Annual activity report 2015 by Nils Muižnieks, Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe

'2015 was a year of fear and insecurity in Europe. The conflict in eastern Ukraine and ongoing economic malaise were overshadowed by a sense of vulnerability to terrorist threats and panic at the apparent inability to cope with the influx of asylum seekers', said Nils Muižnieks, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights in April 2016, while presenting his annual activity report for 2015. 'The instinctive response has been to retreat back into one’s ‘national fortress’ and to restrict freedoms'.

The continuing inflow of migrants, including refugees and asylum seekers, was accompanied by a growing fear in many European countries, sometimes exacerbating doubts about Europe’s ability to manage diversity and feeding anti-Muslim prejudices. 'Despite this unfavourable context, I sought to advocate a human rights approach vis-à-vis migrants. To this end, I examined allegations of pushbacks and ill-treatment at borders, access to international protection, reception conditions, treatment of vulnerable groups, as well as xenophobia towards the new arrivals.' The Commissioner stressed the need to develop safe legal passage options for migrants into Europe and the importance of creating effective integration policies for newcomers.

• Primary Source

Council of Europe: Commissioner for Human Rights: View, 18.04.16: Human rights in Europe: Do not leave the battlefield https://www.coe.int/en/web/commissioner/-/human-rights-in-europe-do-not-leave-the-battlefield

ESO: Information Guide: European Migration Challenges http://www.europeansources.info/record/information-guide-european-migration-challenges/

Council of Europe: Commissioner for Human Rights https://www.coe.int/en/web/commissioner

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