On 15 December 2020, the European Commission has adopted two legislative proposals to govern the digital sphere: the Digital Services Act (DSA) and the Digital Markets Act (DMA). These proposals have been eagerly awaited as there is a pressing need for a safer and more transparent online environment, where human rights are effectively protected, in particular in view of a few tech giants dominating and controlling the sphere. In our position paper, we address how these legislative proposals affect human rights and put forward recommendations on what changes are needed to put the protection of human rights at the core of these rules.

This paper outlines Amnesty International’s key recommendations to the EU and EU member states participating in the Brussels V Conference on Supporting the Future of Syria and the Region.

The 18th of March 2021 will mark five years since the announcement of the “EU-Turkey Statement”, under which EU and Turkish leaders agreed, among other things, that asylum seekers crossing from Turkey into Greek islands will be returned to Turkey. The statement led Greece to implement an array of laws and policies, designed to restrict the movement of asylum seekers, keep them in the designated “hotspots” on the islands (later named ‘Reception and Identification Centres”), and facilitate their readmission to Turkey.The policy of containment at borders is central to the new European Pact on Migration and Asylum, which introduces a “pre-entry phase consisting of screening and border procedures for asylum and return”. According to the proposal, in this phase asylum seekers “shall not be authorised to enter the territory of the Member State”.

Dear High Representative,

Responding to the calls by the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers on the Turkish government to implement binding European Court of Human Rights judgments and release human rights defender, Osman Kavala and politician Selahattin Demirtaş, Amnesty International’s Europe Director Nils Muižnieks said:

Ahead of the five year anniversary of the EU-Turkey deal on migration on 18 March, Amnesty International is calling on EU leaders to turn away from the five years of failed policies which have resulted in tens of thousands of people being forced to stay in inhumane conditions on the Greek islands, and put refugees at risk by forcing them to stay in Turkey.  As EU Foreign Affairs and Home Affairs ministers prepare to debate on further expanding migration cooperation with countries outside of Europe, Eve Geddie, Director of Amnesty International’s EU office said:

Yesterday, the European Parliament adopted with a large majority, 504  in favour, 79 against and 112 abstentions, the Parliament’s Legal Affairs Committee (JURI) legislative own-initiative report by MEP Lara Wolters on corporate due diligence and corporate accountability with recommendations for the European Commission on necessary next steps to be taken.

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,