BEATEN BY POLICE, BITTEN BY DOGS, AND ROBBED OF ALL RIGHTS: NEW REPORT REVEALS ALARMING PUSHBACKS AND VIOLATIONS AT EUROPE’S BORDERS

Migrants seeking to cross into the European Union are systematically being pushed back at the borders. The seventh report from Protecting Rights at Borders (PRAB) once again documents how illegal pushbacks have evolved into an accepted tool for border management. Beaten by the police, bitten by border dogs, and robbed of all belongings. Humiliated and left in the forest with no food or water. No phone, no ID, and nowhere to go.  

These are just some of the horrifying experiences from people trying to cross European borders, according to testimonies in the new seventh Protecting Rights at Borders Report (PRAB) “Surprisingly Surprised”.  The report brings new data that reconfirms the systematic pushback practices that continue at multiple EU borders and once again verifies that these unlawful acts have evolved into an accepted tool for border management. 

From 1 May to 31 August 2023, DRC and its PRAB partners across Europe have documented a staggering 9.515 pushback incidents. Of these 9.515 instances, 2.030 persons underwent a thorough interview processed by a PRAB partner and one out of three were children.  The report highlights numerous reports of violence, inhuman and degrading treatment, and a lack of access to asylum procedures. But while the number is high, the documented data is still believed to represent only a fraction of the actual illegal pushbacks occurring at European Union borders. 

DRC and the PRAB partners call upon European governments to stop acting surprised every time they are presented with the facts on border violations and pushbacks – and that they instead take immediate action to uphold international human rights standards and ensure the protection and well-being of individuals at their borders. 

Read the full “Surprisingly Surprised” report and learn more about PRAB here.

Previous reports are available at: https://pro.drc.ngo/resources/documents/prab-reports/. 

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The Protecting Rights at Borders (PRAB) initiative is formed by protection and legal aid organisations focusing on human rights compliance at the EU’s external and internal borders. The PRAB partners have solid field presence in the countries of operation enabling direct access to victims of pushbacks, as well as longstanding experience in strategic litigation. More information and previous reports are available at: https://pro.drc.ngo/resources/news/protecting-rights-at-borders-prab/