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EDITORIAL
Europe COVID 19: Reaching the Bottom or Rising Above
Along with everyone else, ECRE is trying to keep its work running despite the Coronavirus emergency, and the situation of lockdown in much of Europe, including Belgium. ECRE is monitoring and recording the impact of the virus on law, policies and practices in the field of asylum and migration. While it is too early to provide a deeper analysis of the impact of this extraordinary health emergency, three preliminary conclusions can be drawn.
Increased vulnerability of displaced people
First, many displaced people are particularly at risk during a health emergency, including in Europe. Globally, UNHCR and humanitarian responders have highlighted the risks to refugees in Syria and in neighbouring countries, in Bangladesh, Kenya and other areas where there are major displacement crises, with people living in camps and other informal settlements. In these circumstances, abiding by advice on hygiene, distancing and isolation to limit the spread of the virus is impossible, and access to healthcare is extremely limited, if available at all.
But the virus also both exposes and exacerbates the humanitarian consequences in Europe of policies here. In recent years, asylum and migration policy has been punitive and sometimes inhumane, leading to avoidable humanitarian emergencies across Europe and at its borders, including on the Greek islands, at the French coast, in Turkey, due to the huge number of people it is hosting, and elsewhere.
Even beyond these acute visible emergencies, as ECRE has documented, within Europe, refugees and migrants are more frequently held in detention and reduced to destitution, with limited access to healthcare. This means they are more exposed, more likely to catch the virus and more likely to have serious symptoms, up to and including dying from it. Other people have been left in legal limbo, without a legal status, pending or post asylum decisions, meaning that they cannot access social and economic rights (such as adequate housing and healthcare).
The tragedy is that these situations of limbo and destitution are often the consequences of deliberate policy choices, and in particular the belief in deterrents and eliminating mythical “pull factors”. These policies are highly risky and not just for the people themselves but for Europe too, given the difficulty of containing the virus when people live in such a precariousness.
Monitoring responses: Immediate negative and – surprisingly – positive consequences
Second, monitoring the responses of European countries’ responses which have an impact on asylum and migration, shows that there are negative and positive changes occurring.
On the negative side, ECRE has documented efforts to limit access to asylum, notably in Belgium, the Netherlands and Cyprus. In Greece, the virus is being used to justify new restrictive measures and proposals relating to the situation at its border, such as expanding detention, despite there being no public health grounds for linking the management of the virus and these proposals.
On the other hand, positive measures have included a form of regularisation through granting people a solid legal status pending asylum decisions in Portugal; an easing of detention measures in Spain, with unreturnable people let out of detention; a less punitive approach to undocumented persons seeking to access healthcare in Ireland; and policy decisions to suspend Dublin transfers in Germany, along with proposals to grant the right to work to those in the asylum process, also in Germany.
There is an acknowledgement of the value and potential contribution of refugees and migrants from some politicians, recognising the crucial jobs carried out by people of all backgrounds, from the highly skilled, such as doctors being fast-tracked to work in the clinical response to the virus, to the hidden army of people in essential but undervalued jobs, such as care work, cleaning and food production, where disproportionate numbers of people with a migration background are to be found.
These positive responses are to be welcomed – often they are sensible measures that should have been in place before – and ECRE urges other countries to follow suit. In addition, these initiatives need to be presented as or to be translated into permanent changes, for instance, via amnesties rather than temporary suspensions of negative measures (such as coercive Dublin transfers). Otherwise, people will find themselves with only temporary reprieve and an extension of the limbo in which they live. Second, some of these measures should serve as a catalyst for reasonable, long-overdue changes, such as expansion of employment rights for refugees or speeding up accreditation and recognition of training and qualifications granted outside Europe.
That the virus has drawn attention away from the politics of asylum and migration is also a two-sided coin: yes, attention needs to be focused on people in need but bad things tend to happen when these issues are at the top of the political agenda. It may be counter-intuitive but slowing down political and legal changes is not a problem when those changes tend to go in a bad direction. For example, taking more time on the planned EU Pact on asylum and migration is not ideal but neither is it fatal to the process. The value of the Pact – or the damage of the Pact – will depend on content not on timing.
