ECRE Weekly Bulletin. Boletín Semanal de ECRE: 2024. Publicación desde 12.01.2007 en este enlace se recogen solamente los Boletines a partir del 1 de enero de 2024 hasta el 19 de diciembre de 2024.

Latest issues:

• 19/12/2024. The European Commission (EC) is planning to increase the support it provides to EU member states to counter the instrumentalisation of people trying to cross the EU’s eastern border irregularly. An NGO report has revealed that Polish authorities have been using violence to push people who try to cross the country’s eastern border back to Belarus and denying them access to asylum procedures. The EC has decided that the measures that the Hungarian government proposed to take to address concerns raised about the rule of law in the country are insufficient to enable it to release the EU funding that has been blocked since December 2022. Three NGOs have urged the Finnish government to open the crossing points on the country’s border with Russia and to enable people to access the asylum system. Three NGOs have accused Greek authorities of continuing to subject people held in pre-removal detention centres (PRDCs) to conditions which could amount to “torture or inhuman and degrading treatment”. An NGO report has revealed that the number of child arrivals in Greece more than doubled in 2024 and that the children involved have reported “alarming conditions” in refugee camps. Greek authorities have reported a 53% increase in the number of arrests for people smuggling in 2024 compared to the previous year. The Council of Europe has criticised the conditions in pre-removal detention centres (CPRs) in Italy and authorities’ “widespread” administering of unprescribed psychotropic drugs to people held in them. Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has announced that its Geo Barents rescue vessel had ceased operations due to the difficulties it faced in conducting search and rescue (SAR) activities “under current Italian laws and policies”. The Italian Senate has adopted a new law which NGOs fear could further criminalise the provision of assistance to people in distress at sea.
• 05/12/2024. Do’s and really just Don’ts on Asylum and Migration. There has been an “unprecedented increase” in the number of irregular arrivals on the Canary Islands in 2024. People are continuing to try to reach the Canary Islands from northwest Africa despite the huge risks involved in trying to make the crossing. The Spanish government has announced a migration reform that will regularise approximately 300,000 migrants each year for the next three years. GREECE: Authorities in Greece have been accused of yet another maritime pushback. A journalistic investigation has revealed that the Greek authorities were aware that the nine people who they imprisoned for almost a year on charges relating to one of the Mediterranean’s deadliest shipwreck were not members of a human trafficking network. The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has expressed its concerns about the number of people who have died in the Aegean Sea whilst attempting to reach Greece. The UN Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children, has raised concerns about the failures in the identification and protection of victims and potential victims of trafficking in the closed control access centre on Samos. There have been protests in a number of refugee camps in Greece due to a critical lack of interpreters, and a group of NGOs have written an open letter to the Greek authorities on the issue. IRELAND: The number of protection applicants without accommodation has surpassed 3,000 and the situation has been exacerbated by the end of the government’s cold weather initiative. A new NGO report has revealed the “harrowing conditions” experienced by volunteers who help homeless protection applicants. The number of applications for international protection was almost halved between May and October 2024. UK: Most of the people who have been stranded on the remote Indian Ocean island of Diego Garcia for more than three years have finally been relocated to the UK. The government has signed a joint statement with Iraq, as part of its efforts to tackle the people-smuggling gangs that are responsible for small boat crossings in the Channel. More than 20,000 people have arrived in the UK by crossing the Channel in small boats since the government took office in July 2024. France has warned of a “showdown” with Britain over the issue of small boat crossings in the Channel if a “legal” route for people to reach the UK is not established. Government documents and testimonies disclosed in the High Court have revealed further evidence of the “brutal and inhumane” conditions experienced by the asylum applicants who went through the Manston processing centre in 2022. The final asylum applicants who were being housed on the controversial Bibby Stockholm barge have left the vessel. 
• 28/11/2024. Egypt is on the verge of ratifying a controversial new asylum law. The European Ombudsman has found maladministration in the European Commission’s handling of documents relating to the EU-Tunisia agreement. Several civil society activists who support people on the move have been taken into custody as part of an “anti-terrorism” investigation in Tunisia. All of the people who have spent the past six months trapped in the buffer zone that divides the north and south of the island of Cyprus have finally been allowed to enter the Republic of Cyprus. A new NGO report has revealed yet more evidence of pushbacks and abuse against people on the move in Greece. Italy has removed most of the staff from its migration centres in Albania. A court in Malta has announced that its decision about the country’s jurisdiction to prosecute the El Hiblu 3 will be delivered in January 2025. AIDA Temporary Protection Compilation on 2023. 
