ECRE Weekly Bulletin. El Boletín Semanal de ECRE ofrece información sobre los últimos acontecimientos europeos en el área de asilo.   Publicación desde  12.01.2007 en este enlace se recogen solamente los Boletines a partir del 1 de enero de 2017 hasta el 31 de diciembre de 2018.

Latest issues:

• 14/12/2018. Asylum: Reducing Rights by Stealth. Italy: Vulnerable Dublin Returnees at Risk of Destitution. The Right to Lodge an Asylum Application: M.A. AND OTHERS v. LITHUANIA. Belgium: Barriers to Registration of Asylum Applications. Melilla and Madrid: Inadequacies and Delays in Spain’s Asylum Procedure. Stansted 15: Non-violent Activists Found Guilty of Terrorism. ECRE Policy Paper: Bilateral Agreements: Implementing or Bypassing the Dublin Regulation?. Adoption of the Global Compact on Migration. Australia Accused of Crimes Against Humanity, Lower House Adjourned Early.
• 30/11/2018. Children in Migration: Collateral Damage?. The Struggle Continues for Civilian Search and Rescue in the Med. Germany Decides Syria Unsafe for Returns, Reports of Chemical Attacks and Air Strikes in Aleppo. “To Dublin or not to Dublin?” ECRE publishes policy note on policy choices and the Dublin system. ECRE publishes comments on the Commission Proposal for a Recast Return Directive. RSC Report: Refugees as Providers of Protection and Assistance. New Reports Highlight Threat of Anti- Migration Agenda to Civil Society.
• 23/11/2018. Italy: Crack Down on Civilian SAR Operations while Operation Sophia’s Future Uncertain and Abuse Continues in Libya. Austria: Social Welfare Restrictions on Refugees Contrary to EU Law. Unprecedented Suspension of UN- Hungary Visit as Detention Experts are Denied Access Sweden: Inquiry on Reception System Reform Tests “Arrival Centres” and “Departure Centres”. ECRE publishes comments on the Commission Proposal for a Regulation on the European Border and Coast Guard. UNHCR and ECRE publish New Report on Asylum Migration & Integration Fund (AMIF). ECRE published Policy Note on EU’s role in implementing Global Compact on Refugees.
• 16/11/2018. Onwards and Upwards. Refugee-led Organisations Need a Place at the Table, Rather than Being Forced to Rely on the Crumbs. Sweden: Suspension of Family Reunification Breaches Family Unity and Best Interests of the Child. UK: NHS to Pull out of Data- Sharing Agreement with Home Office. Bulgaria Given Formal Notice to Comply with EU Rules on Asylum. Salvini Decree Approved by Italian Senate, Amid Citizen’s Protests and Institutional Criticism. Detainees Evacuated out of Libya but Resettlement Capacity Remains Inadequate. Trump Announces Potentially Unlawful Asylum Restrictions While Deploying More Than 5000 Troops to Border.
• 02/11/2018. The Ostrich approach to migration. Mediterranean: Over 100,000 Arrivals Recorded so far in 2018, almost 2000 Dead or Missing. Clashes at Croatian-Bosnian Border. UK Home Office Under Pressure; Presence in Interviews and Forced DNA Testing. ECRE and PICUM position on the proposal for a regulation of the European Social Fund + 2021-2027. Inaccurate Statistics Hold Back Uganda’s Progressive Refugee Policy. Sri Lanka: Support Offered for Voluntary Returnees, Political Situation in Flux.
• 26/10/2018. EU Africa Relations: Tone Down the ’Newness’ and Revisit History; Change Policy, We Need to Change the Narrative that Feeds It. Morocco Plans to Deport Migrants Arrested at the Spanish Border amid Wider Restriction of Immigration Policy. Swedish Activist Indicted for Blocking Deportation Flight amid Wave of Violence in Afghanistan. Turkey: Constitutional Court Pilot Judgment on Protection from Refoulement. France: 2 Years After the Demolition of ‘The Jungle’, Camp Clearances Continue. Portugal/ Greece: Bilateral Agreement for Relocation of Asylum Seekers. Central American Migrants Flee Persecution and Economic Crisis, Despite Warning from the US. Nauru: As Refugees Endure a “Humanitarian Emergency”, the Political Stalemate Continues.
• 12/10/2018. CEAS reform: Stranded at the European shores?. Search and Rescue ship to operate off the Libyan coast under Italian flag; France: Tensions reach boiling point in crowded detention centres. Greece: Increase in arrivals and continuing strain on reception. UK: Court finds detention of asylum seekers to be unlawful, opening the way for damages claims Access to protection in Europe: Border controls and entry into the territory; Access to protection in Europe: The registration of asylum applications. Cameroon: Thousands flee, country awaits election results. India: Deportation of Rohingya a potential violation of international law.
• 05/10/2018. Taking the migration debate beyond gender clichés. A‘zero sum’ game at a Price: the Dublin system in the first half of 2018. Germany tackles labour shortages with new immigration law. UK: Non-violent activists face life sentences for ‘terrorist offences’.Update of the EU Asylum, Borders and External Cooperation on Migration: Recent Developments. Europe: Save Mediterranean Rescue Ship, Aquarius Has Saved Thousands of Lives.New immigration policy set to restrict US immigrants from using public benefits, or risk residency eligibility. 34 refugees die waiting more than 24 hours as ships sinks off the coast of Morocco.
