SUMMARYOn 23 September 2020, the European Commission presented a new Pact on Migration and Asylum whichincluded a number of legislative proposals to change the way EU member state authorities should dealwith people arriving irregularly at their external borders. Among the legislative measures proposed is anew Regulation that allows for derogations to the EU rules on asylum and return procedures in situationsof crisis and cases of force majeure. It also foresees the possibility to grant an immediate protectionstatus, repeals the (never used) 2001 Temporary Protection Directive and withdraws the 2015 proposalfor a Regulation establishing a crisis relocation mechanism.

As Cyprus human rights situation comes under scrutiny following the brutal repression of anti-corruption protesters in the past weeks, Amnesty International is further concerned that the right to freedom of association in the country is also under threat. Prominent organization KISA, an association with over 20 years of work against racism and in support of refugees and migrants, is facing the risk of being shut down.

Responding to the acquittal of three women human rights activists in Poland on charges of ‘offending religious beliefs’ for distributing posters of the Virgin Mary with a halo in the rainbow colours of the LGBTI pride flag, Catrinel Motoc, Senior Campaigner in Amnesty International’s Europe Regional Office said:

The arbitrary arrest and imprisonment of the Russian prominent anti-corruption campaigner and opposition figure Aleksei Navalny, and the concurrent arrests and detention on spurious charges of his colleagues from the Anti-Corruption Foundation and other civil society activists and peaceful protesters are the latest in the series of severe, brazen reprisals against all dissent in Russia.

Dear Permanent Representative,

At least ten million people are employed in European agriculture, mainly as seasonal workers, day labourers or in other insecure statuses. Despite being defined as essential by the EU institutions and national governments when COVID-19 hit, the lived experience of many of these workers remains one of struggle, deprivation and violations of human rights. Inhuman working conditions, poor wages, long working hours, a high proportion of undeclared work and sub-standard housing are only some of the daily hardships faced by farm workers in Europe. Workers often fall prey to widespread exploitation, including gangmaster practices and other forms of modern slavery.

Your Excellencies,

A court in Moscow has sentenced opposition activist and Kremlin critic Aleksei Navalny to two years and eight months in a penal colony, amid a brutal crackdown on peaceful protests which saw at least 5,021 people detained on 31 January alone. The Simonovsky District Court granted a motion put forward by the Federal Penitentiary Service to replace Aleksei Navalny’s suspended sentence with jail time, and he will be held at a penal colony.

Dear High Representative,

This afternoon, the Legal Affairs Committee of the European Parliament adopted an important report requesting the European Commission to submit a formal proposal for an EU due diligence law. The law requires business enterprises, including financial institutions, to address human rights, environmental and governance risks and impacts throughout their global value chains. Such a corporate accountability law is needed as voluntary business commitments have failed to stop continued corporate abuse.

Dear High Representative,

Bilateral Human Rights Dialogue Scheduled for January 12