Today, the European Commission introduced a proposed revision to the 2008 Return Directive, amending the EU legal framework on returns or deportations outside of the EU. Following pressure from certain member states, it also introduces a possible legal basis for ‘return hubs’ in EU law through “agreements or arrangements” with third countries. “The European Commission…
As we mark three years since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and amid the recently accelerated discussions on ending the war, Amnesty International wrote a letter to EU leaders, urging them to take concerted action to influence and shape the terms of any proposed ‘peace negotiations’ and to ensure that they are firmly grounded in…
Ahead of the Foreign Affairs Council on 24 February 2025, Amnesty International wrote to High Representative Kaja Kallas and EU Ministers of Foreign Affairs, urging them to act on the escalating human rights crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Dear High Representative Kallas, Dear Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Ahead of the forthcoming Foreign…
Together with 16 other international human rights organizations, Amnesty International calls on EU leaders attending COP29, the 29th annual United Nations Climate Change Conference, in Baku, to raise directly with the Azerbaijani authorities the cases of those imprisoned on politically motivated grounds and aim to secure their release. In this joint statement, our organizations call…
Dear High Representative Borrell, In light of the European Union’s leadership in ensuring the renewal of the mandate of the United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur on Burundi at the current 57th session of the Human Rights Council, Amnesty International is writing to urge you to lead EU and member state efforts to champion civil society…
Amnesty International joins Greenpeace and over 100 non-governmental organizations calling on the European Union to prohibit companies in the EU from exporting products banned in Europe to other parts of the world, to stop further harms to people and the environment. Amnesty International has been warning that digital surveillance systems produced by companies based in…
We, the undersigned Egyptian, regional and international human rights organisations, urge the European Commission and member states to uphold international and EU law to ensure that macro-financial assistance to Egypt granted under EU regulations secures concrete, measurable, structural and timebound human rights progress and reforms in the country. Since the 2013 military ousting of former…
Dear High Representative / Vice-President Borrell, We, the undersigned civil society organisations, are writing to reiterate our request for the European Union to suspend its human rights dialogue with China, and to consider other, more impactful measures at the EU’s disposal to address the Chinese government’s assault on human rights at home and abroad. While appreciative of…
This submission details Amnesty International’s human rights concerns in relation to Ukraine and outlines key recommendations that the EU should address in the framework of Ukraine’s EU accession process as well as other ongoing engagement, including the forthcoming EU-Ukraine human rights dialogue. Ukraine’s path to EU membership opens the door for strengthened engagement, additional avenues…
Amnesty International is presenting this submission to the European Commission ahead of the preparation of its 2024 Enlargement Package, including the Opinion on the application for Serbia’s membership in the European Union. It details Amnesty International’s human rights concerns and outlines key recommendations that the EU should prioritize in the framework of Serbia’s EU accession…
This submission details Amnesty International’s human rights concerns in relation to Türkiye and outlines key recommendations that the EU should prioritize in the framework of Türkiye’s EU accession process as well as in its broader bilateral relations with the country. Indeed, whether in the framework of the EU accession process or the EU-Türkiye association agreement,…
One year on from the start of the conflict in Sudan on 15 April 2023, and as the Foreign Affairs Council meets on Sudan on 22 April 2024, Amnesty International and 10 other NGOs call on the European Union (EU) and its member states to take urgent, strategic and concrete steps to respond to the…