2023-08-23 18:16:19
Independent experts from the United Nations castigated, on Wednesday, practices “ dehumanizing ” and an ” deliberate policy of the forced return of migrants and refugees of African origin to Greece.
On August 7, independent UN experts requested detailed information from the Greek government and expressed their deep concern about the incidents that took place in April and the allegations of human rights violations and abuses, reports the note. of the multilateral organization.
This states that on April 11, twelve asylum seekers from Somalia, Eritrea and Ethiopia, men, women and children, including a six-month-old infant, fleeing war and repression, who had already reached Greek territory, were rounded up by masked men, stripped of their possessions and forcibly taken to the port of Mytilene, Lesvos.
« The violence, which was filmed, verified and reported by the media, exposed the racist exclusion and cruelty of Europe’s border guarding practices “, said in a press release the experts. They urge Greece to take “ measures to ensure a transparent and impartial investigation into alleged violations of the principles of non-refoulement and non-discrimination and the right to life involving members of the Greek law enforcement agencies, including the coast guard, and border violence. »
In their publication, human rights defenders express their “ worry ” in relation to the passivity of the police, in particular ” their inability to provide prompt and effective assistance to migrants in distress. »
While the investigation is ongoing, underlines the press release sent to APA on Wednesday, the experts report ” evidence of a deliberate and coordinated policy of forced return and other dehumanizing border control practices by Greece which go beyond deterrence and contravene its international obligations.
« The role of racism and systemic racism in the treatment of asylum seekers must be taken into account in any serious examination of these practices “, they argued.
For experts, the last 12 months have been among the “ deadliest » for asylum seekers, refugees and migrants of African descent and others traveling, particularly along sea and land routes in the Middle East and North Africa region, and in the perilous crossings of the Sahara and the Mediterranean.
Collective and arbitrary expulsions
More broadly, experts have expressed concern about “ collective, arbitrary and unlawful expulsion of asylum seekers. According to them, these forced dismissals are also contrary to the recommendation of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. This asks states to ensure that non-citizens are not subject to collective expulsion. »
The lack of regular migration channels, coupled with restrictive migration policies, xenophobic rhetoric and many other factors with deep historical roots in colonial practices, often serve to compound these dangers and risks rather than mitigate them, deplores the UN.
ARD/APA
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