Protecting human rights: refugees, migrants and asylum seekers

Refugees, migrants and asylum seekers heading to Europe are facing greater uncertainty than ever before, in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic. 

The Secretary General's Special Representative on Migration and Refugees, Ambassador Drahoslav Štefánek, explains what the Council of Europe is doing, in cooperation with other bodies such as the EU's Fundamental Rights Agency and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), to safeguard the human rights of refugees, migrants and asylum seekers. A key reference point for all involved is the European Convention on Human Rights, which sets out the fundamental human rights that must be protected.