The impact of this crisis on the EU could also hinder prospects for agreement among the Member States; the funding of the Pact, and the ability of the EU to manage a functional common asylum policy will all be affected by the virus. There is a risk of rising anti-EU sentiment – or of the opposite – of further conflict and tension among the Member States – or of the opposite – and of a delay in the agreement on the MFF, EU funding for the next seven years – or of a speeding up of the process.
It is simply too early to tell. What is clear, though, is that as much as possible work has to continue and the virus cannot be used to justify inaction in the face of violations or negligence. Before the virus became the only story in town, the situation at the EU-Turkey border was a major concern – it remains so. ECRE had just welcomed the Commission’s warning to Greece and unlawful actions cannot be allowed to continue due to the health emergency tying up time and attention.
A bad time for the “populists” – but they’ll be back
Third, in the short-term, the crisis has been bad for anti-migration populists. They have not gained much traction when trying to exploit the situation for anti-migration means. (Although, unfortunately, this could have been different had the virus originated in a different region of the world, rather than in Asia.) The crisis has demonstrated above all the need for calm and competent leaders, rather than unpredictable nutcases.
Complacency must be avoided though – it is certain that in the medium- and long-term “populists” of all stripes will try to exploit the situation. Politicians and institutions need to prepare now. Predictably, the Hungarian government has already responded to the crisis by further concentrating power in the hands of demagogic leader Viktor Orban; there are also less-publicised but alarming moves underway in Slovenia and in Poland.
The EU could demonstrate its value with a robust response to anti-democratic measures; the Commission, the Parliament and a group of Member States have spoken out about Hungary but need to follow through with all the legal, financial and political measures that have been under discussion but largely unused for the last five years. The EU won’t survive more countries following Hungary’s path and may not survive Orban in any case. This crisis, like Europe’s last one in 2015/16, demonstrates the value of civil society and its role in all aspects of emergency response, including in support to refugees and migrants, and including the particular role played by refugee- and migrant-led organisations. The EU would do well to preserve civil society and resist stealth attempts by anti-democratic forces to use the virus to further their unlawful and self-interested repression of civil society (and the erosion of the rule of law).
The wider risk of an increase in support for authoritarian, extremist-nationalist, anti-migration populist forces (whatever we want to call them), will only be mitigated through exceptional economic measures that extend far beyond asylum and migration policy. The situation of insecurity and economic downturn that is already emerging is a breeding ground offers for the spread of these forces, as all politicians and officials in Europe surely know by now. Their response must be courageous and far-reaching economic, social and ecological change, not petty restrictions and blaming of outsiders, or a disproportionate focus on people on the move. One element of this is rethinking security policy and a recalibration of security threats. Resources, attention, investment needs to be directed to real risks to people’s security – such as the risk of another round of Coronavirus – health emergencies, climate change, inequality – and away from a focus on preventing migration, futilely militarising borders in an already globalised world, and investing billions in anti-migration technologies (rather than in medical supplies or climate change adaptation, or humanitarian response). If nothing else, the current situation demonstrates the real security risks we face, including health emergencies rather than people trying to cross a border.
Editorial: Catherine Woollard, Director of the European Council on Refugees and Exiles (ECRE).
EUROPEAN DEVELOPMENTS
Med: IRINI Ships will Not Search but Rescue – Civilian Search and Rescue Vessel Back at Sea
While the main mandate of the EUNAVFOR Med IRINI operation is to uphold the UN arms embargo on Libya its ships will comply with their obligations under international law and rescue people at sea. Sea-Eye, an association for the rescue of fleeing people in the central Med, stated that its search and rescue vessel Alan Kurdi is off on its first mission in eight weeks after receiving green light to cast off from Spanish authorities on March 30.
