Latest news with #PICUM
Los Angeles Times
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
EU weighs deporting migrants to countries they have no obvious connection to
BRUSSELS — The European Union is considering whether to deport migrants to countries they have no obvious connection to, in a drive to send away more people who are not permitted to stay. Rights groups say the 'safe third country' plans unveiled Tuesday contravene EU values and will burden poorer nations. Under the bloc's rules, people can be sent to countries deemed safe; they cannot be sent to those where they face the risk of physical harm or persecution. 'We can expect families being separated and people being deported without appropriate judicial review to places they don't even know,' said Silvia Carta, Advocacy Officer at PICUM, a collective of organizations that defends migrants' rights. The EU's executive branch, the European Commission, proposed that the 27 member countries should no longer feel bound to ensure that migrants have a link to a place they might be sent to. The commission, which proposes EU laws and ensures they are respected, said that unauthorized migrants could also be deemed to have a connection to a country if they crossed it safely on their way to Europe. This wouldn't apply to children traveling alone. Under the plans, people could be forcibly taken to one of these countries before their cases are heard, even if they appeal. The new draft rules, which must be endorsed by EU nations and the European Parliament before they can be enforced, were unveiled as a number of countries, including Britain and Italy, seek to set up 'return hubs' in third countries where rejected asylum seekers can be held until they can be deported. The commission said its plans will speed up asylum procedures and ease pressure on European administrations and facilities. EU law currently requires authorities to prove a link between applicants and the safe third country they might be sent to. 'Instead of spending endless time and resources offloading its responsibilities to other countries, the EU should invest in its own asylum systems,' said Amnesty International's EU advocate on migration and asylum, Olivia Sundberg Diez. 'Sending people to countries to which they have no connection, no support and no prospects, or may have only briefly transited through, is not only chaotic and arbitrary, but also devastating on a human level,' Diez said. More than 1 million people entered Europe a decade ago, sparking a political crisis over who should take responsibility for them. Tensions between European neighbors remain palpable. Migration laws have been constantly tightened ever since. Last month, the commission said that seven countries — Bangladesh, Colombia, Egypt, India, Kosovo, Morocco and Tunisia — should be designated 'safe third countries.' It said that migrants from those countries are unlikely to be granted asylum in Europe and should have their applications processed in three months rather than the usual six months so they can be sent home more quickly. Asylum applications by people coming from countries that are candidates to join the EU — Albania, Bosnia, Georgia, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Turkey — would also be fast-tracked. Cook writes for the Associated Press.
The Independent
20-05-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
The EU is weighing whether to deport migrants to countries they have no obvious connection to
The European Union is considering whether to deport migrants to countries they have no obvious connection to, in a drive to send away more people who are not permitted to stay. Rights groups say the 'safe third country' plans unveiled Tuesday contravene EU values and will burden poorer nations. Under the bloc's rules, people can be sent to countries deemed safe, but not to those where they face the risk of physical harm or persecution. 'We can expect families being separated and people being deported without appropriate judicial review to places they don't even know,' said Silvia Carta, Advocacy Officer at PICUM, a collective of organizations that defends migrants' rights. The EU's executive branch, the European Commission, proposed that the 27 member countries should no longer feel bound to ensure that migrants have a link to a place they might be sent to. The commission, which proposes EU laws and ensures they are respected, said that unauthorized migrants could also be deemed to have a connection to a country if they crossed it safely on their way to Europe. This wouldn't apply to children traveling alone. Under the plans, people could be forcibly taken to one of these countries before their cases are heard, even if they appeal. The new draft rules, which must be endorsed by EU nations and the European Parliament to enter force, were unveiled as a number of countries including Britain and Italy seek to set up 'return hubs' in third countries where rejected asylum seekers can be held until they can be deported. The commission said its plans will speed up asylum procedures and ease pressure on European administrations and facilities. EU law currently requires authorities to prove a link between applicants and the safe third country they might be sent to. 'Instead of spending endless time and resources offloading its responsibilities to other countries, the EU should invest in its own asylum systems,' said Amnesty International's EU Advocate on Migration and Asylum, Olivia Sundberg Diez. 