03/06/2022 | Migration, Refugees and Displaced Persons
The Migration Committee today expressed its concern at the humanitarian consequences of the Russian Federation's aggression against Ukraine, leading to the largest population movement since the Second World War. It commended the solidarity of member States, which by mid-May 2022 had taken in more...
03/06/2022 | Migration, Refugees and Displaced Persons
The Russian Federation’s aggression against Ukraine, as well as the increase in arrivals of asylum seekers and migrants across the Mediterranean Sea, have caused rapidly growing numbers of unaccompanied and separated migrant and refugee children in Europe. Confronted with this worrying situation...
10/05/2022 | Migration, Refugees and Displaced Persons
“Cooperation and coordination between the central, regional and local levels is key to ensuring that the needs of more than 5 million refugees and 7 to 9 million IDPs are met in the medium and long term,” said Pierre-Alain Fridez (Switzerland, SOC), rapporteur on “the humanitarian consequences...
29/04/2022 | Migration, Refugees and Displaced Persons
Pierre-Alain Fridez (Switzerland, SOC) expressed his deep concern about the fate of victims of pushbacks at Europe’s borders, at the end of his fact-finding visit to Frontex in Poland (20-22 April). Mr Fridez, who is currently preparing a report on this issue for the Migration Committee met with...
28/04/2022 | Migration, Refugees and Displaced Persons
At its meeting held on 27-28 April 2022, the Migration Committee held exchanges of views with Dunja Mijatović, Council of Europe’s Human Rights Commissioner, and Leyla Kayacik, Special Representative of the Secretary General on Migration and Refugees. Focus was placed on pushbacks, the...
21/03/2022 | Migration, Refugees and Displaced Persons
In a declaration adopted unanimously today, the Committee on Migration called for a coordinated humanitarian response by member States to evacuate persons who fled the armed conflict in Ukraine from neighbouring countries “by resettlement and relocation, and without discrimination”. The...
21/02/2022 | Migration, Refugees and Displaced Persons
On 21 and 22 February 2022, Pierre-Alain Fridez (Switzerland, SOC), rapporteur on "Pushbacks on land and sea: illegal measures of migration management", together with Stephanie Krisper (Austria, ALDE), rapporteur on "Safe third countries for asylum seekers", visited the border area between...
24/01/2022 | Session
PACE has welcomed the EU’s commitment to integrating European human rights fully into all its policies on migration and asylum, but has said its proposed new Pact on Migration and Asylum is “very complex” and raises concerns that proposed accelerated asylum procedures may reduce their quality and...
17/12/2021 | Migration, Refugees and Displaced Persons
“On the occasion of International Migrants Day, 18 December 2021, we can celebrate the creation of the International Organisation for Migration 70 years ago, as well as the 31st anniversary of the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their...
30/09/2021 | Migration, Refugees and Displaced Persons
There was a warm welcome today at the Council of Europe for Little Amal, a 3.5m-tall animated puppet of a nine-year-old refugee from Syria, the latest stop on her 8,000-kilometre journey across the continent to raise awareness of the situation of child refugees. “The Walk” is Amal’s epic voyage...
23/09/2021 | Migration, Refugees and Displaced Persons
Little Amal, a 3.5m-tall animated puppet of a nine-year-old Syrian refugee girl who is walking across Europe to raise awareness of the situation of child refugees, is to visit PACE and the Council of Europe in Strasbourg on 30th September 2021. Amal’s visit is one of the stops on “The Walk”, an...
13/09/2021 | Migration, Refugees and Displaced Persons
Following the tragic recent conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, the PACE Migration Committee has set out a series of recommendations to both countries to address the humanitarian consequences in the short and long term, and move towards a process of peace and reconciliation. Approving a...