Europe Must Act

Since EMA started in March 2020, we’ve built a movement of activists across Europe, united in solidarity with displaced communities in Greece. We exist to bring attention to mistreatment and human rights abuses at Europe’s borders, and to show politicians and policy makers that many of Europe’s citizens believe in welcoming and supporting people seeking asylum here.

Despite repeated calls from human rights groups and citizens for a more humane approach at the Greek border, human rights abuses, pushbacks and containment in camps continues. And the problem isn’t just confined to Greece: in Calais police violence is a daily reality for displaced communities, while on the EU-Belarus border, people’s basic right to seek asylum has been repeatedly violated.

State-sanctioned human rights abuses on our borders are not isolated incidents. The introduction of anti-asylum policies and practises is systemic, and fortress Europe is being built at all levels of government - from EU regulations, to national legislation, to municipal policies. We call on European leaders to change course, by exploring, embracing and implementing alternatives to deterrence, detention and deportation.