News

Greece’s reception system for migrants has collapsed in light of a spike of arrivals over the past few months. Turkey’s recent police operations, that involved removing refugees and asylum seekers from its western coastal cities and sending them back to the regions where they were registered, has pushed Greece’s current accomodation to capacity. Between September 2019 and January 2020, figures released by the Greek government pertain to the transfer of … Read more →

Following UK Prime minister Boris Johnson’s cabinet reshuffle on Thursday 13 February, Conservative Suella Braverman was appointed as the new Attorney General, the government’s senior legal officer. She has made clear that she wants to limit the powers of judges on the Supreme Court and change the Human Rights Act. In a blogpost on 27 January, the keen Brexiteer wrote a searing attack on human rights litigation and the overuse … Read more →

Research suggests “fake news” will worsen the coronavirus epidemic. New research published on Friday 14 February shows that “fake news” – including misinformation and inaccurate advice – can lead to worsening outbreaks of disease, such as the current coronavirus epidemic (COVID-19). Scientists at the University of East Anglia (UEA) have analysed how the spread of misinformation affects the spread of the disease. Their findings show that successful efforts to stop … Read more →

The UK government is pushing ahead with its decision to forcibly return dozens of Jamaicans living in the UK on a flight scheduled for Tuesday 11 February. The government has defended its decision despite last-minute legal challenges by people due to be on board, and concerns that Windrush citizens could be among those removed. The flight will see up to 50 people deported, and is only the second the Home … Read more →

On Sunday 9 February, voters in Switzerland backed a proposal to make discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and sexual identity illegal. Unlike many of its western European neighbours, Switzerland has no law in force that specifically protects LGBTQ+ people from discrimination or hate speech. Mathias Reynard, a Social Democrat who drafted the legislation, told The Times the vote showed there was “no place for hate and discrimination in … Read more →

A renewed plea has been made for the warring parties of Syria to end hostilities in light of the recent military campaign and bombings carried out in the northwestern, Idlib region. Speaking to the UN Security Council on Thursday 6 February, Geir Pedersen, the UN Special Envoy on Syria said the recent strikes are causing “massive waves of civilian displacement and major loss of civilian life”, resulting in unacceptable human … Read more →