• 28/09/2018. Volunteers on Trial. Criminalising Sea Rescue. Italy: Latest immigration decree drops protection standards. Hungary: Hungarian Helsinki Committee and Open Society Foundation file complaint against Hungary over legislation that criminalises support for refugees. Ireland: Asylum seekers left without accommodation. Spain: Unaccompanied child refugees forced to sleep in police stations as no spaces in reception centres. ECRE Comments: On the European Commission Proposal on the Asylum and Migration Fund (AMF). Australia: Court orders evacuation of family from Nauru over health concerns.
• 21/09/2018. Egypt plays the migration game. Italy and Austria look to ‘solve’ disembarkation crisis by processing migrants at sea. Greek government attempts to tackle overcrowding in Moria, as local and international organisations condemn appalling conditions. UK Home Office to offer leave to Calais children, but critics warn move is ‘arbitrary and unfair’. Committee for the Prevention of Torture on Hungary: Persisting ill-treatment during ‘push-backs’. Survey: majority of Europeans welcome refugees but are critical of EU’s handling of situation. Pakistan: Imran Khan’s proposal to give refugees citizenship is still far from certain. Aid with Dignity: An interview with Refugee Support Europe. “Today Asylum lawyers are advocates, mentors, innovators and gamblers”: Interview with Amanda Taylor Senior EDAL Coordinator and acting head of ECRE Legal Support and Litigation.
• 14/09/2018. Hungary: Let’s capitalise on the European Parliament’s decisión. European Commission releases proposal to recast Return Directive. UN rules against expulsion of victim of torture from Switzerland to Italy. UN to dispatch teams to Italy and Austria, due to increased anti-migrant violence. France: Asylum and immigration reform codifies stricter conditions. Netherlands: Processing times increase length of asylum procedures. Spain: Undocumented immigrants regain the right to health. Turkey: UNHCR ends registration of non-Syrian asylum seekers. Slovenia: Access to Asylum Compromised in Returns to Croatia. Policy Note: Taking Liberties – Detention and Asylum Law Reform. ICC rules in favour of investigating crimes against humanity in Myanmar. It’s a 2- player- game: Table tennis as a means to integration
• 07/09/2018. European Parliament Elections 2019: Nine suggestions for countering the far right. The Child Refugee and the ‘Jungle’ Camps of Calais; EU Parliament to vote on sanctions on Hungary; Greece urged to increase transfers as refugees held in dangerously overcrowded camps. Portugal: Persisting detention of children at the airport, Spain: Reopening the Tarajal case to investigate the ‘death’ of 14 migrants. UNHCR: Desperate Journeys. Refugees and migrants arriving in Europe and at Europe’s borders. Afghan capital not safe for return, according to UNHCR’s newest guidelines. UNHCR declares Libya unsafe for returns, amid increased violence in the capital. “Strategic communication is about consistency, coherence and authenticity”: Interview with ECRE Senior Communication Coordinator Villads Zahle.
• 31/08/2018. Bridges over troubled water? An agreement on disembarkation. Germany: Measures restricting “church asylum” contradict case law. UK: Dramatic cuts in integration. 116 expulsions in 24 hours by the new Spanish Socialist Government. Austria plans to scrap asylum seeker apprenticeships. Greece arrests three people for allegedly assisting migrant entry. UNHCR: 4 million refugee children without access to school. “ECRE seeks to represent a civil society that has something to say over having to say something…” Interview with Senior AIDA Coordinator Minos Mouzourakis.
•  24/08/2018. The World Cup showcases the importance of football for refugees. At sea and in the port – search and rescue ships continue to be stuck in limbo. “Too straight” Afghan man denied asylum in Austria, for not fitting into homosexual stereotypes. Demonstrators protest against Belgium’s detention of children. Cyprus: Legislative reforms bring changes to asylum procedure. Hungary: Immigration and Asylum Office seems to have given up its starvation tactic. Home Office deportations putting children at risk of trafficking. ECRE Policy Note: Voluntary Departure and Return: Between a Rock and a Hard Place. ECRE Policy Paper: Asylum at the European Council 2018: Outsourcing or Reform?. Australia overrides court decision, authorises offshore detention. Increasing restrictions and violence against Venezuelans in neighbouring countries. Interview: British refugee camps: a forgotten heritage of current relev2ance.
• 13/07/2018.Towards a place of no return. More talking, less saving, still drowning. France: Court decision is a triumph for solidarity. Italy: Ministry Circular urges restriction of humanitarian protection status. Ireland: New reception rules following opt-in to EU Directive. Spain: Supreme Court condemns government for failure to meet relocation target. United Kingdom: Government brings back legal aid for unaccompanied and separated children. AIDA briefing: Withdrawal of reception conditions of asylum seekers. Rohingya won’t return to Myanmar any time soon, according to UN Special Rapporteur
• 06/07/2018. Austria: When good countries go bad. Forgotten at the gates of Europe. Safety-net torn apart. Emergency assistance to Spain and Greece to deal with insufficient reception conditions. German coalition envisages “transit processes” at land borders but details remain unclear. Italy pushes ahead with “Salvini Plan” to bolster Libyan Coast Guard in fight against “illegal migration”. Malta intensifies crackdown on rescuing organisations, while deaths in the Mediterranean are on the rise. France: Immigration detention increase continues. Romania: Living conditions in reception centres a persisting concern. Syria: Offensive in Deraa displaces hundreds of thousands while neighbouring countries seal their borders.
• 29/06/2018. The Story of the Summit: European solutions not EU solutions. Protecting migrants – value of life and respect of the dead. European Council: regional disembarkation platforms a key objective. Persisting migration impasse in Germany leads to Austrian border protection exercise. Lifeline rescue ship allowed to dock in Malta after almost a week stranded at sea. Global resettlement needs on the rise, while opportunities declines. Algeria: growing number of migrants expelled into the Sahara desert to face death by exposure.
