BREAKING NEWS: Foundation Human Rights for Eritreans Summons EU to Stop Supporting Use of Forced Labour in Eritrean Project

Brussels, 1 April 2019 – The Foundation Human Rights for Eritreans, a Netherlands-based organization of exiled Eritreans, is taking legal action against the European Union. The EU is financing activities in Eritrea for which forced labour is used, as is stated in the EU’s project description: a project of 20 million euros. This is a clear violation of human rights and the EU’s adherence to international legal obligations, states the Foundation. On 1 April, today, the lawyer supporting the Foundation sent letters to the EU institutions in charge of the project. The letters call upon the EU to immediately stop financing these actions, or legal action will follow. 

News Highlights: Ethiopia’s navy plans, Eritrea takes chair of Khartoum Process, report accuses EU of complicity in refugee abuse

In this week’s news highlights: Eritrea chairs the Khartoum process; France to help Ethiopia in building its navy; the Ethiopian Airlines disaster; Eritrean civil society launches social media campaign against the regime; the UN Human rights Council discusses human rights in Eritrea; Sudanese President reshuffles cabinet; Libya asks support in rescue activity in the desert; Panel on Libya crimes in Geneva; German Government responds to voluntary returns in the context of the EU-Turkey deal, and Amnesty International condemns EU for accountability in abuses along Balkan Route and the EU responsibility in Libya humans rights violations. 

News Highlights: Refugees in Libya protest conditions, EU external funding re-assessed, Meeting Eritrea, Ethiopia and South Sudan

In this week’s news highlights: the EU stands responds to Hungry’s representation of its migration policy; the S&D group deplores the lack of human rights consideration in the EU migration policy; The European Parliament wants to consolidate the EU’s external funding instruments; France arrests more than 60 migrants trying to reach the UK by boat in Calais; Refugees protest against inhumane conditions in Libyan detention centres; Human traffickers profit from returns to Libya; Chad closes its border with Libya; South Sudan, Ethiopia and Eritrea meet in Juba to strengthen their relations; US congress visits Eritrea for the first time in 14 years; and Kenya and Somalia work on peace under the mediation of Ethiopian Prime Minister.