• 14/11/2024. Hearings of Commissioners-designate 2024. The UK has signed agreements with Kosovo, North Macedonia and Serbia as part of its efforts to tackle people-smuggling gangs. Officials have cast doubts over the government’s efforts to dismantle the people-smuggling gangs that are responsible for many of the small boat crossings in the Channel. A group asylum applicants who have been stranded on the remote Indian Ocean island of Diego Garcia for more than three years have finally been given permission to travel to the UK. AIDA Country Report on Ukraine. Comments Paper: Regulation establishing a Common Procedure for International Protection in the EU. 
• 07/11/2024. Egypt is planning to start registering refugees itself instead of relying on the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR). An EU-funded search and rescue centre in Libya is reportedly set to become fully operational following years of delays. The European Ombudsman has revealed that the European Commission withheld the findings of the human rights inquiry that it conducted prior to signing its migration deal with Tunisia. There was been widespread condemnation of Israel’s decision to ban the UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) from operating within its borders and occupied East Jerusalem. The Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights has urged Cyprus to allow the people who are currently stuck in the buffer zone to seek asylum in the country. Italy is planning to resume the transfer of people rescued in international waters in the Mediterranean Sea to its migration centres in Albania despite the legal difficulties that arose following the first attempt. A court in Greece has found a man from Somalia not guilty of people smuggling while he was still a minor.  
• 24/10/2024. Does the Rome court’s refusal to validate the detention order of the first asylum seekers brought to Albania mark the end of the Italy-Albania deal?. The Spanish government has asked the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) to try to secure permission to patrol the coasts of several West African countries in order to support the latter’s own migration management efforts. The European Commission has announced that it will allocate € 30 million to discourage people in Senegal from attempting to travel to Europe. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has expressed his “total rejection” of the establishment of migrant detention centres outside the EU as his government finalises draft legislation aimed at regularising the status of hundreds of thousands of people living in an irregular situation in the country. The Portuguese government has announced its willingness to welcome people to Portugal but only under strict conditions. More than 230 people, including 13 women and 58 children, have been rescued from a single boat in the Canary Islands. The number of irregular border crossings into the EU via the Balkan route decreased significantly in the first nine months of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023. An NGO has accused the Croatian border police of burning the personal belongings of people who have tried to enter the country irregularly from Bosnia and Herzegovina. An ECRE member organisation has appealed to authorities in Serbia to open reception centres for people on the move in the country before the onset of winter. The leaders of Hungary, Serbia and Slovakia have criticised EU asylum and migration policies, and called for greater ‘regional co-operation’ to address irregular migration into Europe. ECRE member organisation the Hungarian Helsinki Committee has been awarded the 2024 Paul Weis Prize in recognition of its commitment to human rights, the rule of law and refugees. A decision by the Civil Court of Rome has led to uncertainty regarding the future of the recently opened Italian migration centres in Albania. The European Court of Human Rights has again criticised Malta’s treatment of vulnerable children and lack of effective remedies. A group of 60 people remain trapped in the buffer zone that divides Cyprus. Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides has called for a normalisation of relations with Syria. A trio of NGOs has called on the Greek government to reform its registration system for people seeking asylum in the country.
• 17/10/2024. The number of irregular crossings into the EU via the eastern borders increased significantly in the first nine months of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023. The Finnish government has proposed to tighten its rules governing detention and entry bans. The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has ruled against Hungary in three more cases related to its transit zones. The Polish government has adopted a new migration strategy that includes a ‘temporary’ suspension of asylum rights. A new investigative report has revealed the EU’s indirect involvement in forced deportations from Türkiye to Syria and Afghanistan. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has called for the development of ‘return hubs’ in advance of an upcoming migration-related discussion in the European Council. A leaked Council document has suggested that neither Egypt nor Tunisia are interested in reaching agreements with the EU on migration whereas relations with Libya are developing ‘positively’. More than 60 NGOs have called for an end of EU co-operation with Tunisia due to the latter not being a safe place for the disembarkation for people rescued in the Mediterranean. More than 310,000 people are estimated to have fled Lebanon and sought refuge in Syria after the recent escalation of the Israel-Lebanon conflict. The two Italian migration centres in Albania have finally opened and received their first intake of people seeking asylum. A recent ruling by the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) may provide encouragement to the people who are stuck in the buffer zone in Cyprus, according to the applicants’ lawyer. The ECtHR has ruled that Greece violated the human rights of seven accompanied minors who had been living in a refugee camp on the island of Samos. Working Paper 21 – The EU-Mauritania Partnership: Whose Priorities?
