Persecuted at Home – Unwelcomed in the EU exposes a growing and deeply troubling reality facing refugees from Central Asia. Journalists, lawyers, human rights defenders, political activists, and members of persecuted minorities are fleeing authoritarian regimes marked by torture, fabricated criminal charges, and systematic repression—only to encounter new forms of exclusion, disbelief, and danger once they reach Europe.
Based on documented cases and first-hand testimonies, this report shows how European asylum and deportation systems increasingly fail those most in need of protection. Instead of offering safe haven, some EU member states have denied asylum, relied on politically motivated accusations, accepted unreliable diplomatic assurances, and carried out deportations that resulted in imprisonment, torture, or death. The report also examines how transnational repression operates across borders, including the misuse of counter-terrorism narratives, extradition mechanisms, and even digital devices seized during deportation procedures.
At a moment when Europe is accelerating migration controls and expanding “safe country” designations, this issue paper serves as a warning: policies designed for efficiency and deterrence can become tools of persecution when applied without rigorous, individualised human rights scrutiny. The stories documented here raise urgent questions about Europe’s legal obligations, moral responsibility, and commitment to the values it claims to defend.