Background information
Pushbacks at Europe's borders: a continously ignored crisis
Eighth report published in a series by Protecting Rights at Borders: Pushback data confirms that rights violations continue to be widespread and systematic at Europe's borders, while accountability becomes further out of reach as mechanisms are set up to fail and responsibility pushed away. read more
Language(s): Englisch / English
Region(s): Balkanstaaten, Baltische Staaten, Frankreich, Italien / Malta, Griechenland / Türkei, Europäische Union, Europa
Death, Despair and Destitution: The Human Costs of the EU's Migration Policies
A web of violent deterrence: This report details findings from Médecins Sans Frontières medical humanitarian projects in 12 countries in Europe and Africa, as well as well as in the Central Mediterranean Sea. It takes stock of MSF operational experiences between August 2021 and September 2023, drawing upon routine medical and operational data from MSF projects, as well as accounts from MSF patients and medical teams during that period. The report highlights how, at every step of people’s migration journey towards and within the EU, their health, wellbeing and dignity have systematically been undermined by the interlinking violent policies and practices embedded in EU and EU member state policies. read more
Language(s): Englisch / English
Region(s): Europäische Union, Europa, Afrika
City of welcome and transit: Migrants’ and refugees’ livelihoods and migration projects in Sousse, Tunisia
MMC Research Report, February 2024:
While most previous research on urban migration in Tunisia has focused on Tunis and Sfax, Sousse, Tunisia’s third-biggest city and home to around 240,000 people, stands out as a centre for foreign students and, more recently, a sanctuary for migrants who have encountered violence and discrimination elsewhere in Tunisia. read more
Region(s): Nordafrika
2023: A long Summer of Migration in the Central Mediterranean Sea
Alarm Phone: Central Mediterranean Analysis, 1 July to 31 December 2023 read more
Language(s): Englisch / English
Region(s): Italien / Malta, Nordafrika, Europa
Between the rubble of the CPR of Milo:voices from an unworthy imprisonment, while the ECHR condemns Italy
A common text by ARCI, Arci Porco Rosso, Association for Legal Studies on Immigration (ASGI), Borderline Europe, Campagna LetCIEntrare, Maldusa, Mem.Med – Memoria Mediterranea: “The European Court of Human Rights has ordered the Italian Government to immediately transfer a person held in degrading material conditions in the CPR of Trapani. A sentence that concerns what happened at the CPR in Milo in the last week of January and which we believe is essential to reconstruct and share thanks to the voices of the people detained". read more
Language(s): Italienisch / Italiano
Region(s): Italien / Malta, Europa
Violence Within State Borders: Greece
This report is the product of the Border Violence Monitoring Network (BVMN) who documents violence against people on the move in Greece. In addition to recording testimonies of pushbacks across international borders, BVMN collects evidence of physical, material, and structural violence against people on the move within state borders. The Internal Violence Report draws from testimonies collected in the last months pertaining to conditions in detention, violence in detention, police brutality, racist violence, interrupted pushbacks and hate crimes. Focused on Greece, this report analyses deliberate acts of physical violence in addition to the indirect, structural violence inherent in the widespread practice of denying access to decent living conditions, adequate food and water, healthcare and psychological support within Greek detention facilities. In this way, the report seeks to document both the active and insidious forms of violence people on the move face within diverse spaces of containment in Greece. read more
Language(s): Englisch / English
Region(s): Griechenland / Türkei
Building Bridges, Burning Borders - Maldusa One Year Booklet
The booklet reports on the first year of the organization Maldusa, its vision, projects, and solidarity practices. With a base on Lampedusa, in Palermo, a boat at sea, and relationships with solidarity infrastructures & people on the move, Maldusa creates platforms for monitoring & reporting border violence & facilitating freedom of movement. read more
Language(s): Englisch / English
Region(s): Italien / Malta, Europäische Union, Europa
Migration Control - MONTHLY REVIEW: OCTOBER 2023
This monthly press review covers Eurafrican migration control, migration and displacement in African countries and news on the European border regime. read more
Language(s): Englisch / English
Region(s): Europa, Afrika
Ein Memorandum of Understanding mit Albanien, undurchsichtig, unmenschlich und ohne Rechtsgrundlage
