The Italian Court of Cassation condemned a local section of right-wing party Lega for using the word "clandestini" ("clandestine migrants") in 70 posters they affixed around the town of Saronno. The posters read "Saronno doesn't want clandestines" and were affixed in response to the town welcoming 32 asylum-seekers.

The Court found the word "clandestini" problematic for two reasons.

First, "clandestini" was used as a synonym for "irregular migrants", which technically speaking doesn't apply to the situation of asylum-seekers - who do have valid permits to stay in a country to seek asylum until a decision on their case is taken. The word is legally wrong.

Second - the Court said that the word "clandestini" is problematic regardless of whether it's applied to asylum-seekers or not. The judges recognised that "clandestini", especially when used in a context of hostility towards a certain group of people, can lead to abuses and discrimination - beyond legal categories.

On 13 July, the EU Parliament passed a resolution on search and rescue (SAR) that calls for international investigations of major SAR incidents, political and financial support for national and Frontex initiatives and an EU SAR mission. The resolution also asks that deals with third countries are more transparent and that allegations of human rights violations be assessed.

On the same day, civil society organisations including Médecins Sans Frontières, ASGI, Emergency, SOS Humanity and Oxfam Italy submitted a complaint to the EU Commission to examine the compatibility with EU law of the Italian authorities’ practice of assigning distant ports to disembark survivors from NGO SAR vessels. The NGOs denounce these measures as not in line with fundamental EU principles and norms as well as international, conventional and customary maritime law.

EU Commissioner for Migration Ylva Johansson acknowledged that criminal groups are infiltrating the Libyan coast guard, soon after handing over new patrol boats. The EU has provided boats and funding, with some €100 million estimated to have been given to the Libyan coast guard, but there are concerns about the transparency of these funds and their use. The EU's efforts to support the coast guard's activities are part of a broader strategy to curb migration and step up border control, despite a UN fact-finding mission linked the coast guard to crimes against humanity.

The EU Ombudsman launched an investigation into the role of the EU's border agency, Frontex, in the sinking of the Adriana trawler on June 14, resulting in over 500 deaths off the Greek coast. The investigation aims to clarify accountability for the tragedy and assess Frontex's actions. Frontex had spotted the trawler and alerted Greek and Italian authorities but returned to base due to low fuel. The Ombudsman further highlighted her intention to investigate the EU's recent migration deal with Tunisia.

On 16 July, the European Commission signed a deal with the Tunisian government, whereby it pledges to provide Tunisia with €105 million for migration management, including preventing irregular departures, increasing the return of undocumented Tunisians living in the EU, and delivering equipment to the Tunisian coastguard. The memorandum does not feature any references to persecutions of people from sub-Saharan Africa in the country nor recent mass deportations in desert areas near Libya and Algeria.

Leaders from Mediterranean and Middle Eastern countries gathered in Rome for an international conference on migration hosted by the Italian government. The conference initiated the "Rome process," which is set to address the causes of "irregular migration flows" in the Mediterranean, combat human trafficking, and encourage economic development in countries of departure.  European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen praised the recent deal with Tunisia as a blueprint for similar cooperation with other countries.

On 29 June, the UK Court of Appeals struck down the government's plan to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda for processing (the “Rwanda deal”), as it found that Rwanda cannot be considered a "safe third country." The policy, introduced in 2022, targets people who try to reach the UK without valid travel or residence documents. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak plans to challenge this ruling in the Supreme Court, while the Rwandan government remains committed to the deal.

On 18 July, the UK Parliament adopted the government’s Illegal Migration Bill, which is now set to become law. The bill makes it the home secretary's duty to detain and deport anyone who arrives in the UK without valid travel or residence documents, even when they seek asylum. Almost 300 organisations from across the UK denounce the devastating impact on people’s lives of this bill.

The UNHCR and UN Human Rights Office criticised the bill, saying it will “extinguish access to asylum for anyone who arrives in the UK irregularly”. The bill risks breaching multiple international human rights treaties including the Refugee Convention and the European Convention on Human Rights while shielding the government from accountability. Attempting to implement this law will mean mass detention in what is almost certain to be squalid, unsuitable “accommodation”; the denial of rights to people who are simply seeking safety and a better life; and fuelling the continued demonisation of migrants and racism. 

A new report by Human Rights Watch reveals that between March 2022 and June 2023, Saudi border guards killed hundreds of Ethiopian migrants attempting to cross the Yemen-Saudi border. The killings involve explosive weapons and close-range shootings, targeting men, women, and children. Despite similar incidents in the past, the recent killings show an escalation in both frequency and severity. The report calls for an immediate end to the lethal force policy, investigations into responsible security personnel, accountability through sanctions, and the establishment of a UN-backed inquiry to assess potential crimes against humanity.

The French State Council has deemed the use of drones for monitoring entries of migrants at the Franco-Spanish border illegal. This decision supports the administrative court's ruling in Pau that  drones were not absolutely necessary for border surveillance and less intrusive methods could be used. NGOs denounce that the militarisation of borders and the increase of border surveillance have simply pushed migrants to riskier routes.

The Finnish right-wing government is considering reversing a recent law that required local authorities to provide free basic healthcare for undocumented migrants across the country. This move, part of a broader effort to create a "hostile environment" for migrants, includes cutting access to social services and benefits and exploring the possibility of deporting undocumented migrants to third countries. Civil society organisations and the national medical association have criticised the move, while Helsinki and a few other cities have expressed their intention to continue offering medical treatment to undocumented people. 

The European Commission has proposed to revise the Victim Rights Directive, a law that ensures all victims have access to information, support and protection without discrimination. Among others, the draft revision seeks to establish safer reporting mechanisms for undocumented migrants by forbidding authorities who come in contact with undocumented victims from reporting them to immigration enforcement before the individual needs assessment. While a step forward, the proposed revision fails to forbid any data transfer to immigration enforcement. The proposal will be negotiated by the European Parliament and the Council in the coming months.