, detention of asylum seekers and content of international protection in 2019.

Reports of individuals being denied access to the asylum procedure by Slovenian police at the Slovenian border with Croatia have continued to surface in 2019, a practice which has persisted since 2018. An independent investigation by the Slovenian Ombudsman has revealed that there is an absence of a thorough assessment of the personal circumstances of individuals at the border by the police. Moreover, according to statistics in 2019, expressions of the intention to apply for asylum remain very low, despite a rise in the number of documented illegal border crossings. This has led the Slovenian Ombudsman and NGOs in the country to conclude that individuals are prevented from expressing their intention to apply for international protection; a finding which is only reinforced by data highlighting a significant increase in 2019 of the number of returns to Croatia based on the bilateral readmission agreement between Slovenia and Croatia.

In a similar vein, the updated report notes recent jurisprudential developments in Slovenia pertaining to access to the territory, notably legislative amendments which would allow the state to limit access to the territory for asylum seekers in case of a large number of arrivals. According to a recent ruling of the Constitutional Court in Slovenia, such amendments were in violation of the principle of non-refoulement.

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Amnesty International 20-03-27:

Bosnien/ Decision to confine thousands of migrants into camp puts lives at risk

Responding to the decision of the local authorities in Una-Sana Canton in Bosnia and Herzegovina to forcefully transfer and confine thousands of migrants living in the area to an inadequate tent camp in Lipa, Amnesty's Europe Deputy Director Massimo Moratti said:

"Forcing people, many of whom are already vulnerable, into a hastily set up remote tent facility without ensuring adequate access to water and sanitation, spaces to self-isolate and accessible medical care is inhumane and will put people at greater risk of infection and preventable deaths.

"Confining people in potentially harmful conditions cannot be justified on the grounds of public health. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the authorities in Bosnia have a responsibility to address the needs of all marginalised groups and ensure humane living conditions, including access to water, sanitation and hygiene, as well as appropriate medical care, for all people, including migrants and asylum-seekers.

"Restrictions on the rights of migrants and asylum-seekers in the context of the COVID-19 public health emergency have to be lawful, necessary and proportionate and should not discriminate against or put at risk already marginalised people. These measures fail on all counts."

Background

Thousands of refugees, migrants and asylum-seekers trying to make their way into Europe are currently stranded in Una-Sana Canton in the north-west of Bosnia and Herzegovina. While about 4,100 are accommodated in the temporary reception facilities managed by International Organization for Migration (IOM), an estimated 3,000 are sleeping in squats in abandoned buildings or sleeping rough and are now at risk of being relocated to the Lipa camp.

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AIDA 20-04-02:

Cypern/ AIDA 2019 update: Cyprus

The updated AIDA Country Report on Cyprus documents numerous legislative, policy and practice developments relating to the asylum procedure, reception conditions, detention of asylum seekers, and content of international protection.

Significant changes have been set in motion with respect to the asylum system in Cyprus during 2019 and early 2020. These changes, as well as proposed amendments, have been put in place as a result of the increasingly high numbers of arrivals to the country as well as reactions to the escalation of Covid-19. In particular, the conversion of an Emergency Reception Centre into a First Registration Reception Centre with an increased capacity is underway. The centre is intended to reach a capacity of approximately 800 persons however it currently has a capacity of 350-400. Since Covid-19 developments this centre is operating as a closed centre and is hosting around 700 persons. No time-limit to this de facto detention has been announced. Such practice appears to be in stark contrast to case-law developments in 2019 where the International Protection Administrative Court of Cyprus has annulled detention decisions on the basis that there had been a lack of examination of alternative measures to detention and an absence of a proportionality and necessity examination prior to ordering the detention.

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AIDA 20-04-09:

Spanien/ AIDA 2019 update: Spain

The updated country report on Spain documents the most recent developments in the Spanish asylum system, i.e. legislative and practice-related changes in the asylum procedure, reception conditions, detention and content of international protection. It demonstrates that Spain still faces important difficulties in adapting to the increase of new arrivals and the number of applications for international protection.

Access to territory

Refusal of entry, collective expulsions and push backs persisted throughout 2019, as a result of which asylum applicants resort to dangerous practices and put their lives at risk to access the territory. While the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) judgment of February 2020 in the case of N.D and N.T v Spain failed to condemn Spain for such practices, civil society organisations and other actors have continued to raise serious concerns and to document the numerous incidents occuring at the Spanish border.

Asylum procedure

The average processing times of asylum claims (which can reach up to 2 years), the significant increase of the backlog of cases (111,740 at the end of 2019 compared to 68,779 at the end of 2018) as well as the quality of the asylum procedure continue to be heavily criticised. The situation of vulnerable groups is of particular concern as identification and referral mechanisms are still lacking. More particularly, several NGOs have qualified the lack of support to victims of human trafficking as one of the most important issue in 2019, despite the Government's efforts on the matter.

Reception and detention conditions

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ECRE 20-04-02:

Portugal/ COVID-19 Measure - Services ensured for people with pending applications

On 27 March the Portuguese government announced measures to ensure the right to health and public service for people with pending residence applications, such as asylum applications or people having applied for regularisation.

The decision states inter alia that persons who applied for international protection or applied for regularisation are considered to be regularly in the country and thereby qualified for health care and public services. The measures as presented are temporary and do not result in automatic asylum or regularisation.

The decision establishes a series of documents that should be considered valid in all public services and allow their holders to have access to the national healthcare System and to social support measures, to enter into housing rental contracts and employment contracts, to open bank accounts and to contract essential public services (non-exhaustive list). Applicants only need to provide evidence of an ongoing request to qualify, meaning that no new types of residence permits are being issued.

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Arkiveringsdatum 200324:

ELENA legal update 20-03-20:

Europa/ Asylum measures in selected countries following Covid-19 health crisis

The emergency measures introduced as a result of the Covid-19 global health situation have had an impact on asylum measures in a number of European States including Belgium, Denmark, France, Hungary, Greece, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, and Spain.

On 17 March 2020, the Belgian Immigration Office announced the closing of the arrival centre for newly arriving asylum applicants. As a result of this measure the newly arrived will have no possibility of applying for asylum or to be assigned to a place of reception. The Immigration Office admitted that no measures have been taken to prevent a situation in which asylum applicants with no housing arrangements would end up out on the streets.

The Danish Government has stated that if border closures are put in place, it will still be possible to submit asylum applications. Arrivals will be expected to isolate for 14 days in the Sadholm reception facility. The Immigration Service has also suspended all interviews until after 31 March. Similarly, In Malta, The Office of the Refugee Commissioner has confirmed that, although it is closed, it will be accepting asylum applications via email.

On 16 March 2020, France announced its decision to automatically prolong the stay all residence permits for limited leave to remain by 3 months. Similar measures have been introduced in Italy, where it has been announced that administrative procedures for renewals of residence permits have been suspended, as well as a number of measures in relation to judicial activity including, inter alia: limiting access to judicial offices and suspending hearings except in certain circumstances.

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AIDA 20-03-19:

Storbritannien/ AIDA 2019 update: United Kingdom

The updated country report on the United Kingdom documents developments in the area of asylum procedures, reception conditions, detention of asylum seekers and content of international protection in 2019.

As the United Kingdom (UK) left the European Union (EU) on 31 January 2020, there is now a transition period until the end of 2020 while the UK and EU negotiate future arrangements. The post 2020 arrangements regarding people seeking asylum, particularly in relation to the Dublin III Regulation, are not yet clear. At the beginning of 2019, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) ruled that the UK's notification of intention to leave the EU does not entail an obligation on other Member States to make use of the sovereignty clause or to take into consideration the best interests of the child and to examine asylum applications themselves. There has been much discussion about the future of the family unity clauses in the Dublin Regulation once the UK leaves the EU.

In 2019 there were 44,494 applicants for international protection in the United Kingdom. No major legislative changes regarding international protection took place in 2019. A report entitled "Lessons not Learned: the failures of asylum decision-making in the UK" was published in 2019 documenting flawed credibility assessments. It finds that the current system places an unrealistic and unlawful evidential burden on asylum applicants. It compiles findings from over 50 publications issued over the last fifteen years on the quality of decision-making processes in the UK Home Office. Built on an analysis of over 1,800 asylum cases and 140 interviews, the report charts the consistent failure of the Home Office to implement recommendations to improve procedures.

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AIDA 20-03-12:

Ungern/ AIDA 2019 update: Hungary

The updated country report on Hungary documents developments in the area of asylum procedures, reception conditions, detention of asylum seekers and content of international protection in 2019.

The quasi-state of exception that has been introduced into Hungarian law in September 2015, entitled as the "state of crisis due to mass migration", has been extended once again until 7 September 2020. During this state of crisis special rules apply. This means inter alia that asylum may still only be sought at the border, inside the transit zone (unless the applicant is already residing lawfully in the territory of Hungary) and that asylum seekers are continued to be held in the transit zones for the entire asylum procedure, without any legal basis for detention or judicial remedies. Police are still authorised to pushback across the border fence irregularly staying migrants (including those who wish to seek asylum in Hungary) from any part of the country, without any legal procedure or opportunity to challenge this measure. In 2019 there were 11,101 people pushed back from the territory of Hungary to the external side of the border fence and 961 were blocked entry at the border fence.

During his visit to Hungary in July 2019, the UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants urged the government to immediately terminate this 'state of emergency'; he noted that he could not see a single migrant approaching Hungary from the Serbian side of the border, and deemed the extension unnecessary.

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ECRE 20-03-06:

Serbien/ Report on the Right to Asylum in 2019

ECRE member Belgrade Centre for Human Rights (BCHR) has released the report 'Right to Asylum in the Republic of Serbia 2019' providing a thorough analysis of developments related to asylum procedures, reception conditions and integration in Serbia. While recognising overall improvements BCHR concludes that the Serbian asylum system is not yet fully functional and identifies significant remaining challenges.

According to the report, despite a solid legal framework in place, the lack of effective coordination and systematic solutions from state authorities means that: "legal gaps and inconsistent enforcement of the existing legislation impede the exercise of both the right to asylum and many other refugee rights...".As a result, refugees and asylum seekers depend to a large extent on NGO assistance.

The practises of competent authorities, the combination of strict deadlines and slow processing, inadequate information and translation, and inability of applicants to launch applications on their own initiative in some cases prevent people wishing to seek protection in Serbia from accessing the asylum procedures.

While there are examples of good practise and thorough examination form the Asylum Office (first instance) the BCHR finds "inconsistent Asylum Office practice in terms of the findings of facts, considering that the first-instance authority does not always assess carefully and fully the evidence in all cases." Regarding the Asylum Commission (second instance) BCHR points to a general lack of transparency on the grounds of decisions and finds that it rarely enters the merits of the cases but return approved appeals to and rely almost entirely on the Asylum Office in first instance.

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Läkare utan gränser 20-03-13:

Grekland/ Katastrofala konsekvenser om corona-virus får fäste i lägren

De överfulla och fruktansvärda levnadsvillkoren i lägren på de grekiska öarna är en perfekt grogrund för ett utbrott av covid-19. Att evakuera människorna därifrån är nu viktigare än någonsin, anser den medicinska humanitära organisationen Läkare Utan Gränser.

Om corona-viruset skulle få fäste i flyktinglägren är risken stor att det skulle sprida sig. Detta skulle i sin tur få förödande konsekvenser, med tanke på bristen på sanitet och på sjukvård i lägren. I och med att det första fallet av covid-19 nu har bekräftats hos en grekisk medborgare på Lesbos har evakueringen av lägren blivit mer brådskande än någonsin.

- I vissa delar av Moria-lägret finns det bara en vattenkran åt 1 300 personer, det finns ingen tvål och hela familjer tvingas sova i utrymmen på högst tre kvadratmeter. Detta innebär att de åtgärder som rekommenderas för att förhindra spridning, som att tvätta händerna ofta och hålla avstånd från varandra, är omöjliga, förklarar läkaren Hilde Vochten, Läkare Utan Gränsers medicinska koordinator i Grekland.

Över hela världen ställer regeringar in evenemang och förbjuder stora sammankomster, men i lägren på de grekiska öarna har människor inget annat val än att leva tätt tillsammans. Covid-19 är det senaste hotet som människorna där står inför, men förhållandena de lever i gör dem mer sårbara än resten av befolkningen.

- Vi är i kontakt med den nationella folkhälsomyndigheten för att samordna insatser som till exempel hälsoinformation och eventuell vård av smittade, såväl bland lokalbefolkningen som bland personerna i lägren, säger Hilde Vochten.

-Men vi måste vara realistiska, fortsätter hon. Det skulle vara omöjligt att säta stopp för ett utbrott när förhållandena är sådana som de är i lägren på Lesbos, Chios, Samos, Leros och Kos. Än i dag har vi inte sett en trovärdig krisplan för att skydda och ge vård till människorna i lägren vid ett sjukdomsutbrott.

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ECRE 20-03-13:

Spanien/ Inhuman reception conditions for children in Melilla

On 10 March 2020, the Spanish newspaper El Pais published pictures of the reception centre La Purísima for unaccompanied minors, in the suburbs of Melilla, Spain, revealing a poor living conditions for the children hosted there.

Pictures from the centre hosting 600 children, despite a capacity of 350, reveal rows of bunks stacked on top of each other with almost no space between and mattresses, clumped together on the floor for those without a bed. According to the testimonies collected by the Spanish newspaper, the conditions in the centre are so poor that some children prefer to sleep outside. Those hosted in the centre have to follow a strict code of conduct and are left to sleep in the street if they miss the centre's curfew

The local government has announced that within the next six months they will make new spaces available to accommodate 400 children. The measure is part of a bigger plan to transfer the children to other locations.

Despite harsh critique of the conditions in the centre by the local Councilor of Finance, Nuria Almansuri, the tender with the company Arquisocial running it has been extended until 2021.

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Arkiveringsdatum 200306:

Physicians for Human Rights 20-02-25:

"You will never see your child again"

The persistent psychological effects of family separation

By Hajar Habbach, MA, Kathryn Hampton, MSt, and Ranit Mishori, MD, MSH

Asylum-Seeking Families Separated by U.S. Government Experienced Torture, PHR Concludes in New Investigation

Forcibly separated children and parents suffer PTSD, depression, anxiety

A new investigation by Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) documents evidence of severe psychological trauma among children and parents who were separated at the U.S. southern border by the U.S. government.

According to PHR's report, based on in-depth psychological evaluations of 26 asylum seekers (nine children and 17 parents), the U.S. government's forcible separation of asylum-seeking families constitutes cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment and, in all cases PHR evaluated, meets criteria for torture.

The practice of forced family separation specifically as a means of deterring migrants from coming to the United States was secretly piloted by the Trump administration in 2017 and ramped up along the southern border from April to June 2018, before it was halted by a court injunction. However, family separation has continued, and many families are yet to be reunited, according to government statistics.

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Läkare utan gränser 20-03-03:

Libyen/ Osäkra och inhumana flyktingförvar måste upphöra

Läkare Utan Gränser kräver nu att Libyen upphör med att godtyckligt stänga in människor i förvar. Över 2 000 människor befinner sig just nu inlåsta på obestämd tid utan någon rättslig process och utsätts för övergrepp, tortyr och utpressning.

Natten mellan lördagen den 29 februari och 1 mars dog en 26-årig man i en av de överfulla cellerna efter att en brand bröt i Dhar el Jebel-förvaret, söder om Libyens huvudstad Tripoli. Ett förvar där över 500 flyktingar och migranter godtyckligt fängslats.

- Vår psykolog rapporterar om stor desperation. Människor är i chock efter upprepade trauma utan slut i sikte. Elden och det tragiska dödsfallet är bara en i raden av fruktansvärda övergrepp och trauman som våra patienter har utsatts för i Libyen, säger Christine Nivet, projektkoordinator på Läkare Utan Gränser i Nafusa-bergen.

Läkare Utan Gränser har sedan maj 2019 gett humanitärt stöd till människor som är fast i flyktingförvaret Dhar el Jebel. Teamet ger nu psykologiskt stöd till de överlevande och distribuerar förnödenheter för att ersätta förlorade saker i branden. I byggnaden som brann ner befann sig 50 människor i trånga celler.

