International treaties impose on States the obligation to combat hate, and the Council of Europe has developed a set of soft law instruments to implement this obligation, relating to the prevention of hate speech and balanced coverage of electoral campaigns, in particular to prevent media from being used to openly promote racism or xenophobia in electoral campaigns. Criticism — even sharp or politically divisive — of migration and asylum policies remains fully protected under Article 10 ECHR and Article 19 ICCPR. However, when political discourse no longer addresses policies but targets migrants, asylum seekers or refugees as individuals or as a group through forms of expression amounting to denigration, dehumanisation, vilification or other hate-driven messages, an adequate response by the State is required under Article 20(2) ICCPR, Article 4 ICERD and the Council of Europe acquis.