• 22/06/2018. Lost in Externalization Fantasyland. Mrkel negotiating CEAS amid government coalition melt-down; Hungarian Parliament adopts bills to criminalize assistance of migrants. Italy: Search and rescue dispute progresses amid mass deaths in the Med. Legal Note on Ageing Out and Family Reunification. Forced displacement at record high of 68.5 million, UNHCR Global Trends report reveals. USA: Separation of migrant children at the Mexican border sparks furore.  
• 15/06/2018. Counter-actions speak louder than words. The myth and demise of ‘sanctuary’ in the UK. Disembarkation debacle: A political hot potato – with lives at stake. The Belgian Council of Alien Law Litigation rejects suspension of Dublin transfer of an asylum seeker to Greece. Switzerland: Asylum ordinances amended in last round of asylum reform. ECRE Comments on the reform of the Migration Statistics Regulation. UN Security Council places sanctions on human traffickers in Libya. USA: Attorney General rules out domestic and gang violence as grounds for asylum. Interview: Clean Plate Society – Food for thought.  
• 08/06/2018. Asylum in Europe: Where do we go now?. Officials push for information exchange on arrivals at Western Balkan meeting. Triple tragedy – excessive death in the Mediterranean. France: government continues to clear migrant camps in Paris. Seeking refuge from the hotspots: asylum seekers required to return to Moria despite concerns. Italy: harsh rhetoric continues, now with a ministerial mandate. ECRE mission report: access to asylum and detention at France’s borders. Spain: report on immigration detention in 2017. UNHCR and UNDP sign MoU with Myanmar to repatriate Rohingya refugees.
• 01/06/2018. Any opposition is too much for Orbán. Deterrents turned detention. The impact of EU migration measures on migrants in Libya. European Commission adopts first series of legislative programmes in 2021-2027 budget. Increase in number of missing migrant children possibly trafficked into UK. Greece: CPT slams inhuman detention conditions at the border. Spanish authorities rescue hundreds, Ombudsman calls for access to asylum in detention. Return continues to Afghanistan in crisis. France: Acceleration of asylum procedure tested in Guiana.
• 25/05/2018. All eyes on Italy. European Court of Auditors briefing highlights key challenges to EU integration policy. Bolstering borders in the Balkans. Investigation of the tragic shooting of a Kurdish toddler in Belgium amid protests. Greece takes another legal step to lower asylum seeker guarantees to implement the EU-Turkey deal. AIDA Briefing: Relocation, a view from destination countries. ECRE Policy notes: The Price of Rights. Spain and Algeria agree on joint migration crackdown, while at Algeria’s southern border deported migrants perish in the desert. Interview: Hate Hurts - visualising violence.
• 18/05/2018. Sexual orientation, gender identity and asylum in the UK: is ‘discretion’ ever a choice?. EU-Western Balkans Summit concludes with afocus on stemming migration. Commission Progress Report reflects a Europe in continued crisis mode. Cyprus: Asylum seekers face increasing risks of destitution. Ireland launches new call for applications for Family Reunification programme. Effects of new Bosnian route being felt in Slovenia. Romania: Improvements to integration in planned reform. Case against Italy before the European Court of Human Rights will raise issue of cooperation with Libyan Coast Guard. New report details mistreatment of asylum seekers during UK removal flight. Libya: evacuations to Niger resumed – returns from Niger begun.
• 04/05/2018. European Commission published proposal for the EU’s next multi-annual Budget. Position paper from Southern Member States on Dublin reform. Ireland adopts new list of safe countries of origin. Court of Justice of the EU rules on scope of subsidiary protection for torture victims. Victims of trafficking slip through the net in Hungarian transit zones. UN High Level visit to Myanmar shines spotlight on plight of the Rohingya. Syria’s property decree met with international criticism.
• 27/04/2018. Europe’s support for Syria starts at home. Italy’s Supreme Court rejects appeal against the seizure of NGO rescue vessel the Iuventa. France: Controversial Immigration law has passed through first round in the Parliament. Concern as rising numbers cross from Turkey to Greece via Evros. Greece: Government Defies Court on Asylum Seekers. Germany increases repatriation efforts for rejected Iraqi asylum seekers. Donor pledges fall short of target at Brussel’s II Syria Conference. Total of Afghans deported from Turkey to reach 10,000.
• 20/04/2018. Valuing Europe: the European Values Instrument advances. Moria 35 – Trial at the Gates of Fortress Europe. With a pledge from Germany, EU on track to reach resettlement target. Top Greek Court annuls island restriction for new asylum seekers. Proactiva rescue ship released, crew members remain under investigation. Copenhagen Declaration: controversial reform agenda came to a soft landing. Mounting evidence of crimes against migrants in Yemen.
• 13/04/2018. Hungary: Focus on the demagogue not the scapegoats. Increase of asylum applications from Venezuelans in the EU, but Latin American neighbours host the vast majority. Germany: Further restrictions and political differences on family reunification. Serbia: new act on asylum and temporary protection adopted. Switzerland: 3200 Eritrean nationals facing possible deportation; Asylum seekers in the UK being deprived of the right to study. Asylum systems in 2017: AIDA Comparative Report. Boundaries of Liberty: AIDA Comparative Report. Push for transfers at any cost – the Dublin system in 2017: AIDA Comparative Report. Turkey responds to increasing arrivals of Afghans with mass deportation. Arrivals in Bosnia- underfunded, under pressure but understanding.
• 06/04/2018. Raid at NGO on the French-Italian border puts France and Italy at odds. UN urges French government to provide for basic needs of migrants and asylum seekers in Northern France. Greece: Spike in arrivals accompanied by legislative and funding developments. AIDA 2017 Update: Germany. AIDA 2017 Update: Ireland. IT systems for data collection poses a risk for people in need of protection. Deal no deal–total confusion on Israeli deportation plans.