Mit der x-ten propagandistischen Ankündigung der Regierung erfahren wir, dass Giorgia Meloni mit dem albanischen Premierminister Edi Rama eine Vereinbarung getroffen hat, die vorsieht, in Albanien zwei (Rückführungs-) Zentren zu errichten, die jeden Monat bis zu 3.000 als "irregulär" definierte Personen aufnehmen sollen. Mdiengetöse oder ernstzunehmende Extermalisierung? Ein Gastbeitrag von Fulvio Vassallo Paleologo read more
Language(s): Deutsch / German
Region(s): Balkanstaaten, Italien / Malta
Klikaktiv - The Thrid Quarterly Reprt in 2023
The report focus particularly on the situation in the informal settlements in the border area between Serbia and EU member states, and the report includes descriptions of living conditions, photos and refugees' quotes. Additionally, we tackled the topics of smugglers and shootings, deaths on the route (refugees which had gone dead or missing during their journey), push backs and conduct of foreign border police guards (including Frontex). read more
Language(s): Englisch / English
Region(s): Balkanstaaten
NORTHERN SERBIA ADVOCACY REPORT
Collective Aid and Medical Volunteers International
This is our fourth report documenting observations and trend updates regarding border pushbacks, international political developments and Serbian state action relating to people on the move in Northern Serbia. These findings refer to observations made during April and May and are produced by grassroots organisations working along the Serbian border with Hungary and Romania. read more
Language(s): Englisch / English
Region(s): Balkanstaaten
In defence of defenders: a practical guide to legal means and advocacy tools for criminalised Human Rights Defenders in Europe
This toolkit of Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung Thessaloniki and Border Violence Monitoring Network seeks to support affected Human Rights Defenders by showing them mechanisms and avenues for help and self-defence in cases of criminalisation at various levels. read more
Language(s): Englisch / English
Region(s): Europa
More people, more police and less safety
Annual report for 2022 from KlikAktiv (Serbien), about developments and observations of the fence construction on Serbia´s borders with North Macedonia and Bulgaria with an overview on the living conditions in the squats at the EU External borders. read more
Language(s): Englisch / English
Region(s): Balkanstaaten
Northern Serbia Advocacy Report Dec 22-Jan 23
Observations and Trends in Pushbacks, Border Violence, and Conditions in Northern Serbia from "Collective Aid" and "Medical Volunteers International".In the last two months, there has been a large amount of police repression and violent evictions happening in Northern Serbia. This report also concentrate on further analysis of violence and procedures associated with pushbacks from Hungary to Serbia. read more
Language(s): Englisch / English
Region(s): Balkanstaaten
Northern Serbia Advocacy Report Oct / Nov 2022
Observations and Trends in Pushbacks, Border Violence and Conditions in Northern Serbia, prepared by "collective aid" and "Medical Volunteers International" read more
Language(s): Englisch / English
Region(s): Balkanstaaten
SPECIAL REPORT: GERMAN FUNDING TO CROATIAN BORDER ENFORCEMENT
This report by the Border Violence Monitoring Network (BVMN), with the support of PRO ASYL, summarizes the results of an investigation into the support of German authorities for Croatian border authorities from 2016-2021 (and for deployments of officers, until 2022). It sheds a light on donations of equipment, the deployment of officers, and further kinds of support. In addition, the organisation of the Croatian police with regard to pushback operations is discussed. On both political and practical levels, Germany has heavily supported Croatia in border enforcement and securitization efforts. This support has continued over the last several years despite overwhelming evidence of systemic human rights violations perpetrated by Croatian police forces against people-on-the-move (POM). read more
Language(s): Englisch / English
Region(s): Balkanstaaten, Deutschland, Europäische Union, Europa
Klikaktik: The Third Quarterly Report in 2022: July, August, September
Klikaktiv has recently published a new report covering the main trends in the field concerning people on the move (POM) in Serbia, particularly in the northern border with Croatia, Hungary and Romania.
Between July and September, the number of POM on “the Balkan route” and in Serbia kept increasing, with more people sleeping rough in informal settlements in the border between Serbia and EU external borders. The majority of new arrivals entered Serbia through Bulgaria, unlike in the previous months, mostly through North Macedonia.