Speaking on the mandate of the EUNAVFOR Med IRINI operation, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell underlined that: “These ships are not patrolling the sea looking for people to be rescued...” However, Borell went on to say: “Anyone in the sea has to be rescued. That is international law” and that: “there is an agreement among the Member States that will participate in the mission how to proceed, where to disembark and how to share the burden.” The IRINI mandate includes as secondary tasks capacity building and training of the so-called Libyan Coast Guard and Navy and to contribute to the disruption of the business model of human smuggling and trafficking networks. WatchTheMed Alarm Phone commented on those elements of the new operation: “Irini's operational area is much further east in order to avoid migrant boats. But as before it will support the so-called Libyan Coastguard in intercepting people fleeing from war.”
The question of potential rescue at sea on the Mediteranean and disembarkation caused some tension in the run up to the launch of the operation primarily established to ensure the UN arms embargo on war-torn Libya where the figting is escalating despite international calls for a truce to help contain the COVID-19 virus. Human Rights Watch warns of a Libyan health care and service system; “ battered by intermittent armed conflicts and political divisions since 2011” and incapable of coping with a severe outbreak of the virus. The organisation urges that: “migrants and asylum seekers detained solely because of their immigration status should be released,” along with other vulnerable detainees at risk in the notorious detention facilities in Libya.
The already limited civilian search and rescue capacity on the Mediterranean has been affected by the COVID-19 virus with no ships currently operating. However, German rescue ship ALAN KURDI operated by Sea-Eye has returned to the Mediteranean after eight weeks docked in Spain with repairs delayed by the virus.. The ship has reached international waters and the organisation expects it to reach the Libyan search and rescue zone over the weekend. Captain of ALAN KURDI, Bärbel Beuse stated: “Despite all the difficulties, my crew showed up, trained and is ready for action. How could we stay in port now when not a single rescue vessel is currently present? As human beings, it is our duty to do everything reasonable to save other people’s lives”. Further, the Sea-Watch 4, a rescue ship supported by 400 organisations under the United4Rescue initiative led by the Protestant Church in Germany is undergoing final preparation to conduct missions. The ship will be operated by the German NGO Sea-Watch.
WatchTheMed Alarm Phone has reported on March 31 of at least seven boat arrivals on the Canary Islands, carrying around 200 people, and the confirmed rescue of a boat in distress carrying 35 people. 237 people are reported dead on the Mediteranean in 2020 as of April 1. Italy, Greece, Spain, Cyprus and Malta have seen 15.858 arrivals in 2020 as of March 31.
For further information:
- ECRE, Med: EU Naval Arms Embargo Mission Jeopardised Over Migration Concerns, Cyprus Turns Away Syrian Nationals, March 2020
- ECRE, Med: Search and Rescue Operations Under Pressure from COVID-19, Interceptions and Return to Libya Continue, March 2020
- ECRE, Interview: WatchTheMed Alarm Phone: A Response for Rescue and a Call for Change,February 2020
- ECRE, Med: Death Toll Mounting, NGOs Rescue, Returns to Libya Continue,February 2020
- ECRE, Med: People Returned, Rescued and Gone Missing, 20 February 2020
- ECRE, Med: Disembarkations in Italy, Rescues by Malta, Court release NGO Vessel, 14 February 2020
- ECRE, Med: NGOs Rescue Almost 1000 people – Pull-backs to Libya continue, January 2020
- ECRE, Mediterranean: Rescue Operation and Hope for Sophia’s Ships, January 2020
- ECRE, Safe Ports in Italy for 237 People but 1000 Returned to Detention in Libya, January 2020
- ECRE, Appeal Court Clears Lifeline Captain of all Charges – NGOs Continue to Rescue, January 2020
- ECRE, Operation Sophia: Ships Remain Suspended while Support of Libyan ‘Coast Guard’ Continues, September 2019
- ECRE, Last Breath of Operation Sophia Should Push Coalition of the Willing, March 2019
- ECRE, A Contingency Plan for Disembarkation and Relocation, January 2019
- ECRE, Med: Deaths, Returns, Rescues and Hope for Justice, December 2019
- ECRE, EU Praise of Libyan Coast Guard out of Touch with Reality, September 2020
 
NATIONAL DEVELOPMENTS
Hungary: Parliament Approves indefinite Rule by Decree Despite Widespread Protests
Despite an intense international and national outcry the Hungarian Parliament with a two third majority on March 30 approved Bill T/9790 extending indefinitely the Covid-19 Protection Act allowing Prime Minister Viktor Orban to rule by decree, effectively with no political oversight.
