On 13 and 14 June, the Special Representative of the Secretary General on Migration and Refugees (SRSG), David Best, chaired the 9th meeting of the Network of Focal Points on Migration (NFPM), which brought together participants from member state ministries dealing with migration to discuss critical challenges and developments in migration policy.
Key Discussions:
Updates and Emerging Challenges:
- The SRSG Office provided updates on its activities and priorities, as well as current and emerging challenges in the field of migration and refugees.
Implementing the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum:
- Presentations focused on the key challenges of implementing the European Union Pact on Migration and Asylum in compliance with Council of Europe standards. This included insights into recent European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) case law and amendments to the ECtHR’s interim measures under Rule 39. EU member States will need to present their national implementation plans for the Pact within the next six months.[BD1]
Human Rights Compliant Asylum Procedures:
- Stephanie Krisper, rapporteur of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) on “Ensuring human rights compliant asylum procedures,” highlighted the importance of asylum procedures, the right to life, the prohibition of ill-treatment, and the principle of non-refoulement.
Overview of EU Pact Changes:
- Catherine Woollard, Director of the European Council on Refugees and Exiles (ECRE), provided a comprehensive overview of the changes introduced by the European Union Pact on Migration and Asylum and discussed the main challenges related to its implementation in compliance with Council of Europe standards.
Detention Conditions and Remedies:
- Council of Europe expert Anna Moradi recalled the good practices deriving from the ECtHR’s case-law and other Council of Europe standards, in particular those of the Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT), relating to conditions of detention, the detention of vulnerable individuals, and remedies available.
Vulnerability Assessments at Borders:
- Petya Nestorova, Executive Secretary of the Convention against Trafficking in Human Beings, along with Council of Europe experts Cécile Greboval from the Gender Equality Division and Ana Guerreiro from the Children’s Rights Division, provided further insight into the standards related to vulnerability assessment at borders.
Member State Updates:
- NFPM members shared updates on recent legal and policy developments in their respective countries concerning the protection of the rights of vulnerable persons in the context of migration and asylum.
The meeting underscored the commitment of member states to uphold human rights and address the complexities of migration and asylum in Europe, ensuring that the implementation of new policies remains in line with established standards.
