CRIMINALISATION OF SOLIDARITY
UN Human Rights Commissioner calls EU to protect migrant rights’ defenders
In her statement before the Human Rights Council on 26 February, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights called EU leaders to protect human rights defenders, especially those defending migrants’ rights. The Commissioner cited several cases of criminalisation of NGOs protecting migrants’ rights in the EU, including at least 50 criminal or administrative proceedings in Germany, Greece, Italy, Malta, the Netherlands and Spain since 2016, as well as rising criminalisation of border monitoring and provision of assistance in Hungary. In Croatia, the authorities blocked Members of the European Parliament from visiting border areas with Bosnia, amid credible allegations of human rights violations.
Italian prosecutor brings charges against search and rescue actors
After more than three years of investigation, the prosecutor of Trapani (Sicily) officially pressed charges against 21 individuals and 3 organisations of aiding and abetting “illegal immigration”, in relation to operations conducted between 2016 and 2017. Among them are crew members of the Iuventa ship, who risk up to 20 years in jail.
Red Cross calls on the EU to stop criminalisation of solidarity
National Red Cross Societies in the EU have called on EU institutions and Member States to promote and defend the space for civil society to ensure human rights of all migrants, including those in an irregular situation. The paper highlights how the focus on countering irregular migration and migrant smuggling, together with the prioritisation of migration management objectives in the EU external cooperation, jeopardise the work of humanitarian actors across the EU. The Red Cross societies further underline the inadequacy of the Guidelines published by the European Commission in 2020, which could result in further limitations to humanitarian assistance in the EU, by allowing the criminalisation of activities such as providing food, shelter, transport and information. Similar concerns apply with regard to the Commission recommendation on search and rescue, which imposes several obligations on search and rescue NGOs.
CRIMINALISATION OF SOLIDARITY
UN Human Rights Commissioner calls EU to protect migrant rights’ defenders
In her statement before the Human Rights Council on 26 February, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights called EU leaders to protect human rights defenders, especially those defending migrants’ rights. The Commissioner cited several cases of criminalisation of NGOs protecting migrants’ rights in the EU, including at least 50 criminal or administrative proceedings in Germany, Greece, Italy, Malta, the Netherlands and Spain since 2016, as well as rising criminalisation of border monitoring and provision of assistance in Hungary. In Croatia, the authorities blocked Members of the European Parliament from visiting border areas with Bosnia, amid credible allegations of human rights violations.
Italian prosecutor brings charges against search and rescue actors
After more than three years of investigation, the prosecutor of Trapani (Sicily) officially pressed charges against 21 individuals and 3 organisations of aiding and abetting “illegal immigration”, in relation to operations conducted between 2016 and 2017. Among them are crew members of the Iuventa ship, who risk up to 20 years in jail.
Red Cross calls on the EU to stop criminalisation of solidarity
National Red Cross Societies in the EU have called on EU institutions and Member States to promote and defend the space for civil society to ensure human rights of all migrants, including those in an irregular situation. The paper highlights how the focus on countering irregular migration and migrant smuggling, together with the prioritisation of migration management objectives in the EU external cooperation, jeopardise the work of humanitarian actors across the EU. The Red Cross societies further underline the inadequacy of the Guidelines published by the European Commission in 2020, which could result in further limitations to humanitarian assistance in the EU, by allowing the criminalisation of activities such as providing food, shelter, transport and information. Similar concerns apply with regard to the Commission recommendation on search and rescue, which imposes several obligations on search and rescue NGOs.