The Border Violence Monitoring Network (BVMN) is an independent network of NGOs, associations and collectives that monitors human rights violations at the borders of Europe and advocates to stop violence against people on the move.
BVMN was created in 2017 when several NGOs became aware of violent pushbacks of people on the move along the so-called Balkan Route and began to document these cases. We have since developed a common framework and methodology for recording testimonials and supporting evidence that is published in our open source database, which acts as a living archive. These reports provide detailed, personal descriptions of the incidents, which are paired with further evidence, including accounts of mistreatment, pictures of injuries sustained, and medical documents.
BVMN relies on the participation and cooperation of its partners and their teams, each of whom contributes to our work in line with their area of expertise. We pride ourselves on the spirit of horizontality, allowing space for all partners to guide the vision and direction of the Network.
We also publish monthly reports that summarise pushbacks and other types of violence along the Balkan Route. These reports provide an overview of changes, trends, and specific notable cases in a variety of geographical areas monitored by the Network, as well as accounts of escalating violence, excessive use of force, cases of alleged torture and others key issues. These reports are publicly available and represent a useful tool to study the details of migration management.
In addition, we produce special reports that discuss trends within the scope of our work that warrant further discussion or more detailed analysis.
Our testimonies and reports serve as a basis for the Network’s multi-jurisdictional advocacy efforts to denounce violations of human rights at borders and promote better continental migration management that respects human rights.