Övergrepp, tortyr och utpressning

De flesta människor som just nu är godtyckligt fängslade i förvaret Dhar el Jebel är eritreanska och somaliska asylsökande registrerade hos UNHCR, FN:s flyktingorgan. De flydde från sina hemländer för att söka säkerhet och asyl och kan inte återvända till sina hem.

- De berättar för oss att de känner sig hjälplösa och isolerade i stängda förvar under långa perioder, vissa ofta upp emot flera år. Deras enda hopp är att få sina asylansökningar behandlade - de måste komma ut, säger Christine Nivet.

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Women for Refugee Women 20-02-11:

Storbritannien/ "Will I ever be safe?" Asylum-seeking women made destitute in the UK

Today, Women for Refugee Women and regional partners publish their new report, Will I ever be safe? Asylum-seeking women made destitute in the UK. The report explores the experiences of 106 destitute asylum-seeking women who have struggled to survive in the UK, making it the largest piece of research on the topic.

Asylum-seeking women are being made homeless, hungry and vulnerable to abuse in the UK:

32 of these 106 women said they were raped or sexually abused in their country of origin and again when destitute in the UK.

Almost half were street homeless while destitute in the UK. 'Rosie', who was trafficked from Nigeria, slept outside for a continuous period of six months, while she was pregnant.

25% said they were raped or experienced sexual violence while sleeping outside.

95% were hungry while destitute.

95% felt depressed; a third tried to kill themselves.

These women have already experienced abuse and violence in their countries of origin:

78% of these 106 women said they had fled gender-based violence in their country of origin.

A third said they were raped by state authorities in their countries of origin.

A quarter of them came from DR Congo, where women have been targeted in ongoing conflicts and repression.

16% are lesbian or bisexual and were targeted because of their sexuality, in countries where homosexuality is illegal, such as Uganda and Cameroon.

Most of the women in the survey were made destitute after their asylum claim was refused, but when they were unable to return to their countries of origin due to their fears of further persecution. Some women were made destitute after getting leave to remain, due to the challenges of moving on to mainstream benefits.

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AIDA 20-02-21:

The updated Country Report on Bulgaria documents developments in the area of asylum procedures, reception conditions, detention of asylum seekers and content of international protection in 2019.

Asylum procedure

+ Draft amendments: In response to the European Commissions' (EC) letter of formal notice on 8 November 2018 concerning the incorrect implementation of European Union (EU) asylum legislation in Bulgaria, the government tabled for public consultations a draft proposal to amend the Law on Asylum and Refugees (LAR). However, the core of the proposal does not address the issues raised by the EC, namely the accommodation and legal representation of unaccompanied minors; the correct identification of and support to vulnerable asylum seekers; the provision of adequate legal assistance; and safeguards for detention. Moreover, while the draft proposal introduces additional provisions on the access to information for unaccompanied children, it deletes the present safeguards that outline the obligations relating to their legal representatives, thereby raising additional concerns in this regard.

+ Access to the territory: Push backs at the main entry point of the country, which borders Turkey, persisted in 2019. Moreover, the Turkish authorities reported that 90,000 individuals were held in the first nine months of the year in the Edirne Province, which borders both Bulgaria and Greece. In 2019, the national border monitoring registered 337 alleged pushback incidents which affected 5,640 individuals. Those who are able to access the territory are also able to transit and exit the country without being detected by the authorities, which is a strategy operated by the latter so as to avoid any responsibility under the Dublin Regulation or under readmission arrangements. As a result, the official statistics on new arrivals are at the lowest since the first influx in 2013.

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Arkiveringsdatum 200224:

Läkare utan gränser 20-02-11:

Mexiko/ Rapport: Avskräckningspolitik hot mot migranter och asylsökande i Mexiko

Den nya migrationspolitik som införts av USA och Mexiko gör att många centralamerikaner tvingas leva under farliga förhållanden, något som har allvarliga konsekvenser för deras fysiska och psykiska hälsa. Det visar en rapport som Läkare Utan Gränser publicerar i dag.

- Det framgår av medicinska uppgifter och vittnesmål insamlade under flera år att många av våra patienter desperat flyr från våldet i sina hemländer, säger Sergio Martin, ansvarig för Läkare Utan Gränsers insats i Mexiko. Dessa människor har rätt till skydd och vård, och åtminstone en rättvis chans att söka asyl. Istället möter de mer våld längs migrationsrutten och är samtidigt utestängda från länder där de inte skulle vara i fara. Nu är de fast på farliga platser utan möjlighet att söka skydd.

Rapporten No Way Out (Ingen utväg) baseras på vittnesmål och intervjuer med 480 centralamerikanska migranter och asylsökande samt erfarenheter från Läkare Utan Gränsers anställda och medicinska uppgifter från mer än 26 000 personer som fått hjälp längs migrationsrutten genom Mexiko under de första nio månaderna 2019. Den medicinska evidensen visar att migranter och flyktingar utsatts för våld och misshandel i stor omfattning i sina hemländer, längs migrationsrutten och i förvar hos amerikanska och mexikanska myndigheter. Den stora mängden våld i den norra triangeln i Centralamerika (NTCA) är jämförbar med den i krigszoner, där Läkare Utan Gränser har arbetat i årtionden - och är en viktig faktor i det som driver människor att migrera norrut, till Mexiko och USA.

"Utnyttjar de allra mest sårbara"

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ECRE 20-02-14:

Ungern/ Continued starvation tactics, continued interim measures

A case compilation from ECRE member Hungarian Helsinki Committee reveals that the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has for the 18th time granted interim measures in cases of food depravation involving 28 individuals in the Hungarian transit zone. The starvation tactics continue despite warnings from the European Commission in October 2019 and civil society urges member states to intervene.

In a case involving an Afghan man forced to rely on food rations from his pregnant wife and daughter the Hungarian Helsinki Committee obtained interim measures (Rule 39) from the European Court of Human Rights "to ensure that our client held in the transit zone is provided with food." The organisation has obtained such measures for 28 people between August 2018 and February 2020 involving food deprivation from one to eight days.

The organisation categorically rejects the position of the Hungarian government that food deprivation is lawful since "Hungary is not responsible for those who have not requested asylum and those whose requests have been denied" because: "Guaranteeing food supplies for people in closed facilities is a basic obligation of the state, no matter if the concerned individual is an asylum-seeker or an expelled person."

In October the European Commission took another step in its infringement procedures against Hungary issuing a reasoned opinion stating that food deprivation violates Article 16 of the Return Directive and Article 4 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union.

The Geneva based Human Rights organisation Euro-Med Monitor issued a statement on February 8 calling on: "EU member states to intervene to see an end to Hungary's violations of refugees' and asylum seekers' basic rights, by pressuring the Hungarian government to take full responsibility for people in its custody..."

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Asylnytt 20-02-24:

Rumänien/ Mottagandet inte så dåligt att det bryter mot Europakonventionen

Europadomstolen har avgjort ett ärende som rörde förhållandena i ett mottagningscenter i Rumänien. Anmälan har gjorts av ett par från Syrien som anlände till Rumänien i mars 2017 via Grekland. De fick flyktingstatus i maj men bodde kvar i centret till augusti. Därefter lämnade de Rumänien och har bosatt sig i Tyskland. Paret tog upp trångboddhet, dålig hygien, dålig tillgång till internet, för lågt finansiellt stöd samt att de inte kunnat lämna centret annat än på bestämda tider. Rumänien hävdar att klagomålen är överdrivna, att centret är välutrustat och bara varit låst nattetid samt att paret erbjudits integrationsplan med både ekonomiskt stöd, kurser och hjälp att hitta bostad. NGOs och även databasen AIDA har dock rapporterat om brister rörande gamla madrasser, vägglöss mm. Europadomstolen konstaterar att det rör sig om ett öppet center. Personerna har inte varit förvarstagna. Även om förhållandena i vissa avseenden varit dåliga har de bott i relativt bra rum med tillgång till badrum, kök, hygienprodukter, datorrum, samt erbjudanden om integrationsåtgärder. Det var dessutom en relativt kort vistelse. Slutsatsen är att behandlingen inte utgör något brott mot Europakonventionen.

Requête no 48780/17, ALISSA c la Roumanie (Extern länk)

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Arkiveringsdatum 200208:

UNHCR 20-01-30:

Libyen/ UNHCR to suspend operations at GDF in Tripoli amid safety concerns

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, announced today, Thursday, 30 January, that it is suspending its operational work at the Gathering and Departure Facility (GDF), fearing for the safety and protection of people at the facility, its staff and partners amid worsening conflict in Tripoli, Libya.

"Unfortunately UNHCR was left with no choice but to suspend work at the Gathering and Departure Facility in Tripoli after learning that training exercises, involving police and military personnel, are taking place just a few meters away from units housing asylum seekers and refugees," said Jean-Paul Cavalieri, UNHCR's Chief of Mission in Libya.

"We fear that the entire area could become a military target, further endangering the lives of refugees, asylum seekers, and other civilians," he added.

UNHCR has started moving dozens of highly vulnerable refugees, who have already been identified for resettlement or evacuation to third countries, from the facility to safer locations.

UNHCR will also facilitate the evacuation of hundreds of other people to urban areas. This includes around 400 asylum seekers who had left the Tajoura detention centre after it was hit by air strikes last July as well as some 300 asylum-seekers from the Abu Salim detention centre who entered the GDF last November after being spontaneously released from detention by the authorities. All will be provided with cash assistance, relief items and medical assistance at UNHCR's Community Day Centre in Tripoli.

"Other important aspects of our work in Libya continue at full pace and we hope to be able to resume our work at the GDF once safe to do so," Cavalieri said.

On 2 January, UNHCR expressed serious concerns after three mortar shells fell close to the GDF and fragments landed near a warehouse inside the complex.

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Amnesty International 20-01-28:

Bangladesh/ Rohingya children get access to education

The Bangladesh government has announced it will offer schooling and skills training opportunities to Rohingya refugee children, two and a half years after they were forced to flee crimes against humanity in Myanmar.

Amnesty International and other human rights organizations have been campaigning for the nearly half a million Rohingya children in Bangladesh's refugee camps to be allowed to enjoy their right to quality education, warning of the costs of a 'lost generation'.

"This is an important and very positive commitment by the Bangladeshi government, allowing children to access schooling and chase their dreams for the future. They have lost two academic years already and cannot afford to lose any more time outside a classroom," said Saad Hammadi, South Asia Campaigner at Amnesty International.

"It is important that access to appropriate, accredited and quality education be extended to all children in the Cox's Bazar area, including Rohingya refugees and the host community. The international community has a key role to play here in ensuring the Bangladesh government has the resources it needs to realize this goal."

Up to now, the Bangladesh government had resisted calls to grant Rohingya refugee children access to education, limiting learning opportunities to a few provisional learning centres that offer playtime and early primary school lessons scattered across the refugee camps in the Cox's Bazar district. A few children who managed to gain access to local secondary schools were expelled on the government's instructions.

Amid fears of either being forcibly returned to Myanmar or relocated offshore to the uninhabited silt isle of Bashan Char, these children have faced an uncertain future. Many were on the verge of completing their schooling when the Myanmar military attacked their villages, forcing them to flee to Bangladesh and throwing their lives into limbo.

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Arkiveringsdatum 200125:

UNHCR 20-01-24:

Etiopien/ UNHCR seeks support for refugees and hosts in Ethiopia

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency and partners are appealing for robust international support for refugee operations in Ethiopia with the launch of a funding appeal for US$658 million to assist over 735,000 refugees and more than half a million Ethiopian hosts in 2020.

International support and solidarity is vital to ensure the implementation of the wide range of rights granted to refugees by Ethiopia during the last three years. The country's revised laws grant refugees the right to work and access social services, facilitating their inclusion among the communities where they live in Ethiopia.

The Ethiopia Refugee Response Plan, launched in Addis Ababa this morning, covers humanitarian activities by UNHCR and 57 other humanitarian partners. It seeks to address huge gaps in health and nutrition, education, and shelter while also investing in sectors including sanitation, energy and livelihoods.

In January last year Ethiopia adopted progressive laws, which allow refugees to obtain work permits, access primary education and obtain drivers' licenses. Additionally, they enable refugees to register essential events such as births and gain access to national financial services, such as banking.

Resources are needed to expand existing social services infrastructure in health, education, water and sanitation, environmental protection, social protection and employment as part of the broad refugee response.

Ethiopia has a long history of hosting refugees and asylum seekers. It is currently hosting more than 735,000 from 26 nationalities, the majority from South Sudan (329,123), Somalia (191,575), Eritreans (139,281) and Sudan (42,285). The number of refugees is expected to grow substantially during the course of the year as the country continues to receive refugees with nearly 100,000 new arrivals last year.

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ELENA legal update 20-01-10:

Grekland/ Interim measures to unaccompanied minors in the RIC and Samos Island

Greek Council for Refugees

The European Court of Human Rights recently issued interim measures to unaccompanied minors living in reception and identification centres (RIC) and Samos Island.

The case, which was brought by the Greek Council for Refugees, together with Still I Rise and Doctors Without Borders, concerned five unaccompanied teenage asylum seekers living in RIC and Samos Island pending their transfer to a centre with better living conditions. The applicants in the case complain that their living conditions constituted a gross violation of Article 3 ECHR due to a lack of access to medical services, security, food, and adequate hygiene facilities. Such conditions are exacerbated due to the age of the applicants, who also alleged that adults were able to access areas specifically reserved for minors. The organisations have called upon the Greek authorities to take prompt steps to ensure the effective protection of young people seeking international protection. Such effective protection would include, inter alia: the introduction of an effective guardianship system; increasing access to suitable accommodation for minors; and prohibiting the legalisation of juvenile detention.

Interim measures, issued under Rule 39 of the Rules of Court, serve as an indication to the Greek authorities to refrain from transferring the unaccompanied applicants, but are also brought to ensure that the reception conditions are compatible with the European Convention on Human Rights, namely Article 3.

ELENA Weekly Legal Update (Extern länk)

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Läkare utan gränser 20-01- 23:

Grekland/ Greece denies healthcare to seriously ill refugee children on Lesbos

+ Seriously ill children - including those with life-threatening diseases - living on Lesbos, Greece, are being deprived of medical care.

+ The Greek government has also revoked access to public medical care for all 55,000 asylum seekers and people who have arrived undocumented in Greece.

+ MSF urges the Greek government to immediately evacuate all people, prioritising children, who are suffering from chronic, complex and serious diseases.

In Moria camp, on the island of Lesbos, Greece, the Greek government is deliberately depriving at least 140 children with chronic, complex and life-threatening diseases of adequate medical care. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is calling on the Greek government to act on these grave medical concerns and evacuate all severely ill children to the Greek mainland or other EU member states, where they can receive appropriate medical care.

"We see many children suffering from medical conditions, such as diabetes, asthma and heart disease, who are forced to live in tents, in abysmal, unhygienic conditions, with no access to the specialised medical care and medication they need," says Dr Hilde Vochten, MSF's medical coordinator in Greece. "MSF is in discussions with the Greek authorities in order to transfer children to the mainland for urgent medical care, but despite the fact that some children were screened, none have been transferred yet."

"The government's general unwillingness to find a swift, systemic solution for these children, including some babies, is outrageous - it harms their health and could lead to life-long consequences or even death," Dr Vochten says.

In July 2019, the Greek government revoked access to public healthcare for asylum seekers and undocumented people arriving in Greece, leaving more than 55,000 people without medical care.

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Arkiveringsdatum 200107:

Las Americas 19-12-18:

USA/ Lawsuit challenging weaponization of the nation's immigration court system

Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center joins fight for just immigration courts

The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), Innovation Law Lab (Law Lab), Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center, Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project (ASAP), Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. (CLINIC) and Santa Fe Dreamers Project (SFDP) have filed a federal lawsuit challenging the weaponization of the nation's immigration court system to serve the Trump administration's anti-immigrant agenda.

"Under the leadership of President Trump and the attorney general, the immigration court system has become fixated on the goal of producing deportations, not adjudications," said Stephen Manning, executive director of Innovation Law Lab. "The system is riddled with policies that undermine the work of legal service providers and set asylum seekers up to lose without a fair hearing of their case."

The complaint outlines pervasive dysfunction and bias within the immigration court system, including:

+ Areas that have become known as "asylum-free zones," where virtually no asylum claims have been granted for the past several years.

