Europe: crimes of solidarity

In response to increasing activism in support of migrants and asylum seekers across Europe, EU governments are seeking to criminalise acts of solidarity, in a number of different ways. Laws against the assisting of illegal migration - originally intended to target traffickers - are being deployed against those offering humanitarian support, such as accommodation or healthcare. And politicians who take a public stand in defence of migrants and asylum seekers face threats of prosecution. At the same time, criminal sanctions are increasingly being used against those who protest against deportations on planes and those who seek to rescue migrants stranded at sea.