• 10/10/2024. Irony Overload: Turning against the Pact. ATLANTIC ROUTE and SPAIN. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has announced that he will ask the European Commission to bring forward the implementation of the recently adopted EU Pact on Migration and Asylum from 2026 to 2025. A major political row is developing over Spain’s response to the situation regarding irregular arrivals on the Canary Islands. European Commission Vice-President Margaritis Schinas has travelled to the Canary Islands as the EU agrees to provide € 14 million to facilitate the reception of arrivals in the region. Nine people have died and more than 48 are missing after a boat capsized off the island of El Hierro. Fishermen have found the bodies of 30 people in a boat that was adrift off the coast of Senegal. Netherlands: The Netherlands is one of two main proponents of a call by 17 European countries for the EU to speed up the return of irregular migrants to their countries of origin. Minister of Asylum and Migration Marjolein Faber reportedly wants to install warning signs that read “We are working on your return here” in asylum centres in the Netherlands and to reduce the duration of residency permits for refugees from five to two years. A political agreement has been reached on a law that is intended to ensure the distribution of people seeking asylum across all municipalities in the Netherlands. Norway. Norway is considering following Finland’s lead in building a fence along its border with Russia. The government has announced that it will no longer grant automatic asylum to all refugees from Ukraine. A group of NGOs have expressed their concerns about proposed changes to the immigration regulations on the deportation of parents with children.
• 04/10/2024. The Tallinn Migration Centre is organising a two-day conference and fair in the Estonian capital for residents with a migrant background. The Council of Europe (CoE) Commissioner for Human Rights has urged Finland to strengthen the protection of Roma and people who want to claim asylum in the country, and recommended that authorities ‘reconsider’ the country’s new migration law. The Prime Minister of Hungary has repeated his earlier threat to transport people who enter Hungary irregularly to Belgium. Prosecutors in Latvia have requested an 18-month sentence for a human rights activist who is on trial for helping people to enter the country irregularly. An NGO is suing the President of Poland over comments that he made in 2023 about a film that depicted the situation on the Poland-Belarus border. The CoE Commissioner for Human Rights has urged Poland to respect its international human rights obligations on its border with Belarus. Mediterranean. The Greek government is planning to build a new fence on the country’s border with Türkiye and a new report by the Border Violence Monitoring Network has condemned the ongoing ‘lack of transparency’ regarding the use of surveillance technology on the borders with Türkiye and Bulgaria. An investigation has been launched into the suspicious death of a Pakistani man in an Athens police station. The Italian government is planning to take a tougher approach to civilian search and rescue operations, including the imposition of fines of up to €10,000 for rule breakers while Doctors Without Borders’ Geo Barents rescue vessel has been detained yet again. Students and NGO representatives have joined survivors and the families of victims to commemorate the Lampedusa shipwreck that occurred on 3 October 2013. Framce. The new government has vowed to take a tougher approach to migration, with a focus on overhauling the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum and the Schengen Agreement. Plans to abolish the state medical aid (AME) for undocumented people have provoked strong reactions from former health ministers and NGOs. A new report by Amnesty International has highlighted the discrimination that migrant women in France face at the hands of the police when they try to report abuse. AIDA Country Report on Malta – 2023 Update.
• 27/09/2024. An investigation by the Guardian newspaper has revealed that EU funding has been used to support security forces that are accused of widespread abuse against people on the move in Tunisia. A leaked internal report from the European External Action Service has revealed that the EU is concerned about the damaging impact of the EU-Tunisia Memorandum of Understanding on its credibility due to the democratic repression and human rights abuses that are taking place in its partner country. A new report by the European Court of Auditors has criticised the use of the EU Trust Fund for Africa in Libya. A group of NGOs has issued a joint statement to denounce forced returns undertaken by Spanish and Moroccan forces on the border between Morocco and the Spanish exclave of Ceuta. Italy: More than 1,200 people arrived in Italy irregularly on 21-22 September but the overall number in 2024 is significantly lower than the previous year. Albania Prime Minister Edi Rama has reminded EU leaders that the Italy-Albania Protocol is a one-off and that his government would not be signing similar agreements with other countries. Prosecutors in Palermo (Sicily) have requested a six-year jail term for Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini for his role in preventing an NGO rescue vessel from docking in Italy in August 2019. A new security decree which could have a negative impact for people seeking asylum in Italy has been adopted by the Chamber of Deputies. A campaign to change Italy’s citizenship law has gathered the 500,000 signatures it requires to trigger a referendum on the issue. Netherlands: The government has announced its intention to introduce the strictest asylum policy in the Netherlands’ history and has requested an opt-out from the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum. The government has announced that it will end housing payments for people whose asylum applications have been rejected by 1 January 2025. A demonstration has taken place in protest against the government’s stated intention to declare an “asylum crisis” for up to two years. An ongoing capacity issue in the Ter Apel asylum reception centre has resulted in the opening of emergency accommodation and a number of people being forced to sleep in the open air.