• 30/03/2018. Tactics, compromises and solutions. OP-ED. Situation for asylum seekers in Paris remains critical despite promises. Actions brought against Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic for failing to fulfill relocation obligations. AIDA 2017 Update Turke. AIDA 2017 Update: Greece. AIDA 2017 Update Sweden. AIDA 2017 Update Belgium and the Netherlands. Human Rights Watch report: push backs of Syrian refugees by Turkey. Algeria: mass deportations of African migrants. Israel: the government delays plans for mass deportations of African asylum seekers amid mounting pressure.
• 23/03/2018. Reclaiming security from migration. New Statelessness Index reveals protection gaps across Europe and points to a better approach to tackling statelessness. European Commission presents proposal to reform EU Visa Policy as leverage to ensure return of irregular migrants. General Court of the European Union rules in favor of complainant on public access to trilogue negotiation documents. United Kingdom: Landmark trial as anti-deportation activists face terrorism charges. AIDA 2017 Update Italy: obstacles in accessing asylum procedures and lack of reception capacity. NGO rescue boat is held by Italian authorities after refusing to cooperate with Libyan coastguard. Free Movement - inclusion on wheels.
• 16/03/2018. Deconstructing the deal behind the statement. How a Syrian man, living in Cyprus got caught up in Hungary’s anti-terror laws. Austrian Presidency: to focus on external borders rather than internal solidarity. France: a sharp rise in rates of child detention is cause for concern. “Considerable failings” in safety and respect at UK detention centre. Lack of access to the asylum procedure from 2009 to 2012 in Greece violated the applicant’s fundamental rights. AIDA 2017 Update Slovenia: increasing delays in asylum procedures. AIDA 2017 Update Spain: doubling of arrivals and lengthy procedures and automatic detention. Civil society extends to the sea, search and rescue NGO’s in the Mediterranean.
• 09/03/2018. Push backs and police violence on the rise at Croatian border, report finds. Germany: Government report on “deteriorating” security situation in Afghanistan. Afghan child challenges UK Home Secretary in court over ‘Dubs Amendment’. AIDA 2017 Update Austria: abolition of appeals, restrictions on residency and extended detention. AIDA 2017 Update Romania: increasing number of sea arrivals - collective expulsions at land border. AIDA 2017 Update UK: revised age assessment procedures, vulnerability criteria for transfers of children and broadened criteria to determine vulnerable detainees. Libya: return operations running but slow resettlement is jeopardizing the evacuation scheme.
• 02/03/2018. Only one thing is certain in Italian elections – migrants will not win. The French Asylum Bill: a deeply unbalanced proposal. Push backs and human rights violations at Bulgarian and Greek borders with Turkey. Norway: strengthening enforced returns despite sizable decline in applications for international protection. Special Representative on Migration and Refugees calls for solidarity and respect for human rights in his first activity report. AIDA 2017 Update: serious problems with asylum procedures, reception conditions and detention in Cyprus. AIDA 2017 Update: push backs and improper detention conditions in Poland. Israeli government to appeal ruling on asylum for Eritrean deserter while implementing first step of mass deportation plan. ew funding for Sahel confirms link between development efforts, security and migration control. Libya: migrants and refugees out by plane and in by boat. Church Asylum in Germany – A glimmer of hope before dubious ‘Dublin-transfers’.
• 23/02/2018. With or Without You, Solidarity. Questionable ‘expert’ opinion increasingly influential in rejections of Afghan asylum seekers risking deportation in Austria. Migrant control in the Western Balkans - EU borders on the move. Greek government disregards UNHCR reports of sexual violence in Greek island camps. Global outcry against attack on civil society in Hungary. Humanitarian Corridors for vulnerable refugees to Italy opening. European Ombudsman: lack of transparency regarding EU Member States’ positions during negotiations amount to maladministration. AIDA 2017 Update: Push backs, deflection and deterrence a persisting pattern in Hungary, Serbia and Bulgaria. AIDA 2017 Update: Malta; AIDA 2017 Update: Challenging access and strict Dublin procedures in France and Switzerland.
• 09/02/2018. Danish ‘left’ takes it a step further than European far right. Ireland: Asylum seekers face long periods in inadequate living conditions as waiting times reach crisis point. Netherlands: Plans to curtail legal aid to asylum seekers. Four years after tragedy, NGOs still call for proper investigation and the end of push backs in Spanish enclaves. Refugee destitution, a by-product of UK policy. Global Compact on Refugees: positive vision lacking concrete engagement. European countries continue to have difficulties in identifying and protecting victims of human trafficking. Italy strengthens engagement in controversial migrant management initiatives in Libya. 
• 02/02/2018. Hungary’s crack down on civil society requires urgent action. The Bamberg model and transit camp system in Germany. Shortages in reception systems expose unaccompanied children to harmful conditions in Italy and Greece. Solidarity among Member States – a numbers game. Important decision in the alpine northern border region of Italy: Minors not to be left in the cold. The Afghan paradox – chaos and violence but safe for returns from Europe. Broad Humanitarian response in Libya – return operations for vulnerable migrants running resettlement efforts remain modest.
• 26/01/2018. French Ombudsman urges government to revoke circular of administrative controls in emergency housing centers. Ireland: implementation of Reception Conditions Directive leaves asylum seekers without effective access to employment. ECtHR ruling gives legitimacy to conditions in hotspot and detention under EU Turkey Statement. NGOs concerned. CJEU ruling: psychological test to determine asylum seekers’ sexual orientation amounts to disproportionate interference of private life. Follow the Money -a critical analysis of the implementation of the EU Asylum, Migration & Integration Fund (AMIF). Bangladesh/ Myanmar: Premature repatriation postponed. UN demands unhindered access to Rakhine state. New faces on the ECRE Board.
