On 25 January 2018, the Commissioner for Human Rights presented his annual report for 2017 which details the activities carried out during the past year and provides an assessment of the state of human rights in Europe. The report particularly reflects the Commissioner's extensive work on the protection of human rights of refugees and migrants, including asylum seekers.

On 1 February 2018, the Commissioner published a letter addressed to the Minister for Home Affairs and National Security of Malta, in which he urged the authorities to improve the protection and integration of migrants. Expressing appreciation for Malta’s policy changes to end the automatic detention of migrants and its participation in the EU refugee relocation programme, the Commissioner underscored in which areas of migrant integration additional progress should be made, including access to labour market and family reunification. The Commissioner also invited Malta to tackle shortcomings in the work of the Refugee Appeals Board and to provide a full judicial review of its decisions.

The Commissioner has published a collection of comments and articles entitled “Human Rights in Europe: From Crisis to Renewal?”, which he wrote during his six-year mandate. One chapter is specifically dedicated to migration, including pieces on the European refugee policy crisis, cooperation with third countries to regulate migration, immigration detention, and the rights of undocumented migrants, victims of trafficking and internally displaced persons. The Commissioner also reflects on the main challenges faced in protecting the rights of migrants, asylum seekers and refugees during the past years, and on the emerging challenges.