New report exposes unprecedented violence against migrants at EU borders In its latest report, the Border Violence Monitoring Network (BVMN) has gathered testimonies from over 700 people trying to reach Europe in 2021 and 2022 who testified of group and violent pushbacks that affected more than 16,000 other people. According to the report, border guards in 13 countries used “deterrence tactics" such as prolonged beatings, shaving of heads, forced undressing, sexual assaults and dog attacks. BVMN also denounces growing attempts to criminalise and harass activists helping migrants. In a separate report, BVMN documented Germany’s political and practical support (including officers and equipment) for Croatian border authorities from 2016 to 2022, despite overwhelming evidence of systemic human rights violations by Croatia against migrants. Research shows Frontex’s complicity in abuse in Libya Human Rights Watch and Border Forensics have released multimedia research documenting that Frontex used aerial surveillance to enable the Libyan Coast Guard to intercept migrant boats, rather than notifying civilian rescue organisations or merchant ships to facilitate their rescue. This happened despite widespread knowledge that migrants will face systematic and widespread abuse when forcibly returned to Libya. UK, Northern EU countries strike new migration deal Ministers from the UK, Belgium, France, Germany, and The Netherlands met on 8 December in Brussels to discuss cooperation in stemming migration across the Channel, and in furthering a punitive approach to migrant smuggling. The discussions, which build on a previous similar agreement between France and the UK, included a working arrangement between the UK and Frontex to step up the detection and registration of migrants present irregularly, and speed up asylum and returns procedures.