European closed doors policy 'affecting rights of refugees'

Dubai: The world marks of the Refugee Day comes on Saturday amid a closed doors policy adopted by the European countries, which in turn resulted in a number of violations against the rights of refugees in the region and around the world, Amnesty International (AI) warned.

Nicole Choueiry, Media Officer of Middle East and North Africa at the AI, told Gulf News the European countries were ignoring the rights of refugees seeking sanctuary in the continent and violating their own obligations as per international law.

Choueiry said the European countries are not only putting the lives of refugees at risk by denying them proper protection, but in addition, they are bribing other governments in the region to stop those passing through their respective territories or in the international waters from reaching their destination.

She added that the agreement between Libya and Italy to detour refugees is a flagrant example of how Europeans were encouraging other governments to violate the law.

On the World Refugee Day, Chueiry warned the EU states that their actions are undermining the protection of refugees not only in their own countries but across the world, by sending a dangerous message on the treatment of refugees.

"All countries must meet their obligations towards refugees and asylum-seekers not only within their own borders but wherever they exercise effective control," she said.

Nicola Duckworth, Europe and Central Asia Director at AI, said: "Refugees are risking their lives to find safety, only to be turned away when they reach Europe. Governments must stop putting lives in danger and start meeting their international obligations to protect these vulnerable people," she told Gulf News.

She said the international community has a genuine problem with countries like Italy, Libya, Turkey, Greece and Spain, while other countries in the EU turn a blind eye to the increasing lack of respect for the rights of refugees and asylum seekers at the EU's borders.

"Every year, thousands of asylum seekers are transferred under the "Dublin II" system to countries where the rights of refugees and asylum-seekers are inadequately protected," Nicola said.

All countries, she said, must meet their obligations towards refugees and asylum-seekers not only within their own borders but wherever they exercise effective control.

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