At the request of a coalition of civil society organisations from the Maghreb, the Permanent Peoples’ Tribunal held a public session on Human rights violations against migrants by the Maghreb States, the European Union and its member States, which took place in Palermo from 23 to 25 October 2025, in conjunction with the Sabir Festival organised by Arci.
The requesting organisations presented extensive and detailed documentation attesting to the systematic, severe and persistent violations of human and peoples’ rights against migrants. This evidence revealed a transnational regime of institutionalised violence, manifested through the increasing militarisation of borders and the systematic use of force, the proliferation of places of detention often operating outside of legal frameworks, the criminalisation of solidarity through legal proceedings or administrative pressure, and the institutional spread of racist and xenophobic discourse, which further fuels stigmatisation and repression (indictment in French and in English; abstract of the indictment in English, French, Italian e Arabic)
In line with its mission, the PPT session examined the systemic nature of these violations and their manifestations, as well as the root causes of their persistence. On 25 October 2025, the panel of judges issued a preliminary statement outlining the evidence provided by the prosecution and testimonies, as well as providing an initial list of recommendations. The panel of judges is currently drafting the final judgement, which will be presented in early 2026, according to a schedule to be made public shortly.