Gaps persist in fundamental rights monitoring and investigations of rights violations at EU borders

EU law requires independent monitoring of certain migration-related activities such as screening, the asylum border procedure and forced returns. This publication provides an overview and an update on the functioning of this EU-mandated monitoring. The report also provides an update on investigations into reported incidents of ill-treatment at borders and shows that there are still significant gaps when it comes to investigating promptly and effectively rights violations at borders.

The EU Agency for Fundamental Rights regularly collects data on the operations of NGO vessels involved in search and rescue in the Mediterranean. This includes any legal proceedings against them, as well as any difficulties in disembarking migrants in safe ports. This paper provides an overview of criminal investigations and other legal proceedings initiated by European Union Member States against civil society organisations deploying search and rescue vessels and aircraft in the Mediterranean and/or against crew members. The latest update covers the period from 2018 up until 30 June 2026.

This is the second bulletin in FRA’s new quarterly series monitoring the situation of migrants, asylum seekers and refugees. It covers key developments and ongoing concerns from 1 April to 30 June 2026.

Following regular reporting on fundamental rights issues related to migration and asylum from 2015 to 2023, FRA resumed the series in 2026 under the EU’s 2024 Asylum and Migration Management Regulation, ahead of the June 2026 implementation of the EU Migration and Asylum Pact. The first bulletin, published in April 2026, covered developments from 1 January 2025 to 31 March 2026.

This guidance explains the role of a guardian assigned to a child during the screening and asylum procedure. It provides an overview of the different phases of the process and outlines a child’s legal rights throughout. The guidance includes topics such as lodging an application for international protection, preparing for the application interview and appealing against a negative decision. The European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA) and the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) have developed a series of practical tools for guardians of unaccompanied children with international protection needs.

This guidance is for newly appointed guardians supporting a child who is applying for or has obtained international protection. It explains key terms, such as refugee status and subsidiary protection, as well as the legal framework for children’s rights in this context. The guidance also covers how to ensure the child’s participation and best interests during the asylum procedure. It is part of a series of practical tools developed by the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA) and the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) for guardians of unaccompanied children with international protection needs.

The European Convention on Human Rights and European Union law provide an increasingly important framework for the protection of the rights of foreigners. EU legislation relating to asylum, borders and immigration is developing fast. There is an impressive body of case law by the European Court of Human Rights relating in particular to Articles 3, 5, 8 and 13 of the European Convention on Human Rights. The Court of Justice of the European Union is asked more and more frequently to pronounce on the interpretation of EU law provisions in this field. The fourth edition of this handbook, updated to June 2026, presents this EU
legislation and the body of case law by the two European courts in an accessible way. A new chapter in the handbook focuses on monitoring compliance with fundamental rights and investigations into rights violations. It is intended for legal practitioners, judges, prosecutors, immigration officials and non-governmental organisations in the EU and Council of Europe Member States.

From 2015 to 2023, FRA regularly published bulletins on fundamental rights issues related to migration and asylum. As part of the EU’s 2024 Asylum and Migration Management Regulation, FRA is now restarting this reporting ahead of the June 2026 implementation of the EU Migration and Asylum Pact. This first bulletin in the new series takes stock of the situation of migrants, asylum seekers and refugees as of March 2026. It looks at key developments between January 2025 and the end of March 2026, as well as ongoing problems and new areas of concern.

In response to increased arrivals of asylum seekers, in 2015 the European Commission introduced the hotspot approach. Under this approach, the European Commission and EU agencies supported Greece and Italy in identifying, registering and fingerprinting newly arrived people. FRA regularly visited the initial reception facilities hosting them. This report looks back at the lessons learnt from 10 years of FRA visits. It identifies recurring risks to rights and highlights practical measures and promising practices to prevent or address them. These ‘lessons learnt’ can inform the implementation of the 2024 Pact on Migration and Asylum in line with the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights.

The EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) publishes annual updates on the forced return monitoring systems set up by EU Member States under Article 8(6) of the EU Return Directive (2008/115/EC). This project has been ongoing since 2014.
The latest report covers the period until the end of 2024.