Asylum Seekers in the Age of Offshoring: Shrinking Space for Human Rights Protection

London/Berlin/Copenhagen - In the not-so-distant past, the concept of offshore immigration policies, which involve shifting the responsibility of processing asylum claims to a different country, was largely associated with populist far-right ideologies.

However, today, as the world grapples with the looming climate crisis and a humanitarian catastrophe at Europe's borders, we find ourselves in an era where countries are increasingly reneging on their obligations under international human rights law. These nations are instead pushing for policies that effectively remove asylum seekers from public view, creating a host of challenges for activists and communities advocating for freedom of movement and the right to refuge.

How offshore immigration policies are impacting both activists and the communities they support? Unbias The News and shado mag are collaborating to understand better.

This investigative series focuses on three major European cities—London, Copenhagen, and Berlin—and their respective approaches to offshore immigration policies. These cities, often celebrated for their commitment to human rights, have not been immune to the global trend of outsourcing asylum processing.

📷 Natasha Phang Lee