Lors du dernier jour du procès des passeurs, impliqués dans le pire naufrage survenu dans la Manche, six hommes ont été reconnus coupables d'homicides involontaires, mercredi, et condamnés à des peines de prison allant de 6 à 10 ans par le tribunal correctionnel de Paris. "L’ensemble de ces passeurs a créé les conditions conduisant à la disparition" de 31 personnes dans la Manche, dans la nuit du 23 au 24 novembre 2021, a estimé la présidente.

Le ministère français de l'Intérieur a indiqué mercredi que des discussions étaient en cours avec le Royaume-Uni pour mettre fin à l'accord "one in, one out", confirmant une information du Monde. Conclu à l'été 2025, ce partenariat prévoyait le renvoi en France de migrants arrivés à bord de small boats en Angleterre, en échange de l'accueil par ce pays d'exilés se trouvant sur le sol français.

Germany is planning to cut funds for certain asylum services. According to recent announcements, one of the areas likely to be most hit by these fiscal measures would be the current arrangement for providing asylum seekers with free independent information about their rights and obligations.

The private sea rescue organization Sea-Watch saved 28 people in the Mediterranean in the early hours of September 29. However, the crew also recovered bodies as several people remain missing. The group of migrants is believed to have departed from the Tunisian coast.

Le navire de sauvetage Aurora, de l'ONG allemande Sea-Watch, a porté secours à 28 migrants après le naufrage de leur embarcation en mer Méditerranée. Lors de cette opération, deux corps, dont celui d'un enfant, ont été retrouvés par l'équipage. Selon les survivants, six personnes sont portées disparues, dont trois enfants.

British Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has announced that she intends to offer more safe and legal routes to migrants, as well as reconsidering plans to make full integration into Britain more difficult for foreign workers. If implemented, this would mark a change in her migration policy direction.