Beyond granting Prime Minister Orban the right to rule by decree it also provides new tools to suppress media and public, the Hungarian Helsinki Committee states: “the law creates two new crimes. Anyone who publicizes false or distorted facts that interfere with the “successful protection” of the public – or that alarm or agitate that public – could be punished by up to five years in prison. Anyone who interferes with the operation of a quarantine or isolation order could also face a prison sentence of up to five years, a punishment that increases to eight years if anyone dies as a result.”
Countless international actors and institutions including the Commissioner for human rights of the Council of Europe, Council of Europe Secretary General, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), the European Parliament Committee on Civil Liberties have expressed deep concern about the Hungarian measures. At national level civil society has warned of the consequences of a rule by decree and 100,000 people have joined online protests.
The Hungarian Helsinki Committee stated after the vote: “Calls to enact clearly necessary constitutional guarantees (a sunset clause, well-defined mandate, easy access to and a short time-limit for in-merit decisions of the Constitutional Court) were ignored, although these would have made the government’s proposal acceptable for the political opposition and international stakeholders. This is a missed opportunity when in the current COVID-19 crisis the Hungarian government stresses the importance of national unity. It is also difficult to understand why the government did not make any reasonable compromises if, as it claims, it has no intentions to exploit the unlimited mandate given by the law.”
For further information:
- ECRE, Hungary: Proposed Law to Extend the State of Emergency Indefinitely, March 2020
- AIDA, Country Report Hungary, 2019 Update, March 2020
- ECRE, Shots Fired, Arrests and Violent Push Back Reported at the Serbian Hungarian Border, January 2020
- ECRE, Hungary: Commission Takes Next Step Regarding Non-provision of Food in Transit Zones, October 2019
- ECRE, ECtHR: Freedom of the Press to Report on the Living Conditions in Reception Centres, October 2019
- ECRE, Hungary: Government Extends the “State of Crisis due to Mass Migration”, September 2019
- AIDA, Hungary: New police department takes over responsibility for asylum, 19 June 2019
- ECRE, Hungarian Helsinki Committee Update Reveals Continued Violations in Transit Zones, April 2019
- ECRE, Hungary Gives Afghan Families ‘an Offer You Can’t Refuse’, May 2019
- ECRE, Hungary: Constitutional Court fails to give sufficient protection to people and organisations working to protect the rights of asylum seekers, March 2019
- HHC/ECRE, Crossing a Red Line: How EU Countries Undermine the Right to Liberty by Expanding the Use of Detention of Asylum Seekers upon Entry, 8 February 2019
- ECRE, Editorial: Any opposition is too much for Orbán, 1 June 2018
Portugal: COVID-19 Measure – Services Ensured for People with Pending Applications for Asylum or Regularisation
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.
For further information:
AIDA, 2018 Update: Portugal, April 2019
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.
Alongside these developments, the Civil Registry and Migration Department ceased issuing residence permits for family members regardless if they qualify individually as refugees, leaving family members, including underage children, without status and full access to rights. Moreover, family reunification procedures in 2019 became exceptionally cumbersome with the Civil Registry and Migration Department requesting all applicants, including refugees who applied within three months of receiving refugee status and refugees who had already received a positive decision on the family reunification request, to provide evidence that they have stable and regular resources which are sufficient to maintain the refugee and family members without recourse to the social assistance system of the Republic.
Lastly, a shift in the provision of health care services in Cyprus to a National Health System has left many asylum seekers and medical staff confused about asylum seekers’ rights to health care. In various instances across Cyprus, persons were denied access to treatment in the hospital, appointments were cancelled and access to particular medicine was restricted.
Please note that this report has been written prior to the outbreak of COVID-19. Subsequently measures have been taken that affect access to the asylum procedure for newly arrived asylum seekers. These measures only figure briefly throughout the AIDA report. However, an overview can be found at the start of the section ‘Overview of the main changes since the previous report update’.
