Documenting legal cases against people helping irregular migrants, known as crimes of solidarity and humanitarianism.

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289 laws and cases

2022

9 laws and cases
BangladeshExtra-legal action

Armed police battalion raid the house of pro-refugee journalists in reprisal for migrant support work in Bangladesh

BangladeshExtra-legal action

Journalist beaten in front of police for reporting trafficking in Bangladesh

United KingdomLegal action

Nine arrested in the UK while disrupting the deportation of asylum seekers to Rwanda

2021

21 laws and cases
LithuaniaLegal action

NGO placed under investigation for smuggling in Lithuania for entering restricted border area to help migrants

BangladeshExtra-legal action

Police threaten and torture Rohingya journalists who report on human rights violations faced by Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh

IrelandLaw

Ireland makes smuggling illegal with no humanitarian exemption

2020

10 laws and cases
GreeceLegal action

Man who tried to stop shipwreck arrested and later sentenced to 142 years in prison in Greece

FranceLegal action

Humanitarians arrested for helping family of Afghan migrants in France

United KingdomLegal action

Man arrested for steering the boat on which he arrived in the UK

2019

31 laws and cases
United KingdomLegal action

Man arrested for steering the boat on which he arrived in the UK

MexicoExtra-legal action

Migrant documents burned to stop the work of a migrant shelter in Mexico

ItalyLegal action

Investigation launched into search and rescue vessel accused of aiding illegal immigration in Italy

2018

33 laws and cases

2017

23 laws and cases
FranceLegal action

Journalist interrogated on suspicion of aiding illegal entry of foreigners while reporting on irregular entry of migrant children in France

MexicoLegal action

National Migration Institute files complaint against team member of a migrant shelter in Mexico

FranceLegal action

Attempt to close down citizen group who help migrants in France

2016

22 laws and cases
GreeceLegal action

Two humnitarians charged with smuggling for attempting to drive eight refugees to Spain

GreeceLegal action

Spanish woman arrested for trying to help a Kurdish refugee leave Greece

FranceLegal action

Humanitarian arrested for facilitating irregular stay and entry into the French territory

2015

24 laws and cases
FranceLegal action

Woman arrested and imprisoned in France for attempting to take a Syrian refugee minor from France to the UK

DenmarkLegal action

Four activists fighting the criminalisation of solidarity arrested for smuggling without evidence in Denmark

GermanyLegal action

Man arrested for driving refugees in Austria to the German border

2014

11 laws and cases
MexicoExtra-legal action

Activists murdered in Mexico for their migrant support work

ItalyLegal action

Migrants arrested in Italy for smuggling themselves and others after they touch the steering device

SpainLegal action

Activists arrested for taking part in an anti-deportation protest in Spain

2013

4 laws and cases
CanadaCase law

Unsuccessful appeal against ruling of inadmissibility for smuggling in Canada

SpainLegal action

Journalist arrested for photographing migrants scaling fence in Spain

2012

6 laws and cases
ChinaLegal action

Humanitarians imprisoned for helping North Korean defectors

SerbiaLegal action

Couple imprisoned in Serbia for allowing homeless Afghans to stay with them

United KingdomLegal action

Two women arrested trying to bring an Albanian man from France to the UK

2011

10 laws and cases
South KoreaLegal action

Migrants Trade Union president deported from South Korea for his participation in migrants rights trade unionism

AustraliaLegal action

Man arrested for smuggling Iraqi and Iranian refugees (some stateless) into Australia by boat

United StatesLaw

Transporting or housing undocumented immigrants criminalised in Georgia

2010

6 laws and cases
AustraliaLaw

All humanitarian exemptions in smuggling and harbouring removed in Australia

CanadaLegal action

Congolese refugees arrested for trying to bring a Congolese woman into Canada

CanadaLegal action

Sri Lankan (Tamil) asylum seekers arrested and deported when they arrived by boat in Canada

2009

10 laws and cases
FranceLegal action

Filmmaker arrested in France for letting irregular migrant stay with him

FranceLegal action

NGO director arrested in France following a refusal to provide the details of shelter guests with “foreign sounding names”

AustraliaLegal action

Sri Lankan refugee arrested for smuggling in Australia for arriving by boat with other refugees

2008

4 laws and cases
FranceLegal action

Woman arrested in France for allowing her husband to stay at their shared residence

United StatesLegal action

Humanitarian arrested for leaving water in the desert for migrants in the US

2007

11 laws and cases
South KoreaExtra-legal action

Senior members of the Migrants Trade Union deported for their migrant organising work in South Korea

ChinaLegal action

Humanitarian imprisoned for helping North Korean defectors

FranceLegal action

French police targeted humanitarians and searched for irregular migrants at soup kitchens

2006

1 law and case

2005

6 laws and cases
United StatesLegal action

Humanitarians arrested for driving migrants to a medical facility

ChinaLegal action

Humanitarian imprisoned for helping North Korean defectors

2004

8 laws and cases
ChinaLegal action

Humanitarians imprisoned for helping North Korean defectors

SpainLegal action

Man imprisoned for 6 years for swimming from Morocco to Spain with an irregular migrant in tow

ChinaLegal action

Humanitarian imprisoned for helping North Korean defectors

2003

10 laws and cases
ChinaLegal action

Man arrested for taking a pregnant woman by boat from China to Hong Kong to give birth

ChinaLegal action

Humanitarian imprisoned for helping North Korean defectors in China

ChinaLegal action

Humanitarian imprisoned for helping North Korean defectors travel to China

2002

10 laws and cases
ChinaLegal action

Humanitarian imprisoned for helping North Korean defectors to leave China

Law

Leaving water out for passing migrants outlawed in Tohono O’odham tribal nation

ChinaLegal action

Humanitarian imprisoned for helping North Korean defectors to leave China

2001

5 laws and cases
ChinaLegal action

Humanitarian helping North Korean defectors in China arrested, imprisoned, then deported to North Korea

FranceLegal action

Woman arrested for people smuggling for brinigng her children into France without authorisation

ChinaLegal action

Humanitarian imprisoned for helping North Korean defectors to leave China

2000

1 law and case
ChinaExtra-legal action

Humanitarian worker who helped North Korean defectors disappeared in China

1996

1 law and case
MalaysiaLegal action

Campaigner arrested for exposing ill-treatment, sexual abuse and denial of adequate medical care in the migrant detention centres in Malaysia

1995

2 laws and cases

1988

1 law and case
United StatesLegal action

Two humanitarians arrested for driving two pregnant women into the US

1985

1 law and case

1984

4 laws and cases

1976

1 law and case

1958

1 law and case

1952

1 law and case
United StatesLaw

No humanitarian exemption for helping irregular migrants arrive or stay in USA

1938

1 law and case

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