• 19/01/2018. Political fragmentation bolsters extremism - to fight it we must get our hands dirty. Asylum statistics 2017: Shifting patterns, persisting disparities. Croatian government denounces civil society organisations and migrants as credible sources in response to MP. New Agreement over Border Control in Calais. Germany: proposals to uphold suspension of family reunifications despite drop in potential applicants. Scotland leads the way on refugee integration. Switzerland: Landmark ruling on the right of appeal against Dublin transfers brings court in line with CJEU. Spain: Sea arrivals met with automatic detention and barriers to legal assistance. 
• 12/01/2018. Do you want to receive this or other newsletters from ECRE? You can subscribe following this link. To the Bulgarian Presidency: EU global punch needs inner solidarity. Cooperation with Morocco in the EU’s African Border – a laboratory of externalization. Mediterranean Sea 2017: Arrivals in Europe decrease, old routes are increasingly active and journeys remain deadly. Francken gate – an illustrative example of risks in returning migrants at any cost. Greece: suspension of protection grant after first-ever government appeal against positive asylum decisión. Serbia extradites Kurdish activist to Turkey despite UN Request to stall. ECRE policy note: Making Asylum Numbers Count – Gaps and Reform Needs in the Area of Asylum Statistics.
• 15/12/2017. Tusk’s intervention on mandatory relocation: unexpected, unwelcome and unproductive. Israel’s plan to deport Eritreans and Sudanese to Rwanda is a wake-up call for Europeans. Transfer of asylum seekers from hotspots to mainland continues in Greece amid tensions between local and national authorities culminating this week. ECtHR ruling reflects harsh detention conditions for asylum seekers in Bulgaria. EASO strengthens efforts to harmonize country of origin reports. Report: sexual violence against Syrian men and boys remains unaddressed. The reality of legal employment to refugees in Turkey: lack of access and discrimination. In cold print: Europe guilty of complicity in human rights violation in Libya. Window dressing –on the parliamentary vote in favour of a temporary halt to forced returns of a group of unaccompanied minors in Norway
• 08/12/2017. What can the Global Compact for Refugees do for Europe & what can Europe do for the GCR?. OP-ED: Let children be children – a moral obligation and an investment in our future. European Commission moves forward with key asylum-related infringement procedures. Pragmatism over ‘courage’ in 2018? Commission presents roadmap on migration and asylum. French Parliament debates bill for stricter detention of asylum seekers under Dublin procedures. Strong reactions to atrocities in Libyan quagmire – emergency measures fall short of addressing fundamental issues. Asylum procedure based on nationality rather than on merit-he situation of Pakistani asylum applicants under the EU Turkey Deal.
• 01/12/2017. Not all roads lead to Libya. Externalizing brutality to Libya is not an answer to displacement. CEAS reform process: State of play of negotiation on Dublin IV Regulation and the Reception Conditions Directive. Germany’s return hyper ‘efficiency’. Timeline of governmental attacks against civil society organisations in Hungary shows intensification of crackdown. AIDA Country Report: Portugal. ECRE: European return policies – getting the numbers no matter the cost. Mediterranean still the busiest and deadliest gate to Europe. The Media Representation of Refugees and Migrants in Europe.
• 24/11/2017. Are Europeans turning against asylum seekers and refugees?. EU Hotspot approach: the ‘corner stone of EU support to Italy and Greece’ still struggling two years on. EU externalisation efforts set the scene for escalation of rights violations by Libyan and Turkish Coast Guard. UK Home Office response to asylum accommodation report fails to address critical findings from the Parliament. ECRE/ELENA Legal Note on Access to Legal Aid in Europe. Trust Fund for Africa: focus on short-term EU policies jeopardizes long-term development goals of African partners. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights confirms EU’s complicity of inhuman situation of migrants in Libya.
• 17/11/2017. Do you want to receive this or other newsletters from ECRE? You can subscribe following this link. Are Europeans turning against asylum seekers and refugees?. EU Hotspot approach: the ‘corner stone of EU support to Italy and Greece’ still struggling two years on. EU externalisation efforts set the scene for escalation of rights violations by Libyan and Turkish Coast Guard. UK Home Office response to asylum accommodation report fails to address critical findings from the Parliament. Legal Note on Access to Legal Aid in Europe. Trust Fund for Africa: focus on short-term EU policies jeopardizes long-term development goals of African partners. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights confirms EU’s complicity of inhuman situation of migrants in Libya.
• 10/11/2017. More “Safe” Third Country Concept: less safe world. Obstacles to accessing international protection and restriction of rights of asylum seekers in the Spanish enclaves in Africa. France introduces new law formalizing state of emergency measures of extended border control. Belgium adopts asylum reform and announces further restrictive plans. Greece: Court curtails detention in the context of the EU-Turkey deal. New policy trend: doubtful practice of deportations based on informal bilateral agreements. Remaining Manus Island detention centre inmates caught between a rock and a hard place. A new peak in the long development of Austria’s restrictive Alien Law, but we will resist.