*This information was first published by AIDA managed by ECRE.
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: France is still failing to meet its obligation to provide accommodation to all asylum seekers as less than 50% of asylum seekers were accommodated at the end of 2019. Due to the lack of places, several informal camps are still present as of early 2020, despite many dismantlement operations by the authorities. Other restrictive measures impacting the access to reception conditions is the heavily criticised introduction of a 3 months residence requirement before asylum seekers can benefit from the universal healthcare insurance (PUMA), as well as the fact that the credit card on which the financial allowance is being provided to asylum seekers can no longer be used for withdrawing cash.
Detention: In 2019, the maximum length of detention has been extended from 45 to 90 days. As a result, tensions and violence in detention centres are increasing. Several issues regarding detention conditons have been reported throughout the year, including by the European committee for the prevention of torture (CPT) in its recent report on detention conditions in the context of immigration in France published in March 2020.
Covid-19 measures: Following the Covid-19 outbreak at the beginning of 2020, measures have been taken to limit access to the asylum procedure for newly arrived asylum seekers. These measures do not figure throughout the country report, but a brief overview can be found at the start of the section ‘Overview of the main changes since the previous report update’.
*This information was first published by AIDA managed by ECRE.
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.
In January 2019 the State Secretary of Justice introduced a new policy regarding the registration procedure. At the start of the registration procedure every asylum seeker has to complete an extensive form and an (extensive) interview. The first interview at the start of the asylum procedure has become a so-called verification interview. Changes in the procedure of subsequent applications also occurred. As of 1 July 2019 a new procedure regarding lodging and assessing subsequent asylum applications is applicable. Asylum seekers have to submit a fully completed form. The IND will not continue to examine the subsequent application if the asylum seeker lacks providing (sufficient) relevant information to the opinion of the IND. Another adjustment is that an interview will not always take place when assessing a subsequent asylum application.
At the same time the reform of free legal assistance is still ongoing. Previous years the Dutch administration announced that free legal assistance at first instance would be limited to the moment when an asylum seeker has to submit his or her views against the IND written intention to reject the application. As a result, the applicant will not be able to discuss his or her case before the start of the actual asylum procedure. To implement this measure, the Decree on Legal Aid Fees has to be amended. The Secretary of Justice has announced that a proposal to adjust the Decree is currently being prepared.
Please note that this report has been written prior to the outbreak of COVID-19 in the Netherlands. Subsequently measures have been taken to limit access to the asylum procedure for newly arrived asylum seekers. These measures do not figure throughout the AIDA report. However, a brief overview can be found at the start of the section ‘Overview of the main changes since the previous report update’.
For the latest update on COVID-19 related measures consult the Dutch Immigration and Naturalisation Service.
*This information was first published by AIDA managed by ECRE.
REPORTS & NGO ACTIONS
ECRE – PICUM Policy Note: Partnership in practice – including civil society in EU funded actions for the inclusion of migrants and refugees
In the framework of its partnership with PICUM on EU funding for inclusion, ECRE published the Policy Note: Partnership in practice: including civil society in EU funded actions for the inclusion of migrants and refugees.
The partnership principle is a key feature of the ‘European added value’ in the EU funds which entails the involvement of stakeholders, in the preparation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the funded actions. Such involvement should include civil society actors, social partners, local authorities, international organisations and the organisations representing beneficiaries, as - in the case of the European Social Fund + (ESF+) and the Asylum Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) – migrant and refugee-led organisations.
Despite a formal obligation, the partnership principle is very unevenly applied across different funds and member states. Different practices are often due to differences in national culture of public administration management, but also the lack of time and existing bureaucratic mechanisms discourages administrations from engaging with NGOs. As programming of EU funds for the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) (2021 – 2027) is currently taking place in member states, the upcoming t months represent an important window of opportunity for advocating for a better participation of NGOs in this process.
