As Poland assumes the Presidency of the Council of the European Union on 1 January 2025, Amnesty International sets out recommendations for its mandate in a letter to Donald Tusk, Prime Minister of Poland. Dear Prime Minister Tusk, Poland assumes the Presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU) at a critical moment, and…
Responding to the decision of several European governments to suspend asylum applications of Syrians following the ousting of President Bashar al-Assad, Director of Amnesty International’s European Institutions Office, Eve Geddie said: “The situation in Syria is extremely volatile. Five decades of brutality and repression cannot be undone overnight. But European governments have wasted no time halting…
10 steps for the EU to ensure sustainable and rights-based asylum systems In light of recent policies aimed at preventing the arrival in the EU of individuals seeking international protection and safety, over 40 humanitarian and human rights organizations working to protect the rights of refugees, asylum seekers and migrants, call on EU member states…
Ahead of today’s European Commissioner hearings, Amnesty International is calling on Commissioner-designates for the Mediterranean, Dubravka Šuica, and for Internal Affairs and Migration, Magnus Brunner, to urgently reject calls to offshore asylum and returns and firmly uphold a rights-based asylum and migration policy in Europe. “As the EU’s disregard for human rights in its migration…
Reacting to the Polish government’s new migration strategy which cites the threat of Russia and Belarus using migration to ‘destabilize the country’ and proposes temporary suspension of the right to seek asylum, Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director for Europe, Dinushika Dissanayake said: “Suspending the right to seek asylum is flagrantly unlawful and Prime Minister Tusk…
Ahead of the meeting of Heads of State or Government of EU member states this 17-18 October, Amnesty International urges European leaders to focus their efforts on humane and sustainable policies towards refugees and migrants, and to firmly reject proposals to establish ‘return hubs’ outside the EU. ‘Return hubs’ are incompatible with EU and international…
On 1 August 2024, the long-awaited Artificial Intelligence (AI) Act enters into force, meaning that after years of negotiations, the AI Act is now an official EU law. This is a significant administrative step, one which signals to governments and companies alike that they must prepare themselves to abide by these new rules. If they…
Ahead of the planned opening of two detention centres in Albania in August, intended to detain people rescued or intercepted at sea by Italian ships, Director of Amnesty International’s European Institutions Office Eve Geddie said: “It’s shameful that despite all the criticism and concerns raised by human rights bodies, the Italian government has decided to…
Greece must urgently repeal the legal rules that are causing people seeking asylum in the EU-funded “Closed Controlled Access Centre” on the island of Samos to be systematically and unlawfully deprived of their liberty, said Amnesty International in a report issued today. The organization also called on the EU to hold Greece accountable for human…
Ahead of the second reading of the new proposed firearm regulations that would decriminalize the use of firearms by soldiers, border guards and police officers in a wide range of circumstances in Poland on 11 July, Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director for Europe, Dinushika Dissanayake said: “These proposals set a dangerous precedent for the regulation…
Joint Statement: The future EU must uphold the right to asylum in Europe To ensure that refugees can access protection, states must guarantee the right to seek and enjoy asylum and uphold their commitments to the international refugee protection system. This obligation applies to all EU Member States under Article 18 of the EU Charter…
Ahead of the first plenary of the newly elected European Parliament, over 90 human rights and humanitarian organizations are calling on the new European Union to take a firm stance to maintain the right to asylum and the rule of law. The organizations, which include Amnesty International, the Danish Refugee Council, Human Rights Watch, and…