Status: 03/30/2023 2:34 p.m
The Anti-Torture Committee of the Council of Europe denounces appalling conditions in dealing with refugees. The pushbacks and mistreatment at the EU’s external borders must stop, the experts demand. You were there yourself.
Experts from the Council of Europe denounce the illegal rejection of refugees at the borders. The so-called pushbacks at land or sea borders must stop, especially at the borders of the EU, according to a report by the Anti-Torture Committee (CPT) published in Strasbourg.
Its President, Alan Mitchell, said any form of abuse at the borders must be prevented.
Many European countries face very complex migration issues at their borders, but this does not mean they can ignore their human rights obligations.
Pushbacks are illegal and unacceptable, Mitchell added. The CPT required States to properly register incoming migrants and allow them to seek asylum.
“Allegations not sufficiently investigated”
According to the experts, refugees are beaten at borders, hunted with dogs or humiliated. Some would have to undress and cross the border naked. The report criticized that allegations of abuse were not currently being adequately investigated. The conditions in the immigration centers near the border are sometimes frightening.
The report is based on visits by the experts over the past year, including to countries with external EU borders such as Croatia, Italy, Poland and Greece. They visited police stations, reception centers and transit zones along the “main migration routes” to Europe.
The Council of Europe, together with its Court of Justice, is responsible for upholding human rights in the 47 member states. It is not an organ of the European Union.