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The EU list of safe countries of origin will speed up asylum processes; the safe third country concept tightens admissibility rules.

The Council formally adopts a regulation to strengthen and future-proof the EU wine sector.

Schnellere Asylverfahren durch EU-weite Liste sicherer Herkunftsstaaten und strengere Zugangsregeln durch neues Konzept des sicheren Drittstaats

Der Rat und das Parlament haben eine Verordnung zur Stärkung und Zukunftsfähigkeit des EU-Weinsektors förmlich angenommen.

A biztonságos származási országok uniós jegyzéke gyorsabb menekültügyi eljárásokat eredményez, a biztonságos harmadik ország elvének köszönhetően pedig szigorodik a menedékkérelmek elfogadhatóságának szabályozása.

A Tanács hivatalosan elfogadta az uniós borágazat megerősítését és időtállóvá tételét célzó rendeletet.

A UN human rights report has found that people trafficked and forced to work at scam centres are subjected to torture, sexual abuse and prison-like conditions. (representational photo). Credit: UNICEF/Ron Haviv

By UN Human Rights Office
GENEVA, Feb 23 2026 (IPS)

A report published today by the UN Human Rights Office graphically details the lived experiences of some of the hundreds of thousands of people trafficked from dozens of countries around the world into working in entrenched scam operations mostly in Southeast Asia, as well as far beyond.

The report documents instances of torture and other ill-treatment, sexual abuse and exploitation, forced abortions, food deprivation, solitary confinement, among other grave human rights abuses. Survivors also shared experiences of border officials aiding scam recruiters, and of threats and extortion by police.

Satellite imagery and on-ground reports show that nearly three-quarters of the scam operations are in the Mekong region, which have also spread to some Pacific Island countries and South Asia, as well as Gulf States, West Africa and the Americas.

“The treatment endured by individuals within the context of scam operations is alarming,” finds the report, based on interviews with survivors originating from Bangladesh, China, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Thailand, Viet Nam and Zimbabwe.

They had been trafficked into scam centres in Cambodia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Myanmar, the Philippines and the United Arab Emirates between 2021 and 2025. It is also based on interviews with police and border officials, as well as civil society and others with knowledge of such operations.

Victims described being lured into scamming jobs under false pretences and then being coerced into perpetrating online fraud ranging from impersonation scams, online extortion, financial fraud as well as romantic scams.

The operations described are fluid, with some survivors sharing experiences of being held in immense compounds resembling self-contained towns, some over 500 acres in size, made up of heavily fortified multi-storey buildings with barbed wire-topped high walls, guarded by armed and uniformed security personnel.

“A victim from Sri Lanka related how those who failed to meet monthly scamming targets were subject to immersion in water containers (known as ’water prisons’) for hours,” said the report, which updates a 2023 UN Human Rights report.

“Victims also recounted being forced to witness or even conduct grave abuse of others as a means to ensure compliance; one Bangladeshi victim said that he was ordered to beat other workers and a victim from Ghana recounted being forced to watch his friend being beaten in front of him.”

They told of people losing their lives as they attempted to escape, including falling from balconies and roofs in the compounds.

Failed rescue attempts were also punished severely, the report finds. One Vietnamese victim described how her sister was beaten, tasered and locked in a room with no food for seven days after her sister had tried to engineer her escape.

It found traffickers would video call family members to watch their loved one being abused and mistreated in order to pressure families to pay extortionate ransoms.

While most victims described receiving some wages, all those interviewed by UN Human Rights experienced a range of escalating deductions and none received the entirety of the promised salary. A Thai victim reported that they were ordered to meet steep scamming targets of some $9,500 per day to avoid fines, beatings, or even being “sold” to another compound with harsher conditions.

“The litany of abuse is staggering and at the same time heart-breaking,” UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk said. “Yet, rather than receiving protection, care and rehabilitation as well as the pathways to justice and redress to which they are entitled, victims too often face disbelief, stigmatization and even further punishment.”

“Effective responses need to be centred in human rights law and standards. Crucially, that means explicitly recognizing forced criminality within anti-trafficking laws and regulations and guaranteeing the non-punishment principle for victims of trafficking.”

“Victims of such abuses require coordinated timely, safe and effective rescue operations, respect for the principle of non-refoulement, as well as available support mechanisms to ensure torture and trauma rehabilitation and address risks of reprisals or re-trafficking.”

