Warnings issued over potential peril to asylum seekers' lives in European nations

In a recent development, the Council of Europe has issued a strong warning to its 46 member states, urging them not to outsource asylum processing to third countries. The council's concern stems from areas of particular risk identified in their new report, including external processing of asylum claims, external return procedures, and the outsourcing of border control to countries with a documented history of serious violations against people on the move.

The report highlights several instances where European nations have already outsourced the handling of asylum seekers to countries outside the European Union. For instance, Italy has set up migrant reception centers in Albania, which have evolved into repatriation outfits. Similarly, Britain has entered agreements with France and Luxembourg to return asylum seekers from the United Kingdom to France and, potentially, to Luxembourg.

The European Court of Human Rights has also shown concern in this matter. In 2022, it blocked the transfer of asylum seekers from the UK to Rwanda, citing potential human rights violations. The EU Court of Justice recently supported Italian judges who ordered the repatriation of asylum seekers expelled to Albania by Giorgia Meloni's government.

The Council of Europe's Commissioner for Human Rights, Michael O'Flaherty, has expressed grave concerns about these externalization policies. He fears that they might result in people being subjected to torture or other ill-treatment, put lives in danger, and hinder effective access to asylum, thereby depriving individuals of legal remedies.

The report further identifies three areas where risks are "particularly acute": collective expulsions, arbitrary detention, and the risk of putting lives in danger due to these policies. O'Flaherty's concerns echo those of El Salvador, the first Latin American country to accept migrants deported from the United States, and four African countries - Eswatini, Rwanda, South Sudan, and Uganda - which agreed to accept migrants expelled en masse from the United States by the administration of President Donald Trump.

As the global migration crisis continues, the Council of Europe's warning serves as a reminder of the importance of upholding human rights and ensuring safe and legal migration pathways for those seeking refuge.

Warnings issued over potential peril to asylum seekers' lives in European nations