Human rights

Under an overcast sky on the Greek island of Lesvos, Afghan asylum-seeker Safika placed a red rose on the grave of a refugee who died trying to reach Europe. The tombstone read "unknown."

Bulgaria stands out as one of the five countries among a group of 29 nations that have made strides in enhancing their judicial systems, according to the latest annual report released by "Freedom House," an American foundation dedicated to assessing democracy and human rights worldwide.

The EU will vote Wednesday on a vast overhaul of its immigration policies that would notably harden entry procedures for asylum-seekers and require all the bloc's countries to share responsibility.

The European Parliament will decide a series of laws forming the bloc's migration and asylum pact, based on a European Commission proposal first made in September 2020.

Austria has returned 76 migrants to Bulgaria by the end of February 2024, in adherence to the Dublin Agreement. The repatriated individuals comprise primarily Syrian and Afghan citizens, as reported by BTA. Meanwhile, Austria observes a decline in asylum applications, with the number steadily decreasing, according to APA.

Citizens live, communicate and conduct transactions in a digital environment that is very hard to regulate. Abuses of personal data and threats to privacy are constant. It is a constitutional obligation of the state to guarantee the security of citizens' private information.

The Ministry of the Interior is planning to carry out an internal inquiry to ascertain whether there has been a breach of privacy laws that allowed a candidate for the ruling conservative party in the upcoming European parliamentary elections to send hundreds of Greeks abroad campaign material to their private email accounts.

Greece's candidacies as non-permanent member of the UN Security Council (2025-26) and as member of the Human Rights Council (2028-2030) will focus on close collaboration with all countries and UN mechanisms to safeguard human rights, Foreign Minister George Gerapatritis said during his address at the 55th UN Human Rights Council session in Geneva on Wednesday.

The influx of Russian asylum seekers into South Korea has skyrocketed, with authorities reporting an unprecedented surge in applications last year, according to CNN.

The Korean Immigration Service revealed a staggering fivefold increase in Russian nationals seeking asylum in South Korea in 2023, totaling 5,750 applicants, a stark rise from the 1,038 applicants recorded in 2022.

Fifty foreign nationals - 40 Pakistanis and 10 Georgians - will be returned to their country of origin after their asylum requests were rejected, Greece's Migration Ministry announced on Wednesday.

The requests that were examined had been submitted in the last 48 hours at the Amygdaleza predeparture centre. 

The Demos Center at Deree - The American College of Greece (acg.edu) and Education Unites launches its "Focus: Human Rights" series on February 22 at 7 p.m. (doors open at 6.30 p.m.) in its Plaka building at 17B Ipitou Street.