On 16 March 2026, I was arrested at my home in Tromsø under a European Arrest Warrant issued by Greece. Greek authorities wanted Norway to surrender me so that I could be prosecuted in Greece. Two months later, on 15 May, the Hålogaland Court of Appeal unanimously refused. That judgment is one of the most important documents in this case. Not because Norway decided whether I am guilty or innocent under Greek law. It did not. But because, before Norway could surrender me, a Norwegian court had to examine the conduct Greece relied upon in seeking my surrender. And what the court actually found deserves to be read. What the Norwegian court examined The Court of Appeal considered whether the legal requirements for surrender were satisfied. One of the central questions was dual criminality : whether the conduct described by the Greek authorities would also constitute criminal conduct under Norwegian law. Because the court found that the relevant conduct had been carried out wholly or partly from Norway, it concluded that the dual-criminality requirement applied fully. 13_04 Kjennelse Hålogaland lagm… The court then examined the Greek accusations against me. The conduct attributed to me included communicating with others, receiving information about people travelling towards Greece and assisting in initiating asylum procedures. The Court of Appeal found that assisting someone in applying for asylum is not a criminal act under Norwegian law. It also found that merely receiving information from another person is not in itself criminal. 13_04 Kjennelse Hålogaland lagm… The court examined whether my actions could amount to participation or complicity in organised unlawful activity connected to unlawful border crossings. Its reasoning is important. The court observed that the actions attributed to me — receiving personal information and initiating asylum applications — were relatively far removed from the core conduct of an unlawful border crossing. The Greek charge did not state that I influenced who undertook the journey or their decision to travel . Nor did it describe me as having a role in deciding where the border crossing would take place . The court also noted that I was in Norway. And it found that I was not a necessary link in the course of events. 13_04 Kjennelse Hålogaland lagm… Assisting people to seek asylum There is another part of the judgment that I believe is particularly important. The Court of Appeal pointed out that initiating asylum procedures did not simply have a weak connection to an unlawful border crossing. It pointed in the opposite direction. The court reasoned that assisting with asylum procedures was a contribution towards asylum seekers presenting themselves to public authorities . It further found that the actions attributed to me, considered in isolation, were lawful acts protected by international treaties binding on both Norway and Greece. 13_04 Kjennelse Hålogaland lagm… The court also considered the allegation that I had facilitated people avoiding legally required border controls. It found that the Greek charge did not concretely describe what required control had been avoided, what act of evasion had occurred, or how I had assisted anyone in avoiding such controls. Again, the court noted the contradiction: helping someone initiate an asylum procedure requires that person to present themselves to public authorities. 13_04 Kjennelse Hålogaland lagm… After examining the accusations, the Court of Appeal concluded that the dual-criminality requirement was not satisfied . The request for my surrender therefore had to be refused. But the court did not stop there. Freedom of expression The Court of Appeal separately examined whether surrender would be compatible with the European Convention on Human Rights. This part of the judgment concerned Article 10 — freedom of expression . The court stated that my expressions are protected under Article 10. It then considered the wider situation in Greece, including the treatment of refugees and the situation faced by human-rights defenders documenting their treatment. 13_04 Kjennelse Hålogaland lagm… The court referred to findings of the European Court of Human Rights, the European Commission, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders and the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights. It specifically considered documented pushbacks and concerns about smear campaigns, threats, attacks and misuse of criminal law against human-rights defenders working on migration. 13_04 Kjennelse Hålogaland lagm… The Court of Appeal then considered whether there was a connection between my protected expression and the criminal proceedings against me. Its conclusion was clear: There were concrete indications that the charges against me represented a real risk of violation of my freedom of expression protected by Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights. For that reason as well, the request for surrender had to be refused. The decision was unanimous. 13_04 Kjennelse Hålogaland lagm… The formal conclusion of the Court of Appeal was: “The conditions for surrendering Tommy Olsen to Greece are not met.” What the judgment did not decide It is equally important to be precise about what the Norwegian judgment did not decide. The Court of Appeal did not acquit me of the Greek charges. It did not terminate the criminal proceedings in Greece. And it did not decide what the Greek court must do when my case comes before it. Its task was to determine whether Norway could lawfully surrender me to Greece on the basis of the European Arrest Warrant. The answer was no. International reaction The significance of the decision was subsequently recognised by international human-rights organisations. Amnesty International reported that the Norwegian court had confirmed that the actions for which I am prosecuted in Greece are not punishable under Norwegian law and that the charges represent “a real risk of violation of his freedom of expression.” Amnesty also reported that the decision would not be appealed. Amnesty International Human Rights Watch reported that the Court of Appeal unanimously recognised that the acts described by the Greek authorities did not constitute criminal offences under Norwegian law and that surrender would risk violating my freedom of expression under Article 10. Human Rights Watch called on Greece to revoke the European Arrest Warrant and drop the charges. That call is Human Rights Watch’s position, not a finding of the Norwegian court. Human Rights Watch The Greek prosecution continues The Norwegian decision ended the attempt to surrender me from Norway. It did not end the case in Greece. The European Arrest Warrant remains active, and my trial is scheduled to begin on Rhodes on 6 October. Amnesty confirmed after the Norwegian decision that the warrant and Greek charges remained in place. Amnesty International That creates an extraordinary situation. A Norwegian appellate court has examined the conduct Greece relied upon when seeking my surrender and concluded that the dual-criminality requirement was not satisfied. The same court separately found concrete indications of a real risk that the charges against me would violate my freedom of expression. Yet the Greek criminal proceedings continue. That is why this judgment matters. And that is why I believe people should be able to read it themselves rather than simply being told what it says. Read the complete judgment Today, Aegean Boat Report is publishing the complete decision of the Hålogaland Court of Appeal. For the protection of vulnerable individuals named in the proceedings, identifying information relating to refugees has been redacted from the publicly available judgments. These redactions do not affect the court’s reasoning or conclusions. Journalists and human rights organisations covering the case have been provided with the original, unredacted documents for independent verification. OFFICIAL NORWEGIAN ORIGINAL Hålogaland Court of Appeal — 15 May 2026 Case No. 26-050254SAK-HALO This is the authoritative version of the judgment. OFFICIAL NORWEGIAN JUDGMENT 13_04 Kjennelse Hålogaland lagmannsrett av 15_05_26_xMMBXc navn fjernet Download UNOFFICIAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION Published to make the judgment accessible internationally. The Norwegian original remains authoritative. In the event of any discrepancy, the Norwegian original controls. UNOFFICIAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION Halogaland_Court_of_Appeal_15_May_2026_English_Translation name redacted Download Read the judgment. Read what the court actually decided. Then make up your own mind. Defending myself in Greece costs money. If you want to help, you can support my legal defence here:

A configurable RSS poster for Bluesky - fleet or standalone mode - actively being developed - rmdes/bsky.rss

New official data reveals that foreign-born workers and their descendants make up more than a quarter of all employees in Germany. As such, they play a crucial role in key industries like healthcare, hospitality and construction.

