Newsletter - January 2020
Mandate
The Division on Migration and Refugees (DMR) was created at the Directorate General of Human Rights and Rule of Law (DG1) on 1 February 2025 to follow-up on the action by the former Special Representative of the Secretary General on Migration and Refugees. Its mandate includes suggesting assistance and support to member states, particularly through the Network of Focal Points on Migration, seeking, collecting and analysing information on the human rights situation of migrants and refugees, as well as complementing and co-ordinating activities of other relevant Council of Europe bodies and our action with other international partners, notably the UNHCR, IOM, EU, and its specialised agencies, and other national, regional and international stakeholders, including civil society organisations. The DMR represents the Council of Europe in the UNHCR Nansen Refugee Award Selection Committee, as well as in the Consultative Forums of Frontex and of EUAA.
Ambassador Štefánek took up his duties as the new Special Representative on Migration and Refugees
On 15 January 2020, Ambassador Drahoslav Štefánek took up his functions as the Special Representative on Migration and Refugees of Council of Europe Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić. A lawyer by training and a career diplomat, Drahoslav Štefánek was Head of the Council of Europe Office...
Judgment on expulsion to Iraq following conviction on smuggling of migrants
On 14 January 2020, the European Court of Human Rights handed down a Chamber judgment in the case of D and Others v. Romania (application no. 75953/16) concerning an order for the expulsion to Iraq of an Iraqi national following his conviction in Romania for having facilitated the entry to...
Conference on refugee protection in Greece
On 17 December 2019, a representative of the Execution Department took part in the conference organised in Athens by the Greek Council for Refugees on the occasion of its 30th Anniversary. The conference was entitled “Challenges in international protection in Greece and Europe”. Speakers and...
Denmark needs to improve conditions in migration detention centres
On 7 January 2020, Council of Europe´s anti-torture committee (CPT) published a report calling on Denmark to improve conditions in two centres where migrants are detained. Regarding visits to the migration detention centres, the CPT considered it unacceptable that living conditions and rules for...
PACE winter session: debates on missing children and trafficking
On 30 January 2020, a report by Serap Yaşar (Turkey, NR) on Missing refugee and migrant children in Europe will be presented to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) at its winter session in Strasbourg (27-31 January 2020). It describes the situation of missing refugee and...
Syrian doctor who ran underground children’s hospital received Wallenberg prize
On 15 January 2020, Dr. Amani Ballour, a paediatrician from Syria who ran an underground hospital in Eastern Ghouta in 2012-2018 and is now a refugee in Turkey, has been awarded the Council of Europe’s Raoul Wallenberg Prize for her personal courage, bravery and commitment in saving hundreds of...
Protection of asylum-seekers and refugees under the European Convention on Human Rights
On 4-5 December 2019, in Ankara, Turkey, a round table entitled “Protection of Asylum-Seekers and Refugees under the European Convention on Human Rights” was organised by the Council of Europe and UNHCR in cooperation with the Justice Academy of Turkey. The round table included discussions on a...
Responding to Drug-Related Challenges for Refugees, Migrants & IDPs
On 4-5 December 2019, Council of Europe´s drug policy experts, the Pompidou Group, organised a Preparatory Working Group Meeting “Responding to Drug-Related Challenges for Refugees, Migrants & IDPs” at the Council of Europe premises in Strasbourg. The working group brought together experts from...
European Qualifications Passport for Refugees: evaluation sessions in Greece and Italy
Two evaluation sessions of the European Qualifications Passport for Refugees (EQPR) were held in Athens and in Bari, Italy in the autumn. In Athens, 35 refugees had their qualifications assessed by Credential evaluators from the European National Information Centres (ENICs) of Canada, Germany,...
New study: Using criminal law to restrict the work of NGOs supporting refugees and other migrants
On 8 January 2020, the Expert Council on NGO Law published a study entitled “Using Criminal Law to Restrict the Work of NGOs Supporting Refugees and Other Migrants in Council of Europe Member States”. The study considers the situation of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) carrying out...
Workshop: Taking young refugees and asylum seekers seriously
On 14 February 2020, in Brussels, the European reflection and discussion workshop entitled “Taking young refugees and asylum seekers seriously - Knowledge, policies and youth work practices” is organised as a follow up to the project Youth.Together, implemented by the Youth Department of the...
- Border protection and the rights of young refugees and children in focus
- Spain did not breach the Convention when returning migrants to Morocco at Melilla border
- PACE to discuss violence and discrimination against religious minorities
- New study on gender-based asylum claims and non-refoulement
- Launch of toolkit on academic integration of refugees into higher education
- Taking young refugees seriously: key messages from the conference
- North-South Prize 2019 honours the efforts to support the integration of migrants