+ The nationwide backlog of pending immigration cases, which has now surpassed 1 million - meaning that thousands of asylum seekers must wait three or four years for a court date.

+ The Enforcement Metrics Policy, implemented last year, which gives judges a personal financial stake in every case they decide and pushes them to deny more cases more quickly.

+ The "family unit" court docket, which stigmatizes the cases of recently arrived families and rushes their court dates, often giving families inadequate time to find an attorney and prepare for their hearings.

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Global Initiative 19-11-29:

Libyen/ Economy of Detention: Understanding the players and the business models

The overall objective of this study is to understand the political economy of migrant detention in Libya, in both the official and non-official detention systems. The study was launched in October 2018 and the report was finalized in April 2019. The study was conducted by means of a qualitative approach, based on primary field research spanning four research modules: literature review, initial screening of detention centres in Libya, primary field interviews with migrants and with a variety of key informants (armed groups, authorities, smugglers, detention-centre staff, programme implementers). The methodology was route focused and, as such, involved interviews in four countries: Niger, Libya, Italy and Malta. A total of 85 key informant interviews were conducted and 75 in-depth interviews were conducted with migrants (160 in-depth interviews in total).

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SB Overseas / ECRE 19-12-20:

Belgien/ Challenges for young refugees living in reception centres in Brussels

SB Overseas recently published its report on the situation of young refugees living in reception and accommodation centres in Brussels. The report provides an overview of the challenges faced by young asylum seekers and a critical analysis of the protection mechanisms that govern and shape the lives of individuals seeking protection status.

The report highlights two areas of particular concern in guaranteeing protection of rights. Firstly, the lack of support mechanisms for those denied protection status and for those who turn 18 and are subsequently denied protection. Secondly, the increased scrutiny placed on asylum claims and, in particular, age assessments, which contribute to increased psychological pressure and prolonged insecurity.

The report offers a discussion of the mechanism that's govern and shape the lives of young migrants living in Brussels, focussing on three specific elements of protection necessary for personal security: the need for a positive physical living space; an environment of psychological support and guidance; and the need to protect the rights of those seeking international protection. It also details the legal complexities relating to age assessments, which often rely solely on physical examinations.

SB Overseas identify a number of areas to address these issues: Firstly, continuing to monitor the application of law to ensure respect for young people's right to international protection; secondly, advocate for the improvement of procedures used in the examination of international protection claims; finally, provide more publically available information on the situation of young refugees in Brussels.

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Oxfam 19-12-06:

Grekland/ No-Rights Zone - People are denied access to information and assistance

How people in need of protection are being denied crucial access to legal information and assistance in the Greek islands' EU 'hotspot' camps

People who have fled war, violence and persecution need support to find safety and rebuild their lives. However, in the EU 'hotspots' in Greece, people are faced with an asylum process which is extremely complicated to navigate. Only 2 in 100 have access to a state-appointed lawyer.

In addition, most people cannot access the basic information needed to help them understand the asylum process, resulting in an unfair, ineffective, and often erroneous asylum system that frequently violates the rights of people in need of international protection.In this context, legal support and information are key.

However, the new law introduced by the Greek Government, and the announcements that they will replace the 'hotspot' camps with 'closed centres', could further undermine the rights of asylum seekers and create additional barriers to getting the crucial information and legal assistance they need.

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UN / InfoMigrants 19-12-16:

Grekland/ UN experts decry rise in migrant detentions in Greece

UN experts on arbitrary detention have urged the Greek government to make urgent changes to the detention of migrants, stressing that the country was in continuing violation of various international standards.

The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) presented its preliminary findings after visiting 20 detention-related facilities in Greece during the first two weeks of this month.

In the report, the delegation highlighted multiple areas of concern ranging from lacking access of detained asylum seekers to interpreters and legal help to inflationary use of detention to prison overcrowding and various other issues involving both the criminal justice system and migration.

"The use of detention remains widespread in the criminal justice and migration contexts and we urge Greece to end this policy," the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention said after its 10-day visit to Greece, which included inspections of police stations, prisons and other facilities where migrants were being held.

"Detention in the context of migration must be an exceptional measure of last resort, based on an individual assessment of each migrant and for the shortest period," the group added.

Violations in prison system

WGAD paid particular attention to the way the Greek criminal justice dealt with migrants and refugees. Its preliminary findings criticized the widespread use of pre-trial detention of migrants accused of being involved in criminal activities, particularly against the backdrop of years of overcrowding in prisons. It also observed that the conditions in prisons and police station holding cells did "not generally meet international standards.''

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UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention 19-12-14: Preliminary Findings from its visit to Greece (2 - 13 December 2019) (Extern länk)

ECRE 19-12-20: France to assist Greece /with return of rejected asylum seekers and relocation/ (Extern länk)

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Human Rights Watch 19-12-18:

Grekland/ Unaccompanied Children at Risk

Hundreds of unaccompanied children on the Greek island of Lesbos are exposed to inhuman and degrading living conditions, Human Rights Watch said today. Children, unable to secure a place in the overcrowded specialized accommodation for unaccompanied children, face unsanitary and insecure conditions sleeping rough, sometimes in the open, in other formal and informal parts of the camp on the island.

"Hundreds of lone children on Lesbos are left to fend for themselves, sleeping on mats and cardboard boxes, exposed to worsening and dangerous weather conditions," said Eva Cossé, Greece researcher at Human Rights Watch. "The Greek authorities need to urgently make sure these children are safe and cared for."

On a visit to Lesbos from October 15 to 23, 2019, Human Rights Watch interviewed 22 unaccompanied children living in the Moria "hotspot," some as young as 14, who described having little or no access to care, protection, or specialized services. Due to overcrowding in the sections of the Moria camp reserved for unaccompanied children, most of the children interviewed were living either in the camp's general areas, mixed in with the general population, or in the adjacent overspill site known as the Olive Grove, a rocky hillside where people set up their own tents for shelter.

"Everything is dangerous here - the cold, the place I sleep, the fights. I don't feel safe," said Rachid R., an unaccompanied 14-year-old Afghan boy who arrived in Moria at the end of August. "We are around 50 people sleeping in the big tent. It smells really bad, there are rats, and sometimes they die inside the tent and it smells bad. There are so many."

Most of the children interviewed reported experiencing psychological distress, including symptoms such as anxiety, depression, headaches, and insomnia.

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Arkiveringsdatum 191214:

UNHCR 19-12-06:

Brasilien/ UNHCR welcomes decision to recognize Venezuelans as refugees

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, welcomes Brazil's move to recognize thousands of Venezuelan asylum-seekers as refugees on a prima facie basis. Some 21,000 Venezuelans in the country immediately benefited from the decision on Thursday by Brazil's National Committee for Refugees (CONARE).

From now on, asylum claims from Venezuelans who fulfill the necessary criteria in Brazil will be processed through an accelerated procedure, without the need for an interview. This move constitutes a milestone in refugee protection in the region and follows a decision in June this year by CONARE to recognize that the situation in Venezuela amounted to serious and generalized human rights violations as described under the 1984 Cartagena Declaration on Refugees.

To benefit from the new provision, Venezuelan asylum seekers must be living in Brazil, not hold any other residence permit in the country, be over 18, possess a Venezuelan identity document, and have no criminal record in Brazil.

The Brazilian authorities estimate that some 224,000 Venezuelans are currently living in the country. An average of 500 Venezuelans continue to cross into Brazil every day, mostly into the northern and isolated state of Roraima.

The Brazilian government continues to lead the humanitarian response for the most vulnerable Venezuelans arriving in the country, while also promoting innovative, open and generous ways to support their socio-economic inclusion.

To date, over 750,000 asylum claims have been filed by Venezuelans worldwide, the majority in Latin American countries and the Caribbean. Brazil has registered over 120,000 asylum seekers, according to the latest official figures. The decision announced on Thursday in Brasilia will have a positive impact on the protection of Venezuelans in the country and will also help ease the pressure on Brazil´s national asylum system.

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Human Rights Watch 19-12-06: Brazil grants asylum to 21,000 Venezuelans in a Single Day (Extern länk)

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Human Rights Watch 19-12-02:

Bangladesh/ Rohingya children denied education

Unlawful restrictions on schooling risk creating a lost generation

The government of Bangladesh is blocking aid groups from providing any meaningful education to Rohingya children in refugee camps and banning the children from attending schools outside the camps, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. The government should urgently lift the restrictions that unlawfully deprive almost 400,000 Rohingya refugee children of their right to education.

The 81-page report, "'Are We Not Human?': Denial of Education for Rohingya Refugee Children in Bangladesh," documents how Bangladesh prohibits aid groups in the refugee camps in the Cox's Bazar district from providing Rohingya children with accredited or formal education. There is no secondary-level education, and groups are barred from teaching the Bengali language and using the Bangladesh curriculum. Rohingya children have no opportunity to enroll in or continue their education at private or public schools outside the refugee camps.

"Bangladesh has made it clear that it doesn't want the Rohingya to remain indefinitely, but depriving children of education just compounds the harm to the children and won't resolve the refugees' plight any faster," said Bill Van Esveld, associate children's rights director at Human Rights Watch. "The government of Bangladesh saved countless lives by opening its borders and providing refuge to the Rohingya, but it needs to end its misguided policy of blocking education for Rohingya children."

Human Rights Watch interviewed 163 Rohingya children, parents, and teachers, as well as government officials and staff at humanitarian groups and United Nations agencies. Human Rights Watch also analyzed government policy documents and aid plans, and researched how aid groups have tried to deliver education programs for children in the camps while working within the government's restrictions.

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Läkare utan Gränser 19-12-05:

Bosnien/ Slagna, frusna och sjuka: verkligheten för migranter och asylsökande

Den humanitära situationen förvärras för de runt 6 000 migranter och asylsökande som just nu befinner sig i Bosnien. Bristerna är stora i de officiella lägren vilket gör att många lever i provisoriska boenden utanför lägren och saknar tillgång till sjukvård och annan service.

Klockan är halv nio på morgonen och temperaturen är nära noll i Zavalie, en liten bosnisk by nära gränsen till Kroatien. Khaan* och 30 andra män står i entrén till den lokala vårdmottagningen. De väntar på att få träffa Läkare Utan Gränsers medicinska team som ger sjukvård och psykologiskt stöd på den lilla kliniken fyra gånger i veckan.

Khaans kläder är smutsiga, han saknar jacka och hans skor, som inte har några skosnören, är täckta av lera.

- För två veckor sedan var jag i "the game", det är så vi kallar det när vi försöker ta oss över gränsen till Kroatien, säger Khaan. Men den kroatiska polisen tog fast mig och alla andra i gruppen. De slog oss, de tog våra jackor, väskor, telefoner och pengar. Sedan skickade de tillbaka oss till Velika Kladusa i Bosnien. I min grupp fanns det barn så unga som 12 år. Polisen slog dem också. Det händer alltid.

Khaan är en av runt 20 000 personer som kommit till Bosnien i år med hopp om att fortsätta sin resa norrut. Med alltmer strikta säkerhetsåtgärder vid gränserna på Balkan fortsätter tusentals människor leta efter alternativa vägar för att finna skydd i andra europeiska länder. De svåra levnadsförhållandena, som nu förvärras med vinterns antåg, och det påstått våldsamma motståndet från kroatisk polis, har gjort Bosnien till en av de tuffaste flaskhalsarna längs migrationsrutterna i Europa.

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Destination Unknown Campaign 19-11-29:

Grekland/ Plans put mental health and well-being of children and young people at risk

Terre des Hommes (TDH) believes the authorities' new plans for refugees and migrants will put at risk the mental health and well-being of thousands of children and young people.

The announcement by the government that it is considering the construction and extension of "Closed Reception and Identification Centers" and closed Pre-Removal Centers ?n the Aegean islands, and looking at relocating refugees and migrants to these centres poses a significant risk to these people. The new plan also violates Article 3 of the International Convention on the Rights of the Child if it neglects to maintain the standards established by competent authorities, particularly in the areas of safety and health.

?xtensive research has shown that detention intensifies the incidence of depression in children and causes symptoms of stress, including eating and sleep disturbances, neediness, withdrawal, self-harm, aggression and even suicide attempts - irrespective of the conditions and duration of detention. UNHCR data shows that since January 2018, children have represented 36 percent of the migrant and refugee arrivals in Greece.

TDH is particularly concerned about the possible impact on unaccompanied children, and is urging authorities to seek alternatives that safeguard the best interests of all children arriving at our borders. It is offering to work with the government, along with other civil society groups, to arrive at a solution based on alternative methods of care and freedom of movement rather than incarceration - while also acknowledging political objectives.

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Human Rights Watch 19-12-04:

Grekland/ Camp conditions endanger women, girls

Asylum seekers lack safe access to food, water, health care

Women and girls face relentless insecurity in Greece's overcrowded Moria "hotspot" for asylum seekers and migrants on Lesbos island, Human Rights Watch said today, releasing a video that shows the dire conditions. The Greek government should take immediate action to ensure safe, humane conditions for women and girls in line with their international human rights obligations and standards for humanitarian emergencies.

As of December 2, 2019, the Moria Reception and Identification Center was holding nearly 16,800 people in a facility with capacity for fewer than 3,000. Overcrowding has led authorities, as well as some asylum seekers and migrants themselves, to erect shelters outside Moria's fenced boundaries, first in the adjacent area called the Olive Grove and now in a second olive grove, which has no water and sanitation facilities. In all areas, women and girls, including those traveling alone, are living alongside unrelated men and boys, often in tents without secure closures.

"Just going to the bathroom feels too risky for women and girls in Moria," said Hillary Margolis, senior women's rights researcher at Human Rights Watch. "Their lives are defined by fear, and that won't change unless the Greek government addresses the pervasive dangers they face."

During research on Lesbos in October, Human Rights Watch found women and girls in and around Moria lack safe access to essential resources and services including shelter, food, water and sanitation, and medical care. Interviews with 32 women and 7 girls, as well as 7 representatives of aid agencies working on Lesbos, revealed a threatening environment, with few protections from sexual harassment and gender-based violence.

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Arkiveringsdatum 191129:

UNHCR 19-11-28:

Libyen/ UNHCR expands help to refugees in urban areas, reassesses role of GDF

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, announced today that it is increasing its support to refugees and asylum seekers in urban areas of Libya and reassessing the role and functioning of the Gathering and Departure Facility.

"As the Libyan conflict intensifies, we have decided to expand the assistance provided to the refugees and asylum seekers living in urban areas," said UNHCR's Chief of Mission for Libya Jean-Paul Cavalieri.

There are already some 40,000 refugees and asylum-seekers living in urban areas, some of whom are extremely vulnerable and in desperate need of support. Humanitarian assistance to refugees and asylum seekers is available at our Community Day Centre (CDC) in Gurji, district of Tripoli, where those in need can access primary health care, registration and cash assistance to help meet food and accommodation needs.

The agency is also reassessing the role of the Gathering and Departure Facility (GDF), in light of severe and unsustainable over-crowding. The GDF was opened a year ago as a transit facility for vulnerable refugees and asylum seekers, mostly women and unaccompanied children at heightened risk in detention and for whom solutions outside Libya had been identified. These solutions remain very limited and require us to identify and prioritise the most acutely vulnerable people within a much broader population, many of whom are in great need. UNHCR and partners operate inside the facility, which is under the overall jurisdiction of the Ministry of Interior.

However, since July, following a deadly airstrike at Tajoura detention centre, hundreds of former detainees made their way into the GDF. They were followed by another group of around 400 people from Abu Salim detention centre in late October, as well as up to 200 people from urban areas. They are part of a broader population of asylum seekers, refugees, and migrants who are vulnerable and exposed to risks in Libya - but have not been prioritised for evacuation or resettlement.

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IOM 19-11-22: Urgent Shift Needed in Approach to the Situation in Libya (Extern länk)

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Human Rights Watch 19-11-27:

Irak/ Kurdistan region of Iraq: Refugees' movements restricted

2 Miscarriages from lack of hospital access

Security forces for Iraq's Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) have arbitrarily imposed restrictions on movement for most residents of Makhmour refugee camp for Turkish Kurds since mid-July 2019, Human Rights Watch said today.

