BVMN Monthly Report - November 2025: Criminalisation

This is the third of a series of thematic reports, where we look into overarching themes affecting people on the move across Europe.

This report looks into the topic of criminalisation, and the ways the law and law enforcement practice is used to hinder movement in formal and informal ways. From France to Greece, from Serbia to Bosnia, this report explores some of the consequences of the narrative and policy takeover of the ideas of security and crime in relation to migration, which has obscured and displaced those based on protection needs and rights.

This month, we also include a piece from ally collectives borderline-europe and ARCI Porco Rosso on the situation in Italy, particularly in Sicily.

BVMN is a network of watchdog organisations active in the Balkans, Greece, Turkey, Poland and France including Rigardu, Mobile Info Team, Collective Aid, Blindspots, Pushback Alarm Austria, I Have Rights, Center for Legal Aid – Voice in Bulgaria, Mission Wings, We Are Monitoring, InfoPark, Legal Centre Lesvos, Human Rights Observers and Calais Food Collective. Combining insights from these different members and other partners, such as Glocal Roots (Greece), this month’s report covers, among other things:

• Police raids in Obrenovac and detention in Serbia
• EU policy as a driver of criminalisation in Bosnia and November incidents of criminalisation of movement
• New migration law in Greece and the expansion of the criminal framework
• Criminalisation of Sudanese people on Lesvos and solidarity response
• Free Humanitarians trial
• Arrests at bus and train stations in Calais
• Criminalisation of people on the move and solidarity with boat drivers in the Central Mediterranean