'Sending people to countries to which they have no connection, no support and no prospects, or may have only briefly transited through, is not only chaotic and arbitrary, but also devastating on a human level,' Diez said. More than 1 million people entered Europe a decade ago, sparking a political crisis over who should take responsibility for them. Tensions between European neighbors remain palpable. Migration laws have been constantly tightened ever since. Last month, the commission said that seven countries – Bangladesh, Colombia, Egypt, India, Kosovo, Morocco and Tunisia – should be designated 'safe third countries.' It said that migrants from those countries are unlikely to be granted asylum in Europe and should have their applications processed in 3 months rather than the usual 6 months so they can be sent home more quickly. Asylum applications by people coming from countries that are candidates to join the EU – Albania, Bosnia, Georgia, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Turkey – would also be fast-tracked. ___ Follow AP's global migration coverage at
Associated Press
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Associated Press
The EU is weighing whether to deport migrants to countries they have no obvious connection to
BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union is considering whether to deport migrants to countries they have no obvious connection to, in a drive to send away more people who are not permitted to stay. Rights groups say the 'safe third country' plans unveiled Tuesday contravene EU values and will burden poorer nations. Under the bloc's rules, people can be sent to countries deemed safe, but not to those where they face the risk of physical harm or persecution. 'We can expect families being separated and people being deported without appropriate judicial review to places they don't even know,' said Silvia Carta, Advocacy Officer at PICUM, a collective of organizations that defends migrants' rights. The EU's executive branch, the European Commission, proposed that the 27 member countries should no longer feel bound to ensure that migrants have a link to a place they might be sent to. The commission, which proposes EU laws and ensures they are respected, said that unauthorized migrants could also be deemed to have a connection to a country if they crossed it safely on their way to Europe. This wouldn't apply to children traveling alone. Under the plans, people could be forcibly taken to one of these countries before their cases are heard, even if they appeal. The new draft rules, which must be endorsed by EU nations and the European Parliament to enter force, were unveiled as a number of countries including Britain and Italy seek to set up 'return hubs' in third countries where rejected asylum seekers can be held until they can be deported. The commission said its plans will speed up asylum procedures and ease pressure on European administrations and facilities. EU law currently requires authorities to prove a link between applicants and the safe third country they might be sent to. 'Instead of spending endless time and resources offloading its responsibilities to other countries, the EU should invest in its own asylum systems,' said Amnesty International's EU Advocate on Migration and Asylum, Olivia Sundberg Diez. 'Sending people to countries to which they have no connection, no support and no prospects, or may have only briefly transited through, is not only chaotic and arbitrary, but also devastating on a human level,' Diez said. More than 1 million people entered Europe a decade ago, sparking a political crisis over who should take responsibility for them. Tensions between European neighbors remain palpable. Migration laws have been constantly tightened ever since. Last month, the commission said that seven countries – Bangladesh, Colombia, Egypt, India, Kosovo, Morocco and Tunisia – should be designated 'safe third countries.' It said that migrants from those countries are unlikely to be granted asylum in Europe and should have their applications processed in 3 months rather than the usual 6 months so they can be sent home more quickly. Asylum applications by people coming from countries that are candidates to join the EU – Albania, Bosnia, Georgia, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Turkey – would also be fast-tracked. ___ Follow AP's global migration coverage at
Al Arabiya
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
At least 142 prosecuted for helping migrants across Europe in 2024: NGO
At least 142 people were prosecuted in 2024 for helping or rescuing migrants across Europe, a report by a group defending migrants' rights warned on Tuesday. According to the Platform for International Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants (PICUM), more than 80 people have faced prosecution for saving or aiding migrants at sea and around 20 for providing them with water, food or clothing. 'This is the fourth year in a row' the number of people prosecuted has risen, Silvia Carta of PICUM said, criticizing the 'criminalization of solidarity with migrants'. The report focuses on incidents in Bulgaria, Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Malta and Poland, and was compiled using various sources including European media. 'What we're able to monitor is just the tip of the iceberg,' Carta said. The organization refers to one incident during which seven Basque activists were accused of taking advantage of a race to smuggle 36 migrants across the border between Spain and France in March 2024. Their trial is due to start in early October. The report also mentions five people who face imprisonment in Poland for 'providing humanitarian aid' to migrants on the border with Belarus.
