Dutch Council for Refugees launches collaboration with Border Violence Monitoring Network
Pushbacks along Greek and Balkan routes
The Dutch Council for Refugees has been working together for years with a number of human rights organizations that are part of the BVMN, such as the Croatian Centre for Peace Studies. In the coming year, the Dutch Council will invest in BVMN's capacity. We will focus on increasing the network's legal expertise, networking and communication skills. The BVMN keeps the Dutch Council informed of developments so that we can act together in advocating to stop the violence at Europe's external borders.
The BVMN was founded in 2016 after increasing signs of large-scale and violent pushback along Europe's borders. The network maintains a database of testimonies of pushback victims and publishes monthly reports on the violence along the Greek and Balkan routes. Once a year, the BVMN publishes a 'Black book of Pushbacks'. We use these publications to advocate at both the national and international levels to stop violent pushbacks and impunity.