• 13/09/2024. Balkan Route: The European Union Coast Guard and Border Agency (Frontex) has reported a major decrease in the number of irregular border crossings along the Balkan Route. At least 12 people have died while trying to cross the Drina river that forms part of the border between Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) as human rights activists and humanitarians report an increase in the number of dangerous crossings. Frontex officers who have been deployed on Bulgaria’s border with Türkiye have reportedly been intimidated into silence on abuse against migrants committed by Bulgarian border guards. Croatian President Zoran Milanović has described immigration as the biggest challenge facing his country while a senior Bosnian official has described immigrants as a “threat to security”. Human rights organisations in Serbia have criticised the government’s closure of three migrant reception centres close to the country’s borders with Bulgaria, Croatia and Romania. Authorities in Slovenia have reported a slight decrease in the number of irregular arrivals in the country. EU External Partners: The executive director of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) has denied allegations of the agency’s involvement in pushbacks and defended the need for €400 million of surveillance equipment. Alarme Phone Sahara has reported that nearly 20,000 people have been pushed back to Niger and abandoned in the desert by EU-funded authorities in Algeria, Libya and Tunisia. The EU and Egypt have met to discussing increasing their co-operation in stopping irregular migration to Europe. A new Human Rights Watch report has revealed pushbacks and pullbacks of Syrian refugees by Cyprus and Lebanon. The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has increased its aid to Libya amid a rise in refugees from Sudan. National Developments: Germany: The government has announced plans to introduce tighter controls at all of its border crossings. Germany has carried out its first deportation to Afghanistan since the Taliban seized power in August 2021. Special Commissioner for Migration Agreements Joachim Stamp has suggested that migrants who enter the EU irregularly via the eastern borders could be deported to Rwanda. ECRE member organisation PRO ASYL has expressed concerns about a possible misinterpretation of a ruling by the Higher Administrative Court (OVG) of North Rhine-Westphalia on subsidiary protection for Syrians.
• 06/09/2024. Marking Three Years Since the Taliban’s Takeover of Afghanistan: A Grim Reflection. Atlantic Route and Spain: Canary Islands Government Accuses Spanish State of Abandoning Its Responsibilities Amid Serious Migration ‘Crisis’; Invites European Commission President to Witness Situation. Up to 1,500 People Swim to Ceuta. Spanish Prime Minister Visits West Africa; Signs New Agreements. Spanish Police Boat Runs Over Migrant Boat Near Melilla. Mediterranean: Over 1,000 Recorded Deaths in Central Mediterranean Sea in 2024. NGOs Mark Ten Years of Civilian Sea Rescue in Central Mediterranean Sea Amid Accusations of ‘Double Standards’ Surrounding Bayesian Yacht Tragedy. Human Rights NGO Accuses Cyprus of ‘Secondary Refoulement’ of Syrian Refugees. Greek Coastguard Warns of Dangerous New Tactics Used By People Smugglers; Stands Accused of Causing Death of Migrant By Firing on Boat. Third Detention Order for Geo Barents Rescue Ship. Human Rights Award for Maltese NGO. AIDA Briefing. Asylum in Europe: The situation of applicants for international protection in 2023. AIDA Country Report on Serbia. 2023 Update. Asylum and Forced Displacement in the EU Enlargement Process: Contributions to inform the European Commission 2024 Enlargement Package in the area of asylum. ECRE Legal Note: The Guarantees of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights in Respect of Legal Counselling, Assistance and Representation in Asylum Procedures. In Memoriam: Frits Florin (1937 – 2024)
• 02/08/2024. EU changing of the guard: Winter (may be) coming. Estonian Border Guards to Support Latvian Colleagues on Latvia-Russia Border. Finland Enacts Controversial New ‘Pushback Law’. Hungary Faces Renewed Criticism from Both EC and FRA. Lithuanian Border Guards to Support Latvian Colleagues on Latvia-Russia Border. Poland Allows Border Guards to Use Firearms Against People Trying to Cross Poland-Russia Border. GREECE: NGOs Renew Criticism of Conditions in Greek Centres. FRA Accuses Greece of Failing to Investigate ‘Ill-Treatment’ of People Trying to Cross Greece-Türkiye Border. NGOs Object to ‘Overly Positive’ EC Rule of Law Report on Greece. Child Arrivals in Greece Quadruple in 2024. Hellenic Coast Guard Rejects Turkish Accusations of Pushbacks. Court Convicts Vigilantes for Illegally Detaining Migrants. Aida Country Report: Romania; Country Report: Türkiye.