In the evening of the 9th of August 2026 the Alarm Phone hotline was alerted to a fibreglass boat which departed from Libya the evening before. According to family members, on the boat there were 18 people from Bangladesh, Egypt, Kurdistan and Somalia. 17 men and a 13/14 year old boy. They departed from western […]

Around 55 percent of Afghans listed for deportation from Germany have no criminal record, a parliamentary inquiry has shown. As of July, deportations are no longer restricted to criminals or those posing a significant threat.

A child and two women have died off the coast of northern France after an overcrowded boat ran into difficulties while attempting to cross the English Channel. French authorities said the victims appear to have been trampled to death. Small boat arrivals to the UK are currently at a seven-year low.

La ministre de l'Intérieur britannique Shabana Mahmood a annoncé, lundi, le lancement d'un nouveau dispositif permettant à des réfugiés de s'installer au Royaume-Uni. Cette décision intervient alors qu'une partie des membres du parti au pouvoir est en désaccord avec le durcissement de la politique du gouvernement travailliste sur l'immigration.

In the early morning hours of September 29, the crew of Sea-Watch’s rescue vessel Aurora rescued 28 people in international waters after a shipwreck. The crew also recovered two bodies, including that of a child. Five survivors were found on a nearly deflated rubber dinghy, and 23 others had reached the Hasdrubal platform. At least…

Ces cinq dernières années, 120 ressortissants néerlandais ont été interpellés en Croatie pour avoir fait passer des migrants depuis la Bosnie ou vers la Slovénie dans des véhicules surchargés. Ces jeunes sont appâtés sur les réseaux sociaux par des trafiquants qui promettent un trajet sûr et une importante somme d'argent.

Les coupes budgétaires poussent les organisations de soutien aux réfugiés au "point de rupture" dans plusieurs zones cruciales, où près de 8,3 millions de personnes risquent d'être privées d'aide cette année, a alerté mardi 29 septembre le Haut-Commissariat des Nations unies pour les réfugiés (HCR).

In the early morning hours of September 29, the crew of the rescue ship Aurora, operated by the civilian rescue organization Sea-Watch, rescued 28 people from a deflated rubber dinghy and from the Hasdrubal gas platform in international waters. The crew also recovered two bodies, including that of a child. The Aurora is currently awaiting…

Entre le 8 juillet et le 18 septembre, les Länder allemands ont identifié 488 Afghans à expulser vers leur pays d'origine. Selon la police fédérale qui a centralisé ces données, 267 d'entre eux, soit environ 55%, n'ont pas de casier judiciaire.

Five people believed to be migrants have drowned while attempting to cross a river on the border between Croatia and Slovenia, police have said.

Authorities in Mauritania say they saved 260 migrants from two boats, including children. Mauritanian authorities are playing an increasingly important role in intercepting migrants trying to reach Spain's Canary Islands.

18 European interior ministers held talks over the weekend to strengthen border controls, improve emergency response times and establish fast-track procedures for returning some migrants. Germany's Interior Minister Dobrindt called for more powers for EU border agency Frontex.

Cinq migrants se sont noyés vendredi en tentant de traverser une rivière à la frontière entre la Croatie et la Slovénie. Cinq personnes du même groupe ont pu être secourus. Les décès sont fréquents dans cette zone frontalière.

Les gardes-côtes mauritaniens ont indiqué, dans un communiqué, avoir porté secours à 260 personnes, dont 17 enfants, qui se trouvaient sur deux bateaux au large de la Mauritanie. Partis de Gambie, les rescapés avaient passé environ une semaine en mer.

Au moins trois personnes ont perdu la vie lundi matin dans le naufrage de leur canot, au large de Wissant, près de Calais. Leur embarcation tentait de rejoindre les côtes britanniques. "Le bilan est en cours de consolidation et reste susceptible d’évoluer", indique la préfecture.

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government has passed new school rules capping the number of students who don't speak fluent Italian and banning face coverings.

