Newsletter - October 2020
Mandat
La Division des migrations et des réfugiés (DMR) a été créée le 1er février 2025 au sein de la Direction Générale Droits humains et Etat de droit (DG1) pour assurer le suivi de l'action de l'ancien Représentant spécial du Secrétaire général sur les migrations et les réfugiés. Son mandat consiste notamment à proposer une assistance et un soutien aux Etats membres, en particulier par le biais du Réseau de correspondants sur les migrations, à rechercher, collecter et analyser des informations sur la situation des droits de l'homme des migrants et des réfugiés, ainsi qu'à compléter et coordonner les activités d'autres organes compétents du Conseil de l'Europe et notre action avec d'autres partenaires internationaux, notamment le HCR, l'OIM, l'UE et ses agences spécialisées, et d'autres parties prenantes nationales, régionales et internationales, y compris des organisations de la société civile. La DMR représente le Conseil de l'Europe au sein du Comité de sélection du Distinction Nansen pour les réfugiés du HCR, ainsi que dans les Forums consultatifs de Frontex et de l'EUAA.
Address to UNHCR Executive Committee, Athens Democracy Forum, and high-level meetings
On 26 October 2020, the Special Representative of the Secretary General on Migration and Refugees, Drahoslav Štefánek, held a virtual meeting with UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet. It was an opportunity to exchange views on human rights aspects of the EU Pact on Migration...
Violation of the Convention in the procedure to remove two Pakistani nationals from Romania
On 15 October 2020, in the Grand Chamber judgment in the case of Muhammad and Muhammad v. Romania (application no. 80982/12), the European Court of Human Rights held, by a majority, that there had been a violation concerning the procedural safeguards relating to expulsion of aliens (Article 1 of...
Croatian authorities must stop pushbacks and border violence, and end impunity
On 21 October 2020, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatović, published a statement in connection with the latest allegations of collective expulsions of migrants, denial of access to asylum, and the use of extreme violence by Croatian law enforcement officers....
Parliamentary Assembly: upcoming reports and visit to Greece
On 6 November 2020, the Committee on Migration, Refugees and Displaced Persons of the Parliamentary Assembly, will discuss the following reports and Committee opinions: “Impact of labour migration on left-behind children”, “Role of parliaments in implementing the United Nations global compacts...
First meeting aimed at drafting a recommendation on migrant and refugee women
On 1-2 October 2020, the Council of Europe’s Drafting Committee on Migrant Women (GEC-MIG) held a productive 1st meeting via videoconference. GEC-MIG, supported by the Gender Equality Division, is tasked by the Committee of Ministers to draft a Recommendation on migrant and refugee women. GEC-MIG...
Intercultural cities launched a citizenship test and thematic page on systematic discrimination
On 30 October 2020, the Council of Europe´s Intercultural cities programme (ICC) is launching an Intercultural Citizenship Online test. The test aims to increase knowledge and awareness on human rights, intercultural competence, perceptions of diversity as an advantage, as well as the willingness...