Council of Europe Action Plan on Protecting Vulnerable Persons in the Context of Migration and Asylum in Europe (2021-2025)

Abstract

Human rights challenges in the field of refugees1 and migration have long been a focus of the Council of Europe and in recent years have taken on a new impor-tance. As the root causes of migration (armed conflicts,instability, demographic and economic development, climate change, etc.) have become increasingly present in Europe’s neighbouring regions, addressing these challenges remains a priority for the Council of Europe as the continent’s leading human rights organisation. This action plan comes at the time of an unprecedented public health crisis, the Covid-19 pandemic, and of increasing migration distress. In such circumstances, vulnerable groups, such as vulnerable persons in the context of migration and asylum, are often the hardest hit. The Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated existing inequalities such as access to healthcare and welfare services and to education and employment.