For documenting what happens at Europe’s borders. On 6 October, I am due to face criminal proceedings on the Greek island of Rhodes. I face three charges: • Establishing and participating in a criminal organisation. • Facilitating the unlawful entry into Greek territory of third-country nationals without the legally required border checks, jointly, in respect of multiple persons, for profit and on a professional basis. • Facilitating the unlawful stay of third-country nationals in Greek territory, in respect of multiple persons and for profit. I deny the charges. For almost nine years, my work through Aegean Boat Report has been to document what happens to people at Europe’s borders. We have documented arrivals, people in distress at sea, disappearances, pushbacks and human-rights violations. We have tried to ensure that people do not simply disappear at a border where independent documentation and accountability matter. That work has repeatedly challenged official accounts of what happens at Greece’s borders. Now I am the person facing prosecution. The witness on trial The headline of this campaign is deliberate: “Greece is putting the witness on trial.” When I use “Greece” in this context, I am referring to the Greek state authorities responsible for bringing and pursuing this prosecution. I am not referring to the Greek people, civil society, journalists, independent institutions or the court that will hear the case. The court did not initiate this prosecution. Its responsibility is to examine the case and determine the outcome according to law, and I respect that independent role. I use these words because for years I have witnessed and documented pushbacks and human-rights violations at Greece’s borders. Now I am the person facing criminal prosecution. Arrested in Norway The case did not remain inside Greece. A European Arrest Warrant was issued against me. On 16 March 2026, Norwegian police arrested me at my home in Tromsø. Greece asked Norway to surrender me. On 15 May 2026, the Hålogaland Court of Appeal refused. That decision did not acquit me of the Greek charges, terminate the Greek proceedings or determine what the Greek court must decide. But it is a central part of this story. Amnesty International reported that the Norwegian court confirmed that the actions for which I am prosecuted in Greece are not punishable under Norwegian law and that the charges represent “a real risk of violation of his freedom of expression.” The Greek prosecution nevertheless remains in place. International concern The concerns surrounding this case are not mine alone. The UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, Mary Lawlor, expressed deep concern about my arrest. Human Rights Watch reported that on 19 March she said the charges appear to be “in direct retaliation” for my work and form part of a “long-standing and well-documented repression” of human-rights defenders in Greece. On 25 March, a joint communication by five UN Special Procedures mandates to the Greek Government specifically identified me as a human-rights defender and founder of Aegean Boat Report, and raised concerns about increased restrictions on civic space and the environment for defending the rights of refugees, migrants and asylum seekers in Greece. Amnesty International has said that the charges are not backed by evidence and stem from Greece’s misuse of anti-smuggling legislation. Human Rights Watch has criticised the prosecution and, after the Norwegian ruling, called on Greece to revoke the warrant and drop the charges. The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a partnership of OMCT and FIDH, has addressed the case under the headings of arbitrary detention, judicial harassment and transnational repression. Fair Trials has raised concerns about the use and proportionality of the European Arrest Warrant in my case and has placed it within a wider pattern of criminalisation of human-rights defenders. These are the independent assessments and concerns of the UN experts and organisations cited above. They are not findings of the Greek court. Why I am speaking now I will not use this campaign to publish evidence from the Greek criminal file or to argue individual pieces of evidence on social media before the trial. That belongs in the legal process. But the existence of that process does not mean the wider questions should disappear. The history and nature of this case raise serious concerns that the prosecution is connected to Aegean Boat Report’s documentation of pushbacks. I believe this prosecution is politically motivated. That is my assessment, not a finding I attribute to the Norwegian court or to the Greek court. The issue is larger than one person or one organisation. It concerns the space available in Europe for people who document what states do at their borders. What happens when the person documenting human-rights violations becomes the accused? On 6 October, the Greek court is due to consider the case. Until then, THE GREEK FILES will explain the history of the prosecution, the significance of the Norwegian judgment and the wider concerns surrounding the criminalisation of human-rights work. The court will decide the case. The public should be able to understand how we arrived here. Tommy Olsen Founder, Aegean Boat Report Media enquiries and further information: contact@aegeanboatreport.com aegeanboatreport.com

The Trump administration’s decision not to invite the leading international election observation body to monitor crucial US midterm polls fuels fears of serious human rights concerns around the upcoming elections.

An array of former government officials, human rights groups, bar associations, and legal experts from around the world have filed eight amicus briefs supporting a lawsuit challenging US President Donald Trump’s executive order authorizing sanctions on International Criminal Court (ICC) officials, staff, and others affiliated with or assisting the court’s work.

This week, a flurry of social media messages appeared to be calling for a second mass crossing into Ceuta, thought to be scheduled for September 23, the same day as the Moroccan elections. It led to Spain sending more police to the border as authorities are struggling to cope with the thousands of migrants still present in the Spanish enclave.

En Grèce, plusieurs incidents ont eu lieu cet été dans le camp de Sintiki, dans le nord du pays. Des tensions ont éclaté entre des migrants désespérés par plus d'un an d'enfermement et les forces de l'ordre. Les exilés ont aussi dénoncé leurs conditions de détention dans une lettre.

