22/10/2013 – Further to our statement to the Justice and Home Affairs Council on 8 October in the wake of the shipwreck off the coast of Lampedusa which cost the lives of 360 people, we are reiterating our concerns on European migration policy to heads of state and governments meeting at the European Council on 24-25 October.

Given the deplorable detention and deportation measures, it’s not surprising that so many refugees from Syria are leaving Egypt and risking their lives again at sea to reach Europe. What is surprising and shocking is that EU member states appear to be turning a blind eye to the human rights violations by third countries. By closing the borders and preventing the arrival of refugees on European shores, member states are further aggravating the plight of refugees.

17/10/2013 – People who have fled the conflict in Syria, including both Syrian nationals and Palestinian refugees who were living in Syria, are now fleeing discrimination and human rights violations in Egypt.

More than 100 migrants died off the coast of Lampedusa in the latest tragic accident. © STR/AFP/Getty Images

15/08/2013 – The Treaties of the European Union state that the EU is founded on the value of respect for human rights. As outlined in the EU Strategic Framework and Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy – adopted by the Council of the EU in June 2012 – this means both ensuring that the Union’s relations with other countries are founded on respect for human rights, and securing rights for everyone within the Union itself.

15/07/2013 –