Country monitoring
Letter
Finland: amendments to Border Guard Act must be accompanied by clear human rights safeguards
In a letter addressed to the Finnish Minister of Interior, published today, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatović, called for clear safeguards to ensure that recently adopted amendments to the Border Guard Act would not lead to human rights violations. Under the...
Letter
Commissioner calls on Spanish authorities to investigate the circumstances of the deaths and violence at Melilla border
In a letter addressed to the Spanish Minister of the Interior published today, Commissioner Mijatović urges the authorities to conduct an independent, full and effective investigation into the events leading to the deaths of more than 20 migrants who attempted to cross the fence between Nador,...
Letter
Hungary: establish a fair and effective asylum system
In a letter addressed to the Hungarian Minister of the Interior published today, Commissioner Mijatović expresses her appreciation for the country’s open border policy for those fleeing Ukraine but raises concerns about the longer-term protection perspective of third country nationals and...
Country visit report
Austria: improve reception and integration of migrants and protection of women’s rights
The Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatović, published today the report following her visit to Austria carried out in December 2021, with recommendations on improving the reception and integration of refugees, asylum seekers and migrants and on strengthening women’s...
Letter
Spain: the review of the 2015 Law on Citizens' Safety should result in better protecting human rights
In a letter published today, the Commissioner calls on the Parliament of Spain to ensure that the review of the 2015 Law on Citizens’ Safety is used as an opportunity to bring it fully in line with European and international human rights standards, in particular as concerns the provisions...
Letter
Greek authorities should investigate allegations of pushbacks and ill-treatment of migrants, ensure an enabling environment for NGOs and improve reception conditions
In a letter addressed to the Minister for Citizens’ Protection, the Minister of Migration and Asylum, and the Minister of Shipping and Island Policy of Greece, made public today, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatović, urges the Greek authorities to put an end to...
Letter
Bosnia and Herzegovina must urgently improve its migrant reception capacities, improve access to asylum and protect unaccompanied migrant children
In a letter published today, the Commissioner calls on the authorities of Bosnia and Herzegovina to address the persistent shortcomings in their handling of migrants and asylum seekers. The letter was addressed to Mr Zoran Tegeltija, Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina,...
Letter
Commissioner seeks information from the Greek government on its plans to set-up closed reception centres on the Aegean islands
Today the Commissioner published an exchange of letters with the Minister of Citizen Protection of Greece, Michalis Chrysochoidis, and the Alternate Minister for Migration Policy of Greece, Giorgos Koumoutsakos, concerning the plans to transfer migrants from the Aegean islands to the mainland and...
Letter
Commissioner urges German Parliament to increase the human rights safeguards of the bill for improving the implementation of expulsion of migrants
Today the Commissioner published a letter she addressed to the Chairwoman of the Committee on Internal Affairs and Community of the Parliament of Germany, Andrea Lindholz, in which she raises concerns about some aspects of the bill that aims at facilitating removals of people obliged to leave the...
Country visit report
Greece should safeguard social rights for all and improve the reception and integration of migrants
“Greece should take urgent steps and adopt long-term policies to improve the reception and integration of migrants and to reverse the adverse effects of austerity measures on access to health care and education”, says Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatović, publishing...
Letter
Commissioner calls on Croatia to investigate allegations of collective expulsions of migrants and of violence by law enforcement officers
In a letter addressed to the Prime Minister of Croatia published today, Commissioner Mijatović raises concerns about allegations of collective expulsions of 2500 migrants since the beginning of 2018 and reported violence and other crimes allegedly committed by law enforcement officers. “The...
Letter
Malta urged to improve the protection and integration of migrants
In a letter addressed to the Minister for Home Affairs and National Security of Malta published today, Commissioner Muižnieks urges Malta to improve the protection and integration of migrants. Expressing appreciation for Malta’s policy changes to end the automatic detention of migrant and its...
Country visit report
Switzerland should reinforce its human rights protection framework and better respond to the needs of vulnerable migrants
Reinforcing the institutional and legal framework for safeguarding and promoting human rights and enhancing the protection of migrants and asylum seekers are the key recommendations addressed to the Swiss authorities by the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Nils Muižnieks, in a...
Country visit report
Slovenia should pursue its efforts to protect vulnerable people
“Slovenia has undertaken a number of initiatives in recent years to address major human rights issues concerning migrants, Roma, the “erased” and people living in poverty. It is crucial to reinforce these efforts to ensure that no one is left behind and the human rights of all are upheld”, said...
Letter
Slovenia: Parliament must ensure that legislative reform on migrants complies with human rights obligations
“Slovenian parliamentarians should reject amendments to the Aliens Act that are contrary to international human rights and refugee protection standards by which Slovenia is bound”, said today Nils Muižnieks, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, while releasing a letter addressed to...
Letter
Spain: Commissioner Muižnieks calls for guidance to border police on how to handle migration flows in Ceuta and Melilla
In a letter to the Minister of Interior of Spain published today, Commissioner Muižnieks has urged the Spanish authorities to adopt a procedural framework to ensure that border police in Ceuta and Melilla have clear instructions on how to handle mixed migration flows in full compliance with human...
Country visit report
Cyprus should enhance refugee protection and alleviate effects of austerity measures on human rights
Read the report “Despite some progress made in immigration law and policy, Cyprus’ asylum system still suffers from a number of shortcomings that need to be urgently redressed”, said today Nils Muižnieks, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, while releasing a report based on his...
Visit memorandum
Commissioner publishes Memorandum on asylum and immigration in the UK
Today the Commissioner published a Memorandum addressed to the UK Immigration Minister, James Brokenshire, in which he commends the UK’s efforts in providing resettlement to Syrian refugees. He also expresses a number of concerns regarding a trend of restrictive immigration policy and law which...