Pour la première fois en 2026, le nombre de personnes déposant une demande d'asile aux Pays-Bas est passé sous la barre des 600 par semaine. Les autorités néerlandaises estiment que cette baisse est liée à la diminution du nombre de nouvelles demandes de regroupement familial.

Successive boat arrivals over the last few days are fanning anti-migrant protests and sentiment in the UK. Research shows that the on-line groups amplifying the hate across borders are doing it for ideology and profit.

Earlier in the week, more than a hundred migrants managed to reach Greece in small boats, with the majority of them departing from the Turkish coast and heading for the Greek islands in the Aegean Sea.

Des responsables syriens sont en discussion avec les gouvernements allemand et belge pour tenter de faciliter le retour des réfugiés de guerre. Mais de nombreux Syriens, installés en Allemagne notamment, sont réticents à revenir dans un pays dont la sécurité est encore précaire.

The European Commission has pledged to provide Lebanon with more than 500 million additional euros to improve security and border management as well as refugee management. However, following months of conflict especially in the south of the country, the UN says that much more is needed — in particular from some donor countries like Germany.

Les corps de deux hommes ont été retrouvés jeudi sur des plages du Pas-de-Calais. Ces deux nouveaux décès sont survenus à la suite de tentatives de traversées de la Manche. Mercredi, un homme avait déjà perdu la vie dans des conditions similaires. En tout, 19 personnes ont perdu la vie en 2026 en tentant de traverser la Manche.

Migrants embarking on irregular journeys to Europe face countless dangers each step of the way. Their relatives and families back home meanwhile find themselves having to navigate through a labyrinth of concern, fear and despair, as the whereabouts of their loved ones remain uncertain for long stretches of time.

The migration route between the Spanish Balearic Islands and Algeria has overtaken the Canary Islands route since September, with at least 161 migrants arriving in the Balearic Islands between September 21 and 22.

The body of a presumed migrant washed up on the shores of northern France, as dozens of migrants continue to attempt irregular journeys across the English Channel. Meanwhile, groups of British anti-migrant activists have crossed the Channel to conduct 'patrols' along the beaches near Calais.

En Pologne, comme dans d'autre pays européens, les travailleurs étrangers pourraient en partie répondre au déclin démographique, qui menace le système social. Pourtant, le sentiment anti-immigration progresse.

Deux embarcations de migrants ont atteint les côtes anglaises sans avoir été repérés lundi et mardi. Un fait rare qui n'était arrivé qu'une fois auparavant, en septembre 2025.

Europol supported a migrant smuggling investigation involving law enforcement authorities from 17 countries. Raids carried out earlier in the week resulted in six arrests and the seizure of property used by the gang to facilitate the illegal transport of people. The criminal network was also reportedly engaged in document fraud and money laundering.

Faced with the militarization of the northern coast of France, an increasing number of migrants are leaving the French coast for the United Kingdom from Seine-Maritime, some 200 kilometers from Calais. The French coastal region has recorded 56 attempted crossings since the beginning of 2026.

Six personnes ont été arrêtées lors d'un vaste coup de filet européen contre un réseau de passeurs de migrants, a annoncé Europol, mercredi. Grâce à la production de faux documents, le réseau aurait fait passer clandestinement des migrants d'Europe continentale vers le Royaume-Uni par voie aérienne.

Officials in Greece have arrested two teenagers in recent days on suspicion of manning migrant vessels coming over from Libya. Both of the youths were identified as underage minors.

(The Hague, September 23, 2026) – The International Criminal Court (ICC)’s conviction of Mahamat Said Abdel Kani for crimes against humanity in the Central African Republic offers an important measure of long-awaited justice for victims of the abusive Seleka armed group.

The UN Refugee Agency in Germany says that Syrian war refugees should be allowed to keep their protection status at least for the time being. The comments come in response to German government plans to revoke the status and return increasing numbers of Syrians to their country of origin two years after the fall of the authoritarian Assad regime.

Deux mineurs sud-soudanais de 13 et 17 ans sont accusés par les autorités grecques d'être des passeurs et d'avoir conduit des dizaines de migrants depuis Tobrouk, en Libye, jusqu'en Grèce - à Gavdos et en Crète.

A female Afghan cyclist has won a silver medal at the Asian Games in Japan this week. Athlete Fariba Hashimi fled her country after the Taliban returned to power in 2021 — after years of disguising herself as a man.

Private rescue groups in the Mediterranean have brought more than 50 people to safety in recent days, as irregular crossing attempts continue. So far in 2026, roughly 2,000 people are believed to have died on these journeys.