• 19/07/2024. EU Eastern borders: Significant Increase in Arrivals via EU Eastern Borders Despite Overall Decrease in EU. Finland Adopts Controversial ‘Pushback’ Law. Asylum Seekers File Lawsuit Against Lithuania for Unlawful Detention. NGO Calls for Urgent Action to Help People Trapped in ‘Death Zone’ Along Poland-Belarus Border. Poland Asks France and Germany for Support to Secure Belarus Border. Mediterranean: New Joint Report Highlights Extreme Violence on Land Routes Towards Africa’s Mediterranean Coast. NGO Appeals to Cypriot Courts on Behalf of People Trapped in Buffer Zone. Greek Court Acknowledges Racist Motives in 2018 Anti-Migrant Attacks on Lesvos. CoE Urges Greece to Treat Migrants and Refugees with ‘Dignity and Humanity’. Investigation Reveals Frontex Failure to Report Migrant Abuses. Italy: NGO Condemns Abuse of Migration-related Detention and ‘Punitive Conditions’ in Detention Centres. Another Search and Rescue Ship Detained for Changing Port of Debarkation. Judge Frees Search and Rescue Ship and Dismisses Legitimacy of Libyan Coast Guard. Decrease in Arrivals and Renewed Concerns About Asylum Accommodation. 33 Migrants Freed from Slave-Like Working Conditions and Shocking Attack Against Migrant Women on Italy-France Border. UK: New UK Prime Minister Scraps Controversial Rwanda Scheme. More Migrant Deaths in Channel. New Government Sets Out Plans for ‘UK Border Security Command’. Polling Indicates Support for ‘Safe and Legal Routes’ for Asylum Applicants. Condemnation of Conditions in Europe’s Largest Detention Centre. Renewed Concerns About Asylum Accommodation and Protest on the Bibby Stockholm Barge. Editorial. EU changing of the guard: Winter (may be) coming. ECRE Legal Note: The Guarantees of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights in Respect of Legal Counselling, Assistance and Representation in Asylum Procedures. AIDA Country Report: Hungary  2023 Update
• 12/07/2024. AIDA Country Report on Croatia; Report on Italy; Report on Portugal y Switzerland. ECRE-PICUM Study: Beyond Walls and Fences – EU Funding Used for a Complex and Digitalised Border Surveillance System. Atlantic route an Spain. 89 Dead After Boat Capsizes Off Mauritania. Spain’s Main Opposition Proposes Military Deployment for Border Management. Hundreds Protest Migrant Arrivals on Canary Islands. 68 Rescued from Boat in Distress in Atlantic. Balkan route: Bulgaria Pressures Frontex to Ignore Abuse to Experience ‘How Border Guarding Works’. Hungary Will Not Pay ‘Completely Unfair’ €200m Fine. EU Signs New Frontex-Serbia Cooperation Agreement. Eu external partners. NGOs Urge EU to Stop Outsourcing Asylum. UN Highlights Largescale Abuse of Migrants in Libya and Reports Discovery of Mass Grave. Türkiye Closes Border with Syria following Anti-Syrian Violence and Retributions. EU Signs €1bn Financing Deal with Egypt.
• 28/06/2024. AIDA Country Report on Austria; Report on Greece. Comments Paper: Asylum Procedures Regulation.EU Eastern Borders: Finland’s Controversial Migration Law Moves Closer to Adoption Amid Civil Society and United Nations Concerns. Hungary Receives € 200 Million Fine from EU Court over Migration Policy Then Vows to Prioritise ‘Stemming Illegal Migration’ in Upcoming EU Presidency. Poland Reintroduces ‘Exclusion’ Zone’ next to Border with Belarus and Considers Closing Remaining Crossings. EU External Partners: EU Denies Complicity in Dumping Black Migrants in North African Desert. Human Rights Organisations Call for Human Rights Benchmarks for Egypt Amid Reports of Forced Returns of Sudanese Refugees. Video Reveals More Abuse of Migrants by Libyan Coast Guard. Leaked UN Briefing Reveals Details of Tunisian Role in Torture and Killing of Migrants in Libya. Moroccan and Spanish Authorities Reportedly ‘Involved’ in Melilla Tragedy. Mediterranean: UN Offers Condolences for Victims of Migrant Shipwrecks in Ionian Sea. Cyprus Rejects “Buffer Zone Migrants” Amid Rising Tensions Between Republic and UN. Hellenic Coast Guard Accused of Throwing Migrants Overboard to Their Deaths. Italian Cabinet Upholds NGO Request to Stop Sending Patrol Boats to Tunisia. Frontex Internal Review System Actively Undermined.
• 14/06/2024. The EU is stretching the limits of the Temporary Protection Directive beyond 2025, but is it enough?. AIDA Country Report on Poland-  2023 Update. ECRE Annual General Conference 2024. European Parliament Elections 2024. New Calls for Safe and Legal Pathways after NGO Retrieves 12 Bodies from Sea. Search and Rescue NGO Wins Court Case Against Italian Authorities. Greek Authorities Issue Arrest Warrant for Human Rights Defender. Survivors of Pylos Shipwreck Still Waiting for Accountability on First Anniversary of Tragedy.