• 27/10/2017.  The EU at a crossroad: reform and solidarity or isolationism and chaos. OP-ED. WINTER HAS ARRIVED: thousands left at its mercy in Greece’s hot-spots - OP-ed by Efi Latsoudi (Lesvos) Natassa Strachini (Chios) Staff members of Refugee Support Aegean (RSA). RSA is the implementing partner of the Foundation PRO ASYL in Greece. Council conclusion confirms cooperation on migrant control with Libya but leaves out human rights concern. Greek Appeals Committees tighten the criterion of sufficient connection to safe third country. CJEU: applicants can rely on the expiry of the six-month period to challenge a transfer under the Dublin III Regulation. One year after Calais camp dismantlement: 70 per cent of its asylum seekers confirmed in need for protection. Asylum seekers from violence ridden Somalia face asylum lottery in Europe. 
• 13/10/2017. Progressively compromised: left parties on refugee rights. Migration control top priority at Member State level - substantial growth of EU Agency Frontex. Germany: conservative bloc introduces controversial cap on access for people in need of protection. UK detention policy on victims of torture unlawful, High Court rules. MSF report discloses violence by EU border authorities along Balkan route. The scene is set for yet another predicable winter tragedy and continued blame game in Greece. One step forward and two steps back for unaccompanied minors from Calais. Thousands of migrants caught up in intense fighting in Sabratha.
• 06/10/2017. Multiculturalism is not an imposed utopian ideology it is a mundane fact – also in Hungary. Greek Council of State dismisses all complaints on fast track border procedure and declares Turkey ‘safe third country’ based on doubtful documentation. Conditions on Greek islands remain critical, as arrivals continue. Immediate return of migrants from the Spanish enclave of Melilla to Morocco violated the European Convention on Human Rights. Refugees Rights Data Project findings: Current response to the situation in Ventimiglia by Italy and France disregards human rights. Interview with Abdul Ghafoor, Afghanistan Migrants Advice & Support Organisation on one year Joint Way Forward between EU & Afghanistan
• 29/09/2017. Success of the European Agenda on Migration should not be judged by reduction of arrivals; EU Commission’s mid-term review of the 2015 European Agenda on Migration: more focus on EU resettlement, legal migration and return; France: Court decisions on Dublin detention contrast with government reform plans; The dismantling of the Hungarian asylum system in the past two years; 21 Million Euro invested in removing blind spots along the border fence of Ceuta. Council of Europe report maps age assessment practice and procedures across Europe. While atrocities continue regional actors leave Bangladesh with the responsibility for Rohingya refugees. New York Declaration one year on: Responsibilities not yet shared - Interview with Aspasia Papadopoulou Senior Policy Officer for ECRE.
• 22/09/2017. Brussels spring – a momentum to seize. Belgian cooperation with Al – Bashir regime to effect return sets new dubious standard in “migration management”. Germany restarts unsustainable deportations to unstable Afghanistan. Administrative Court of Wiesbaden: BAMF must comply with timeframe to transfer applicants from Greece to Germany. The other Greek island: Squalid conditions and arbitrary deportation in Crete. IOM Report Fatal Journeys Vol 3: data on death and disappearances documents human cost of migrant control. UN Security Council report: Grave concern over situation of migrants in Libya -send back to hell?. Criminalization of flight after arrival - a publicity game for Italian authorities? An interview with Judith Gleitze, borderline-europe (sicily) and Lucia Borghi, borderline Sicilia Onus.
• 15/09/2017. Solidarity speaks louder than sugary words. EU migration cooperation with third countries: More harm than good?.Romania witnesses increase in sea arrivals through the Black Sea. Abusive practices in UK detention centres – G4S and Home Office under fire. IOM-UNICEF Report: 77% of young people crossing the Mediterranean have experienced abuse and exploitation. On the unfolding situation of refugees, asylum seekers and migrants sleeping rough in the streets of Brussels - Interview with Jolien Potemans, Policy Officer at the Flemish Refugee Action who has been on location several times.
• 08/09/2017. Europe-Africa summit in Paris, new AIDA comparative reports and Italy deepens cooperation with Libya amid human rights concerns. Paris mini-summit: Much ado about nothing? Or a cause for concern?; Relocation: a test of European solidarity we cannot afford to fail; Italy further strengthens cooperation with Libya amid human rights concerns; The ’cornerstone’ of CEAS continues to operate in opacity
  Vulnerability in European asylum procedures: new AIDA comparative report. Predictable crisis in Myanmar: EU blind on one eye?
• 14/07/2017. People who escape war and persecution abroad, badly let down in Britain-OP-ed by Stephen Hale, Chief Executive of Refugee Action. Proposed code of conduct for Search and Rescue putting lives at risk. France: Proposals to reform for reception and rapid integration. UK to include vulnerable groups and mixed families in Syrian resettlement programme. Human rights organisations: Poland violates international law by blocking entry of asylum seekers from Belarus. Database interoperability should not come at cost of human rights, cautions FRA. G20: Launch of Africa Partnership and supporting protection in "regions of origin".
• 07/07/2017. New EU plans on Central Mediterranean route, UK Upper Tribunal: Returns to Libya unsafe & GER: Temporary suspension of asylum procedures for Afghans.  EU plans on Central Mediterranean route: old wine in new bottles; European Parliament expands and strengthens EU highly skilled work scheme for refugees and asylum seekers; UK Upper Tribunal: return to Libya is unsafe due to high level of indiscriminate violence; 1200 Asylum-seekers still sleeping rough on the streets of Paris; Germany: Temporary suspension of asylum procedure for Afghan nationals. New updates on the refugee hotspots in Italy and Greece. Human Rights Watch report raises concerns about the rights of asylum seekers in Serbia. Why inclusion rather than integration? - Interview with ECRE Policy Officer on Refugee Inclusion.
