TNR Watch: Working Together to Counter Transnational Repression

Laying the foundation: In recent years, the Group of Seven (G7), the European Parliament, and the governments of Canada, the United Kingdom, and Germany have all established initiatives to address transnational repression. These governmental efforts are the product of years of research and advocacy by civil society groups that continue to work through collaborative networks to achieve real-world impacts.

In March 2023, Freedom House formed the Coordination Group to Counter Transnational Repression, a first-of-its-kind international civil society initiative designed to address the harassment and intimidation of exile and diaspora communities by the governments in their countries of origin. Now composed of 101 members who represent 46 different organizations across Canada, Germany, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, and the United States, the group meets monthly to share updates and engages directly with policymakers in different countries to recommend policy solutions and areas for collaboration.

European counterparts: A year and a half after Freedom House created the coordination group, a similar, country-specific initiative arose in the United Kingdom. Civil society organizations and researchers established the Tackling Transnational Repression in the UK Working Group—of which Freedom House is a part—to defend the rights of targeted individuals in that country. The group has made specific recommendations to the government, including designating a contact point to monitor cases, responding to incidents through diplomatic channels, boosting support for UK-based diaspora communities, and enhancing training for law enforcement.

The Coalition against Transnational Repression in Germany was founded in August 2024 to increase awareness of the threat in Germany. The collection of 20 human rights and diaspora organizations promotes a four-pronged approach similar to that of its British counterpart. Since the current German government vowed to address transnational repression in its 2025 parliamentary coalition agreement, the working group has connected with officials and lawmakers to advance policy priorities.

The European regional hub of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has also launched a transnational repression–related working group under its Community of Practice on the Protection of Human Rights Defenders.

The Washington-based New Lines Institute joined the growing community in January 2026 by launching a working group of scholars and experts from both sides of the Atlantic.

Broadening the scope: While the emergence of these different groups is a welcome development, more can be done to assist peer organizations in Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East, as these regions account for about 62 percent of the direct, physical incidents of transnational repression in Freedom House’s database. Activists and researchers in such countries not only document cases but also provide psychosocial support to vulnerable individuals and advocate for high-level policy responses. They deserve the resources and capacity to continue this vital work.