The Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights published today a letter addressed to European Commission Vice-President Schinas and Commissioner Johansson in which she draws their attention to crucial human rights issues pertaining to the protection of the rights of migrants, including refugees and asylum seekers, in EU member states and its immediate neighbourhood, that could inform the preparation of the New Pact on Migration and Asylum.
She highlights the need for “any action on asylum and migration to be firmly underpinned by human rights, effective solidarity and responsibility sharing”.
The observations of the Commissioner for Human Rights cover seven themes: reception emergencies; saving lives at sea; solidarity; migration co-operation with third countries; protecting rights at borders; immigration detention; and the need to defend civil society. Her observations are based on first-hand information collected during the Commissioner for Human Rights’ country visits and field missions, her dialogue with stakeholders on the ground and national authorities, and her work on the situation in the Mediterranean (Read the Commissioner for Human Rights’ Recommendation 'Lives saved. Rights protected. Bridging the protection gap for refugees and migrants in the Mediterranean').