Newsletter April 2025
Council of Europe plays major role in tackling migrant smuggling and preventing disappearances
Addressing a parliamentary conference on Envisioning Effective Public Policy to Prevent and Address Cases of Missing Migrants, which was held on 23–24 April in Strasbourg, Gianluca Esposito, Director General of Human Rights and Rule of Law (DGI) at the Council of Europe, underlined the importance...
Public policy to prevent and address cases of missing migrants: a collective will of ‘the 46’ is needed
“A structured dialogue between the various stakeholders is urgently needed, be they state or non-state actors. This situation is too serious for Resolution 2569 to remain a document in a drawer,” said PACE Vice-President Antonio Gutiérrez-Limones (Spain, SOC), opening a parliamentary conference...
PACE adopts resolution on collective expulsions of migrants and holds debate on Gaza humanitarian crisis
At its Spring 2025 plenary session in Strasbourg, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) adopted a resolution on “Putting an end to collective expulsions of aliens”, warning against growing gaps between member states’ practices and their international human rights obligations....
PACE Migration Committee urges stronger maritime protections and continued support for UNHCR
Meeting in Strasbourg on 9 April, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe’s Committee on Migration, Refugees and Displaced Persons adopted a resolution calling on member states to uphold their obligations under international humanitarian and maritime law, and to protect migrants’...
CPT annual report examines treatment and conditions of immigrant detention
On 24 April, the CPT published its annual report on the Committee’s 2024 activities. The report highlights the CPT reports issued after the Committee’s 2023 visits to Cyprus and Greece and its 2024 visit to Italy which focus on the treatment and conditions of detention of persons held in...
Cyprus: expert group calls for improved protection of migrant workers and asylum seekers from human trafficking
In its latest evaluation report on Cyprus, covering the period 2020-2024, the Council of Europe’s Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA) evaluates the measures taken to prevent vulnerabilities to trafficking in human beings, detect and support vulnerable victims,...
Coordination Group on Migration discusses future Council of Europe action plan on migration and refugees
The 21st meeting of the Council of Europe’s Coordination Group on Migration (CGM) event showcased strong cooperation between the Council of Europe and leading international institutions, including the EU Agency for Asylum (EUAA), the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), and the UN High...
National Preventive Mechanism Monitoring and migration – Council of Europe Workshop examines challenges and strategies
A workshop on National Preventive Mechanism (NPM) monitoring in the context of migration was organised by the Council of Europe on 9-10 April 2025 in Strasbourg. The event aimed to address challenges and strategies related to immigration detention, including the role of NPMs in ensuring that...
Migration and Citizenship service enhances customer support through its new Call Centre
Individuals with questions or concerns related to Armenian citizenship, documentation procedures, or services provided to foreign nationals now have a reliable and responsive point of contact. The Migration and Citizenship Service of Armenia has officially launched its first-ever public Call...
Promoting rights and resilience: Council of Europe activities support migrants and refugees in Türkiye, Moldova, and Armenia
As part of the Council of Europe’s ongoing efforts to uphold the rights of migrants and refugees, recent joint actions and national-level initiatives in Türkiye, Moldova, and Armenia have delivered meaningful results in education, protection, and resilience-building. In Türkiye, under the...
Internal security and border management in the context of migration: Respect for human rights is essential
During its General Assembly on 9 April 2025, the Conference of INGOs of the Council of Europe unanimously endorsed the report of the fact-finding mission to the eastern border region of Poland carried out by a delegation of its "Committee on Migration Issues" from 10 to 14 February 2025. The...
Council of Europe updates document with soft law instruments on migration and asylum
The Council of Europe Division on Migration and Refugees (DMR) has updated its Reference document on non-binding legal instruments concerning migration and refugees, with the latest instruments adopted, including a new section dedicated to the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and human rights...