• Police officers perform an identity check and body pat-down of a young man in Paris, France on June 6, 2011.
    © 2011 Ludovic/Rea/Redux
    France: Abusive Identity Checks of Minority Youth
    French police are using overly broad powers to conduct unwarranted and abusive identity checks on black and Arab young men and boys.
More news »

Featured Content

Subscribe to content feed
  • Human Rights in France

    France is targeting Eastern European Roma for expulsion, despite a critical court ruling.  After a June 2011 immigration law improved safeguards for the expulsions but widened the circumstances in which they can be carried out, the European Commission dropped its complaint against France.  The June law also weakens the rights of migrants and asylum seekers, and allows the government to detain foreign terrorism suspects for six months. Positive reforms to police custody rules adopted in April effectively exempt terrorism and organize crime suspects.

Reports

France

  • France: European Court of Human Rights Condemns Faulty Asylum Procedure
    Feb 2, 2012
    France should learn the lessons of the European Court of Human Rights decision today concerning a serious deficiency in its asylum procedure.
  • France: Abusive Identity Checks of Minority Youth
    Jan 26, 2012
    French police are using overly broad powers to conduct unwarranted and abusive identity checks on black and Arab young men and boys.
  • EU: Rights Abuse at Home Ignored
    Jan 22, 2012
    The European Union and member governments proved unwilling to tackle human rights abuse at home during 2011, even as they proclaimed the issue’s importance in inspiring the Arab Spring, Human Rights Watch said today in its World Report 2012.
  • Letter to President Sarkozy on Camp Ashraf in Iraq
    Dec 16, 2011
    We are writing to you before the December 31 announced closure of Camp Ashraf (also known as Camp New Iraq) to urge the French government to take proactive steps to help prevent the stand-off between the Iraqi government and the leadership of the Mohjahedin-e Khalq (MEK) from deteriorating further at a critical moment in Iraq’s precarious transition to democratic rule. France has a unique role as host to the MEK leadership as well as good relations with the government of Iraq.
  • Send the Caucasus a Strong Message from Paris
    Oct 6, 2011
    Human rights need to be high on President Sarkozy’s agenda for his lightning-trip through the South Caucasus.
  • France: One Year On, New Abuses against Roma
    Sep 28, 2011
    French authorities are carrying out mass evictions and expulsions of Eastern European Roma in France.
  • France’s Compliance with the European Free Movement Directive and the Removal of Ethnic Roma EU Citizens
    Sep 28, 2011
    Human Rights Watch respectfully submits its observations to the European Commission in the context of its analysis of compliance with EU law of laws and measures undertaken in France with respect to Roma with EU citizenship.
  • Cambodia: Letter to French Foreign Minister Alain Juppé Regarding the Cambodian Draft Law on NGOs
    Sep 7, 2011
    The following letter was sent by Human Rights Watch and nine other non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to French Foreign Minister Alain Juppé, asking him to urge the Cambodian government to withdraw a draft law which would severely restrict the activities of NGOs in Cambodia.
  • NATO: Investigate Fatal Boat Episode
    May 9, 2011
    NATO and its member countries should conduct a full investigation into allegations of failure to rescue a disabled boat filled with migrants fleeing Libya.
  • Dying to leave Libya
    May 4, 2011
    A man named Mohammed posted this plea on the Migrants at Sea website three days after a rickety boat capsized on 6 April in rough seas just 39 miles from Lampedusa: "i wont to know if my brother is there with the eritreans died in the sea his name is sebah tahir nuru." The long-expected exodus by sea from war-torn Libya has begun, and with it the tragic and avoidable loss of life.
more documents on this topic »