The restrictions came after unknown assailants suspected of belonging to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), an armed group engaged in a decades-long conflict with Turkey, killed a Turkish diplomat in the nearby city of Erbil on July 17. KRG security forces, known as Asayish, arrested several suspects and imposed the restrictions, seemingly because of perceived PKK support among some residents. As a result, many camp residents have lost their jobs and had difficulties getting health care.

"Authorities can't just punish everyone in a camp because some people may be sympathetic to the PKK when there's no evidence they committed a crime," said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. "These arbitrary restrictions on camp residents are keeping them from reaching jobs and health care."

The camp, 60 kilometers southwest of Erbil, is home to at least 12,000 ethnic Kurdish Turkish nationals. Most fled southeast Turkey from 1993 to 1994 when the Turkish military forcibly displaced hundreds of thousands of Kurds from their villages during the conflict with the PKK. In 2011, Iraqi authorities and UNHCR, the United Nations refugee agency, officially registered the site as a refugee camp and Iraqi authorities granted the residents refugee status.

Dindar Zebari, the KRG's coordinator for international advocacy, responded on October 30 to a Human Rights Watch inquiry about the situation, writing that KRG authorities "slightly restricted temporarily" the camp residents' movements because of "security issues."

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AIDA 19-11-20:

Belgien/ New reception shortages prevent people from seeking asylum

People seeking refuge in Belgium are again unable to their claims due to a lack of reception places in the reception system. On 18 November 2019, as many as 60 people were denied access to the asylum procedure due to a shortage of reception places in Belgium. They were instructed to return to the "Petit-Château" / "Klein Kasteeltje" in central Brussels the next day in the hope of conducting their registration.

The Association of Flemish Cities and Towns (VVSG) has sharply criticised the Federal Government for its poor forecast of reception needs in the country. Inconsistent demands from the Federal Government result in local authorities opening, closing down and re-opening reception places, to high financial and operational costs. Vluchtelingenwerk Vlaanderen points out that the Government has contributed to the lack of reception places in Belgium, similar to situations seen in previous years.

Against this backdrop, the Council of Ministers has announced its intention to recruit additional personnel at the Commissioner-General for Refugees and Stateless Persons (CGRS) and the Council of Alien Law Litigation (CALL), to mobilise additional space for those authorities, and to launch urgent tenders for reception places.

The lack of reception capacity is a recurring concern in Belgium. Last year, the Aliens Office had introduced a quota of 50 registrations of asylum applications per day, which the Council of State found to be contrary to the Refugee Convention and the Asylum Procedures Directive.

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UNHCR 19-11-28:

Grekland/ UNHCR calls for urgent response to overcrowding in reception centres

UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi urged Greece to implement urgent measures to address severe overcrowding on the Greek Aegean islands and stressed the need for European solidarity, after a three-day visit to the island of Lesvos and to Athens.

At a press conference on Thursday to conclude his visit, the High Commissioner outlined four priority areas he had discussed with the Greek government.

Grandi called for the urgent improvement of living conditions; the tackling of overcrowding on the islands; ensuring an efficient and fair asylum process; and ensuring the protection of 5,000 unaccompanied children now in the country, most of them living in precarious conditions.

"This country needs to turn a page on how this [refugee] movement is handled," said Grandi, noting that there is an opportunity for Greece to address the serious challenges it faces.

On Lesvos, Grandi said he witnessed "extremely disturbing" conditions at the Moria reception centre which now hosts 16,100 asylum seekers - seven times over capacity.

Grandi broadly welcomed the Greek government's intended measures to alleviate the situation on Lesvos and other affected islands, including a pledge to transfer 20,000 people to the mainland. He urged Greece to accelerate the pace as winter approaches and ensure that proper accommodation and access to services are found on the mainland.

The High Commissioner also welcomed government intentions to speed up asylum procedures. However, he cautioned that faster processes to determine people's status should not come at the expense of safeguards and standards, highlighting that the majority of arrivals to Greece this year were refugees, mostly Syrian and Afghan.

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Sveriges Radio P3 Nyheter 19-11-19: 9-månaders barn dött av uttorkning på Lesbos (Extern länk)

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Arkiveringsdatum 191120:

Amnesty International 19-10-29:

Sydafrika/ Bristande asylsystem göder främlingsfientlighet

Trots att Sydafrika har ett starkt ramverk när det gäller rättigheter för asylsökande, både i lagstiftningen och sett till människorättsprinciper, så brister hanteringen av asylärenden. Det här har gjort att hundratusentals asylsökande saknar rätt dokumentation och det har också ökat främlingsfientligheten i landet. Det konstaterar Amnesty International i en ny rapport -Living in Limbo: Rights of Asylum Seekers Denied.

-Den nuvarande asylprocessen sviker alla. Genom att hålla fast vid ett dåligt fungerande system som lämnar de som försöker få tillgång till asylprocessen utan rätt dokumentation i ett limbo, skapar regeringen en delning och spänningar mellan medborgare i Sydafrika och människor från andra länder i Afrika som bor i landet, säger Shenilla Mohamed, chef för Amnestys kontor i Sydafrika.

-Istället för att erkänna sina brister vidmakthåller regeringen åsikten att den stora mängden människor som försöker söka asyl vid flyktingmottagningar beror på att så kallade ekonomiska migranter missbrukar systemet. Det här har gjort att ett giftigt narrativ skapats där de asylsökande är särskilt utpekade. Det här narrativet drivs på av de som sitter vid makten.

Rapporten visar att undermåligt beslutsfattande - bland annat baserat på faktafel - har gjort att 96 procent av alla asylansökningar avslås och att det finns en massiv eftersläpning när det gäller överklaganden och omprövningar - runt 190 000. Det här har gjort att en del asylsökande har varit kvar i systemet utan ett slutligt beslut under så lång tid som 19 år.

Tanken är att asylsökande under tiden som deras ansökan blir behandlad ska förses med officiella dokument som bekräftar att deras asylansökan är under behandling och som visar att de officiellt är "i systemet".Dokumenten är grundläggande för att få tillgång till bland annat sjukhusvård, utbildning och för att kunna få en anställning. Amnesty har dock kunnat konstatera att asylsökande ofta blivit utan dessa dokument.

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Amnesty International 19-11- 01:

SriLanka/ No investigations and no accountability in attacks on refugees

Six months after they were violently forced out of their homes, there has been no police investigations into and no accountability for the threats and violence faced by refugees and asylum-seekers in Sri Lanka, Amnesty International and Minority Rights Group International said in a new report published today.

In the days after the Easter Sunday massacre, where an armed group killed more than 250 people in three churches and three hotels in Sri Lanka, armed mobs mounted reprisal attacks on refugees and asylum-seekers from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran. Even after they sought shelter in nearby community centres and a police station, the mobs attacked them, hurling stones in one case.

In the report, Unsafe at home, unsafe abroad: State obligations towards refugees and asylum-seekers in Sri Lanka, Amnesty International and the Minority Rights Group International say that the authorities failed to offer the refugees and asylum seekers adequate protection and living conditions and failed to investigate the attacks and bring all those suspected of criminal responsibility to justice in fair trials.

"The refugees and asylum-seekers in Sri Lanka who came under attack have had a trauma visited upon them twice. They were first forced to leave their own countries, and now, in the country where they sought safety and shelter, they have had to leave their homes once again. They languish in limbo, still fearful for their safety and uncertain of what is to come," said Dinushika Dissanayake, South Asia Research Director at Amnesty International.

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Human Rights Watch 19-11-13:

Papua/ Detainees Denied Lawyers, Family Access

-Papua New Guinea (PNG) has been arbitrarily detaining rejected asylum seekers virtually incommunicado in the Bomana Immigration Centre, raising serious concerns about their health and safety, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch said today. The men should be freed.

In August 2019, the PNG government transferred more than 50 rejected asylum seekers from Port Moresby housing to the Australian-funded Bomana Immigration Centre on the outskirts of Port Moresby. There are now understood to be 46 men remaining in Bomana.

"The men in Bomana Immigration Centre are being treated like criminals, but they've committed no crime," said Elaine Pearson, Australia director at Human Rights Watch. "Restrictions imposed on the men in Bomana Immigration Centre are worse than prison - at least in prison you can be in contact with your loved ones and your lawyer, but these men have no contact with the outside world."

"The abuses these vulnerable men have undoubtedly suffered over the past two months can't continue and they must be urgently released," Amnesty International Australia Refugee Advisor Dr. Graham Thom said.

Refugee advocates reported that detainees at the Bomana Immigration Centre have no access to phones or the internet, unless they have agreed to assisted voluntary return. In those cases, they are allowed a maximum of 15 minutes to call their families in their home countries or to arrange travel documents with home country authorities.

Behrouz Boochani, a Kurdish journalist and refugee in Port Moresby who has seen some of the detainees, told Human Rights Watch that some of the men detained in Bomana have lost significant amounts of weight, "their bodies are weak, the faces are just like bones, they seem physically and mentally damaged."

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ELENA / Rights in Exile 19-11-01:

Grekland/ Immediate measures needed regarding the safety of migrant children

National Commission for human rights urges Greek authorities to take immediate measures regaring the safety of migrant children

On 19 September, the Greek National Commission for Human Rights (GNCHR) issued a statement calling on the Greek authorities to undertake urgent measures, as indicated by the European Committee of Social Rights, to ensure safe and dignified living conditions for migrant children in Greece. The immediate measures were indicated in the Committee's decision of May 23 following a collective complaint filed against Greece by the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) and European Council for Refugees and Exiles (ECRE) concerning the situation of migrant children.

The Commission observed that the European Network of National Human Rights Institutions (ENNHRI), of which the GNCHR is a member, has expressed its support for the Turin process, aiming to reinforce the normative system of the European Social Charter (ESC). It further emphasised the role of National Human Rights Institutions in the protection of social rights and the promotion of the ESC, as reflected in a recent decision by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe on the protection of civil society space in Europe.

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AIDA 19-11- 05: Strasbourg interim measures to halt "protective custody" of unaccompanied children (Extern länk)

InfoMigrants 19-10-23: No other option: Teenage migrants on Lesbos turn to prostitution to get by (Extern länk)

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FRA 19-11- 04:

Grekland/ Nyhetsbrev från EU:s rättighetsbyrå tar upp våld mot migranter i Grekland

Migrants continue to suffer as reception centres remain overcrowded and violence against migrants surges

Significant increase in arrivals in Greece, overcrowding of reception centres and violence against migrants at the borders are some of the fundamental rights concerns FRA identifies in its latest migration quarterly report. It also highlights the situation in the Mediterranean, where boats with migrants were still being forced to remain at sea, waiting for weeks or days until they were allowed to disembark.

The Greek islands saw a significant increase in arrivals over the summer and in September. The reception centres in Greece were completely overcrowded, with some camps hosting eight times as many people as is their capacity. The living conditions in these hotspots were dire, taking a toll on the mental and physical health of refugees.

The situation at the border has been tense, with human rights organisations reporting continuous violations of refugees' rights. In Croatia, NGOs documented police violence against migrants and pushbacks from Croatia to Bosnia and Herzegovina. Pushbacks also continued to be reported from France (to Italy), Hungary, Poland, North Macedonia and Serbia. At sea, several people died after their boat sank. Italy continued to delay the disembarkation of migrants and refugees rescued by NGO vessels. However, small steps towards finding a solution to migrant distribution were made when France, Germany, Italy and Malta agreed on a transitional solution for migrants rescued from distress at sea.

Unaccompanied children continued to face many challenges, especially in Greece, Hungary, Italy, Spain and Croatia. In most countries, there was no secure accommodation for these children and they were frequently becoming victims of trafficking for labour or sexual exploitation. For example, in Croatia, the Ombudsman for children reported about unaccompanied children living in juvenile centres for children with behavioural problems, which cannot provide for appropriate accommodation and care.

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Migreurop yyy 19-11-07:

Grekland/ According to the European Court of Human Rights, all is well in the hotspots

Joint Press Release

The European Court of Human Rights has rejected for the most part the request made on 16 June 2016 by 51 persons (including many minors) from Afghanistan, Syria and Palestine, who were forcibly maintained in a situation of extreme distress in the hotspot of Chios, Greece.

The 51 applicants, supported by our organisations, were identified during an observation mission led by the Gisti in the Greek hotspots in May 2016. These persons were deprived of their freedom and detained on the island of Chios, which had become an open prison since the implementation of the EU-Turkey Statement of 20 March 2016, just like the neighbouring islands of Lesbos, Leros, Samos and Kos. The requestees invoked the violation of several provisions of the European Convention on Human Rights.

In their request, they abundantly and accurately documented the insufficiency and unsuitability of food, the sometimes very dangerous material conditions (poorly fixed tents, snakes, heat, promiscuity, etc.), the great difficulties they meet in accessing healthcare, and the lack of care for the most vulnerable people - including pregnant women, young children and isolated minors. They also documented how these circumstances were aggravated by the context of deprivation of freedom, which characterises the situation in the hotspots, but also by the administrative arbitrariness, which is particularly anxiety-inducing because of the permanent threat of being returned to Turkey.

The only violation that the Court identifies concerns the impossibility for the applicants to lodge an effective appeal against the decisions ordering their deportation or detention, because of the lack of available information regarding the right of appeal, and there is no court able to receive such an appeal on the island of Chios.

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UNHCR 19-11- 08:

Italien/ 60,000 young migrants who arrived alone need support as they enter adulthood

The estimated 60,000 young refugees and migrants who arrived in Italy as unaccompanied children between 2014 and 2018, and who have since turned 18, require ongoing support to ensure their successful transition into adulthood, said UNICEF, UNHCR and IOM in a new report published today.

The report, At the crossroad: Unaccompanied and separated children in the transition to adulthood in Italy, highlights the 'triple transition' young refugees and migrants face when they turn 18 years old - from adolescence to adulthood, from living in one country to another, and through the emotional pain and trauma experienced when leaving home and during dangerous journeys.

"The difference between a 17-year-old refugee or migrant who fled conflict or violence and an 18-year-old who has lived through the same traumatic experience is negligible," said Anna Riatti, UNICEF Country Coordinator for the Migration Programme in Italy. "The potential loss of continuous support for tens of thousands of young people - due to an artificial, age-based distinction, - will put them at further risk of social isolation, violence, abuse and an uncertain future."

"Recognizing the complex nature of the children-adult distinction and acknowledging that persons coming of age have specific needs lies at the heart of this research," said Roland Schilling, UNHCR Representative for Southern Europe. "Having a clearer understanding of the factors that favour or hinder a positive transition from being a refugee child to becoming an independent, self-reliant and resilient adult will help states step up their efforts to protect not only refugee children, but also their successful transition to adulthood."

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ECRE 19-10-31:

Malta/ in the 'Imperfect Storm': Illegal Detention, Crack Down, Abuse and Overcrowding

A Maltese Court recently ruled the detention of six people in the Safi detention camp beyond the formal limit of ten weeks on health grounds, illegal. On October 29 Maltese riot police rounded up detainees of the same facility for questioning following protests. Protests turned violent last week in the &al Far centre that is severely overcrowded.

In two separate case rulings came out in favor of all six asylum seekers, legally assisted by Aditus Foundation and the Jesuit Refugee Service. The six were detained for more than ten weeks on the basis of reasonable grounds to believe they carried contagious disease and as a result required medical screening. The court declared the ongoing deprivation of personal liberty unlawful and ordered their immediate release.

The six judgements tell Government that the current detention regime has no legal basis and is therefore contrary to law. It is clear that Malta has been relying on health grounds as a detention basis when the reality is another one. Due to a stubborn refusal to invest in increasing Malta s reception capacity to deal with the arrivals by sea, the system is at breaking point. Whilst we appreciate Malta s limitations, we nonetheless insist that violating people s fundamental human rights can never be part of the solution, said the Director of Aditus Foundation, Dr. Neil Falzon.

Protests from other detainees at the Safi detention centre, stating that they are not criminals and demanding the EU to safeguard their rights, ended up in confrontation with service staff. Riot police arriving with shields and batons reportedly handcuffed and took detainees away in a police van.

According to eyewitnesses about 60 inhabitants of the reception centre in &al Far were involved in protests that turned violent on October 21 with Maltese Home Affairs Minister, Michael Farrugia setting the number as high as 300. Severe damage was caused to the centre when fires were lit and stones were thrown by frustrated inhabitants.

