The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) is a pan-European political assembly that brings together parliamentarians of the 46 member states of the Council of Europe.

The Principle of Non-Refoulement: we hear this term a lot when talking about migration and international law — but what does it really mean?

Lampedusa becomes Europe’s testing ground for CEAS. Last week, Frontex, EUAA, Europol, and Italian authorities tested the new EU screening process.
 It’s the first real-life trial of what will soon become law under the EU Migration & Asylum Pact (CEAS).

Last weekend we joined the transnational protest against the Rama–Meloni agreement and the two centres #Italy has built and now manages in #Albania — a Hotspot in #Shëngjin and a Detention Centre in #Gjadër. The protest was organized by the Network Against Migrant Detention and Mesdhe.

On 22 October, the first summit between the #EU and #Egypt took place in Brussels, attended by Ursula von der Leyen (President of the European Commission), António Costa (President of the European Council), and Abdel Fattah al-Sisi (President of Egypt) to strengthen bilateral relations.

After almost two years under siege, #El-Fasher in #Sudan fell completely under RSF control on 26 October. Around 260,000 people — half of them children — are trapped in catastrophic conditions, without access to food or medical care.

Ever wondered why the EU calls its migration policies a “success story”?

Last week, EU interior ministers met in Luxembourg to discuss faster deportations and a tougher European migration policy. The plans: “return hubs” and the mutual recognition of deportation orders across the EU, meaning a single country’s deportation decision could apply throughout the Union.

Trigger Warning: Slide 3 contains references to suicide and self-harm. In 2023, Italy and Albania signed a deal to carry out asylum procedures outside the EU. One year ago the first individuals were detained in the Mediterranean and sent to detention centers in Albania.

❌From Italian prison to Egyptian detention. Migrants accused of “people smuggling” are being #criminalized twice – first in Europe, then again back home.

1/2Outrage in #Sabratha: “security” forces + militias stormed homes,burst into families’s bedrooms, terrified children,and arrested Sudanese families fleeing war some kids held in unfit sites,others disappeared.Illegal. Immoral. #Libya #HumanRights

The attack on the rescue ship Sea-Watch 5 by @sea-watch.org shows once again: EU money fuels violence at sea.

What happened in August in the Central Mediterranean? In August, 5289 people arrived in Italy by sea. 1073 were rescued by civil SAR – despite increasing violence and ongoing criminalization by Italian authorities. The Algeria-Sardinia route is becoming more active again.

Rescue is not a crime. Yet governments seize rescue ships, criminalize NGOs, and let people die. Violence and obstruction against civil sea rescue are escalating.

Afghanistan is not at peace — its people are living through crisis, inequality, and neglect. We cannot look away. The international community must act and fight for human rights, support healthcare, education, and humanitarian aid.

Die Prozessliste für den 1.9. ist raus: 23 Verfahren, über 50 Angeklagte. Das Gericht arbeitet von 9-15 Uhr. Jede*r kann selbst ausrechnen, wie viel Zeit – Minuten! – offensichtlich pro Verfahren angesetzt sind – Verfahren, in denen über jahrzehntelange Haft entschieden wird. #AllEyesOnCrete

Neue Podcastfolge von „Mittelmeer, was geht!?“ ist online! Wir sprechen über: 📌 Rettungen & Todeszahlen im Juli 📌 Libyen & Tunesien: Verhandlungen & kein Vertrauen in UNHCR 📌 Frontex's Weitergabe persönlicher Daten & KI im Migrationsmanagement 📌 Gerichtsverfahren und Festsetzungen Jetzt reinhören!

On September 1st + 2nd, dozens of young Sudanese men and boys, as well as people of other nationalities, are set to stand trial in smuggling cases in Chania, Crete. 16 Sudanese individuals, some as young as 16, have contacted us alone so far, all of whom have their trial on one of these days. 1/5

They could have been saved. At least 27 people -including a one-and a half year old child, lost their lives in a deadly shipwreck off Lampedusa on August 13. Many more are still missing. Women, men, children -with homes, dreams and ambitions.

What happened in the Central Mediterranean in July? A total of 6.490 people reached Italy by sea. 807 people were rescued thanks to the effort of the search and rescue NGOs. 🕊️ 44 people died while seeking safety, 55 are reported missing and the fate of 38 others is unknown.

Italien setzt unser Menschenrechtsbeobachtungs-Flugzeug fest! Erstmals wird uns mit sofortiger Wirkung die Flugerlaubnis für 20 Tage verweigert. Das ist eine neue Eskalationsstufe im Kampf der italienischen Regierung gegen zivile Menschenrechtsbeobachtung auf dem Mittelmeer!

On August 1st, the EU Court of Justice ruled: A country can only be labeled “safe” if everyone is protected across its territory, based on verifiable evidence and open to judicial review.

Germany–Afghanistan Deportations = State-Enforced Danger Germany has resumed deportations to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan – where returnees face persecution, violence, and repression. Despite human rights violations, the German government continues forced returns under the guise of “security.”

On #WorldTraffickingDay, let’s set the record straight: SMUGGLING IS NOT THE SAME AS TRAFFICKING. 🚫 Frequently, migrants get arrested and imprisoned in Italy simply for driving a boat or even just holding a compass or handing out water. These are not traffickers.

Last week on July 21, the Public Prosecutor’s Office of Crotone announced that six Italian officials will be facing a public trial starting in January 2026. They are accused of failing to rescue the people in distress during the Cutro shipwreck on February 26, 2023.

