PRESS RELEASE OF 1st September 2005
(EMBARGO: 1.9.2005, 14.00 h)
NGO coalition expresses deep concern on proposed EU return standards.
Human rights of returnees might be seriously endangered say human rights activists
A coalition of 13 NGOs
assisting migrants and refugees today expressed serious concern on current EU
policy developments on the detention and removal of irregular migrants and
rejected asylum seekers. In the context of the draft of a directive on common
standards on return, which the EU Commission adopted this morning, the NGO
coalition suggests a set of nine principles to ensure respect for human rights.
The
coalition of Church-related and human rights organisations urged the European
Parliament and the Member States to take into account some common principles
necessary to ensure that return procedures fully respect the needs and the
dignity of individuals. In any case both detention and removal should only be
the last resort in dealing with irregular migrants and rejected asylum seekers.
The nine common principles underline that those facing removal and detention
must enjoy the right of an effective remedy and legal review of the decisions affecting
them. Particular importance is also attached to the protection of vulnerable
persons such as children, the seriously ill or trafficked persons against
removal. The text, which the NGO coalition presented in Brussels today suggests
the establishment of independent institutions to monitor detention and removal
and deal with complaint of ill-treatment in detention or removal operations.
Representatives of the NGO coalition expressed concern that the proposed directive on return mainly follows a repressive logic rather than elaborating principles focussed around the human rights of those facing detention or removal. Caroline Intrand who represented the Churches´ Commission for Migrants in Europe and the French CIMADE on the NGO Coalition explained “ Detention and removal pose serious challenges to the human rights of those affected. After important work on the human rights aspects of this had already been done by the Council of Europe, we had hoped that the EU Commission would further elaborate a human-rights centred approach. However it appears that the proposal launched this morning gives priority to a supposed “efficiency” regarding the technical aspects of removal. This might have a seriously negative effect on the rights of those facing removal”.
For further information , please contact :
Peter Verhaeghe, Migration Officer, Caritas Europa 4, rue de
Pascale B-1040 Brussels T: +32 2 235 03 96
Fax: +32 2 230 16 58 e-mail: pverhaeghe@caritas-europa.org,
www.caritas-europa.org
Doris Peschke, General Secretary, Churches’ Commission for Migrants in Europe, B 1000 Brussels T. +32 2 2346800 F: T.+32 2 231 1413 e-mail:info@ccme.be,
Background info: the declaration on “Common principles on removal of irregular migrants and rejected asylum seekers” is supported by: Amnesty International Europe, Caritas Europa, Churches´ Commission for Migrants in Europe (CCME), Cimade (France), European Council for Refugees and Exiles (ECRE), Federazione delle Chiese evangeliche in Italia (FCEI), Iglesia Evangelica Espanola, Jesuit Refugee Service-Europe (JRS-Europe), Human Rights Watch, Plateform for International Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants (PICUM), Quaker Council for European Affairs, Save the Children, Sensoa