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Arkiveringsdatum 191025:

Läkare utan gränser 19-10-17:

Libyen/ Closure of detention centre exposes migrants to even worse conditions

Following the closing of a detention centre in Misrata, refugees and migrants have been moved to other facilities in Libya

They are being exposed to increasingly inhumane and dangerous detention conditions.

More life-saving evacuations outside Libya are needed, as are alternatives to detention. Without such measures, vulnerable people will continue to be condemned to endless detention and exposed to major threats and suffering.

On 14 October, Libyan authorities closed the Karareem detention centre in Misrata, in the central coastal region of Libya, and transferred more than a hundred refugees and migrants arbitrarily detained in this facility to two other detention centres in the same region, Zliten and Souq Al Khamees.

The conditions of detention in these two centres are known by Libyan authorities and UNHCR to be extremely bad, as reported by MSF teams on several occasions.

Men, women and children arbitrarily detained for months and, in many cases, years, with little access to food, water and open air, will be exposed to the same inhumane conditions. Some of them suffered torture and trafficking during their stay in the country.

"Closing one detention centre would be a positive step if refugees and migrants were provided freedom of movement, protection and assistance," says Sacha Petiot, MSF head of mission in Libya. .

"But here, they are moved from one detention centre to another, seeing their conditions go from bad to worse and stuck in an endless cycle of despair and violence. At the bare minimum, they should have been released and taken care of in a safer environment." says Sacha Petiot, MSF head of mission in Libya.

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Sofia Olofsson i Oxford Human Rights Hub 19-09-10: The European Union Detaining Migrants in Libya - are they Breaching Non-Refoulment? (Extern länk)

Foreign Policy Podcast 19-10-11: How North African Migrants Ended Up in Permanent Detention (Extern länk)

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UNHCR 19-10-18:

Irak/ New refugees arrive to Iraq in a week of violence in northeast Syria

For the fourth consecutive day, UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, has been receiving hundreds refugees crossing the border into Iraq from northeast Syria. Refugees mainly come from towns in northern Syria - Kobani, Amoda and Qamishly and surrounding villages.

As of this morning, over 1,600 Syrian refugees have been transported from the border areas to Bardarash refugee camp, some 150 kilometres east of Syria-Iraq border. The site has been prepped to receive the latest arrivals fleeing the fighting in northern Syria.

Newly arrived refugees told our staff that it took them days to get to the border as they fled amid shelling and fighting. Most of the new arrivals are women, children and elderly. Their general physical condition appears to be good, but some required psychosocial support.

In support of the response led by local authorities, our teams and those of other aid agencies and partners have been working round the clock to transport refugees to the Bardarash camp and meet their immediate needs. Family tents are being pitched to provide shelter, water and sanitation systems have been put in place together with other basic facilities.

Upon arrival refugees are given hot meals, water, basic aid items including mattresses, blankets, kitchen sets, jerrycans and other items. Medical teams with ambulances and a mobile medical unit are present to provide medical assistance if needed. Our teams are working with partners to provide services needed including pyscho-social support and protection services. The refugees are registered using biometric iris-scanning and their specific needs are assessed to determine what kind of assistance they may require.

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UNHCR 19-10-22: Refugee arrivals to Iraq pass 7,000 mark in seven days (Extern länk)

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Asylnytt 19-10-24:

Armenien/ Migrationsverkets rapport om integration av etniska armenier från Syrien

Migrationsverket har under lång tid bedömt att etniska armenier som flytt från Syrien även har eller kan få medborgarskap i Armenien. Dessa har därmed fått utvisningsbeslut till Armenien. Nu har Migrationsverket publicerat en rapport om medborgarskap, flyktingmottagande och integration av etniska armenier från Syrien. Uppgiferna har förutom från skriftliga källor samlats in under en utredningsresa till Armenien i maj 2019. Uppgifterna om hur många armenier som kommit till Armenien från Syrien under kriget varierar mellan 15.000 och 22.000. Etniska armenier kan söka medborgarskap direkt. Detta erhålls om personen kan visa sin etnicitet genom dokumentation, oftast från föräldrar. Det finns en lista över vilka dokument som kan användas. För dem som inte kan bevisa härkomst från Armenien krävs tre års legal vistelse samt att man kan språket och känner till konstitutionen. Det finns även en möljlighet att söka asyl istället för medborgarskap. Flyktingarna får visst stöd av internationella organisationer och frivilliga. Flyktingarnas integration beskrivs kortfattat i positiva ordalag i rapporten. Det framgår dock att av 22.000 inresta beräknas 14.000 ha stannat i landet, medan 8.000 tagit sig vidare.

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ECRE 19-10-18:

Ungern/ Commission takes next step regarding non-provision of food in transit zones

On 10 October 2019, the European Commission issued a reasoned opinion to Hungary concerning the failure to provide food for individuals held in transit zones at the Hungarian-Serbian border. This next step of the infringement procedure comes after the European Court of Human Rights had to issue interim measures in numerous cases.

The Commission notes that failure to provide food to persons held in transit zones is in direct contradiction to Hungary's obligations under European law. The persons affected are primarily those who have had applications for international protection rejected and are therefore waiting to be returned to their country of origin. Indeed, the statement adds that compelling persons to stay in the transit zones while they await orders to be returned to their country of origin is effectively equal to detention.

The Commission has encouraged the Hungarian authorities to promptly comply with European law, setting a one month deadline for the State to respond. If this deadline is not met, the Commission may refer the issue to the Court of Justice, where a similar case concerning the detention of asylum seekers in Hungarian transit zones is currently pending. Moreover, the Commission notes that the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has intervened in several cases obliging Hungarian authorities to provide food for those detained and awaits a response from the Hungarian authorities on this matter.

ECRE member the Hungarian Helsinki Committee (HHC) has challenged the practices of the Hungarian Immigration and Asylum Office (IAO) on a case by case basis at the ECtHR to stop the starvation of detainees. Since August 2018, the ECtHR issued 16 cases of interim measures under Rule 39 to the Government of Hungary, to ensure that people detained in the Hungarian transit zones are not deprived of food, according to HHC.

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Human Rights Watch 19-10- 19:

Bosnien/ Bosnia should immediately close inhumane migrant camp

Over a year after Human Rights Watch first criticized Bosnia's failure to protect the basic rights of migrants and asylum seekers, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) is warning of a fast-developing humanitarian emergency in a makeshift camp near the border with Croatia. Over 20,000 migrants and asylum seekers have arrived in Bosnia since January 2019, but violent and unlawful pushbacks from Croatia have created a bottleneck on the border, leaving many stranded in unsafe conditions.

The Vucjak tent camp was already overcrowded with 700 migrants living without running water, electricity, or medical care. But on October 16, police transferred around 1,700 more people to the camp from Bihac, the largest town in the area.

Built on a landfill near a field of active landmines left over from the war, conditions at Vucjak were already so deplorable that IOM has refused to operate there since Bihac city administration set up the camp in June 2019. Earlier this month the United Nations Special Rapporteur for Human Rights of Migrants called the camp unlivable for humans, which the UN office in Bosnia also echoed this week, calling for the immediate relocation of all migrants to adequate accommodation. Part of the problem, Suhret Fazlic, the mayor of Bihac, told Human Rights Watch recently, is the failure of central authorities to provide shelter that meets acceptable humanitarian standards for the roughly 6,000 migrants in his town. The Council of Europe Human Rights Commissioner urged the government to provide help to local authorities to handle the crisis in a manner compliant with human rights standards.

Fazlic is now threatening to cut services that the city has been providing to the camp, including water and sanitation. Meanwhile, the Red Cross, the only organization still operating in Vucjak, has announced it may need to halt operations due to the deteriorating situation in the camp. Bosnian authorities should act quickly to move migrants and asylum seekers from Vu?jak to a place with safe and sanitary living conditions.

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IOM 19-10-17: Forced Movement of Migrants in Bosnia Sparks Warning of Humanitarian Emergency (Extern länk)

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ECRE 19-10-18:

Italien/ Rescued asylum seekers left in "extremely critical" conditions in hotspot

A monitoring report by the NGOs ASGI, Borderline and ActionAid draws attention to the critical conditions asylum seekers are facing in the hotspot in Messina, Italy, while they are waiting for relocation.

The monitoring was carried out through five meetings with about 35 asylum seekers rescued by the Sea-Watch 3 and a visit to the hotspot center, which included talks with an official of the prefecture and with staff of the managing body of the hotspot center. The group rescued by the Sea-Watch 3 had been living in the centres since July 5 waiting for their redistribution to other EU member states that agreed to take them.

In an open letter to the authorities, the monitoring NGOs underline that hotspots are designed to accommodate people for the few days necessary to complete identification procedures. They are therefore absolutely inadequate for welcoming foreign citizens who are waiting for redistribution procedures for weeks and, often, months.

They describe the situation in the hotspot as "extremely critical" and call on the responsible authorities to take all necessary measures to adhere to national and European law and ensure the right to private and family life, access to medical care and psychological support, adequate legal support and provision of adequate interpreting services.

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Arkiveringsdatum 191017:

BMC Conflict and Health 19-10- 10:

Libanon/ "With every passing day I feel like a candle, melting little by little."

Experiences of long-term displacement amongst Syrian refugees in Shatila, Lebanon

Abstract

Background

Long term displacement and exposure to challenging living conditions can influence family dynamics; gender roles; violence at home and in the community and mental well-being. This qualitative study explores these issues as perceived by Syrian refugees who have been living in Shatila, a Palestinian camp in South Beirut, Lebanon, for at least 2 years.

Methods

Twenty eight in-depth interviews with men and women were conducted between February and June 2018. Women were recipients of mental health services, and men were recruited from the local community. Interviews were conducted in Arabic, translated, transcribed, coded and analysed using thematic content analysis.

Results

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Europadomstolen 19-10-08:

Ungern/ Refusing journalist access to reception centre was in breach of the Convention

/Utdrag ur pressrelease/

In today's Chamber judgment1 in the case of Szurovecz v. Hungary (application no. 15428/16) the European Court of Human Rights held, unanimously, that there had been:

a violation of Article 10 (freedom of expression) of the European Convention on Human Rights.

The case concerned media access to reception facilities for asylum-seekers. The applicant in the case, a journalist for an Internet news portal, complained about the authorities' refusal of his request to carry out interviews and take photographs at the Debrecen Reception Centre, thus preventing him from reporting on the living conditions there.

The Court stressed that research work was an essential part of press freedom and had to be protected.

It was not convinced that restricting the applicant's ability to carry out such research work, which had prevented him from reporting first-hand on a matter of considerable public interest, namely the refugee crisis in Hungary, had been sufficiently justified.

In particular, the authorities had only given summary reasons, namely possible problems for the safety and private lives of asylum-seekers, for their refusal, without any real weighing up of the interests at stake.

Principal facts

The applicant, Illés Szurovecz, is a Hungarian national who was born in 1993 and lives in Mez?berény (Hungary).

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ECRE 19-10-11: ECtHR: Freedom of the Press to Report on the Living Conditions in Reception Centres (Extern länk)

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Amnesty International 19-10-14:

Grekland/ "Greece must ensure that children have free access to the health system"

Amnesty International is profoundly concerned about the continuing failure of the Greek authorities to ensure that asylum-seekers and unaccompanied children can access free healthcare in the public health system, as provided by Law 4368/2016. Amnesty International calls on the Greek authorities to urgently take action to ensure that asylum-seekers, unaccompanied children and children born in Greece whose parents have irregular status can access free healthcare through the National Health System, in line with national legislation and Greece's obligations under EU and international law.

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Arkiveringsdatum 191002:

Statewatch 19-09-17:

Libyen/ The ongoing disasters in Libya

/Artikeln innehåller citat från en läckt EU-skrivelse om situationen i Libyen/

A Note from the Council Presidency to national delegations; Libya and the surrounding area: current situation and need for immediate action opens by saying:

"Libya is a major transit point for migrants and refugees travelling from different parts of Africa and the Middle East towards Europe, and an important destination country for African migrants looking for work. Conditions for migrants in Libya have deteriorated severely recently due to security concerns related to the conflict and developments in the smuggling and trafficking dynamics and economy, in addition to the worsening situation in the overcrowded detention facilities." [emphasis added throughout]

Despite the reduction in the number of arrivals in the EU from Libya through the Central Med route:

"On 25 July 2019, about 150 migrants died in a shipwreck off the coast of Libya while trying to reach Europe. It was the largest loss of life in the Mediterranean so far this year. According to IOM, 578 people had reportedly died or gone missing in the Central Mediterranean by 15 August 2019."

Up to 16 August this year the Libyan Coast Guard (LCG)::

"has so far rescued or intercepted 5 280 people at sea in 2019 (up to 16 August) and brought them back to Libya."

However, "the situation remains highly volatile" and:

"The IOM estimates that currently there are between 700,000 and 1 million migrants in Libya. 94 % of identified migrants come from 27 different African countries."

Detention centres

The most damning section of the Note concerns the "situation in the detention centres:

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(Hela skrivelsen:) Council Presidency 19-09-04: Libya and the surrounding area: current situation and need for immediate action (Extern länk till pdf-fil)

ECRE 19-09-20: EU praise of Libyan coast guard out of touch with reality (Extern länk)

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Human Rights Wath 19-09-13:

Bangladesh/ Internet Blackout on Rohingya Refugees

New telecommunications and internet restrictions on Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh will disrupt critical humanitarian and emergency services, Human Rights Watch said today. The network shutdown imposed on camp locations in Teknaf and Ukhiya in Cox's Bazar severely limits communications and access to information for nearly one million refugees.

On September 9, 2019, the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission directed all telecommunication operators to shut down 3G and 4G services in the camps, media reports said. Camp residents report that high-speed service has been shut down since September 10. A week earlier, the government had ordered a shutdown of all 3G and 4G services between 5 p.m. and 6 a.m. While 2G services appear to remain available, this may only allow limited calls and text messaging. The Bangladesh government should immediately lift the restrictions.

"The Bangladesh government has a responsibility to ensure safety and security in the Rohingya camps, but shutting down internet access isn't the way to do it," said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. "Restricting communications in the refugee camps will hinder desperately needed services, worsening already dire living conditions and putting lives at risk."

Humanitarian aid workers have reported that the shutdown has hampered their ability to provide assistance, including responding to emergencies. One aid worker said they can no longer receive photos and other data from refugees to deliver emergency infrastructure repairs during the monsoons. Refugees "who are affected by the heavy rainfall have to wait until we can reach them," he said. The weekend before the restrictions, monsoon rains displaced about 15,000 people in the refugee camps.

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Human Rights Watch 19-09-30:

Bangladesh/ Halt plans to fence-in Rohingya refugees!

The Bangladesh government's plans for barbed wire and guard towers around Rohingya refugee camps in Cox's Bazar violate refugees' rights to freedom of movement, Human Rights Watch said today. Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan announced the plan on September 26, 2019, saying it was specifically ordered by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

While the authorities have a duty to protect camp residents, security measures should not infringe upon basic rights and humanitarian needs. The proposed measures do not meet the standards of necessity and proportionality for restricting free movement under international human rights law.

"Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina opened Bangladesh's borders to Rohingya refugees fleeing mass atrocities in Myanmar, but she now seems intent on turning the camps into essentially open air prisons," said Brad Adams, Asia director. "By cutting the refugees off from the outside world, the Bangladesh government risks squandering the global goodwill it had earned."

On September 4, the Bangladesh Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defense recommended building a security fence around the camps "so that no one can come out of the camps and no one can enter inside the camps." Instead of protecting the security of refugees, denying them all freedom of movement infringes on a fundamental right. It also places them at serious risk should they need to evacuate in an emergency or obtain emergency medical and other humanitarian services.

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UNHCR 19-10-01:

Grekland/ Greece must act to end dangerous overcrowding, EU support crucial

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is today calling on Greece to urgently move thousands of asylum-seekers out of dangerously overcrowded reception centres on the Greek Aegean islands. Sea arrivals in September, mostly of Afghan and Syrian families, increased to 10,258 - the highest monthly level since 2016 - worsening conditions on the islands which now host 30,000 asylum-seekers.