We urgently need to #DecriminalizeFacilitation to ensure the fundamental rights of people on the move! What does this mean? @en.sea-watch.org @sos-humanity.bsky.social @ecchr.bsky.social @iuventa-crew.org @borderline-europe.bsky.social @louisemichelcrew.bsky.social

🇪🇺🇩🇰 From July to December 2025, Denmark holds the EU Council Presidency – and is pushing for a harder stance on migration. Under the motto “A strong Europe in a changing world”, the Danish government aims to:

Kinsa case update: It's the end of a long legal struggle and an important day for those seeking justice at borders. People cannot be criminalized for exercising their fundamental rights! @ecchr.bsky.social @borderline-europe.bsky.social @iuventa-crew.org

On the International Day of Criminal Justice, we raise our voices togerther with 31 other organizations against the criminalization of solidarity.

What happened in the Central Mediterranean in June? A total of 7.142 people arrived in Italy – *1.139 of them were rescued thanks to NGOs: 758 of them were brought ashore by the civil fleet, while 381 people were rescued by NGO-ships and later were brought ashore by the authorities.

🌍Think most refugees are in Europe? Think again. 67% are hosted in neighboring countries 73% in low- & middle-income countries Germany? Just 3.2% per capita – despite the headlines

🇬🇷🇪🇺Greece is suspending asylum applications for people arriving by sea from North Africa — targeting those who flee via #Libya to Crete. At the same time, the Greek government plans new detention centres and closer cooperation with the Libyan coast guard.

🚨New Albania Update: Secret Deportations from Gjadër to Cairo 🇮🇹 Italy now deported people directly from Albania — bypassing EU territory. How (il)legal is this?

🎬 THIS JUNGO LIFE – A powerful film we urge you to watch. Shot by and with young Sudanese refugees living rough on the streets of Rabat, this documentary breaks with the usual narrative: raw, collective storytelling from those surviving Europe’s outsourced border regime.

🇸🇩🇪🇬 Hundreds of thousands of Sudanese women and children fled the brutal war to seek safety – only to face a new struggle in #Egypt. Our new brochure “#Sudan – The Forgotten War” sheds light on the harsh realities of Sudanese refugees in Egypt:

🚨🛟 While thousands continue to drown in the Central Mediterranean, Germany has cut all funding for civil sea rescue. €2 million in 2024 supported ships like @sea-eye.org, @soshumanity.bsky.social, @sosmediterranee.org & @resqship.bsky.social — enabling life-saving missions. Now that support is gone.

🚫 1.5 times around the world – That’s how far @msfsea.bsky.social's rescue ship Geo Barents was forced to travel due to Italy’s distant port strategy. Over 160 days lost, 4 detentions, and rescues halved in 2024.

🌍 On #WorldRefugeeDay, we stand in solidarity not only with refugees – but with all people on the move seeking safety, dignity, and a future. Too many are denied protection. Labelled, criminalized, pushed back, locked up, or left to die at borders.

🚨 Despite a Berlin court ruling pushbacks illegal in the case of three Somali asylum seekers, Interior Minister Dobrindt continues with rejections, border checks, and heavy police presence.The ruling is for now limited to this case —but it signals growing legal doubt over these practices:

Missed what’s been happening at #Italy's external border this year? Don’t worry – we’ve got you covered! Check out our latest Newsletter via the link in our bio for updates on the most pressing developments in legal policies, externalization deals, and security measures.

🚨 In 2 days, on Thursday, June 12, Italy’s highest court of appeal will decide whether to allow a retrial for Alaa Faraj, a 29-year-old man from Libya who has spent nearly a decade in prison.

Sudan is the world’s largest humanitarian crisis. Women and girls faced disproportionate impacts from the armed conflict.🚨In Gedaref, Women Emergency Response Rooms (WERRs) were created by local women and political groups to deliver gender-sensitive, life-saving support to women and fight impunity.

⭕️ Wir haben gewonnen - die Anklage O.B.s wegen Schleuserei verstößt gegen die EU Grundrechte-Charta! 🥳 Auch wenn sich das Gericht in seinem Urteil auf Minderjährige beschränkt, ist es ein wichtiger erster Schritt, der breiten Kriminalisierung durch Schleusergesetze Grenzen zu setzen!

Sudan is the world’s largest humanitarian crisis. Women and girls faced disproportionate impacts from the armed conflict.🚨In Gedaref, Women Emergency Response Rooms (WERRs) were created by local women and political groups to deliver gender-sensitive, life-saving support to women and fight impunity.

📣🚨Outbreak of violence in Libya Following the assassination of militia leader “Gheniwa” by Brigade 444, fighting has erupted in Tripoli – 75 civilians are estimated to have been killed.

Just a few hours after taking office as Germany’s Interior Minister, Alexander Dobrindt instructed federal police to turn away asylum seekers at the border. 📜What does EU-Law say?

What’s happening in Sudan? On April 15, 2023 the military aggression erupted between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Since, Sudan has faced mass killings, sexual violence, forced disappearances, modern slavery, and a deepening humanitarian crisis.

We and @de-criminalize.bsky.social say no to #detention and #deportation at BER Airport! There, people will be held in prison-like facilities despite having done nothing more than seeking protection. Seeking asylum is a right, not a crime.

Hundreds of displaced people are protesting in El Amra, Tunisia, after being violently evicted, beaten, and left without shelter. This is not an isolated incident. It’s part of a wide campaign of racialized border violence, enabled by EU migration policies and externalization deals with Tunisia.

On #InternationalDayOfFamilies, we demand: Families belong together – no exceptions. Yet for thousands of people with subsidiary protection, family reunification is nearly impossible.