By Lyle Barker and Dr Koldo Casla A few months ago, the European Committee of Social Rights (ECSR) launched a consultation on the escalating cost-of-living crisis. In response, our detailed report dives into how this crisis impacts economic, social, and cultural rights (ESCR) in England, particularly focusing on the social security and public transport systems.  The Government’s Report to ..read more

By Prof. Carla Ferstman The theme of Refugee Week 2024 (17-23 June 2024) is “Our Home” – This can be a place of refuge, a feeling or a state of mind; ‘Home can be more than one place and finding it can be a journey, as it is for so many of us who have to leave our countries and ..read more

Photo by YU-bin, flickr By Itzia Miravete Veraza According to a recent joint media investigation, Spain and other countries are fuelling human rights violations against migrants in countries like Mauritania, Morocco and Tunisia.  While States must work together to address the fact of mass migration, there is much debate about how to do so in the ..read more

By Vanessa Topp  “We are very much aware of the government’s plans and we will try whenever possible to disrupt these forcible removals.”   quote from a protester at Peckham Hotel in South London interviewed for the Guardian  “We will continue to remove those with no right to be here. No amount of chanting, drum banging or tyre-slashing by ..read more

Photo by Alisdare Hickson, flickr By Leonie Ngom In the shadow of the English Channel, the port city of Calais has come to symbolise both hope and despair for migrants seeking refuge in the United Kingdom. Over the years, Calais has seen a constant flow of individuals fleeing conflict, persecution and poverty, with aspirations of ..read more

Photo taken by Güley Bor at the 8 March 2020 Istanbul feminist night March By Güley Bor The European People’s Party (EPP) once again emerged with the highest number of seats in the June 2024 European Parliament elections. As an architect of the 2016 EU-Turkey Migration Deal, the first of this kind of externalization agreements concluded by the EU, EPP’s election promises on ..read more

Breaking the Silence: Accountability Challenges in UK Special Forces Operations Introduction In an outstanding research initiative, the University of Essex Human Rights Centre (HRC) Clinic collaborated with the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Modern Conflict to examine the UK’s Special Forces operations. Led by a team of postgraduate law student researchers—Hamza Bozkurt, Vanessa Topp, Jack Millar, and Greta Ciucci—supervised by Dr Erin ..read more

This blog was originally posted on Universal Rights Group on the 24th of May, Photo credit: Mohammed Ibrahim By Dr. Andrew Fagan Earlier this week we witnessed the latest development in the continuing and terrible disaster that is Gaza. The Palestinian death-toll is now estimated to be more than 35,000 people, many of whom are ..read more

In today’s digital age, the influx of open-source information has become increasingly vital in the pursuit of accountability and justice, particularly in the realms of human rights, humanitarian law, and international criminal law. Recognising the critical role that digital open source imagery plays in legal proceedings and fact-finding missions, a collective of legal scholars, human ..read more

Recent events, such as the 2023 destruction of the Kakhovka Dam in south-eastern Ukraine, have seen extensive damage inflicted on human settlements and the surrounding natural environment. This has prompted debates about the applicability of international criminal law and international environmental law, as well as other connected branches, such as international humanitarian law and international human rights law. Whereas ecocide has not yet been adopted ..read more