The situation on Lesvos, Samos and Kos is critical. The Moria centre on Lesvos is already at five times its capacity with 12,600 people. At a nearby informal settlement, 100 people share a single toilet. Tensions remain high at Moria where a fire on Sunday in a container used to house people killed one woman. An ensuing riot by frustrated asylum-seekers led to clashes with police.

On Samos, the Vathy reception centre houses 5,500 people - eight times its capacity. Most sleep in tents with little access to latrines, clean water, or medical care. Conditions have also deteriorated sharply on Kos, where 3,000 people are staying in a space for 700.

Keeping people on the islands in these inadequate and insecure conditions is inhumane and must come to an end.

The Greek Government has said that alleviating pressure on the islands and protecting unaccompanied children are priorities, which we welcome. We also take note of government measures to speed up and tighten asylum procedures and manage flows to Greece announced at an exceptional cabinet meeting on Monday. We look forward to receiving details in writing to which we can provide comments.

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Se även:

UNHCR 19-08-09: Submission by UNHCR in the case of ICJ and ECRE v. Greece before the European Committee of Social Rights (Extern länk)

AYS 19-09-16: Unbearable on the Aegean islands, transfer to Larissa denied (Extern länk)

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Arkiveringsdatum 190912:

UNHCR 19-08- 30:

Internationellt/ Mer än hälften av världens flyktingbarn saknar tillgång till utbildning

Rapporten Stepping Up: Refugee Education in Crisis visar att det blir allt svårare att överbrygga utbildningshindren i takt med att barnen blir äldre; endast 63 procent av flyktingbarnen går i grundskolan jämfört med 91 procent i hela världen. 84 procent av ungdomarna i världen deltar i gymnasieutbildning, medan enbart 24 procent av flyktingarna får den möjligheten.

"Skolan är den plats där flyktingarna ges en andra chans", säger FN:s flyktingkommissarie Filippo Grandi. "Vi sviker flyktingarna när vi inte ger dem chansen att tillägna sig kunskaperna och färdigheterna de behöver för att kunna investera i sin framtid."

Den kraftiga minskningen av flyktingbarn som går i grund- och gymnasieskolan är en direkt följd av bristen på finansiellt stöd för flyktingutbildning. Därav uppmanar UNHCR regeringar, den privata sektorn, utbildningsorganisationer och givare att tillhandahålla finansiellt stöd för ett nytt initiativ i syfte att kickstarta gymnasieutbildning för flyktingar.

"Vi behöver investera i flyktingars utbildningsmöjligheter eller betala priset för en generation av barn som blir dömda att växa upp till ett liv där de inte kan vara självständiga, finna ett arbete och bidra till sina samhällen", tillade Grandi.

Gymnasieinitiativet kommer att inriktas på uppbyggnad och renovering av skolor, lärarutbildning samt finansiellt stöd till flyktingfamiljer för att kunna täcka sina barns skolkostnader.

Årets rapport manar också till att inkludera flyktingar i nationella utbildningssystem, istället för att fösas ihop i inofficiella parallellskolor, samt att låta dem följa en fastställd, formell läroplan genom hela förskolan, grundskolan och gymnasieskolan. På så vis kan de bli behöriga att söka till universitets- eller yrkeshögskoleutbildning.

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Sveriges Radio Ekot 19-08- 30: Många barn på flykt utan skolgång (Extern länk)

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ResearchGate August 2019

Europa/ Subversive humanitarianism

Robin Vandevoordt, University of Antwerp

Across Europe, hundreds of thousands of volunteers have brought food, clothes, medicines, and numerous others forms of support to newly arrived refugees. While humanitarian action has always been subversive, I argue that the recent wave of civil actions has pushed its subversive effects one step further.

Whereas more modest forms of humanitarian action tend to misrecognise recipients' social and political subjectivities, their more subversive counterparts can be better understood as enacting a particularistic form of solidarity that emphasises precisely those subjectivities.

To explore the potential for political innovation in these civil initiatives, I argue that it can be useful to do so through the lens of "subversive humanitarianism". More concretely, I suggest the following seven dimensions with which the subversive character of any humanitarian action can be compared across time and space: acts of civil disobedience; the reconstitution of social subjects; contending symbolic spaces; the creation of social spaces and personal bonds; assuming equality; putting minds into motion; and the transformation of individuals' life-worlds. I support the argument by drawing upon the recent wave of empirical studies on civil initiatives across the continent as well as my own ethnographic data on the Brussels-based Plateforme Citoyenne de Soutien aux Réfugiés.

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Human Rights Watch 19-09-05:

Frankrike/ Subject to Whim - The treatment of children in the French Hautes-Alpes

Joshua F. left his home in Cameroon with his younger sister in 2016, when he was 13, after their parents died in an accident. His father's family took the house and his father's workshop, turning the two children out. They left Douala and travelled to Yaoundé, where they lived on the streets for a time until a man offered Joshua a carpentry job in northern Cameroon. In fact, the man took them to Chad and forced them to work long hours without pay in his home.

Joshua and his sister were then abducted and taken to Libya. There, he told Human Rights Watch, they were held by smugglers. "I was the victim of slavery," he said, describing long days of forced labour in fields and on construction sites. The men who held him and his sister beat them and demanded that they contact their family to arrange a ransom payment. After he repeatedly told the men they had nobody they could call, one of the men killed his sister in front of him.

After he had been in Libya for about a year, once he had worked long enough that the men considered his ransom paid, they took him to the beach to join a large group boarding a Zodiac, a large inflatable boat. The men forced as many as possible onto the boat, at one point firing guns at the water near the group. After several days at sea, a ship rescued the group and took them to Italy.

Joshua had sustained injuries from the forced labour and beatings he endured in Libya, and when he arrived in Italy, he asked reception center staff to see a doctor. But he never received medical care while he was in Italy. He was also not able to attend school.

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ECRE 19-09-05:

Grekland/ Transfers to mainland camps and reform plans following surge in arrivals

The Greek Ministry of Citizen Protection announced on 2 September 2019 that over 1,400 asylum seekers were transferred from the Reception and Identification Centre (RIC) of Moria, Lesvos to camps in Northern Greece, in collaboration with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).

The transfers are part of a package of measures decided by the Government Council for Foreign Affairs and Defence (?????) on 31 August 2019 to respond to increasing arrivals on the Eastern Aegean islands. About 25,250 refugees and migrants reside on the islands according to UNHCR statistics.

The majority of the group will be transferred to the camp of Nea Kavala, which already hosts 1,200 persons. While tents have been set up for the new arrivals due to a shortage of places, local authorities have alerted to critical living conditions stemming from risks of water and power shortages. The Ministry has announced that asylum seekers will only stay in Nea Kavala until the end of the month, pending their relocation to a camp currently under construction.

Legislative reform measures announced by ????? include possible abolition of the administrative appeal before the Independent Appeals Committees to speed up asylum procedures and returns to Turkey under the EU-Turkey deal. While the exact plans for reform are yet to be detailed, the dismantling of the appeal procedure before the Appeals Committees has attracted sharp critique from the Union of Administrative Judges, who are members of the Committees, and civil society.

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Läkare utan gränser 19-09-05: Ohållbar situation på de grekiska öarna: evakuera de mest sårbara nu (Extern länk)

AYS 19-09- 02: Relocations and evacuations to poor conditions in camps across Greece (Extern länk)

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Arkiveringsdatum 190826:

Läkare utan Gränser mars 2019:

Libyen/ Omfattande undernäring i förvar

I Sabaa-förvaret i Libyens huvudstad Tripoli lider ett alarmerande stort antal flyktingar, migranter och asylsökande av undervikt och akut undernäring. Det visar en studie som vi har genomfört.

Studien visar dessutom att människorna är inlåsta i små rum utan tillgång till grundläggande service. En tredjedel av de som finns i interneringslägret Sabaa är barn.

Den 21 februari började vi dela ut mat i Sabaa-förvaret för att lindra den akuta matbristen och förbättra befolkningens hälsa. Samma dag fann våra medicinska team 31 personer som var inlåsta i ett rum inte större än 4,5x5 meter. Detta är mindre än en fjärdedel av de 3,4 kvadratmeter per person som Internationella rödakorskommittén anser vara ett minimum för personer som hålls i förvar.

Rummet saknade latriner och personerna var tvungna att uträtta sina behov i hinkar och plastflaskor. De intagna hölls kvar i rummet i över en vecka, trots att vi vid upprepade tillfällen uppmanade de ansvariga att flytta dem någon annanstans och ge dem tillgång till vatten och annan service.

Studie om undernäring

Vid två tillfällen har våra team kontrollerat de intagnas nutritionsstatus. Undersökningarna, som finns med i en ny rapport, visar att närmare en fjärdedel av människorna i Sabaa-förvaret är undernärda eller underviktiga. De visar också att barn i betydligt högre utsträckning än vuxna lider av allvarlig eller måttlig undernäring. Resultaten från undersökningarna ger stöd till ett flertal individuella vittnesmål om att människor som hålls i förvar i Libyen bara får ett mål mat varannan eller var tredje dag. För nyintagna kan det dröja upp till fyra dagar innan de får någon mat över huvud taget.

Den senaste nutritionsundersökningen som genomfördes i februari visar att 24 procent av alla intagna i Sabaa är underviktiga. De uppvisar tecken på att den mat de fått är otillräcklig och av låg kvalitet.

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Hämta rapporten på engelska (Extern länk till pdf-fil)

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Human Rights Watch 19-08-15:

Jemen/ Ethiopians abused on Gulf migration route

Ethiopians undertaking the perilous journey by boat across the Red Sea or Gulf of Aden face exploitation and torture in Yemen by a network of trafficking groups, Human Rights Watch said today. They also encounter abusive prison conditions in Saudi Arabia before being summarily forcibly deported back to Addis Ababa. Authorities in Ethiopia, Yemen, and Saudi Arabia have taken few if any measures to curb the violence migrants face, to put in place asylum procedures, or to check abuses perpetrated by their own security forces.

A combination of factors, including unemployment and other economic difficulties, drought, and human rights abuses have driven hundreds of thousands of Ethiopians to migrate over the past decade, traveling by boat over the Red Sea and then by land through Yemen to Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia and neighboring Gulf states are favored destinations because of the availability of employment. Most travel irregularly and do not have legal status once they reach Saudi Arabia.

"Many Ethiopians who hoped for a better life in Saudi Arabia face unspeakable dangers along the journey, including death at sea, torture, and all manners of abuses," said Felix Horne, senior Africa researcher at Human Rights Watch. "The Ethiopian government, with the support of its international partners, should support people who arrive back in Ethiopia with nothing but the clothes on their back and nowhere to turn for help."

Human Rights Watch interviewed 12 Ethiopians in Addis Ababa who had been deported from Saudi Arabia between December 2018 and May 2019. Human Rights Watch also interviewed humanitarian workers and diplomats working on Ethiopia migration-related issues.

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UNHCR 19-08-19:

Brasilien/ UN Refugee Chief calls for more engagement in areas hosting Venezuelans

UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi concluded a four-day visit to Brazil with an urgent appeal for increased international engagement, including by financial institutions and development actors, in the communities hosting Venezuelan refugees and migrants.

"The solidarity of the people of Brazil with the Venezuelan refugees and migrants has been exemplary. But the impact on the host communities in states such as Roraima and Amazonas, has been overwhelming," said Grandi, speaking from the Brazilian capital on Sunday.

"I was told that in some border communities, 40 per cent of patients and 80 per cent of women giving birth in hospitals are from Venezuela. There has been a similar impact on education, employment, housing and social services. It is vital that efforts by the authorities at the federal, state and municipal levels, as well as by civil society, Church groups and ordinary Brazilians, are adequately supported by the international community. Local people have been at the forefront of the response to the needs of Venezuelan refugees and migrants. They must not be left alone."

There are over 180,000 Venezuelan refugees and migrants in Brazil. An average of 500 arrive daily - most in urgent need of humanitarian assistance - in the northern state of Roraima, which is geographically isolated from the rest of the country and has the lowest per capita income and few economic opportunities.

To respond to the humanitarian needs created by the influx from Venezuela, the Federal Government launched an initiative (Operacao Acolhida) coordinated by the Brazilian Armed Forces, to provide registration and documentation upon arrival, as well as emergency humanitarian assistance, including food and temporary shelter.

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UNHCR 19-08-09:

Bangladesh/ More than half a million Rohingya refugees receive identity documents

As of Wednesday, more than 500,000 Rohingya refugees from Myanmar have been registered in a joint registration exercise by the Bangladesh authorities and UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency.

For many of these refugees, it is the first time they have an identity card. The biometric, fraud-proof cards are being issued jointly by Bangladeshi authorities and UNHCR to all verified refugees over the age of 12.

This comprehensive registration being simultaneously carried out in all refugee settlements in Cox's Bazar - is meant to ensure the accuracy of data on refugees in Bangladesh, giving national authorities and humanitarian partners a better understanding of the population and their needs. Accurate data will help agencies in their programme planning and be able to target assistance where it is needed most, particularly for people with specific needs, such as women and children taking care of their families and people with disabilities.

Last week, using the biometric data collected during this registration exercise, UNHCR launched the Global Distribution Tool (GDT) initially in one of the refugee settlements in Cox's Bazar. Through verification of fingerprints or iris scans, this tool speeds up distributions, is fraud proof, and can be used by partners to ensure that there is no overlap in assistance, and to ensure that nobody is left out. It continues to be rolled out in more settlements in the coming weeks.

The new registration cards indicate that Myanmar is the country of origin, a critical element in establishing and safeguarding the right of Rohingya refugees to return to their homes in Myanmar, if and when they decide the time is right for them to do s.;

An estimated 900,000 Rohingya refugees live in crowded settlements in Cox's Bazar, with over 740,000 thought to have fled from Myanmar since August 2017.

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AIDA 19-08-12:

Irland/ Serious gaps in Reception Conditions Directive implementation, one year on

One year after the entry into force of the European Communities (Reception Conditions) Regulations, marking Ireland's transposition of the recast Reception Conditions Directive, the Irish Refugee Council reports significant challenges in the provision of adequate reception conditions to those seeking protection.

Material reception conditions

The use of emergency reception has risen dramatically in Ireland over the past year. 936 people lived in 28 emergency accommodation facilities as of July 2019, compared to 196 people in November 2018. Emergency accommodation is the main form of reception available to new arrivals in Ireland at the moment. In the experience of the Irish Refugee Council, persons living in such facilities face particular challenges with regard to access to health care and to the Daily Expenses Allowance available to asylum seekers.

Vulnerability identification

The lack of a vulnerability identification mechanism in Ireland has been decried by civil society organisations as a critical gap in the implementation of the Directive. No formal vulnerability assessment of asylum seekers has been carried out to date. In his reply to a recent parliamentary question, the Minister for Justice and Equality stated that "it is not possible to provide data on the number of persons found to have special reception needs".

Employment

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World Organisation Against Torture 19-08-21:

Grekland/ No End in Sight: The mistreatment of asylum seekers in Greece

New report highlights the ill-treatment of asylum seekers in Greece

In the wake of the announcement by the Turkish government that the EU-Turkey deal on migration would be suspended, a collective of local, national and international civil society organisations have released today a new report [IJ1] highlighting the human consequences of the EU-Turkey deal and the related Greek containment policy.

Officially released today, the evidence found in the report was previously submitted in June to the United Nations Committee Against Torture by Refugee Rights Europe, Greek Helsinki Monitor and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), ahead of its review of Greece, making a strong case for the need for redress of ill-treatment of asylum seekers and refugees in Greece.

As a result of the policy, the conditions for asylum seekers trapped on the Greek islands have rapidly deteriorated. Conditions in the camps on the islands fail to meet humane standards - with overcrowding, failing sanitation services and a lack of support for individuals suffering from severe mental and physical health problems. The length of time spent on the islands as a result of the containment policy, and slow processing of applications, means that individuals are forced to remain in harmful conditions.

The new report released today by Refugee Rights Europe and partners is a rigorously researched account based on first-hand evidence, testimonies and observations documented by 12 civil society organisations operating on the Greek islands and the mainland in 2019, combined with in-depth research conducted by Refugee Rights Europe in Chios, Lesvos and the Greek mainland in 2016-2018. The issues raised in the report have been taken up by the UN Committee Against Torture, which recently made a number of strong recommendations for Greece to address within a year's time (see Annex below).