One of the key trends concerns the ongoing violent push backs to Serbia from EU member states and the increasing brutality used by the Hungarian police, with testimonies of physical violence against women, toddlers, teenage girls and the elderly. Some refugees also re-ported physical violence at the hands of Frontex in Hungary. read more
Language(s): Englisch / English
Region(s): Balkanstaaten, Osteuropa, Europäische Union, Europa
BVMN: VIOLENCE WITHIN STATE BORDERS: SERBIA
This report is the product of the Border Violence Monitoring Networkʼs (BVMN) efforts to document violence occurring against people-on-the-move (POM) within the borders of countries along the Balkan Route. In addition to identifying cross-border pushbacks, BVMN collects evidence of physical, material, and structural violence against POM within Serbia. The report includes data collected in Belgrade, Subotica, Majdan and Šid, from testimonies of POM and observations from BVMN members, painting a comprehensive picture of physical violence against POM, violence inflicted by law enforcement officers and civilians from far-right groups, as well as instances of structural violence (i.e., advancing and perpetuating inequality through social institutions and processes, such as restricting access to asylum, evictions, harassment and criminalization of solidarity). read more
Language(s): Englisch / English
Region(s): Balkanstaaten, Osteuropa, Europa
Relocation from Greece to Germany: Relief for the Hotspot System or Alibi Policy?
Our report 'Relocation from Greece to Germany: Relief for the Hotspot System or Alibi Policy?' , critically examines the actual implementation of the relocation measures that were propagated by the EU as a 'solidarity-based' solution to the devastating conditions in the hotspot camps in 2020 and 2021.
The report poses the following questions: Did the redistribution process improve the situation of asylum seekers, or did it exclusively aim at a structural "relief" of the EU external border states? Who could (not) take part in the relocation programme? And what did the procedures offer to the people in order to build a future in Germany?
As our research reveals, the actual admission quotas were disproportionately low in comparison to the number of people living in the burnt-down camp 'Moria' and in other camps on the Greek islands at the time. The selection processes remain largely obscure and appear arbitrary. As testimonies from relocated people show, the lengthy procedures proved to be stressful and a source of new uncertainties, rather than future prospects. The situation for people who are forced to stay on the islands has not improved, but worsened since then.
In addition to two testimonies from people who have been relocated to Germany, the report includes an outlook on the current political declarations of intent regarding further relocation measures, such as in the EU Commission's New Migration and Asylum Pact of 2020, and the coalition agreement of the current federal government. It becomes clear that the actual cause of the conditions on the Greek islands, the Dublin III Regulation, is not questioned.
In view of the widespread failure of EU member states to take responsibility, and the numerous problems with previous relocation measures, that we have been able to highlight in our research, we are calling for an end to the EU's inhuman border and hotspot policies.
You can read the full report here:
https://www.borderline-europe.de/sites/default/files/projekte_files/Relocation%20Greece%20Germany.pdf
https://www.borderline-europe.de/sites/default/files/projekte_files/Relocation%20Griechenland%20Deutschland.pdf .
The report is a result of the research project on EU relocation procedures funded by the Safe Passage Foundation, as a cooperation of borderline-europe - Menschenrechte ohne Grenzen e.V., Borderline Sicilia, Equal Rights Beyond Borders, Sea-Watch and the Refugee Council Berlin.
Here, you can also read our report 'EU ad hoc relocation - A lottery from the sea to the hotspots and back to unsafety' on relocation measures from Italy and Malta in 2019. read more
Language(s): Deutsch / German
Region(s): Griechenland / Türkei, Deutschland
Joint Statement calling for the dismissal of UNHCR’s special envoy Vincent Cochetel
The UNHCR special envoy for the Western and Central Mediterranean has criticized the grieving mothers of migrants lost in the Mediterranean Sea, for “encouraging or funding” their children’s journeys, in a tweet posted on Tuesday (September 6). A coalition of groups and NGOs have written a statement calling for his resignation, which includes reactions from some of the mothers and sisters of the disappeared. We also join the statement and condemn Cochetel's statement in the strongest possible terms! read more
Language(s): Englisch / English
Region(s): Europäische Union, Europa, Afrika