The European Union (EU) is currently negotiating the prolongation of the Joint Way Forward (JWF) on migration issues with the government of Afghanistan. The JWF, which is set to expire on 6 October 2020, was signed on the side-lines of the Brussels donor conference in 2016; as is often the case with informal agreements, it was concluded without the involvement of the European Parliament and with no transparent reporting mechanism envisaged for its implementation. The agreement aims to facilitate the deportation to Afghanistan of Afghans who came to Europe to seek protection. It is believed that the EU used the leverage of its development aid to pressure the Afghan government to sign this informal deal.

Following yesterday’s fire in Moria, on Lesvos, which destroyed the Reception and Identification Centre, 31 civil society organizations call on the Greek Government to immediately provide assistance to people who lost their shelter. Those affected, among them many children and at-risk groups, must be carefully transferred to safety on the mainland. 

Responding to the outbreak of devastating fires which have all but destroyed Moria refugee camp on the Greek island of Lesvos, Adriana Tidona, Migration Researcher at Amnesty International, said:

Amnesty International welcomes the opportunity to provide feedback to the European Commission’s Digital Services Act package. In this document, we outline key policy recommendations to guide the development of the DigitalServices Act.

The Maltese government has resorted to dangerous and illegal measures for dealing with the arrivals of refugees and migrants at sea, which are exposing countless people to appalling suffering and risking their lives, Amnesty International revealed today in a report “Waves of impunity: Malta’s violations of the rights of refugees and migrants in the Central Mediterranean”. As Amnesty is launching this new report, despair is growing aboard the Maersk Etienne, which has been denied a port to disembark for over a month, after rescuing 27 people on a request from Maltese authorities

Following the decision by the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers calling on Turkey to release Osman Kavala from prison immediately, Amnesty International’s Turkey Campaigner, Milena Buyum said:

Joint open letter by: Action Aid, Amnesty International, Anti-Slavery, CIDSE, Clean Clothes Campaign, European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights, European Coalition for Corporate Justice, FIDH, Friends of the Earth Europe, Global Witness and Oxfam. All around the world, businesses are responsible for human rights abuses and environmental harm, as underscored by the recent COVID-19 crisis. Businesses must not be allowed to close their eyes to the impact of their business decisions on other actors in the chain. Voluntary measures have proved to be vastly insufficient, as recognised by the recent European Commission study on due diligence requirements through the supply chain. Therefore, new legislation is urgently needed to establish clear, robust and enforceable cross-sectoral requirements on business enterprises, including financial institutions, to respect human rights and the environment and to carry out due diligence.

On the third anniversary of the seizure of the rescue ship, Iuventa, and the judicial investigation into ten members of its crew, Amnesty International is launching a worldwide solidarity campaign.

This submission seeks to provide comments in accordance with Rule 21 A of the European Committee of Social Rights (hereinafter the Committee) on Greece’s 3rd National Report. The comments herein focus on the right to conscientious objection and on Greece’s compliance with Article 1 § 2 (the right of a worker to earn his/her living in an occupation freely entered upon) of the European Social Charter.

To the attention of:

Dear Chairman López Aguilar,

Your Excellencies,