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Kathimerini 19-08-22: German experts discuss migration with Greek officials (Extern länk)

Iceland Review 19-08-02: In Focus: Asylum seeker deportations to Greece (Extern länk)

Gemma Bird, London School of Economics July 2019: Why young men are not always the least vulnerable refugees (Extern länk)

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Arkiveringsdatum 190801:

Läkare utan gränser 19-07-12:

Libyen/ Flera dödsfall till följd av inhumana förhållanden i flyktingförvar

Minst 22 människor som hölls inlåsta i två flyktingförvar i Libyen dog - de flesta av tuberkulos - mellan september 2018 och maj 2019. Läkare Utan Gränsers personal fick tillgång till förvaren i maj och möttes av en katastrofal hälsosituation för 900 flyktingar och migranter.

Hundratals asylsökande och flyktingar i behov av internationellt skydd hade lämnats åt sitt öde i månader i Zintan och Gharyan, två förvar belägna söder om Libyens huvudstad Tripoli. Med nära nog ingen hjälp utifrån har i snitt 2-3 personer dött varje månad sedan september 2018. Bland de döda fanns unga män, kvinnor och ett 8-årigt barn.

Läkare Utan Gränsers personal gjorde sitt första besök i Zintan i maj månad. De fann ca 900 människor i förvaret varav 700 var instängda i en stor överfull hangar med knappt fungerande toaletter, utan dusch och bara sporadisk tillgång till drickbart vatten.

- Hälsomässigt var det en katastrof, säger Julien Raickman, Läkare Utan Gränsers landchef i Libyen.

- Ett tuberkulosutbrott hade troligtvis pågått i flera månader i förvaren. Situationen var så kritisk att vi omedelbart ordnade med transport till sjukhus för flera personer under vårt första besök, fortsätter Julien Raickman.

Totalt arrangerade Läkare Utan Gränser 16 sjukhustransporter mellan 25 maj och 19 juni. Teamet distribuerade även mat, pulvermjölk, filtar och hygienartiklar.

Sedan de första besöken har Läkare Utan Gränser etablerat en daglig närvaro i Zintan och ger nu medicinsk vård till de inlåsta i förvaret och har även reparerat vattensystemet. Transporter till sjukhus för de mest kritiska fallen fortsätter också.

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ASGI 19-07-19:

Italien/ The theatre of Lampedusa

From the spectacularisation of NGO disembarkations to the silence on the day-to-day management of arrivals by sea

Last weeks events have brought the island of Lampedusa back into the centre of the media debate on sea arrivals. The events around the SeaWatch 3, the courageous choice of its Captain and the recent and equally courageous docking of the sailing ship Alex by Mediterranea Saving Humans, have been an opportunity to reflect on the use of political power by the current government, on the relationship between the different sources of law and, above all, on the possibility of opposing and resisting political decisions and normative acts perceived as illegitimate and seriously unjust.

In the aftermath of these events, it is necessary to propose some additional elements to the public debate: what happens following the disembarkation of people rescued after these events which are so much under public attention? Are the mediatised disembarkations the only ones that characterise the island at the moment? How is the daily flow of migrants managed at this stage? Which kind of institutional reception is provided to foreign citizens in Lampedusa?

To try to answer these questions, ASGI's project "In Limine" is observing what happens to people who have arrived in Italy in recent months, providing, if necessary, adequate access to information and legal support.

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Arkiveringsdatum 190721:

Läkare utan gränser 19-07-04:

Mexiko/ 45 procent asylsökande i Nuevo Laredo utsatts för våld, 12 procent kidnappats

Läkare Utan Gränser fördömer Mexikos och USA:s beslut att utöka den policy som tvingar människor som söker asyl i USA att stanna i våldsamma områden i Mexiko. Där utsätts de för stora faror, som kidnappning och våld.

Både Mexiko och USA har gått med på att utvidga policyn som ska få migranter och flyktingar att stanna i Mexiko (officiellt kallad Migrant ProtectionProtocols) till Nuevo Laredo, en gränsstad i delstaten Tamaulipas som kontrolleras av kriminella grupper. Asylsökande i Nuevo Laredo utsätts ständigt för rån, överfall, utpressning, kidnappning och mord.

- Att skicka tillbaka människor som söker asyl till Mexiko och tvinga dem att stanna i Nuevo Laredo är oacceptabelt, säger Maria Hernandez, som arbetar för Läkare Utan Gränser, i Mexiko. Den här politiken tvingar utsatta människor till områden som kontrolleras av kriminella grupper, som betraktar migranter som en handelsvara och inkomstkälla.

Läkare Utan Gränser tillhandahåller sjukvård och psykosocialt stöd till migranter och flyktingar i olika skyddsläger i Nuevo Laredo, Reynosa och Matamoros.

Enligt Läkare Utan Gränsers patientdata från januari till maj i år har mer än 45 procent av de 378 patienter som organisationen vårdat i Nuevo Laredo drabbats av minst ett fall av våld i staden och 12 procent har kidnappats.

- Majoriteten av våra patienter vågar inte gå utanför dörren på grund av den överhängande risken för kidnappning, säger Maria Hernandez. De asylsökande vi vårdar och ger rådgivning till i Nuevo Laredo kommer från flera länder, som Kuba, Kongo-Kinshasa, Kamerun och Mexiko. Men det är utan tvekan människor från Centralamerika som är mest utsatta för kidnappning, och det är till största delen de som kommer att återföras till Mexiko på grund av policyn.

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Human Rights Watch 19-07-05:

Syrian refugee shelters demolished

The Lebanese Armed Forces demolished about 20 Syrian refugee shelters on July 1, 2019, contending they did not comply with long-existing, but largely unenforced, housing codes, Human Rights Watch said.

The armed forces also have been forcing refugees living in semi-permanent shelters on agricultural land to dismantle their own shelters' concrete walls and roofs and replace them with less protective materials, or face army demolition of their homes. The forced shelter dismantlement under an order by the Higher Defense Council significantly reduces the adequacy of refugee housing to withstand harsh weather conditions, particularly in the Arsal region, where winters are severe.

"This crackdown on housing code violations should be seen for what it is, which is illegitimate pressure on Syrian refugees to leave Lebanon," said Bill Frelick, refugee rights director at Human Rights Watch, who watched Syrian refugees in Arsal and the Bekaa Valley demolish their shelters. "Many of those affected have real reasons to fear returning to Syria, including arrests, torture, and ill-treatment by Syrian intelligence branches"

The order applies to 3,500 to 3,600 refugee families in Arsal, about half of the shelters in Arsal, according to the head of the Arsal municipality, Bassel al-Hujeiri. Some estimates say that up to 15,000 children in Arsal will be affected. It also applies to Syrian refugees living in hard shelters built on agricultural lands nationwide, but with variations in demolition and material specifications. The law is currently also being enforced in the Bekaa Valley, Baalbek, and Hermel. The order is based on the 2004 Lebanese Construction Law Act, which nongovernmental organizations that have been operating in the camps for years say has rarely - if ever - been enforced.

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CPT 19-07-11:

Bulgarien/ The CPT publishes report on Bulgaria

The Council of Europe's Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) has published today the report on its December 2018 ad hoc visit to Bulgaria, together with the response of the Bulgarian Government.

The objective of the visit was to examine the treatment and conditions of detention of foreign nationals detained under aliens legislation.

The main conclusions of the CPT are set out in the executive summary of the report.

In their response, the Bulgarian authorities provide information on the measures taken to implement the recommendations made in the CPT's report.

The CPT's report and the response of the Bulgarian authorities have been made public under an automatic publication procedure introduced by the Bulgarian authorities in 2015.

/Asylnytt: En del har förbättrats men det finns stora brister till exempel i tillgång till vård/

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Arkiveringsdatum 190703:

Amnesty International 19-06-20:

Pakistan/ A chance to show leadership on refugee rights

Forty years ago, Afghan refugees began streaming into Pakistan, driven there by the abuses of the Communist-led regime. More than 400,000 had arrived by the time of the Soviet invasion on Christmas Eve in 1979. By the end of the following year, the numbers had swelled to more than four million - making Pakistan the largest host of refugees in the world.

That number has dwindled sharply over recent years. In the wake of the horrific school massacre at the Army Public School in Peshawar, Pakistan's authorities initiated a crackdown that subjected these refugees to harassment and surveillance. They were punished for the actions of the armed group responsible, which had links to Afghanistan, and demonized variously as "criminals", "terrorists", and "anti-Pakistani".

Perhaps the most iconic Afghan refugee is Sharbat Gula, the so-called "Afghan girl", who featured on a 1985 cover of National Geographic. Her unflinching stare seared into popular consciousness the plight of a conflict-affected population that was forced to abandon their lives to seek sanctuary in a refugee camp near Peshawar.

For decades, the Steve McCurry photograph was a reminder of Pakistan's generosity. Over that time, many Afghans were able to return to their homes and resume their lives - until a fresh eruption of conflict displaced them once again. By some estimates, one in four Afghans have at some point in their lives been driven out of their homes by conflict.

In 2016, Sharbat Gula was arrested for allegedly possessing a fake identity card and swiftly deported to Afghanistan. She was suddenly forced to leave behind a life of 25 years, during which she had gotten married, raised children and became part of a community. Sharbat Gula was one of more than 600,000 people expelled to Afghanistan in 2016, in what Human Rights Watch described as the "world's largest unlawful mass forced return of refugees in recent times".

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Human Rights Watch 19-07-02:

Mexiko/ Asylum seekers returned to uncertainty, danger in Mexico

The United States government should cease returning asylum seekers to wait in Mexico during their US immigration court proceedings, Human Rights Watch and the Hope Border Institute said in a report released today.

Human Rights Watch's 50-page report, "'We Can't Help You Here': US Returns of Asylum Seekers to Mexico," finds that thousands of asylum seekers from Central America and elsewhere, including more than 4,780 children, are facing potentially dangerous and unlivable conditions after US authorities return them to Mexico. The US and Mexico agreed on June 7, 2019 to dramatically expand the returns program.

"The US government has advanced a dangerous fiction that asylum seekers returned to Mexico will have access to work and shelter and a fair chance in US immigration courts," said Clara Long, senior US researcher at Human Rights Watch and co-author of the report. "Instead, US border officials are stranding mothers with small children and other vulnerable migrants in Mexican border cities where their safety and security are at risk."

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) first began returning asylum seekers to Mexico under its Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) program at the San Ysidro port of entry in southern California on January 29, and soon after to Calexico. The program expanded to El Paso, across the border from Ciudad Juárez in Chihuahua state by mid-March. Since then, Ciudad Juárez has surpassed both Tijuana and Mexicali as hosting the highest number of asylum seekers placed in the MPP program.

Human Rights Watch and the Hope Border Institute conducted 23 in-depth interviews with asylum seekers, as well as interviews with US and Mexico government officials, local activists, and attorneys, and observed MPP immigration court hearings for 69 individuals. Human Rights Watch learned of serious harms to asylum seekers in Ciudad Juárez including kidnapping, sexual assault, and violence.

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Human Rights Watch 19-07-12: Immigrant Rights Groups: Congress Must Investigate Separation & Suffering Caused by Trump 'Remain-in-Mexico' Policy (Extern länk)

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ECRE 19-06-28:

Östeuropa/ Decrease in applications and negative public attitudes in Visegrád Four

A report from the project, Visegrád Countries National Integration Evaluation Mechanism (V4/NIEM) reveals a stagnating number of beneficiaries of international protection (BIPs) in Visegrad 4 countries, and a significant drop in applications in Hungary and Poland since 2016. Further, the report confirms that negative public attitudes towards foreigners prevail.

The Visegrad 4 countries have seen a stagnation or decrease of granted international protection statuses and in 2018 the modest numbers were: Slovakia (5 excluding Subsidiary protection), Czech Republic (165), Poland (404) and Hungary (349). Further, the number of new applications in Hungary and Poland continue to drop significantly - in Hungary from 29,432 in 2016 to 671 in 2018 and in Poland from 12,350 in 2016 to 4141 in 2018.

The report also reveals negative attitudes and a lack of knowledge in the public of foreigners originating from countries outside the EU. While the average share of EU citizens with negative or fairly negative attitudes towards foreigners from countries outside the EU stands at 53 per cent the number in Poland it is 64 percent, in Hungary 75 percent in Slovakia 81 per cent, and in Czech Republic 86 per cent. The negative attitudes correlates with more than half of the populations feeling inadequately informed about the topic. The lack of knowledge illustrated by disproportionate estimates of the number of foreigners in Visegrad countries with populations in Poland and Slovakia guessing more than ten times the actual number: "The fact that the citizens of V4 countries overestimate the numbers of non-EU foreigners living in their countries so significantly shows how little our imagination has to do with reality, and how much of a role media and political discourse plays in the creation of public knowledge", said Ond?ej Novotn?, coordinator of the V4/NIEM project.

Furthermore the report informs about the integration mechanism of BIPs, drawing on data from a broader NIEM comparative report, and about the current political trends regarding the refugee agenda.

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ECRE 19-06-28:

Frankrike/ Council of state orders sanitary measures for migrants in Grande-Synthe

On 21 June 2019, the French Council of State ordered the northern prefecture of France to adopt sanitary measures to support around 700 migrants living around a sports hall of the commune of Grande-Synthe.

The application for interim measures had been filed by nine civil-society organisations and the commune of Grande-Synthe who demonstrated that both the inhumane living conditions of the migrants and the Government's failure to act were a violation of the migrants' fundamental rights. Following the decision of the Council of State, the French prefect has now eight days to adopt numerous sanitary measures such as installing water points, showers and toilets, but also to provide information to migrants on their rights in a language they understand. "It's a real victory", said the lawyer representing the commune of Grande-Synthe, which had called on the Government for help to provide support and address the shortcomings.

A recent report by the Human Rights Observers (HRO) project, a team of experienced volunteers from different NGOs based in the region, shows that police evictions in northern France have increased to record levels, with more than 800 forced evictions since August 2018. "These evictions only serve to add to the accumulated trauma of refugees and migrants, and aim only to create further hostility rather than offer a dignified solution", HRO states. The report also describes the precarious living conditions on site, the loss and damage of belongings, the abusive practices and the arbitral arrests that migrants regularly face. NGOs say that the "relentless harassment" contributes to the willingness of migrants to risk the dangerous channel crossing by all means.

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ECRE 19-06-21:

Bosnien/ Local Authorities Relocate People to "Middle of Nowhere"

On 14 June authorities in Una Sana Canton began the relocation of migrants and refugees from Bihac to Vucjak. According to the UN Country Team in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) the conditions in Vucjak are posing "significant health and safety risks" to those relocated.

The NGO Are You Syrious quote local volunteers confirming that following food distributions on the evening of 14 June police took "all the people - except one group - to the Vucjak area", a small town around 10 km from the main centre "in the middle of nowhere" where the ground was still being flattened.

The relocation of migrants and refugees residing outside of the overcrowded official reception centres to Vucjak raises serious concern from the UN Country Team working with partners on the ground to support authorities: "'Vucjak' poses very significant health and safety risks and is currently not equipped to accommodate migrants and refugees in accordance with international standards. The site is located very close to landmine infected areas. There is also a high fire and explosion hazard due to the possible presence of methane gas underground, as the site was a former landfill". Further, the UN underlines the lack of sanitary facilities, running water and electricity on the site, concluding: "Under these circumstances, locating migrants and refugees there is not acceptable".

The UN Inter Agency Operational Update reveals an increase of unaccompanied and separated children in the Una Sana Canton and estimates that there are 6,000 - 6,500 refugees and migrants in BiH as of 30 April 2019 with a maximum available accommodation capacity of 4,294.

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Arkiveringsdatum 190620:

UNHCR 19-06-15:

Peru/ UNHCR scales up response as record number of Venezuelans arrive in Peru

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, has sent extra teams to the border between Peru and Ecuador to support the authorities to deal with an unprecedented number of Venezuelan refugees and migrants entering Peru.

Peruvian authorities announced new visa requirements for Venezuelans starting on Saturday 15 June. On Friday, over 8,000 Venezuelans crossed the border at Tumbes, the largest number ever recorded on a single day. Of them, 4,700 lodged asylum claims in Peru, also an unprecedented number.

