Newsroom

The UN’s Human Rights Regional Office for Europe launched its report 'The case for a human rights approach to the rule of law in the European Union' at a webinar on 14 May.
Several organisations, such as the OSCE Anti-trafficking Coordinator and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, have recently warned about the increased risks of trafficking during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Centre for European Policy Studies hosted a web seminar on COVID-19 policies and their impact on freedom of movement within the Schengen area and the right to seek asylum for people seeking protection in the EU.
More lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and intersex (LGBTI) people are now open about who they are but fear, violence and discrimination remain high, show the results of the EU Fundamental Rights Agency’s survey on experiences of LGBTI people in Europe. With 140,000 respondents, it is the largest ever survey on hate crime and discrimination against LGBTI people. The findings should drive policy measures to further protect and promote the rights of LGBTI people.
In 2019 the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) carried out the world’s biggest ever survey of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and intersex people’s life experiences. Almost 140,000 LGBTI people told us about their lives – in their own words.
Michael O’Flaherty
FRA's Director, Michael O'Flaherty, delivered a keynote speech during a webinar on 7 May 2020 hosted by the European Parliament's Anti-Racism and Diversity Intergroup and B’nai B’rith International. The webinar focused on racism and the COVID-19 pandemic. The EU Equality Commissioner Helena Dalli also delivered a keynote speech during the seminar.
Since 2015, thousands of boys and girls arrived to the EU without their parents. Almost 1,400 of these unaccompanied children have already been relocated from France, Greece, Italy and Malta to other EU Member States through relocation schemes. As a number of EU Member States have recently started relocating some children from Greece again, the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) publishes a report highlighting the challenges and good practices of past relocation programmes. This report will help national authorities to take measures that fully comply with the rights of children and are practically feasible at the same time.
Based on the lessons learned from relocation
experiences and on existing international and EU legal
standards, FRA has developed a number of practical
suggestions for the adjustment of relocation efforts to
the protection needs of unaccompanied children. This
guidance aims to be a practical tool for Member States
that wish to engage in the relocation of unaccompanied
children and in any future responsibility-sharing
mechanisms, and to gain knowledge on how this can
be done while respecting the child’s best interests.
Tineke Strik, Member of the European Parliament, hosted an online panel discussion on 21 April on the fundamental rights monitoring of the EU external border controls.
On 6 May, the European Parliament Intergroup on Rights of the Child will hold a virtual roundtable to reflect and discuss the impact of the current pandemic on children.
On 28 April, FRA hosted the first meeting of the relaunched Roma Working Party.
On 28 April, FRA contributed to the Biometric Institute’s online discussion on responsible use of biometrics in COVID 19 times.
FRA took part in a webinar on the relocation of unaccompanied children from the Greek Islands.
COVID-19 is disrupting the lives and livelihoods of billions of workers across the globe. Ahead of International Workers’ Day, the EU Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA) underlines the need for governments, workers and employers to continue their concerted efforts to combat the outbreak, ensure public health, and safeguard workers’ fundamental rights now and in the future.
Since the beginning of Coronavirus lockdowns, police, women shelters and NGOs have reported a surge in domestic violence, especially violence targeting women. The pandemic exposed how common this serious human rights abuse is and how insufficient the measures to fight it still are. The European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) and the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) call on the EU and the Member States to use the coronavirus pandemic as an opportunity to step up their efforts to effectively protect women's rights.
On 28 April, FRA will take part in a webinar organised by the Economic and Social Rights Working Group of the European Network of National Human Rights Institutions (ENNHRI).
The agency’s Scientific Committee meeting will be held on 24 April via video conference.
Intergovernmental organisations, and EU institutions and agencies, met online on 17 April to discuss the impact of COVID measures for human rights defenders in Europe, and what the implications are for their work.
FRA participated in a CEPOL webinar to introduce the challenges and principles linked to the use of profiling by law enforcement officers.
FRA staff spoke with the French Senator Philippe Bonnecarrère on rule of law challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic.