The Council of Europe’s Division on Migration and Refugees (DMR) participated in the Forum on “The Future of Protection”, held on 2 July at the University of Nicosia under the auspices of the Deputy Ministry of Migration and International Protection of the Republic of Cyprus.
The event, organised by EPLO-Mediterranean Migration and Asylum Policy Hub (MedMA) in collaboration with the University of Nicosia’s School of Law, took place in the context of the beginning of implementation of the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum. It brought together policymakers, representatives of international organisations, academics, practitioners and civil society to discuss the future of refugee protection in Europe.
Following a keynote address by the Cypriot Deputy Minister of Migration and International Protection, Nicholas A. Ioannides, on "Rethinking Protection: Refugees, Mobility, and the Limits of Existing Frameworks," discussions focused on how international protection systems can respond to emerging challenges, while remaining effective and firmly grounded in human rights and the rule of law.
DMR Head, Nikos Sitaropoulos, highlighted the Council of Europe's human rights-based approach to migration and asylum, underlining the importance of ensuring that evolving asylum law and practice continue to uphold the Council of Europe standards including those emanating from the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights.