• 30/06/2017. When institutions & gov’s fail, people step up, administrative detention in France and Morocco accepts Syrians stranded at its border. It’s the quality that matters. On the representation of refugees in the media, OP-ed by Francesca Pierigh from refugeesreporting.eu. Calais: Administrative court holds that conditions for migrants must be improved, but finds no legal obligation to open reception centre. Proposed reform reducing asylum standards in Belgium to minimum requirements. Greece: Strasbourg Court halts return of rejected asylum seeker to Turkey. France: Detention still a primary instrument of migration control. Pro-Asyl and Refugee Support Aegean: rights of beneficiaries of international protection in Greece only on paper. Uganda: Solidarity Summit on Refugees 2017. Morocco takes in Syrian asylum-seeking families stuck at its Algerian border
• 22/06/2017. Are european politicians bowing to a phantom. European Council Conclusions on the CEAS reform: Wrong signal at the wrong time, OP-ed by Kris Pollet, ECRE Senior Legal & Policy Officer. ECRE is recruiting a Media and Communications Intern; Commission praises progress under EU Partnership Framework - human rights organisations raise concern. Fourth report on the operationalisation of the European Border and Coast Guard: Towards deployment of Frontex in third countries and more returns. AIDA Briefing: The expansion of detention of asylum seekers. Australia settles trial by offering 70 million Australian dollars as compensation to refugees. Global displacement crisis seen from Europe: Interview with ECRE Secretary General, Catherine Woollard.
• 16/06/2017. European refugee response – emergency measures or new normal?.This is not a war - the need for demilitarisation of migration, OP-ed by Yves Niyiragira, Executive Director of Fahamu. European Commission launches infringement procedure against Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland. Potential expansion of Eurodac scope raises data protection concerns. Alleged push-backs of Turkish nationals at Greek-Turkish land border raise strong concerns over access to asylum in Greece. Hungarian parliament adopts law aimed at silencing civil society. Retention zone maintained at French-Italian border. Switzerland: Federal Administrative Court suspends a Dublin transfer to Hungary- UN report: Libyan Coast Guard directly. Libya: migrants’ "Hell on Earth" - Interview with Izza Leghtas, Senior Advocate for Europe, Refugee International. 
• 26/05/2017. From host country to deportation country - latest reform in Germany. Austria: Movement restrictions and detention ahead of EU reform. Switzerland: Federal Court condemns Dublin detention of Afghan family. Italy: Hungary unsafe country for transferring asylum seekers under Dublin Regulation. UNICEF and Hungarian Helsinki Committee release reports on children in migration. Fundamental Rights Agency: Report on access to education for migrant children. Syrians at the Algerian-Moroccan border still stranded
• 19/05/2017. Towards a new evaluation if nothing changes, OP-ed by Pierre Henry, Director of France Terre d’Asil; Commission follows up on Hungary infringement procedure. Regional governments in Italy to provide additional capacity for detention of 1.600 people. UK: Home Office unlawfully relied on outdated guidance on Albania. The future of refugees in the Manus Island detention centre remains unclear. AIDA Briefing: Accelerated, prioritised and fast-track asylum procedure in Europe. Frontex Consultative Forum publishes annual report on fundamental rights. 
• 12/05/2017. Niels Rohleder: Danish chairmanship of the Council of Europe to weaken the European Convention on Human Rights. Central Med: Mounting number of drownings amid sparking debate on civilian search and rescue operations. European Commission recommends ending temporary internal border controls before the end of the year. Greece/ Germany: Cap on transfers under Dublin family provisions. Greece denies voluntary return incentive to asylum seekers appealing negative decisions. Hungary leaves negotiations with EU Commission and prepares for legal battle. Deportation gateway: Germany to build homes for returned unaccompanied migrant children in Morocco. Turkey: 2016 asylum statistics in DGMM annual report.
• 05/05/2017. Frontex 2.0.: Deploying armed European Border Guards on the "Balkan Route"; Denmark: Refugee Appeals Board suspends transfers to Hungary; Council of Europe calls for improved funding for migrants and refugees. ECCHR asks for Ombudsman to inquire into EASO’s role at Greek hotspots. Report: trend of rejections based on classified security reasons in Croatia. Human Rights Watch report: LGBT asylum seekers facing abuse and harassment in Ceuta. Obstacles to accessing the asylum procedure on the French-Italian border. Report recommends measure to end arbitrary detention of stateless people in Europe. Accusations, rescue operations and drownings: What happens in the Med? - Interview with Ruben Neugebauer spokesperson of Sea-Watch e.V.
• 28/04/2017.  Conditions in hotspots are chilling (Respuesta de la UE a la crisis de los refugiados: el enfoque de «puntos críticos). European Parliament LIBE Committee votes to improve the Reception Conditions Directive. One step forward and two steps back for legal security in the UK. Report highlights massive problems for refugee children in Calais - UK to re-open Dubs scheme for 130. Bulgarian Helsinki Committee report reveals problems in Status Determination Procedure. FRA reports that migrant child protection is still grave concern. Refugees have their backs against the Turkey-Syria border wall: First phase of construction finalized.
• 14/04/2017. Commission report reveals downscaled ambition on relocation. Building fortress Italia by introducing "a wall of laws"?. Grande-Synthe camp blaze a reminder of access to asylum barriers in France; Germany follows UNHCR call for suspension of Dublin transfer to Hungary. New report documents wide-spread abuse of migrants along the Western Balkan route. New report adds to concern on European deportations to Afghanistan. Deteriorating security situation in South Sudan: more than 6,000 flee into Uganda
• 07/04/2017. Weekly Editorial: Hungary: Enough is Enough. European countries step up returns to Afghanistan. Italy: Developing Europe’s most elaborate system for protecting refugee children. Asylum Lottery" made in Germany. France opens its first humanitarian corridor to Syrian and Iraqi refugees: ECtHR: Greece failed to protect migrant workers labour exploitation. AIDA comparative report on Europe’s two-tier protection regime and its effect on the rights of beneficiaries. AIDA Update: Greece 2016.