In total, Peru has received over 280,000 asylum applications by Venezuelan citizens and given temporary residence permits to over 390,000. The total number of Venezuelan refugees and migrants in the country is estimated at some 800,000.

"People are arriving in a more and more vulnerable situation," said Federico Agusti, UNHCR's Representative in Peru. "Some have been walking for 30 or 40 days through various countries in the region. We see people suffering from malnutrition or dehydration and people with medical problems. There are more and more families with children."

Peruvian authorities at the border are working 24 hours a day to process the arrivals. UNHCR and its partners are also working around the clock on the ground, providing humanitarian and health assistance, information and legal support to refugees and migrants on both sides of the border.

Peru's new visa requirements for Venezuelans are also having an impact on Ecuador's northern border with Colombia, through which 8,380 Venezuelans entered yesterday, according to the authorities. UNHCR and its partners are also present there providing much needed humanitarian assistance and protection and supporting the Ecuadorian government and civil society.

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AIDA 19-06-06:

Frankrike/ Systematic immigration detention further undermines rights

France continues to use immigration detention routinely and broadly, according to the annual report published by six civil society organisations present in the country's detention centres.

According to statistics published the organisations, 43,609 people were placed in an administrative detention centre (CRA) in 2018. Of those, 24,912 were detained in mainland France and 18,697 in Mayotte and other overseas territories. Several hundred persons were also placed in a place of administrative detention (LRA), where detention is applied for a maximum of 48 hours.

The main countries of origin of people subject to immigration detention on the mainland were Algeria (3,640), Albania (2,451), Morocco (2,286), Tunisia (2,128), Romania (1,366) and Afghanistan (892)

The detention of children continues to increase, according to the organisations. 1,429 children were detained in 2018, of which 1,221 (85%) in Mayotte, where the authorities unlawfully "attach" children to unrelated adults. In mainland France, 208 children in 114 families were detained for an average period of two days, of which 51 in Metz, 42 in Mesnil-Amelot and 10 in Toulouse.

Detention under the Dublin Regulation was applied to 3,857 persons, most coming from Afghanistan, Sudan and Guinea. As the 2018 reform has permitted the use of detention pending the determination of the Member State responsible for an asylum application, many asylum seekers have been detained for a 15-day period while the Prefectures await the reply from the requested country, prolonged by several weeks to organise the transfer.

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UNHCR 19-06-15:

Grekland/ UNHCR om utvecklingen efter Europadomstolens stopp för överföringar

Recommendations by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) concerning the execution of judgments by the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) in the cases of M.S.S. v. Belgium and Greece (Application No. 30696/09, Grand Chamber judgment of 21 January 2011) and of Rahimi v. Greece (Application No. 8687/08, Chamber judgment of 05 April 2011)

"Asylum procedures, reception conditions and child protection have seen uneven improvements in Greece, as a result of multiple challenges and the need to reconcile the demands of developing a comprehensive reception system while at the same time responding to the high number of asylum-seekers and refugees who have arrived since 2015-2016. The building of a sustainable and adequate asylum and reception system in Greece for all asylum-seekers including groups at high risk such as unaccompanied children will be a long-haul process, which will move faster if accompanied by solidarity measures within the EU and sound understanding of the operational and institutional context. "

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Refugee Support Aegean 19-06-18:

Grekland/ Why Greece's reception system failed to provide sustainable solutions

As of early summer 2019, the so-called refugee crisis in Greece has been shaped entirely through the status quo put in place by the EU-Turkey Statement of March 2016.

The reality on the ground is mostly a policy-made humanitarian crisis on the Greek island's hot-spots, the Evros Reception and Identification Center (RIC) as well as several of the camps hosting refugees in the mainland. Conditions vary from place to place and show a patchwork approach towards addressing the serious issues that exist in the reception system for refugees and asylum-seekers than a well-constructed mechanism.

On June 6th 2019, there were 16,108 refugees, asylum-seekers and migrants stranded on the Greek islands of Samos, Chios, Lesvos, Leros and Kos. Out of those, 12,628 lived in the hot-spots while the capacity of these centres was for 6,438. The number of refugees, asylum-seekers and migrants staying in the Evros RIC was 366 while its capacity is for 318 people. Meanwhile, an estimated 16,457 refugees, asylum-seekers and migrants were living in 25 refugee camps in Greece's mainland.

While numbers of refugee arrivals in the country have returned to pre-2015 levels, the Greek authorities' response remains that of emergency mode. There is a two-fold reason for this. Greece has mostly devised and implemented a top to bottom strategy and failed to prepare or adapt state structures to the needs resulting from this crisis. This strategy was the product of political processes that reflect broader priorities in the European Union (EU). During the last three years, Greece's response also did not manage to catch up with developments produced by the EU-Turkey statement and the corresponding policies implemented on the islands as well as in the mainland. As a result, the country's reception system constantly adapts to urgent needs. Meanwhile constant lack of adequate hosting capacity in the islands and the mainland and the absence of an accurate timely estimation of flows remains a decisive factor that perpetuates precariousness in systemic planning.

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Europadomstolen 19-06-14:

Grekland/ Unaccompanied migrant minors stayed in conditions unsuited to their age

In today's Chamber judgment in the case of Sh.D. and Others v. Greece, Austria, Croatia, Hungary, North Macedonia, Serbia and Slovenia (application no. 14165/16) concerning the living conditions in Greece of five unaccompanied migrant minors from Afghanistan, the European Court of Human Rights, unanimously:

- declared the complaints against Austria, Croatia, Hungary, North Macedonia, Serbia and Slovenia inadmissible as being manifestly ill-founded;

- declared the complaints against Greece under Articles 3 and 5 § 1 of the European Convention on Human Rights admissible;

- held that there had been:

A violation of Article 3 (prohibition of inhuman or degrading treatment) of the European Convention. Firstly, the Court held that the conditions of detention of three of the applicants in various police stations amounted to degrading treatment, observing that being detained in these places was liable to arouse in the persons concerned feelings of isolation from the outside world, with potentially negative repercussions on their physical and mental well-being. Secondly, the Court held that the authorities had not done all that could reasonably be expected of them to fulfil the obligation to provide for and protect four of the applicants, who had lived for a month in the Idomeni camp in an environment unsuitable for adolescents. That obligation was incumbent on the Greek State with regard to persons who were particularly vulnerable because of their age.

A violation of Article 5 § 1 (right to liberty and security) with regard to three applicants. The Court held that the placement of these three applicants in the police stations amounted to a deprivation of liberty as the Greek Government had not explained why the authorities had first placed the applicants in police stations - and in degrading conditions of detention - rather than in alternative temporary accommodation. The detention of those applicants had therefore not been lawful.

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Arkiveringsdatum 190610:

Wiley Online Library 19-02-11:

Nauru/ Pervasive refusal syndrome and Nauru

Professor David Isaacs

Fatima was a happy child who loved school and was a top student. She was 11?years old when she took to her bed, stopped eating and drinking, covered her head with the sheet, stopped washing and started wetting the bed. For months, she would not or could not get out of bed and had to be carried to the toilet. She would not speak to her parents or friends. After over 5 years on Nauru, almost half her life, she had lost control of her destiny, had lost all hope and had lost the will to live. When she was transferred to Australia with her mother, she needed nasogastric tube feeding for a week to maintain hydration and needed a walking aid for 2 months to move around. She gradually began to eat, drink, wash and toilet herself and to socialise. She remained a hospital inpatient for 2 months and is expected to need several more months of intensive outpatient treatment.

Pervasive refusal syndrome is a rare psychiatric condition mainly affecting children aged 7-15?years old, girls three times as often as boys, although the youngest child described is 4 years old. The term pervasive refusal was first used by a British child psychiatrist Bryan Lask and his colleagues to describe four girls aged between 9 and 15 with profound and pervasive refusal to eat, drink, walk, talk or care for themselves over a period of several months. Sydney clinicians who also saw cases proposed now widely accepted diagnostic criteria (Table 1). The condition shares features with but differs from other psychiatric conditions, including depression, anxiety, catatonia, selective mutism and chronic fatigue (Fig. 1). Pervasive refusal syndrome is different from anorexia nervosa, where children are delusional about their weight, but both conditions are potentially life?threatening. Death can result from metabolic derangement due to chronic malnutrition and due to re?feeding syndrome. Re?feeding syndrome was first described in prisoners of war after World War I. Potentially fatal shifts in fluids and electrolytes can cause encephalopathy and cardiac arrest.

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Amnesty International 19-05-17:

Mexiko/ Child death in migration custody suggests eerie parallels with US policy

The first known death of a child detained by Mexican migration authorities under the current presidential administration is a sickening tragedy that demands answers from a government that promised to be more humane to migrants and refugees, said Amnesty International today.

"At a time when children are dying in United States migration custody on the other side of the border, President López Obrador's government is overseeing a crackdown on migrants and refugees that is resulting in the careless treatment of human lives. This suggests an alarming parallel with the current approach of the Trump government," said Erika Guevara-Rosas, Americas director at Amnesty International.

On 16 May, Mexico's National Migration Institute (INM) announced that a 10-year-old Guatemalan girl died in hospital, where she was transferred after arriving at Mexico City's migration detention centre in the company of her mother two days earlier, complaining of a sore throat. INM had brought her back from the northern border state of Chihuahua via bus, a trip of nearly 20 hours.

Amnesty International has documented at length the grave risks migrants and asylum-seekers are already facing along the US-Mexico border due to the policies of the US and the acquiescence of Mexico. For its part, on 29 January, the US government commenced the "Remain in Mexico" policy, also known as the "migrant protection protocols", under which US authorities have forcibly returned thousands of asylum seekers to Mexico while they await the final adjudication of their asylum claims in the USA. This policy violates international refugee law. The Mexican government did not refuse to cooperate with this policy.

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UNHCR 19-05-31:

Jemen/ Amid worsening conditions in Yemen, more Somali refugees opt to return

Almost 4,300 Somali refugees have now returned home from Yemen, since the roll-out in 2017 of an Assisted Spontaneous Return (ASR) programme, facilitated by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency in cooperation with humanitarian partners and authorities in Yemen and Somalia.

In the latest departure, a boat carrying 125 Somali refugees departed Aden on Wednesday afternoon. The vessel arrived at the Port of Berbera in Somalia yesterday morning, bringing home men, women and children in time for the Islamic holiday of "Eid" next week, which is observed at the end of the fasting month of Ramadan.

Those who returned home this week include Somalis who had been born in Yemen to refugee parents, and others who were born in Somalia and who fled to Yemen hoping to escape conflict and insecurity.

With Yemen being the world's largest humanitarian crisis and civilians facing life-threatening conditions, the situation for refugees and asylum seekers and migrants has deteriorated significantly.

Somali refugees comprise 90 per cent of Yemen's refugee and asylum seeker population, or some 250,000 people. Refugee movements from Somalia to Yemen have been taking place since the 1980s. They continued following the outbreak of civil war in Somalia, with many fleeing generalized violence and individualized fear of persecution in addition to the consequences of drought and a lack of livelihood opportunities.

As a long-standing refugee host nation and the only country in the Arabian Peninsula signatory to the Refugee Convention and its Additional Protocol, Yemen currently hosts the world's third largest Somali refugee population.

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AIDA 19-05-29:

Europa/ Housing out of reach? The reception of refugees and asylum seekers in Europe

A comparative report published by AIDA, managed by ECRE, provides an update to ECRE's analysis of reception systems in Europe following the steady decrease in arrivals of refugees and asylum seekers in the past three years.

While the past years have undoubtedly exposed a low level of preparedness for large numbers of arrivals of refugees and migrants in most countries, reception practice in 2018 confirms that fluctuations in the numbers of arrivals continue to create important challenges for administrations such as inability to offer accommodation to new asylum seekers, and resort to improvised emergency accommodation. This includes cases where countries have prematurely reduced their reception capacity and have become unprepared to deal with recent increases in arrivals or backlogs of pending cases.

For some countries, shortages in reception capacity are a chronic problem, regardless of fluctuations in arrivals of people seeking protection. As detailed in the report, these countries have systematically been unable to accommodate all asylum seekers on their territory and have embedded emergency accommodation as a permanent component of their system, thereby raising questions of systematic non-compliance with EU law.

Those asylum seekers who obtain a protection status face severe barriers to moving out of reception centres and securing accommodation, a right guaranteed by EU law. High rent prices and reluctance of landlords to rent their property to refugees, as well as legal 'catch 22' situations are frequent in practice. As a result of these barriers, status holders often continue to reside in reception facilities for asylum seekers for prolonged periods. In a number of countries, despite a series of measures established by states to ensure accommodation can be found, the above obstacles create real risks of destitution and homelessness for beneficiaries of protection.

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Europarådets parlament 19-06-03:

Europa/ Stop violence and exploitation of migrant children

PACE Committee on Migration expressed concern by the serious threats that migrant children face on their way to Europe, and important gaps in the policies and procedures, "which limit the legal opportunities for migration in Europe and put these children at risk of falling in the hands of smugglers and traffickers". It regretted that a number of European signatories to the Convention on the Rights of the Child "continue to violate their obligations by not providing adequate protection to migrant children and safeguarding their rights".

Following the proposals by the rapporteur Rósa Björk Brynjólfsdóttir (Iceland, UEL), the parliamentarians underlined that the member States of the Council of Europe must abide by the principles of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child which includes prioritising the child's best interests and ensuring that "a best interests determination procedure is legislated and implemented for each migrant child".

The parliamentarians stated that local and regional authorities bear a major responsibility in providing necessary protection to migrant children at places of arrival, and reiterated its position condemning violent practices such as detaining migrant children and using invasive methods in age assessment procedures.

There is a need, the Committee said, for a common strategy to be adopted by the governments of the members States of the Council of Europe on how to combat violence against migrant children in all its forms and to ensure the broad and comprehensive protection of their human rights. Such a strategy should include proposals on how to ensure safe and legal entry for migrant children into third States to limit the risk of trafficking and abuse.

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Europarådet 19-05-21:

Ungern/ Commissioner for human rights publishes report on Hungary

Hungary should address interconnected human rights issues in refugee protection, civil society space, independence of the judiciary and gender equality

"Human rights violations in Hungary have a negative effect on the whole protection system and the rule of law. They must be addressed as a matter of urgency," says Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatovi?, in a report published today on her visit to Hungary in February 2019. The report focuses on the human rights of asylum seekers and refugees; human rights defenders and civil society, independence of the judiciary; and gender equality and women's rights.

The Commissioner finds that the government's stance against immigration and asylum seekers has resulted in a legislative framework which undermines the reception of asylum seekers and the integration of recognised refugees. The Commissioner calls on the government to repeal the decreed "crisis situation due to mass immigration" which is not justified by the number of asylum seekers currently entering Hungary and the EU and urges the authorities to refrain from using anti-migrant rhetoric and campaigns which fan xenophobic attitudes.

The Commissioner observes that asylum seekers are constrained to exercise their right to apply for international protection in two transit zones along the fenced Hungarian-Serbian border where very few persons are allowed to enter. She urges the government to extend access to the international protection procedure and to ensure that the protection needs of all asylum seekers present on the territory can be assessed. "The government should repeal the new inadmissibility ground for asylum which has resulted in practically systematic rejection of asylum applications. I am also deeply concerned about repeated reports of excessive use of violence by the police during forcible removals of foreign nationals."

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Källor: Informationen på denna sida är hämtad från följande källor (externa länkar): EU (kommissionen, ministerrådet, parlamentet och domstolen), Europarådet (mr-kommissionären, domstolen, kommittén mot tortyr), FN:s flyktingkommissariat UNHCR, FN:s kommitté mot tortyr m.fl. FN-organ, Sveriges Radio, SvT, andra svenska media via Nyhetsfilter och pressmeddelanden via Newsdesk, utländska media till exempel via Are You Syrious och Rights in Exile, internationella organisationer som Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, ECRE, Statewatch och Picum, organisationer i Sverige som Rädda Barnen, Asylrättscentrum, Svenska Amnesty, FARR och #vistårinteut samt myndigheter och politiska organ som Migrationsverket, Sveriges domstolar, JO, Justitiedepartementet m.fl. departement och Sveriges Riksdag.

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