A UN special rapporteur has called out the "shocking abuse" of migrants picking strawberries in Spain. The migrants are mainly Moroccan women, who come in on seasonal visas to carry out the work. Their treatment has long been criticized by human rights groups working in the field of migrant rights.
Hungary is depriving migrants of their right to ask for asylum, an advisor at the European Court of Justice said Thursday. He argued that significant parts of Hungary’s migration and asylum policies violate EU law.
Europe’s human rights commissioner has blamed EU countries for trying to bypass laws. Dunja Mijatovic said some politicians promote the idea that migrants' rights should be sacrificed in order to protect borders.
Majeda Khouri was detained in Syria for peacefully protesting the Assad regime. After her release, raids on her house prompted her to leave -- first for Lebanon and eventually the UK, where she was granted refugee status. In London, she has founded her own catering business and helps other Syrian refugee women from poorer backgrounds use their own cooking skills to earn a living in London.
It is unacceptable for migrants intercepted in the Mediterranean to be brought back to Libya, Save the Children said in a recent statement. They believe that Libya "cannot be considered a place of safety."
A group of migrants has filed a legal complaint against their arbitrary detention in the el Ouardia Center in Tunis. Four human rights groups have issued a statement saying that the facility is operating as an illegal detention center.
Greece has extended a coronavirus lockdown on its migrant camps for a further two weeks. At the same time, general community restrictions have eased as the country prepares to welcome tourists for the summer.
In its 2019-2020 report, Amnesty International reported that Italy continued its policy of criminalizing of NGOs rescuing migrants in 2019 and that more policies hostile to refugees were introduced across Europe.
A student who has been protesting since April about the treatment of migrants trying to land in Malta has gathered momentum recently following the death of the African American man George Floyd in the USA. The student’s protest was reinforced by calls from the rescue organization SOS Mediteranee who called the situation "unacceptable."
The plight of migrant maids working under the "Kafala" system in Lebanon has been made more stark by the novel coronavirus pandemic. Some foreign governments are promising to repatriate some women, as soon as flights restart.
The EU's highest court has ruled that Hungarian authorities circumvented EU law by holding Afghan and Iranian asylum seekers in prison-like conditions. It also said Budapest was obliged to reconsider their applications.
Two Afghan members of Parliament investigating the alleged abuse and drowning of Afghan migrants by Iranian guards say 45 people died in the incident. 17 bodies have so far been recovered from the Harirud River, which forms part of Afghanistan’s northern border with Iran.