Return hubs have long been discussed by EU member states as a further measure to outsource refugee protection. A new Briefing shows, that they are legally fragile.
On Friday, March 13, Equal Rights Beyond Borders secured the release of Mariam, the first woman to be imprisoned in Greece because she applied for international protection.
On 12 June 2026, the new Common European Asylum System (CEAS) enters into force. With this unified start date, a series of new regulations and directives will take effect – from the Asylum Procedures Regulation and the Qualification Regulation to the AMMR as the successor to the Dublin III Regulation.
On the night of 3 February 2026, a boat carrying people seeking refuge ran into distress at sea. The Greek Coast Guard was present and involved. Fifteen people lost their lives, and 25 others were injured. Equal Rights Beyond Borders operates an office on Chios and is committed to ensuring the humane treatment of the survivors. We also call for a thorough and independent investigation.
The Administrative Court of Cologne has ruled that security interviews and the storage of data by Germany’s domestic intelligence services (Verfassungsschutz) involving asylum seekers rescued at sea in Malta were unlawful. There was neither valid consent nor a legal basis for the measures. The interviews were conducted under significant pressure, without transparency and without the interviewers being identifiable as government officials. Neither the Federal Constitutional Protection Act, the Dublin III Regulation, nor the “Malta Agreement” justified such actions. The judgment emphasizes that state authorities remain bound by fundamental rights even when acting abroad; leave to appeal was granted.
The population of VIAL Camp in Chios has been cut off from electricity, creating inhumane living conditions.
Proposed amendments to the Immigration Code criminalise actions of employees of NGOs who support refugees and migrants. Despite repeated international recommendations, the Ministry of Migration and Asylum continues to target civil society, using the NGO Registry as a tool of intimidation and silencing. 56 organisations have described the proposed provisions as illegal and are calling for their immediate withdrawal.
On December 10th, Equal Rights Beyond Borders appeared before the Court of Rhodes, representing an asylum seeker from Afghanistan who was accused of human smuggling and faced a heavy and lengthy prison sentence. Despite the increasingly hostile anti-migration climate in Greece, Equal Rights successfully secured his acquittal on all charges and subsequent release.
We joined UNHCR during the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence to hold multilingual GBV info sessions with women in Vial Camp on Chios. Across five languages, we discussed rights, protection mechanisms, and referral pathways for GBV survivors in Greece. The exchange created space for empowerment, awareness, and honest sharing with women from diverse backgrounds.
Human rights in Europe are increasingly under pressure. Our Christmas campaign calls on everyone to take a stand. Become a human rights defender and send a clear message for human rights.
