Newsletter - June 2017
Mandate
The Division on Migration and Refugees (DMR) was created at the Directorate General of Human Rights and Rule of Law (DG1) on 1 February 2025 to follow-up on the action by the former Special Representative of the Secretary General on Migration and Refugees. Its mandate includes suggesting assistance and support to member states, particularly through the Network of Focal Points on Migration, seeking, collecting and analysing information on the human rights situation of migrants and refugees, as well as complementing and co-ordinating activities of other relevant Council of Europe bodies and our action with other international partners, notably the UNHCR, IOM, EU, and its specialised agencies, and other national, regional and international stakeholders, including civil society organisations. The DMR represents the Council of Europe in the UNHCR Nansen Refugee Award Selection Committee, as well as in the Consultative Forums of Frontex and of EUAA.
Adoption of Council of Europe Action Plan on protecting children in migration and mission to Serbia and Hungarian transit zones
On 19 May 2017 in Nicosia, Cyprus, during the 127th Session of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, 47 European states adopted an Action Plan on protecting refugee and migrant children (2017-2019), the preparation of which had been facilitated by the Special Representative of the...
Judgments concerning deportation of asylum-seekers
On 30 May 2017, the European Court of Human Rights handed down two Chamber judgments in the cases of N.A. v. Switzerland (application no. 50364/14) and A.I. v. Switzerland (application no. 23378/15), which concerned the decisions of the Swiss authorities to deport the applicants to Sudan after...
CPT visited immigration detention facilities in Turkey and Poland
As part of its periodic visits to Turkey and Poland in May 2017, the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) visited a number of immigration detention facilities. In Turkey, the CPT delegation visited the Removal Centres in...
Commissioner will publish recommendations on family reunification
On the occasion of Mother's Day on 12 May 2017, the Commissioner for Human Rights, Nils Muižnieks, published a statement in which he stressed that we should not forget all refugee mothers who remain separated from members of their families. He made an appeal for the right to family life of...
Four migration-related reports to be discussed during PACE session in June
During its summer session on 26-30 June 2017, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe will devote the whole day of 28 June to four different reports on migration: comprehensive responses to the refugee crisis; transit migration across the Mediterranean; migration as an opportunity for...
HELP training on asylum and the European Convention on Human Rights delivered in Serbia
The successful implementation of the HELP in the Western Balkans and Turkey project continues. The second HELP/UNCHR course on Asylum and the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) was completed by a selected group of 25 Serbian participants. The group was composed of representatives of the...
Intercultural cities: good practice now online
A collection has been updated and published online of examples of “intercultural approaches” adopted by members of the Intercultural Cities network. Cities share therein good-practice examples on how to manage diversity better, address possible conflicts, and benefit from the diversity advantage....
International standards on conditions of administrative detention of migrants
The Council of Europe’s European Committee on Legal Co-operation (CDCJ) is preparing a draft instrument codifying existing international standards relating to conditions of administrative detention of migrants. The consultation process on the first draft of this instrument started in mid-May and...
- Adoption of Council of Europe Action Plan on protecting children in migration and mission to Serbia and Hungarian transit zones
- Judgments concerning deportation of asylum-seekers
- CPT visited immigration detention facilities in Turkey and Poland
- Commissioner will publish recommendations on family reunification
- Four migration-related reports to be discussed during PACE session in June
- HELP training on asylum and the European Convention on Human Rights delivered in Serbia
- Intercultural cities: good practice now online
- International standards on conditions of administrative detention of migrants