The long road to a common standard

A lack of protection

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) this week highlighted two cases where EU member states appeared to flout their asylum obligations.
Since the beginning of May, Italy has sent 900 people picked up at sea back to the north African coast, with some of those badly treated by the navy and in need of international protection, according to the UNHCR.
A “significant number” of the 82 people picked up by the Italian navy on 1 July just 30 miles form Lampedusa wanted to claim asylum but were sent back to Libya and placed in detention centres. The UNHCR said it heard “disturbing accounts” of force used by Italian personnel, with six people needing medical attention. Their belongings, including documents, were taken and have not yet been returned.
The UNHCR also criticised the closure by the Greek authorities of a makeshift camp in Patras on 12 July, leaving many people, including registered asylum-seekers, homeless. A law adopted by Greece also came in for criticism because it will decentralise asylum decisions to more than 50 police directorates across the country.
The law will also abolish the existing appeals process in favour of a judicial review which will only address points of law, said the UNHCR.
“These new developments are likely to make protection even more elusive for those who need it in Greece,” the UNHCR said a statement.