nder The Radar is a special series and newsletter offering from Diplomatic Courier bringing you compelling, under–the–radar stories from around the world over the past month. This month across Europe: allegations of humanitarian abuse at EU–funded migration centers, Albania’s next step on its path to EU membership, and a rare political win for the LGBTQ community in Poland. You can sign up to receive the newsletter here.
Mistreatment of refugees in EU—financed migrant removal centers
The EU’s 2024 Pact on Migration and Asylum formalized certain aspects of EU migration policy, among them support for “border management” among some EU neighbor countries. In practice, in places like Turkey this has meant funding for migrant processing centers. EU policy in this case is meant to protect Europe’s borders from undocumented refugee flows while ensuring migrant facilities in third countries are humane. Lighthouse Reports in October published a report, in collaboration with several major European news outlets including Politico, detailing the systematic detention, abuse, and sometimes murder of Syrian and Afghan refugees. The facilities themselves act more as deportation facilities than reception centers as public sentiment in Europe and Turkey itself turn against refugees.
That hostility, and growing resentment among Turkish government officials at being used as Europe’s refugee repository, likely fuel these human rights abuses. The EU has spent (according to Lighthouse Reports estimates) around €213 million in funding for these centers in Europe and, according to the report, the EU is aware of how the system is being abused. The European Commission responded to the allegations of the report by asking Turkey to investigate the allegations of wrongdoing. Meanwhile, EU member states are pushing for still tighter EU migration controls while the European Commission President only days after the report’s publication called for the creation of more migrant return hubs in third countries.
Amid domestic unrest, Albania takes steps toward EU accession
Albania has begun formal talks with the EU on joining the bloc with the second meeting of the Accession Conference with Albania in Luxembourg on October 15. There is significant optimism around Albania’s prospects, in part because there is cross–party consensus within Albania about EU membership, and Albanian officials are ambitiously aiming for accession by the end of the decade.
Albania’s progress comes amid a change in sentiment among EU member states about enlarging the bloc, with Russia’s expanded invasion of Ukraine leading many to believe the EU needs to include the Western Balkans for a stronger union. But while there is reason for optimism, Albania’s ultimate path forward remains uncertain. One reason is that there are so many opportunities for the process to be delayed by political disputes, such as the situations hampering North Macedonia’s accession bid. A second reason is Albania’s domestic political situation. There have been ongoing protests by critics who accuse the government of staying in power with strongman tactics. Alongside ongoing issues with corruption, Albania could struggle to meet the ambitious Reform Agenda Albania agreed to in late October.
A win for the LGTBQ community in Poland
Poland has for some time been a country divided on social issues such as reproductive rights and LGBTQ rights. After a coalition of parties ousted the United Right alliance last year, there was hope among activists for progress on these issues. While division among the ruling coalition parties on abortion has left women’s reproductive rights activists disappointed, in mid–October the government published a new draft law on civil partnerships that promises to be a big step forward for LGBTQ equality.
The draft law, if entered into force, would allow for couples—same sex or otherwise—who have entered into a civil partnership to gain rights to inheritance and medical information about their partners, but doesn’t include the right to adopt. It’s a hopeful sign for the LGBTQ community in Poland, and even the Polish Catholic Church expressed conditional support for the law. Political hurdles remain which are significant, if not necessarily insurmountable, before the draft law can enter into force. Among these are concerns that the center–right portion of the ruling coalition may resist the bill. If the bill is approved by parliament, it still must be signed into law by President Andrzej Duda, who is an ally of the former government and is noted for his conservative views.
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Is the EU funding human rights abuses at Turkish migration centers?
Photo by Rostyslav Savchyn on Unsplash.
November 1, 2024
Diplomatic Courier brings you three under–the-radar stories from Europe in October: migrant abuse allegations, Albania to the EU, and an LGBTQ win in Poland.
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nder The Radar is a special series and newsletter offering from Diplomatic Courier bringing you compelling, under–the–radar stories from around the world over the past month. This month across Europe: allegations of humanitarian abuse at EU–funded migration centers, Albania’s next step on its path to EU membership, and a rare political win for the LGBTQ community in Poland. You can sign up to receive the newsletter here.
Mistreatment of refugees in EU—financed migrant removal centers
The EU’s 2024 Pact on Migration and Asylum formalized certain aspects of EU migration policy, among them support for “border management” among some EU neighbor countries. In practice, in places like Turkey this has meant funding for migrant processing centers. EU policy in this case is meant to protect Europe’s borders from undocumented refugee flows while ensuring migrant facilities in third countries are humane. Lighthouse Reports in October published a report, in collaboration with several major European news outlets including Politico, detailing the systematic detention, abuse, and sometimes murder of Syrian and Afghan refugees. The facilities themselves act more as deportation facilities than reception centers as public sentiment in Europe and Turkey itself turn against refugees.
That hostility, and growing resentment among Turkish government officials at being used as Europe’s refugee repository, likely fuel these human rights abuses. The EU has spent (according to Lighthouse Reports estimates) around €213 million in funding for these centers in Europe and, according to the report, the EU is aware of how the system is being abused. The European Commission responded to the allegations of the report by asking Turkey to investigate the allegations of wrongdoing. Meanwhile, EU member states are pushing for still tighter EU migration controls while the European Commission President only days after the report’s publication called for the creation of more migrant return hubs in third countries.
Amid domestic unrest, Albania takes steps toward EU accession
Albania has begun formal talks with the EU on joining the bloc with the second meeting of the Accession Conference with Albania in Luxembourg on October 15. There is significant optimism around Albania’s prospects, in part because there is cross–party consensus within Albania about EU membership, and Albanian officials are ambitiously aiming for accession by the end of the decade.
Albania’s progress comes amid a change in sentiment among EU member states about enlarging the bloc, with Russia’s expanded invasion of Ukraine leading many to believe the EU needs to include the Western Balkans for a stronger union. But while there is reason for optimism, Albania’s ultimate path forward remains uncertain. One reason is that there are so many opportunities for the process to be delayed by political disputes, such as the situations hampering North Macedonia’s accession bid. A second reason is Albania’s domestic political situation. There have been ongoing protests by critics who accuse the government of staying in power with strongman tactics. Alongside ongoing issues with corruption, Albania could struggle to meet the ambitious Reform Agenda Albania agreed to in late October.
A win for the LGTBQ community in Poland
Poland has for some time been a country divided on social issues such as reproductive rights and LGBTQ rights. After a coalition of parties ousted the United Right alliance last year, there was hope among activists for progress on these issues. While division among the ruling coalition parties on abortion has left women’s reproductive rights activists disappointed, in mid–October the government published a new draft law on civil partnerships that promises to be a big step forward for LGBTQ equality.
The draft law, if entered into force, would allow for couples—same sex or otherwise—who have entered into a civil partnership to gain rights to inheritance and medical information about their partners, but doesn’t include the right to adopt. It’s a hopeful sign for the LGBTQ community in Poland, and even the Polish Catholic Church expressed conditional support for the law. Political hurdles remain which are significant, if not necessarily insurmountable, before the draft law can enter into force. Among these are concerns that the center–right portion of the ruling coalition may resist the bill. If the bill is approved by parliament, it still must be signed into law by President Andrzej Duda, who is an ally of the former government and is noted for his conservative views.