To ensure a full and comprehensive implementation of the partnership principle, NGOs need to be included from the beginning in the programming: open consultations should be held on the need of integration at the national level monitoring committees should include organisations working in the field and representatives of migrants and refugees communities and capacity building should be offered to stakeholders to promote their engagement. Delays, meeting cancellations and difficulties in coordinating participative processes due to the current COVID-19 health crisis should make national administrations develop creative mechanisms for stakeholders’ engagement, and not act as a pretext for lowering NGO participation in this process.
The Policy Note explores the implementation of the partnership principle in EU funds, with a clear focus on AMIF and ESF+, the main instruments responsible for financing integration initiatives. The paper points out the need to promote and replicate good practices in partnership and concludes by listing a number of recommendations to secure the engagement of civil society, both at the national and EU level, within the management of ESF+ and AMIF but also other funds employed for migrant and refugee’s inclusion.
For further information:
- ECRE, MFF Resources for Asylum and Migration Risk Sharp Reduction in the Negotiating Process, March 2020
- EPAM, The Future of the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund: Our Call for More Humane, Transparent and Effective Resources for Asylum and Migration in the Union, November 2019
- ECRE – PICUM, Policy Paper: Promoting Socio-economic Inclusion of Migrants and Refugees in the next EU Budget (2021 – 2027), February 2019
- ECRE – UNHCR, The way forward: a comprehensive study on the new proposals for EU funds on asylum, migration and integration, October 2018
- ECRE- PICUM, Comments on the proposal for a regulation of the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) COM(2018) 382, October 2018
- ECRE Comments on the European Commission Proposal on The Asylum and Migration Fund (Amf) COM(2018) 471, September 2018
RECENT REPORTS
- Council of Europe and Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA): Fundamental rights of refugees, asylum applicants and migrants at the European borders, March 2020
- Council of Europe anti-torture Committee: report on France, March 2020
- European Union Agency for fundamental Rights (FRA): Children in migration in 2019, March 2020
- TRAFIG Working Paper No. 3, Governing protracted displacement.An analysis across global, regional and domestic contexts, March 2020
- Council of Europe, GENDER-BASED ASYLUM CLAIMS AND NON-REFOULEMENT: ARTICLES 60 AND 61 OF THE ISTANBUL CONVENTION, March 2020
- SB OverSeas the Refugee Journal Issue No. 3, How education changes lives: A magazine with creations by refugees, March 2020
- SB OverSeas Report, Not Just A School: The case for prioritising the educational space for refugee support in Lebanon, February 2020
FEATURED CAMPAIGNS AND JOINT STATEMENTS
Leaving no one behind in the coronavirus crisis: ENAR calls for system change now to achieve real equality.
Greece: Urgently protect refugees from COVID-19. Amnesty. While the world is facing the crisis of COVID-19 pandemic, the risks for refugees in the Greek islands are multiplying by the hour.
URGENT CALL TO ACTION: Refugee Rights Europe. EU Member States Should Commit to the Emergency Relocation of Unaccompanied Children from the Greek Islands.
Displaced Syrians in Lebanon facing COVID-19 Updates on the situation in Shatila, Saida and Arsal in Lebanon, March 2020
Covid-19: AN OPPORTUNITY TO IMPROVE OUR WELFARE SYSTEMS. Caritas Europe. Caritas Europa is pleased to see the speed at which the European Union mobilises funding in support of both direct public health and indirect immediate humanitarian consequences of the pandemic.
Protect the most vulnerable to ensure protection for everyone! Restore legality to protect refugees and the society at large amidst the pandemic’ Open letter signed by 121 Organizations.
Appeal from European doctors: bring refugees on the Greek islands to safety. Doctors in Europe call on the leaders of our governments and of the European Union to bring refugees in Greek camps to safety immediately.
Greece: Move Asylum Seekers, Migrants to Safety. Joint statement. Immediate Hotspot Decongestion Needed to Address COVID-19
Sea-Watch calls on EU Commission: Send decommissioned cruise ships to evacuate camps in Greece. While the Corona crisis is keeping Europe in suspense, the suffering of those seeking international protection and the humanitarian disaster at Europe’s borders are fading into the background.