• 07/06/2024. ECRE Annual General Conference 2024. AIDA Country Report on Irlanda -  2023 Update. AIDA Country Report on Germany–2023 Update. AIDA Country Report on Slovenia – 2023 Update. European Parliament Elections 2024. BALKAN ROUTE: Continued Concerns About Migrant Pushbacks from Bulgaria to Türkiye. NGOs Blame Hungary’s Migration Policy for Boosting Smuggling Networks. EU Set to Sign Frontex Co-operation Agreement with Serbia. Migrants Stuck in Limbo in Cyprus Buffer Zone. Italy Extends State of Emergency Yet Again. Possible Plan for Italy and USA to ‘Swap’ Migrants. European Court of Human Rights Hears First Ever Cases on Pushbacks by Greek Authorities in Evros. NGO Report Denounces Living Conditions in Greek Refugee Camps.
• 31/05/2024. AIDA Country Report on Spain -  2023 Update. Pushbacks from Poland Continue. Poland Shares Details of “Shield East” Plan to Reinforce Europe’s Eastern Borders. Finland Border Guards to Receive Additional Training Related to Implementation of Controversial New Asylum Law. Human Rights NGOs Warn Against Repression of Media and Free Speech in Tunisia. EU Commissioner Says Migration Deals Were ‘Not Voted On’. EU Considers Reactivating Rafah Border Mission. Italy Announces Resumption of Aid for UNRWA. EU Maintains That Syria is Unsafe for Refugee Returns While Lebanon Sets Up Committee to Facilitate Repatriations. Frontex Investigating New Migrant Pushback Accusations. Eight EU countries Call for Situation in Syria to be Reassessed to Enable Refugee Returns. Albanian PM Rules Out Migration Deals with Other EU Countries While Italian PM Insists Albania ‘Project’ Close to Starting. El Hiblu 3 Trial to Proceed Despite Plea for Dismissal.
• 24/05/2024. AIDA Country Report on France-2023 Update. Investigative Journalists Accuse EU of Complicity in Migrant ‘Dumping’ in North African Countries. EU Commissioner says Migration Deals Need to be ‘Revised’. UN Urges Tunisia to Stop Harassing Migrants and NGOs. Another Anti-migrant Protest Takes Place in Tunisia. Tunisia Negotiating ‘Voluntary’ Migrant Return Deals With Other African Countries. Council of Europe Reports ‘Prison-Like Conditions’ in Migrant Centres in Cyprus. Large Increase in Unaccompanied Minors Arriving in Trieste in 2023. Setback for Italy-Albania Deal as Opening of Reception Centres Delayed. Pylos 9: Charges Dismissed But No Freedom Yet. Finland: Proposed Legislation Could Breach International Human Rights Commitments. Frontex Extends Operation on Finland-Russia Border. UN Urges Finland to Introduce Safeguards for Accessing Asylum Procedures.
• 17/05/2024. AIDA Country Report on Belgium–2023 Update. Comments Paper: Regulation on Addressing Situations of Crisis and Force Majeure in the Field of Migration and Asylum. GERMANY: High Court Finds AfD Party ‘Potentially Extremist’. NGOs Denounce ‘Discriminatory’ Debit Card Scheme for Asylum Seekers. Ukrainian Refugees Urged to Join Workforce Amid Voluntary Return Plans. NETHERLANDS: New Coalition Agreement: Overview of Measures Relating to Asylum and Migration. POLAND: Council Adopts EU Asylum Reforms Despite Polish Opposition. Poland Joins Group of Member States Demanding New Migration ‘Solutions’. Prime Minister Vows to Strengthen Border with Belarus. Humanitarians Indicted for Helping Migrants on Poland-Belarus Border.
• 10/05/2024. AIDA Country Report on Cyprus; Country Report on the Netherlands-2023 Update. Comments Paper: Regulation on Asylum and Migration Management. EU External Partners: Member States Push for Outsourcing of Migration Procedures to Third Countries. EU Signs € 1 Billion Migration Deal with Lebanon. Tunisian Authorities Expel Hundreds of Migrants to Border with Algeria. Migrants Released from Detention in Libya. Italy: Prime Minister in Libya for Discussions on Further Migration Co-operation. Joint Italian-Finnish Proposal on Migration Presented to EU Member States. NGO Monitoring Aircraft Banned from Using Airports Near Migrant Routes. Almost 23,000 Unaccompanied Child Migrants Missing in Italy in Three Years. 
