NEW STUDY REVEALS AT LEAST 89 HAVE BEEN CRIMINALISED IN THE EU FOR HELPING MIGRANTS IN 2021/2022
PICUM and the Greens group at the European Parliament published new research about the criminalisation of solidarity with migrants, that shows at least 89 people have been criminalised for helping migrants in Europe between January 2021 and March 2022. People have been criminalised for providing food, shelter, medical assistance, transportation, assisting with asylum applications, and rescuing migrants at sea. In the vast majority of the cases (88 per cent), human rights defenders were charged with facilitation of entry, transit or stay, or migrant smuggling.
These numbers are likely to only represent a very minimal percentage of the people who are criminalised in the EU for helping migrants. Some cases may not be detected, and most are likely to go unreported. This is because of fears that media attention could further endanger the relations with the authorities and limit access to border areas or reception centres; to preserve volunteers’ right to private life and not to put them and their families at risk; or because some human right defenders might prefer not to speak out while trials are ongoing. Many cases of harassment which do not amount to criminal prosecution might also not be picked up by the media.
The criminalisation of human rights defenders who are migrants themselves is even more underreported because of the particularly vulnerable situation of individuals who might risk deportation, pushbacks, arbitrary detention and loss of status as well as harsh financial, social and economic consequences.
Read more here.
NEW STUDY REVEALS AT LEAST 89 HAVE BEEN CRIMINALISED IN THE EU FOR HELPING MIGRANTS IN 2021/2022
PICUM and the Greens group at the European Parliament published new research about the criminalisation of solidarity with migrants, that shows at least 89 people have been criminalised for helping migrants in Europe between January 2021 and March 2022. People have been criminalised for providing food, shelter, medical assistance, transportation, assisting with asylum applications, and rescuing migrants at sea. In the vast majority of the cases (88 per cent), human rights defenders were charged with facilitation of entry, transit or stay, or migrant smuggling.
These numbers are likely to only represent a very minimal percentage of the people who are criminalised in the EU for helping migrants. Some cases may not be detected, and most are likely to go unreported. This is because of fears that media attention could further endanger the relations with the authorities and limit access to border areas or reception centres; to preserve volunteers’ right to private life and not to put them and their families at risk; or because some human right defenders might prefer not to speak out while trials are ongoing. Many cases of harassment which do not amount to criminal prosecution might also not be picked up by the media.
The criminalisation of human rights defenders who are migrants themselves is even more underreported because of the particularly vulnerable situation of individuals who might risk deportation, pushbacks, arbitrary detention and loss of status as well as harsh financial, social and economic consequences.
Read more here.