What are Pushbacks (During Migration)?

0:00 Intro 0:17 Defining Pushbacks 1:59 What Differentiates Pushbacks From Deportations and Readmissions? 4:21 Why Are Pushbacks Used? 5:56 Pushbacks As Part Of EU Migration Strategy 7:38 Pushbacks In Other Parts Of The World 8:43 Why Are Pushbacks Problematic? 10:27 How Many Pushbacks Are There In The EU? 12:44 Conclusion References 11.11.11 (March 21 2023), "More than 200.000 illegal pushbacks at European external borders in 2022", 11.11.11, https://11.be/en/verhalen/meer-dan-200000-illegale-pushbacks-aan-europese-buitengrenzen-2022 BBC News (Oct 31 2021), "Abandoned refugees living on Libya's streets in appalling conditions - BBC News", YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IjQd6pcmUw Border Violence Monitoring Network. (n.d.). Understanding Pushbacks. BVMN. https://borderviolence.eu/about/understanding-pushbacks/ Danish Refugee Council. (2024). Pushbacks at Europe’s borders: A continuously ignored crisis (Protecting Rights at Borders (PRAB)). DRC. European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights. (n.d.). ECCHR: Pushback. Glossary. from https://www.ecchr.eu/en/glossary/push-back/ European Commission. (n.d.). Push back—European Commission. Migration and Home Affairs. https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/networks/european-migration-network-emn/emn-asylum-and-migration-glossary/glossary/push-back_en Farge, E., Pal, A., Farge, E., & Pal, A. (2025, Jan 10). Australia violated refugees’ rights in offshore detention centre, says UN. Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/australia-violated-refugees-rights-offshore-detention-centre-says-un-2025-01-09/ France 24 English (Dec 8 2022), "'Black Book of Pushbacks': 'Culture of impunity' across Europe over violence against migrants'", https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRR_Wwogflo IOM. (n.d.). Readmission. International Organization for Migration. https://www.iom.int/readmission Katy Fallon (April 28 2023), "Revealed: EU border agency involved in hundreds of refugee pushbacks", The Guardian, https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2022/apr/28/revealed-eu-border-agency-involved-in-hundreds-of-refugee-pushbacks Klaus, W., & Pachocka, M. (2019). Examining the Global North Migration Policies: A “Push Out – Push Back” Approach to Forced Migration. International Migration, 57(5), 280–293. https://doi.org/10.1111/imig.12575 Luyten, K. (2022). Addressing pushbacks at the EU’s external borders (| European Parliamentary Research Service) [Briefing]. European Parliament. https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/BRIE/2022/738191/EPRS_BRI(2022)738191_EN.pdf Nero, A. (2018). Key Migration Terms. International Organization for Migration. https://www.iom.int/key-migration-terms Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights (Jan 9, 2025), "Australia responsible for arbitrary detention of asylum seekers in offshore facilities, UN Human Rights Committee finds", OCHCR, https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/01/australia-responsible-arbitrary-detention-asylum-seekers-offshore-facilities Peter Yeung (Sept 27 2020), "‘Catastrophe for human rights’ as Greece steps up refugee ‘pushbacks'", The Guardian, https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2020/sep/27/catastrophe-for-human-rights-as-greece-steps-up-refugee-pushbacks Pijnenburg, A. (2018). From Italian Pushbacks to Libyan Pullbacks: Is Hirsi 2.0 in the Making in Strasbourg? https://doi.org/10.1163/15718166-12340036 Radjenovic, A. (2021). Pushbacks at the EU’s external borders (| European Parliamentary Research Service) [Briefing]. https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/BRIE/2021/689368/EPRS_BRI(2021)689368_EN.pdf Sky News (Oct 2, 2016), "Europe's Migration Tragedy: Life and death in the Mediterranean", YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8cg5hhHJlA Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants. (2021). Report on means to address the human rights impact of pushbacks of migrants on land and at sea. A/HRC/47/30. https://www.ohchr.org/en/special-procedures/sr-migrants/report-means-address-human-rights-impact-pushbacks-migrants-land-and-sea Image Attribution Image of Human Rights and Alliance of Civilizations Room of the Palace of Nations, Geneva (Switzerland). Ludovic Courtès under CC BY SA 3.0 at Commons.wikimedia.org https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Human_Rights_Council#/media/File:UN_Geneva_Human_Rights_and_Alliance_of_Civilizations_Room.jpg Image of Migrants in Hungary 2015 Gémes Sándor/SzomSzed under CC BY SA 3.0 at Commons.wikimedia.org https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Migrants_in_Hungary_2015_Aug_010.jpg Image of Accommodation in the Nauru offshore processing facility 1 DIAC Images under CC BY 2.0 at Commons.wikimedia.org https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nauru_regional_processing_facility_(7983320399).jpg Image of Accommodation in the Nauru offshore processing facility 2 DIAC Images under CC BY 2.0 at Commons.wikimedia.org https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nauru_Regional_Processing_Centre#/media/File:Nauru_regional_processing_facility_(8001951174).jpg