Urgent Appeal For The Evacuation Of The Greek Refugee Camps. Joint petition. We urge the immediate evacuation of the refugee camps and hotspots on the Greek islands to avert a catastrophe amidst the coronavirus pandemic.
Greece: Rights violations against asylum seekers at Turkey-Greece border must stop – UN Special Rapporteur. OHCHR. Greece must take immediate action to end the violence against migrants and asylum seekers at the Turkey-Greece border and enhance their protection
Protect our laws and humanity! Joint Statement. The undersigned organisations are deeply concerned about recent developments at the Evros border and the Aegean islands where people are stranded at the borders of Europe, instrumentalized for political purposes, and subject to violations of their rights.
Statement by Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, on the COVID-19 crisis UNHCR. wars and persecution have not stopped – and today, across the globe, people are continuing to flee their homes in search of safety. I am increasingly worried by measures adopted by some countries that could block altogether the right to seek asylum.
COVID-19: No one is safe until All are protected! Open Letter from the Transbalkan Solidarity Group. Currently there are tens of thousands of refugees and other migrants in the Balkans.
Our community is as healthy as all of its members. NGO Press Release on the human rights of migrants in the current epidemic. It is appalling to hear Government talk of non-Maltese nationals without acknowledging their humanity and – in many cases – their vulnerability.
We need Physical distances Not Social Distance! Urgent statement New Women Connectors. At this point social solidarity is one of the most important aspects of our reactions to hashtag#covid19outbreak.
Stand Together to Beat Coronavirus. Global Citizen website. It's time to take action — by taking steps to change our own behaviour, call on governments to step up, and encourage donations, we can protect ourselves and others.
COVID-19 does not discriminate; nor should our response. OHCHR. As the world confronts the COVID-19 pandemic, the United Nations Network on Migration salutes the immense efforts to date to combat this crisis and urges that all – including migrants regardless of migratory status – are included in efforts to mitigate and roll back this illness's impact.
#LeaveNoOneBehind: In view of the great challenge we face, many signs of solidarity are needed. Petty-mindedness or egoism will not lead us the way. The corona virus will especially hit those who already have difficulties.
Stay Calm, Stay Human ECRE Statement on the Situation at the Greek Turkish Border. ECRE is highly concerned about the political developments emanating from last week’s events in Idlib, Syria and urges calm and measured response, focused on accepting refugees and sharing responsibility across Europe.
Hungary : Parliament should not pass COVID-19 permanent emergency powers Bill. ICJ calls on the Parliament of Hungary not to approve a Government bill that would extend indefinitely the emergency powers of the executive to counter the Covid-19 pandemic.
EP stands up for democracy in Hungary during COVID-19. The Civil Liberties Committee highlights that any extraordinary measure adopted by the Hungarian government in response to the pandemic must respect the EU’s founding values.
UNLIMITED POWER IS NOT THE PANACEA HHC: Assessment of the proposed law to extend the state of emergency in Hungary and its constitutional preconditions.
Our international solidarity campaign – Free the El Hiblu Three! Passengers of the El Hiblu 1, sea-rescue organisations, international lawyers, researchers, activists, human rights organisations in Malta and beyond have come together to call for the immediate dismissal of the trial. Instead of being prosecuted, the El Hiblu Three should be celebrated for preventing an illegal push-back to Libya.
#GrowYourCommunity: We all want to live in a community where people accept us the way we are. We want to be free to pursue our religion and be open about our sexual orientation. #GrowYourCommunity is a video series that explores the concept of inclusion and caring communities.
Choose Respect: Together We Can Tackle Anti-Migrant Hate Speech. Hate speech against migrants and refugees is all too common, both online and in the real world. But it isn’t always easy to know how to react effectively – and it’s even harder to respond in a way which changes attitudes.
#FairLassen …: For independent legal assistance in the asylum process. Against isolation. The Austrian legal reform of May 2019 jeopardises dignified asylum procedures in line with European law. We demand the provision of independent legal assistance, dignified reception conditions and integration instead of isolation for people seeking protection in Austria.
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