• 26/04/2024. AIDA Country Report on Sweden–2023 Update. AIDA Country Report on the United Kingdom–2023 Update. EU External Partners: Ombudsman Renews Inquiry into EU-Tunisia Dea. Auditors Raise Concerns About Implementation of EU Deal with Türkiye. EU Migration Deal with Lebanon May Be Imminent. NGOs Highlight Critical State of Education in Gaza While Germany Announces Resumption of Humanitarian Aid. UK: Rwanda Bill Finally Adopted Amid High-level Criticism. Rwanda Scheme: Doubts About Civil Service Compliance And Concerns About Airline ‘Complicity’ in Human Rights Violations. More Migrant Deaths in Channel. NGO Predicts ‘Meltdown’ of Asylum System.
• 19/04/2024. EU Eastern Borders: Finland Closes its Border with Russia Indefinitely Despite Criticism. Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia Oppose Implementation of New EU Migration Pact While Lithuania Prefers to Pay. Northern Latvia’s New Asylum Centre Receives Support from Local Community. Mediterranean: Cyprus Suspends Processing Asylum Requests of Syrians Enduring Unbearable Conditions in Lebanon and Syria. NGOs Call on Malta to Halt Pushbacks to Unsafe Libya. Refugees in Greece Face Systematic Abuse in Reception and Detention Centres and Denial of Rights, ECtHR Issues Another Ruling About Human Rights Violations in Greek ‘Hotspots’. Italy: New Reports Highlight Violations of Basic Refugee Rights Including Detention of Minors. Prime Minister Signs Three Agreements with Tunisia to Curb Migration as EU Ombudsman Launches Inquiry Into EU-Tunisia Deal. New Plans for Migrant Workers Launched to Fill Labour Shortages. Interior Minister Vows to Increase Number of Repatriation Centres. All Charges Against Iuventa Crew Dropped. UK: Rwanda Bill Approaches Finishing Line as Implementation Obstacles Continue to Grow. Government Looking to Negotiate Migration Deals with Other Countries. NGOs Planning ‘People’s Inquiry’ to Campaign for Closure of Accommodation Barge. Asylum Seekers Moved Off Largest Accommodation Site Due to Safety Risks. Dozens of Home Office Staff Under Criminal Investigation. 
• 12/04/2024. AIDA Country Report on Bulgaria. 2023 Update. Adoption of EU Pact on Migration and Asylum. EU External Partners: MEPs Renew Criticism of EU Migration Deals. Aid Organisations Sue Dutch Government Over EU-Turkey Agreement. More Reports of Interference and Violence by Libyan Coast Guard. NGOs Express Concerns over Human Rights Violations in Tunisia ― Call for Donations and Resumption of Funding for UNRWA. Possible EU-Morocco Migration Deal in the Pipeline. Greece: Date Set for Trial of ‘Pylos 9’. Government Fined for Data Breaches in Asylum Centres. NGO Reports Detail Conditions in ‘Hotspots’ Since Signature of EU-Turkey Agreement.
• 29/03/2024. Policy Note: Seeking Protection: Afghan Asylum Applicants in the EU. Balkan Route: Migrants Risk Tranquiliser Addictions. Frontex Triples Staff at Bulgaria-Türkiye Border Ahead of Schengen Expansion. Refugees in Serbia Endure Violence & Harassment. Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Greenlight for Accession Talks Amid Reports of Violence Along Border with Croatia. Decrease in Irregular Crossings Via Western Balkan Route. Channel: Record Number of People Make Crossings in Small Boats in First Three Months of 2024 as Home Office Launches New Social Media Campaign in Effort to Deter Channel Crossings. Footage Shows UK-Funded French Police Employing ‘Textbook Pushback’ Tactics Against Small Boats EU External Partners: Tunisian Security Forces to Receive EU Funding Despite Involvement in Human Rights Abuses. Dozens of Migrant Bodies Found in Mass Grave in Libya. Parliament’s Scrutiny of EU-Egypt Deal Overstepped. Calls for Immediate Ceasefire and Increased Flow of Humanitarian Aid into Gaza Continue Amid Israel’s Expansion of Settlements in West Bank. Reception Crisis: Number of Asylum Applications Drops in Belgium as Reception Crisis Continues. Number of Homeless Asylum Seekers in Ireland on the Rise. UK High Court Asked to Oblige Government to Intervene in Accommodation Crisis for Unaccompanied Children. Rights Organisations Accuse City of Paris of “Social Cleansing” Amid Forced Evictions.

