For human rights defenders facing persecution, finding safety can come at a high price. Leaving home may mean losing the networks, communities and connections that make their work possible.
How can Europe offer protection without forcing people to give up the very work that puts them at risk?
That question was at the heart of Strengthening Regional Temporary Relocation Pathways for Human Rights Defenders in EU Candidate Countries and Neighbouring EU Member States, a three-day workshop held in Tirana, Albania, from 14 to 16 October 2026.
Co-organised by Araminta and its European partners, the event brought together civil society organisations, policymakers and human rights experts. Together, they examined how temporary relocation could become safer, more accessible and better coordinated.
The workshop involved ProtectDefenders.eu, Justice & Peace Netherlands, Araminta and SCiDEV. It received funding from the European Union, with contributions acknowledged from the European Parliament Antenna in the Western Balkans and the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Why Protection for Human Rights Defenders Needs to Change
Across Europe and neighbouring regions, human rights defenders face serious obstacles when seeking protection.
Emergency assistance, temporary relocation programmes and safe spaces already exist. Yet these forms of support do not always work together. Local organisations may lack direct connections to European institutions. Regional networks may have limited resources or face legal barriers.
As a result, finding protection across borders can remain difficult, even when support is available.
The workshop in Tirana examined how EU candidate countries and neighbouring EU Member States could help address these gaps. Participants discussed regional capacities, cross-border cooperation and ways to connect existing protection programmes.
A European Approach to Safety and Mobility
On 15 October, Araminta representative Evgeny Shtorn joined a discussion on European and international responses to the challenges facing human rights defenders. He contributed Araminta’s proposal for an EU Directive on Mobility and Protection for Human Rights Defenders.The proposal raises a fundamental question: What would protection look like if human rights defenders could find temporary safety without losing the ability to continue their work?
Crossing a border can bring legal uncertainty and restrictions on mobility. It can also disrupt professional relationships and ties to communities back home.
Araminta’s proposed Directive offers a starting point for addressing these challenges at the European level. It focuses on clearer protection pathways, cross-border mobility and the possibility of continuing human rights work while living abroad.
The discussion also included perspectives from the European Parliament, ProtectDefenders.eu, Justice & Peace Netherlands, the Municipality of Deventer and Amnesty International.
Connecting Local Protection with European Policy
The Tirana workshop brought together organisations working at different levels of human rights protection.
On 14 October, implementing organisations examined existing regional capacities and challenges.
A broader dialogue followed on 15 October. Civil society representatives, policymakers and institutional partners discussed gaps in current protection systems and opportunities for cooperation.
The programme concluded on 16 October with a strategy session focused on future collaboration.
Together, these sessions provided a forum to examine how regional initiatives could connect more closely with established European protection mechanisms.
For Araminta, this connection matters. European policy can help shape protection systems. But those systems must also reflect the practical realities faced by people seeking safety.
Protection Should Not Mean Permanent Exile
Temporary relocation can provide a vital route to safety. Yet protection should not automatically mean permanent separation from home, community or professional life.
Human rights defenders need more than a safe place to stay. They also need legal clarity, access to networks and the freedom to remain active.
This is the broader challenge behind Araminta’s work on mobility and protection.
The discussions in Tirana formed part of an ongoing effort to bring regional experience into European policy debates. They also underscored the importance of cooperation between civil society organisations and European institutions.
The principle guiding that work is simple: Finding safety should not mean leaving the defence of human rights behind.
About the Tirana Workshop
The workshop, Strengthening Regional Temporary Relocation Pathways for Human Rights Defenders in EU Candidate Countries and Neighbouring EU Member States, took place from 14 to 16 October 2026.
- Location: Tirana, Albania
- Main stakeholder dialogue: 15 October, 09:00–17:00
- Venue: Rogner Hotel Tirana, Antigonea Room
- Araminta representative: Evgeny Shtorn
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