An important aspect of Refugee Rights Europe’s work has always been to shed light on the often desperate situation experienced by people in displacement across Europe, to inform the public and lay the foundations for advocacy work at EU-level – encouraging the development of adequate policy proposals. Through the blog posts in this booklet, selected from a wider range of materials and photos published on the RRE website between June 2019 and October 2020, we aimed to do precisely that.
The written pieces and photographic material cover a range of geographical locations in Europe, ranging from the Greek/Turkish border and the Greek islands, to the borderlands in northern France and Ventimiglia, as well as the UK domestic scene. The posts address several different thematic areas such as the complex living conditions in make-shift camps and asylum accommodation, the situation of women and children in displacement, mental health issues, police harassment, gender-based violence, violent pushbacks, and the impact of Covid-19 on people on the move across Europe.
Summary: In this report, Refugee Rights Europe and the End Pushbacks Partnership present available evidence of unlawful pushbacks and severe rights violations at European borders. The evidence clearly indicates that illegal pushback operations are taking place across the EU, at internal and external land and sea borders. This phenomenon, it is argued, increasingly constitutes a systematic Europe-wide approach to migration governance. The report thus highlights an uncomfortable truth: the Europe in which we now live is a place where displaced individuals are faced with brutal violence when they attempt to access EU territory, where people in distress at sea are attacked and fired at by EU coast guards in broad daylight, and where people fleeing war torn countries are shot dead when attempting to cross EU borders. We thus call on European leaders to take action to put an end to these violations and hold perpetrators accountable.
Summary: Fleeing violence and conflict in Syria, asylum-seekers often find themselves facing very challenging circumstances upon arrival in Europe. These include the containment policies and border-closures that prevent them from reuniting with their family members; as well as the prolonged waiting times for the outcomes of asylum applications. Many are also faced with difficulties in accessing education, adequate accommodation and other services. This report aims to provide an insight into the circumstances and experiences of Syrian refugees in Europe. It focuses specifically on human rights infringements, thus identifying a number of shortcomings in the European refugee relief response, leading to a number of policy recommendations.
Summary: Released on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, this report is a summary of Refugee Rights Europe’s key findings from our various field studies across Europe in 2017-2018. The report paints a harrowing picture of human rights for refugees and people in displacement throughout Europe, documenting chronic police violence, lack of access to information, substandard living conditions, gender-based violence and absence of child safeguarding structures.
Summary: This report is a summary of Refugee Rights Europe’s key findings from our various field studies across Europe in 2016-2017, structured around the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The report paints a harrowing picture of human rights for refugees and people in displacement throughout Europe, documenting chronic police violence, lack of access to information and education, substandard living conditions, gender-based violence and absence of sexual and reproductive healthcare services.
