Newsletter June-August 2023
Council of Europe draws attention to plight of people forced to flee war, violence and persecution
On World Refugee Day, 20 June, the Council of Europe drew attention to the plight of millions of people who have been forced to flee war, violence and persecution and to the international obligations under the under the United Nations 1951 Geneva Convention on the Protection of Refugees. It...
PACE urges States to enhance integration of migrants and refugees
The Parliamentary Assembly has expressed deep concern over the populist discourse “inducing fear and resentment towards people arriving from other countries”. In the adopted resolution, addressing the issue, based on a report by Domagoj Hajduković (Croatia, SOC), the Assembly emphasised the...
Congress launches project supporting local and regional authorities facing migration challenges in Poland, the Republic of Moldova, and Romania
On 29 June, the Congress launched a project on migration management and signed a quadripartite Memorandum of Understanding with the Association of Polish Cities, Congress of Local Authorities from Moldova, and the Association of Communes of Romania. Secretary General Mathieu Mori stressed “the...
Tolerance of human rights violations against refugees has reached alarming levels in Europe
“I am struck by the alarming level of tolerance to serious human rights violations against refugees, asylum seekers and migrants that has developed across Europe”, said Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatović, in Lampedusa on 19 June, ahead of World Refugee Day. “Ahead of...
European Court of Human Rights rules on several migration-related cases
The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has ruled in several migration-related cases. H.A. and Others v. Greece concerned the living conditions in the Moria migrant reception and idetification centre on the island of Lesbos. The application was filed by 67 migrants, some of whom alleged that...
CPT reports put special focus on treatment of migrants
Over the summer, the Council of Europe's Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) published several reports which put strong focus on the treatment of migrants. On 23 June, it published the report on its last year's visit to the Netherlands,...
Implementation of the Temporary Protection Status in Europe - Council of Europe, European Union and UNHCR seminar in Bratislava
On 8 June, a joint seminar was held by the Council of Europe Project "HELP (Human Rights Education for Legal Professionals) for Ukraine, including during wartime", European Commission and UNHCR for European lawyers on European asylum/migration legal practices to assist people fleeing the...
CDENF plenary session focuses on situation of children of Ukraine
Council of Europe Steering Committee for the Rights of the Child (CDENF) dedicated its plenary session (held online on 20 June 2023) to the follow-up to the Declaration on the situation of children of Ukraine (Appendix II to the Reykjavik Declaration) and setting up of a Consultative Group of...