According to the human rights commissioner of the Council of Europe (CoE), the warm reception of Ukrainian refugees is in stark contrast to the widespread human rights violations committed against refugees, asylum seekers and migrants from other parts of the world.
Urgent action is needed to stop forced deportations at European borders, Dunja Mijatovic, Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe (CoE), pointed out on Thursday.
According to the commissioner of the Strasbourg board, coordinated action by the governments of the member states is necessary for this purpose. In its report published on Thursday, ET reported cases of forced returns and violations of the right to asylum at Europe's land and sea borders.
The Human Rights Commissioner also added recommendations to the report, which show that "refoulements are contrary to the human rights obligations of the 47 member states, violate the right to asylum, deny key guarantees of the return process, and in cases where the authorities often use violence and torture, which in some cases, the right to life is also endangered".
The report describes how the return of refugees and migrants has become an official policy in several Member States, and in some cases it is even required by national legislation. According to Mijatovic, the importance of the recommendations made in the report is also confirmed by the war in Ukraine: 4 million people left Ukraine to seek safety elsewhere in Europe. "The immediate support of European countries shows that it is possible to put the protection of human dignity and compliance with international obligations at the center of state action," added Mijatovic.
However, he drew attention to the fact that these principles should also apply to the protection of refugees and migrants from other parts of the world.
"The warm reception of Ukrainian refugees stands in stark contrast to the widespread human rights violations committed against refugees, asylum seekers and migrants from other parts of the world," he emphasized.
According to Mijatovic, member states must fulfill their obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights and stop shirking their responsibilities. They should also increase transparency and accountability, including by strengthening independent border control mechanisms, which are key to preventing refoulement. In addition, all member states of the Council of Europe must speak out against this kind of violation of human rights and hold the countries involved accountable.
"All member states, even those that do not use this illegal practice, must take action against the deportations that can be seen throughout Europe. Failure to do so means that they are turning a blind eye to violations," the commissioner of the organization pointed out. Mijatovic added: Member States' parliamentarians must take responsibility for preventing deportations and hold governments accountable when such cases occur.
MTI
MTI Photo: Sándor Ujvári