• 24/03/2017. Editorial: Extremism. The far right wolf or the mainstream pet?. EU-Libya: Another step towards "increased harm and suffering"?. Austria transfers vulnerable family to Bulgaria against UN Human Rights Committee request. UK maintains low level of financial support for asylum seekers living in poverty-. CJEU: in the absence of a clear definition of "risk of absconding," detentions on this ground are unlawful. The Dublin system and its dysfunctions: the human faces. Airstrike kills 42 off the Coast of Yemen
• 17/03/2017. Cavidan Soykan:The EU-Turkey Deal One Year On: The Rise of Walls of Shame...; No change in deeply dysfunctional Dublin system, AIDA figures reveal. Hungary approves controversial law allowing automatic detention of asylum seekers. Refugees in the UK, returned after five years?. ECRE Report: How. CJEU judgments and the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights have influenced national asylum policies. AIDA 2016 Update: Sweden; AIDA 2016 Update: Ireland; AIDA 2016 Update: Germany.
• 10/03/2017. OP-ED. Poland: Draft amendment to the law on protection of foreigner- another step to seal Europe’s border, OP-ed by Polish Helsinki Committee. Further restrictions on rights in Austria’s asylum reform streak. EU General Court has no jurisdiction to hear action for annulment of EU-Turkey Deal. EU Court leaves the granting of humanitarian visas with Member States. AIDA 2016 Update: The Netherlands
  AIDA 2016 Update: Croatia; AIDA 2016 Update: Cyprus; Lack of safe and legal routes results in ever more deadly journeys.
• 03/03/2017. EU eyeing up Tunisia for next migration deal?. Germany continues contested collective deportations to Afghanistan amid proposed reform to foster returns. UK Home Office Guidelines: Afghan gay asylum-seekers expected to conceal their sexual orientation to avoid persecution when sent back. ECtHR ruling in support of complaints from unaccompanied refugee children in Italy. AIDA reports on Italy, Malta and Spain - Southern borders a laboratory for deflection policies. Updated AIDA Country Report: United Kingdom. Updated AIDA Country Report: Poland. ECRE interviews Elona Bokshi on joint efforts to enhance protection of migrant children in Europe.
• 24.02.2017.  German-French CEAS proposal to further lower of protection standards, establishment of pre-removal centres on Greek islands & new AIDA reports. French-German proposal for Common European Asylum System (CEAS) and returns reduces protection to minimum. New detention centres at the external EU borders. New Court of Justice of EU ruling increases human rights protection for asylum seekers in Dublin system. AIDA 2016 Update: Austria. AIDA 2016 Update: Belgium. GUE/ NGL report: High Human Rights costs of EU-Sudanese cooperation on migration control and support of appeal against Italian returns to Sudan in front of ECtHR.
• 17.02.2017. Hungarian gov proposes detention of all asylum seekers, Rights violations at French-Italian border & concerns over EU travel document .
• 10.02.2017. EU’s not so-merry-go-round:Dublin, EU & Italy: steps towards joint migration control with Libya and AIDA report on Bulgaria: changing for the worse
• 27.01.2017.  Wilful denial: ignoring consequences of outsourcing protection,Push backs to Serbia, OP-ed:ProAsyl on summary deportations from Germany to Afghanistan. Summary deportations of Afghans in Germany continue - a question of life and death, OP-ed by Karl Kopp. UK Detained Fast-Track system denied asylum seekers justice for ten years. Pushed back to Serbia in winter: 1,600 cases of alleged push-backs in last two months. Italian NGOs raise concerns over conditions in Cone reception centre and government reform plans to tackle reception Problems Holand, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovenia: Pushed back at the door.
• 20.01.2017.  National asylum statistics 2016, OP-ed by Slovenian legal-informational centre for NGOs (PIC) & new ECRE Policy Note on the proposed EU Asylum Agency. Slovenian amendments threaten to close borders for refugees - OP-ed by Slovenian legal-informational centre for NGOs; Hungary to increase detention of asylum-seekers and crack down on NGOs; Austria: Proposals to restrict humanitarian visas and family reunification; Asylum Information Database: Asylum statistics in 2016 - sharper inequalities and persisting Asylum lottery; ECRE Policy Note: Agent of protection? Shaping the EU Asylum Agency; ECRE Policy Note: Chartering a way to protection- The EU Charter of Fundamental Rights - An indispensable instrument in the field of Asylum; France: NGO’s concerned about police conduct towards migrants. 
• 13.01.2017. Italy to introduce large-scale use of detention, Germany plans to end Dublin waiver for Greece & 85 Spanish NGOs demand clarification on push backs. Malta prioritises migration as it takes over Presidency of the Council of the EU;  Italy: security checks by Irish police blocks relocation of refugees. Germany: suspension of Dublin procedures to Greece set to end on 15 March 2017. Italy: large-scale expansion of detention centres for tougher migration control. Ireland: new International Protection Act commenced - A single procedure and restricted family reunification. Coalition of 85 Spanish NGOs demand clarification of potential push backs of over thousand people at Spanish-Moroccan border.

 Informes anteriores:

• Boletín Semanal de ECRE 2011-2016.

Más publicaciones del ECRE (European Council on Refugees and Exiles): 

• Guidelines on the treatment of Chechen internally displaced persons (IDPs), asylum seekers and refugees in Europe.

Más datos sobre bibliografia (monografias y artículos):

• Revistas: títulos y enlaces.
• Cuaderno de Bibliografia.