EU countries 'not properly investigating' reports of rights violations at borders
Stockholm, July 30 (Hibya) - Authorities in EU member states are not doing enough to investigate credible reports of human rights violations, including deaths, at their borders, the EU human rights agency said.
The EU Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA) said human rights organizations and NGOs have reported “serious, repeated and widespread violations of the rights of migrants and refugees during border management,” but despite “credible” reports, many have not been investigated.
A growing number of cases before the European Court of Human Rights has raised questions about border management in at least three countries, it said.
“National authorities in Greece, Croatia and Hungary have not effectively investigated incidents of ill-treatment and loss of life during border management,” it said.
“Examples include inadequate efforts to locate and hear victims and witnesses, preventing lawyers from doing their work, and lack of access to important evidence, such as footage from border surveillance.”
Greece's migration policies have been in the spotlight since the sinking of the overcrowded fishing boat Adriana in June last year, killing an estimated 500-650 people.
The FRA cited five examples of what it considers a flawed approach to the alleged loss of life and violence in Europe's border states. One of the most horrific cases referred to the discovery by volunteers of an unaccompanied minor found unconscious in France with a fractured skull and a swollen lip.
Police had captured the child after hiding in a truck bound for the UK. The incident and allegations of possible police intervention were reported to the prosecutor's office in Boulogne-sur-Mer, but the child was not found later.
In 2020, Croatian police arrested four Afghans who had entered the country irregularly. According to the human rights agency, they were held for two days, humiliated and beaten. According to the victims ' lawyer, the incident is under investigation, but the perpetrators have not yet been identified.
In April 2020, Maltese authorities ordered a fishing vessel to take a distressed boat back to Libya. In the six days at sea, 12 people died or went missing. A magistrate concluded that there was no prima facie evidence for criminal charges, the FRA said.
In June 2022, two Palestinians recognized as refugees by Greece were allegedly subjected to physical and sexual abuse after being stopped by police in Kos and abandoned in a lifeboat at sea. A criminal complaint against the two Palestinians, who were rescued by the Turkish coast guard, is still pending before the Greek prosecutor's office.
Albania News Agency