12 July 1995

Doc. 7354

MOTION FOR A RECOMMENDATION

on protecting and improving the human rights

of refugees and asylum-seekers in Europe

presented by Mrs AGUIAR, Portugal, LDR

and others

This motion has not been discussed in the Assembly and commits only the members who have signed it

      The Assembly,

1.       Deeply concerned at the frequent fatal casualities among refugees and asylum-seekers trying to enter Europe;

2.       Aware that many of these deaths are the consequence of increasingly tight restrictions at Europe's borders, which compel refugees to try to enter in dangerous and illegal ways in the search for safety; asylum-seekers have also committed suicide because of fear of deportation;

3.       Noting that on the whole Europe accepts only a small number of the world's total number of asylum-seekers;

4.       Recognising that human rights are often not respected with regard to refugees and asylum-seekers, or even violated;

5.       Recommends that the Committee of Ministers invite the member states:

i.       to release asylum-seekers from the obligation to hold visas in order to enter Europe and to stop imposing sanctions on airlines that carry people with insufficient documentation;

ii.       to rescind the "safe third country" rule, until such time as they adopt sufficient safeguards against "chain deportations" and "refoulement" of asylum-seekers;

iii.       to detain asylum-seekers only on grounds prescribed by law and ensure that conditions of detention are in accordance with international standards;

iv.       to uphold generously the spirit of the 1951 Geneva Convention relating to the status of refugees and its 1967 Protocol.

Signed:

Aguiar, Portugal, LDR

Vázquez, Espagne, GUE

Robert, Suisse, LDR

Baarveld-Schlaman, Pays-Bas, SOC

Kirkhill, Royaume-Uni, SOC

Mészáros, Hongrie, LDR

Rizzo Naudi, Malte, PPE

Árnason, Islande, LDR

Trojan, République tchèque, SOC

Brennan, Irlande, LDR

Christodoulides, Chypre, GUE

Stoisits, Autriche, -

Golu, Roumanie, SOC

*       SOC : Socialist Group

      EPP : Group of the European People's Party

      EDG : European Democratic Group

      LDR : Liberal, Democratic and Reformers Group

      UEL : Group of the Unified European Left