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Court of Justice of the European Union: ‘All Afghan girls and women seeking asylum are thus entitled to refugee status, solely on the basis of their nationality and gender’
On October 4th, 2024, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) handed down a decision that marked a clear step forward for Afghan women’s right to asylum, giving gender an important place in international protection. Keren Rajohanesa, a legal expert specialised in the rights of victims of gender-based violence at Passerell, analyses this decision.
The European Commission’s fight against people smugglers: a risk of criminalisation for exiles and NGOs
In November 2023, the European Commission unveiled a new proposal for a directive to combat people smugglers. NGOs and the United Nations’ Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees are concerned about this text, which could lead to further criminalisation of people in exile and solidarity associations.
« The suspension of the examination of asylum applications is a violation of international law »
Just a few kilometres from Lebanon and Syria, Cyprus has seen an increase in the number of Syrian exiles arriving by boat directly on its coasts in recent months. In spite of a stable total number of asylum seekers, the Cypriot government reacted to these more visible arrivals by announcing tougher reception conditions for asylum seekers in the country.
Corina Drousiotou, coordinator and legal adviser at the Cyprus Refugee Council, sheds light on the situation in Cyprus and the impact of recent government measures on asylum seekers.
Italy-Albania agreement: towards a reduction of asylum seekers’ guarantees
On Monday, November 6, 2023, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and her Albanian counterpart Edi Rama signed an agreement to “strengthen bilateral cooperation on migration.” Currently suspended, this agreement aims to create identification and detention centers in Albania where asylum applications from migrants rescued at sea would be processed.