Tag Archives: Greece
24 October 2014
On 21 October 2014, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) issues a judgment in the case of Sharifi and Others v. Italy and Greece. The ECtHR found that there had been several violations of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) on account of collective expulsion by the Italian authorities of Afghan migrants, who were then deprived of access to the asylum procedure in Greece. (more…)
Source: ECtHR | Arrêt Sharifi et autres c. Italie et Grèce - Refoulement de migrants afghans d'Italie en Grèce | requête no. 16643/09 | Communique de presse | CEDH 304 (2014) | 21 October 2014
1 October 2014
In attempting to seal their borders, European nations are facing an ‘impossible’ task, the UN independent expert on the human rights of migrants wrote in an open letter to the EU’s Committee on Fundamental Rights and Freedoms, as he encouraged the EU to identify new legal channels of migration in an effort to save lives. ‘Sealing international borders is impossible, and migrants will continue arriving despite all efforts to stop them, at a terrible cost in lives and suffering’, Special Rapporteur François Crépeau wrote. (more…)
Source: UN News Centre | UN expert urges European nations to rethink policies as migration-related deaths rise
22 September 2014
High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein urged Egypt and other North African and European states to help bring to justice the people smugglers who allegedly deliberately sank a boat causing the deaths of hundreds of refugees and migrants in the ‘truly horrendous incident’ which may amount to ‘mass murder’ on 10 September 2014 in the Mediterranean. (more…)
Source: UN News Centre | Sinking of Mediterranean migrant boat amounts to ‘mass murder’ – UN rights chief
Source: Reuters | As many as 700 migrants feared drowned in Mediterranean
15 December 2013
On 10 December 2013, the Grand Chamber of the Court of Justice of the EU (CJEU) issued a judgment in Case C 394/12. It held that the opportunities for an asylum seeker to challenge a decision to transfer him/her under the Dublin II Regulation are limited once a member state has agreed to take charge of the examination of his/her application. This decision can only be overturned when there are systemic deficiencies in the asylum procedure and reception conditions of that member state.
The case concerned a Somali national, Ms. Abdullahi, who entered Greece irregularly by boat. She travelled to Austria via the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Serbia and Hungary. The Austrian authorities requested Hungary to take charge of her under the Dublin II Regulation, and Hungary accepted. Ms. Abdullahi appealed the transfer request and a dispute arose as to whether Greece or Hungary was responsible for examining the asylum claim in light of Article 10(1) of the Dublin II Regulation. The Austrian court asked the CJEU to clarify the procedure for determining responsibility.
Source: Court of Justice of the European Union | Case C‑394/12 | Request for a preliminary ruling under Article 267 TFEU from the Asylgerichtshof (Austria), in the proceedings Shamso Abdullahi v. Bundesasylamt | Judgment | 10 December 2013