EU borders: concerns about Fundamental rights

Allegations for the treatment of migrants at EU borders and difficult conditions in detention and reception centres remain a persistent concern, as highlighted in the latest migration bulletin from the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA), which covers the period from the 1st January to 30 June 2021.

There are allegations of migrants being pushed back from both land and sea borders of the EU without the opportunity to apply for international protection and, in some instances, they face even heavy-handed treatment by authorities.

Other issues concerning fundamental rights, affected also by measures to contain the Covid-19 pandemic, include:

• Housing migrants on quarantine vessels instead of welcoming them to safe ports after they were rescued at sea.

• Overuse of migrant detention.

• Inhuman conditions in detention and reception centres and refugee camps, especially in some countries. Overcrowding and access to clean water and sanitation remain an issue. 

Another important issue remains the urgency of finding a  solution for minor asylum seekers, both unaccompanied or with families, in order to avoid placing them in detention facilities or restricting their free movement.