Today, the European Commission introduced a proposed revision to the 2008 Return Directive, amending the EU legal framework on returns or deportations outside of the EU. Following pressure from certain member states, it also introduces a possible legal basis for ‘return hubs’ in EU law through “agreements or arrangements” with third countries. “The European Commission…
As we mark three years since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and amid the recently accelerated discussions on ending the war, Amnesty International wrote a letter to EU leaders, urging them to take concerted action to influence and shape the terms of any proposed ‘peace negotiations’ and to ensure that they are firmly grounded in…
Ahead of the College of Commissioners’ visit to India, Amnesty International and 11 other NGOs urge EU leaders to step up their engagement with their Indian counterparts in light of the profound human rights crisis in the country. Dear President von der Leyen, Dear Commissioners, As the College of Commissioners prepares to visit India amid…
In a joint letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Amnesty International joined 162 civil society organizations and trade unions in calling on the EU to ban trade and business with Israel’s illegal settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, to comply with its legal obligations as laid out by the International Court of…
Together with 16 other international human rights organizations, Amnesty International calls on EU leaders attending COP29, the 29th annual United Nations Climate Change Conference, in Baku, to raise directly with the Azerbaijani authorities the cases of those imprisoned on politically motivated grounds and aim to secure their release. In this joint statement, our organizations call…
On 11 October, Amnesty International shared a letter with EU leadership, heads of EU governments and EU foreign affairs ministers, as they prepared to discuss the situation in the Middle East at the 14 October Foreign Affairs Council and the 17-18 October European Council. Dear President Michel, Dear President von der Leyen, Dear HR/VP Borrell,…
Amnesty International joins Greenpeace and over 100 non-governmental organizations calling on the European Union to prohibit companies in the EU from exporting products banned in Europe to other parts of the world, to stop further harms to people and the environment. Amnesty International has been warning that digital surveillance systems produced by companies based in…
Ahead of tomorrow’s EU foreign ministers meeting in Brussels, Amnesty International wrote to High Representative / Vice President Josep Borrell Fontelles and EU Foreign Ministers, calling on them to ensure that the Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) of 19 July 2024 is translated into effective policies to bring Israel’s violations of…
Ahead of the EU foreign ministers meeting in Brussels on 29 August 2024, Amnesty International wrote to High Representative / Vice President Josep Borrell Fontelles and EU Foreign Ministers, calling on them to ensure that the Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) of 19 July 2024 is translated into effective policies to…
We, the undersigned Egyptian, regional and international human rights organisations, urge the European Commission and member states to uphold international and EU law to ensure that macro-financial assistance to Egypt granted under EU regulations secures concrete, measurable, structural and timebound human rights progress and reforms in the country. Since the 2013 military ousting of former…
Dear High Representative / Vice-President Borrell, We, the undersigned civil society organisations, are writing to reiterate our request for the European Union to suspend its human rights dialogue with China, and to consider other, more impactful measures at the EU’s disposal to address the Chinese government’s assault on human rights at home and abroad. While appreciative of…
This submission details Amnesty International’s human rights concerns in relation to Ukraine and outlines key recommendations that the EU should address in the framework of Ukraine’s EU accession process as well as other ongoing engagement, including the forthcoming EU-Ukraine human rights dialogue. Ukraine’s path to EU membership opens the door for strengthened engagement, additional avenues…