The report uniquely applies a behavioural science and systems analysis to explore why people continue to fall prey to fraudulent recruitment into scam operations and to suggest rights-based and effective prevention responses.

“There must be increased availability and accessibility of safe labour migration pathways and meaningful oversight of recruitment such as verification of online job postings and flagging suspicious recruitment patterns,” Türk said.

He called on States and relevant stakeholders to engage trusted and community-based actors, such as survivor-led groups, in outreach to individuals considered at risk of trafficking into scam operations. Awareness activities need to be accessible, concrete and available through trusted media.

Türk also urged States and regional bodies to act effectively against corruption, which he said was deeply entrenched in such lucrative scamming operations, and to prosecute the criminal syndicates behind them. He also recalled the importance of independent media, human rights defenders and civil society organisations being able to carry out their vital anti-trafficking work free from interference.

IPS UN Bureau

 

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Für Nati-Torhüterin Elvira Herzog verläuft das Spiel mit Leipzig gegen Essen äusserst unglücklich. Zwei andere Schweizerinnen glänzen derweil als Torvorbereiterinnen.

Forscher der EPFL Lausanne zeigen: Hunde beeinflussen die Luftqualität in Wohnungen. Sie wirbeln Staub und Mikroben auf, transportieren Partikel von draussen und erzeugen chemische Reaktionen. Grosse Hunde stossen teils so viel CO2 aus wie Menschen.

Forscher der EPFL Lausanne zeigen: Hunde beeinflussen die Luftqualität in Wohnungen. Sie wirbeln Staub und Mikroben auf, transportieren Partikel von draussen und erzeugen chemische Reaktionen. Grosse Hunde stossen teils so viel CO2 aus wie Menschen.

TASR: Megrongálta a szombati (2. 23.) földrengés a 350 éves bacsfai (Báč/Dunaszerdahelyi járás) katolikus templomot, repedések jelentek meg a falán és több helyen lepotyogott a vakolat – tájékoztatott honlapján a Szlovák Püspöki Konferencia hírügynöksége. Csicsay Krisztián, a Szlovák Tudományos Akadémia szeizmológiai részlegének vezetője a TASR-nek azt mondta, a földrengés után hajszálrepedésekről, lehullott vakolatról, megrongálódott kéményekről kaptak beszámolókat.

Une réprimande judiciaire à Washington a modifié le paysage juridique, mais pas les calculs politiques de l'Europe, où la dépendance sécuritaire vis-à-vis des États-Unis l'emporte sur les intérêts économiques propres.

The post Pourquoi l’Europe ne s’oppose pas à Trump sur le commerce, même lorsque les tribunaux le font appeared first on Euractiv FR.

Die Tötung von «El Mencho» durch die Armee löst in Mexiko brutale Unruhen aus. Guadalajara, Gastgeber wichtiger WM-Spiele, gerät mit hässlichen Szenen in den Fokus.

Zweimal wurde von Blick am Wochenende die Bestnote vergeben. Wer war für dich der beste Spieler der Super-League-Runde?

Der Schlepplift Survih am Übungshang in Samedan GR hat einen technischen Defekt. Die Reparatur würde laut den Betreibern sechs Wochen dauern, weshalb die Winter-Saison nun vorzeitig vorbei ist. Ganz fällt das Skifahren im Dorf aber nicht aus.

Noch nie war die Technik in der Formel 1 so kompliziert. Noch nie hatte ein Reglement so viele Schwachstellen. Eine Erklärung.

In Zusammenarbeit mit Sky präsentiert Blick die Highlights der Partie Sunderland – Fulham (1:3).

In Zusammenarbeit mit Sky präsentiert Blick die Highlights der Partie Tottenham Hotspur – Arsenal (1:4)

Der ehemalige «American Idol»-Kandidat Caleb Flynn steht unter Mordverdacht. Er soll am 16. Februar in Ohio seine Frau erschossen und die Tat als Einbruch inszeniert haben. Die Polizei fand ihn mit zwei Kindern im Haus.

TASR: A rendőrség hétfő (2. 23.) reggel pozsonyi iskolák elleni állítólagos fenyegetések miatt biztonsági intézkedéseket léptetett életbe. Olyan gyanús információhoz jutott, amelyek miatt szükségesnek ítélte azok ellenőrzését és megfelelő intézkedések meghozatalát. Ezt a közösségi médiában jelentette be, hozzátéve, hogy az intézkedéseket szoros együttműködésben fogja végrehajtani az érintett iskolákkal.