• 16/02/2024. Editorial: All Pact-ed up and ready to go: EU asylum law reforms. Revision of the long-term EU budget: What implications for migration and asylum policy 2024-2027?. Launch of the EUisU Campaign on the 2024 European Parliament elections. Policy Paper 12: The Right to Work for Asylum Applicants in the EU: ECRE’s Analysis of the Challenges Faced by Asylum Applicants in Realising the Right to Work in Europe. Policy Paper 13: Transitioning out of the Temporary Protection Directive: ECRE’s Analysis of the Main Options Available to Ensure a Smooth Transition out of the TPD Regime for People Displaced from Ukraine. EU Eastern Borders: Poland Publishes Data Showing 6000 Pushbacks in Past Six Months. Finland-Russia Border Closure Extended Again. Estonia Considers Closing Border Crossing Points. EU External Partners: EU Signs Latest Migration Deal with Mauritania. Frontex’s Co-operation with Libyan Coast Guard Despite Evidence of Abuse Exposed.
• 26/01/2024. EU External Partners: Mass Expulsions Continue Six Months into EU-Tunisia Deal. Morocco: Europe’s “Gatekeeper”. Libya Continues to Be “Hell” for Migrants. EU Deepens Co-operation with Egypt Despite Concerns over Rights Violations. “Displacement Misery” in Gaza and ICJ Allows Continuity of South Africa’s Genocide Case Against Israel Mediterranean: Ongoing Crossings and Rescue Efforts Despite Criminalisation of Rescue Organisations by Italian Authorities. Open Arms Ship Facing 20 Days of Detention While Ocean Viking Returns to Sea. Italian MPs Approve Migration Deal With Albania. Cyprus Praised for “Successful” Migration Strategy Amid Increase in Far-right Violence- Greece: Ongoing Pushbacks and Tragedies. More Reports Highlight the Country’s Inhumane and ’Failing’ Asylum System. ECtHR Rules Against the Authorities.
• 19/01/2024. EU Eastern Borders: Hundreds of NGOs and Individuals Demand that Polish PM Ends Pushbacks, Finland Extends Closure of its Borders with Russia, Slovenia Extends Closure of its Borders with Hungary and Croatia. EU External Partners: European Policies and Funds Blamed for Ongoing Violence Inflicted on Migrants by Tunisian Authorities, So-Called Libyan Coast Guard Continues Interception of Migrants, UN Agencies and EU Politicians Mark 100 Days of Mass destruction, Killing and Displacement in Gaza, EU to Give Egypt €87m to Support Egyptian Border and Navy Guards Despite Lack of Departures from Egyptian Coasts. Mediterranean: Central Mediterranean Route Was the Most Active Migratory Route in 2023, Crossings and Rescue Efforts Continue, Multiple Trials Related to Migration in Italy Happening as Court Prepares to Rule on Albanian-Italian Deal, Attack on Human Rights NGO KISA Highlights Rise in Racist Violence. Germany: Far-Right ‘Remigration’ Meeting Provokes Anger in the Streets, Interior Minister Attributes Decrease in Irregular Border Crossings to Stronger Controls Despite Concerns over Schengen Rules, Adoption of the “Repatriation Improvement Act” Raises Fears and Concerns among NGOs. Hungary: Chief Advisor Calls for EU Financial Support for “Border Security” Despite Decrease in Crossings Through Eastern Borders, Parliament Says Hungarian Government’s Actions and Policies Undermines EU Values, UN Refugee Agency Calls on Hungarian Government to Finalise Work on Asylum and Migration Pact. UK: Government’s Claim On Clearance Of Asylum Backlog Widely UK: Rwanda Bill Moves a Step Closer to Adoption as Rwandan President Casts Doubt on the Scheme and UNHCR Questions its Legality, More Migrants Die Trying to Cross the Channel, Asylum Accommodation Set to Be Excluded from New Legislation Covering Safety of Social Housing
• 12/01/2024. Atlantic Route and Spain: 2023 Marked as the Deadliest Year, Fatal Crossing Attempts, Rescue Efforts and Interceptions by Spain’s African Partners Continue. Greece: New Year Starts as It Ended with Shipwrecks, Pushbacks and Violence Against People on the Move, Greek Authorities Once Again Condemned Over Violations of Refugee and Asylum Seekers’ Rights, Solidarity with Migrants Back on Trial. UK: Government’s Claim On Clearance Of Asylum Backlog Widely Criticised, Questions Over Prime Minister’s Commitment To Rwanda Scheme Amid Preparation for Next Steps, New Details Emerge About The Death Of The Asylum Seeker On The Bibby Stockholm Barge And Humanitarian NGOs Start Medical Programme At UK Asylum Centre, UK’s Efforts to Decrease Boats Crossings Criticised By French Court, Home Office Report Fails To Include Any New Safe And Legal Routes.

Informes anteriores:

• Boletín Semanal de ECRE 2011-2016.
• Boletín Semanal de ECRE 2017-2018. 
• Boletín Semanal de ECRE 2019-2021. 
• Boletín Semanal de ECRE 2022-2023.

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.