Council of Europe Human Rights
Commissioner Dunja Mijatovic on Monday denounced the tolerance
that has developed in Europe towards rights' violations against
migrants, asylum seekers and refugees.
In a statement issued during a visit to Lampedusa - the tiny
southern Sicilian island that is a stepping stone for many
refugees and migrants crossing the Mediterranean in search of
safety and a better life in Europe - Mijatovic said she was
"struck by the alarming level of tolerance towards serious
violations of the human rights of refugees, asylum seekers and
migrants that has developed across Europe".
"Reports of violations of the human rights of refugees, asylum
seekers and migrants are now so frequent that they hardly
register in the public consciousness," she added.
The Council of Europe commissioner was speaking on the eve of
World Refugee Day on June 20, an international day designated by
the United Nations to honour people who have been forced to flee
and champion their rights.
"For their part, the governments of Council of Europe member
states, instead of holding each other accountable on the basis
of shared standards, have too often tolerated or openly
supported the adoption of laws and policies that have
progressively removed human rights protections from people on
the move," continued Mijatovic.
"Their collective focus on deterrence and the transfer of
responsibility to third countries has created fertile ground for
practices that routinely violate the rights of refugees and
migrants," she concluded.
By the end of 2022, the number of people forcibly displaced
inside or outside their country by war, persecution, violence
and human rights abuses stood at a record 108.4 million, up 19.1
million on the previous year, according to the annual Global
Trends report published by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, in
June.
Nor did the upward trajectory in global forced displacement show
any sign of slowing in 2023 as the outbreak of conflict in Sudan
triggered new forced migration movements, pushing the global
total to an estimated 110 million by May, according to the
report.
In Italy, 16 cities were set to light up a symbolic monument for
World Refugee Day, according to a press release from UNHCR.
On the nights of June 19 and 20, the Calamo Fountain in Ancona,
the Monumental Fountain in Piazza Aldo Moro in Bari, Porta San
Giacomo in Bergamo, Nardo Dunchi's sculpture "Armonie di Luce"
in Carrara, the Statue of Il Cavatore in Catanzaro, the historic
gates (Torre San Niccolò, Porta alla Croce in Piazza Beccaria,
Porta San Gallo in Piazza della Libertà, Porta al Prato, Porta
Romana, Porta San Frediano) in Florence, the Fountain in Piazza
de Ferrari in Genoa, the Gateway to Europe in Lampedusa, the
Fountain of Neptune in Naples, Teatro Massimo in Palermo,
Palazzo Senatorio in Rome, the cultural centre "Spazio Meno
Assenza" in Pozzallo, the Palazzo di Città in Taranto, the Mole
Antonelliana in Turin, the Neptune Fountain in Trieste and the
Gran Guardia in Verona will be lit up in blue in an expression
of solidarity with all those who have been forced to flee their
home country due to war, violence, persecution or human rights
abuses and to support UNHCR's World Refugee Day campaign Hope
Away from Home.
"We all benefit from human connections and a sense of
belonging," said UNHCR Representative for Italy, the Holy See
and San Marino Chiara Cardoletti.
"For refugees far from home, being able to contribute to the
life of the community means feeling part of it.
"This is why the participation of so many Italian cities in this
initiative, demonstrating the commitment that municipalities in
Italy are making to ensure the full inclusion of refugees and
asylum seekers, is even more important," added Cardoletti.
To mark World Refugee Day UNHCR has also organised a public
event on Tuesday titled Hope Away From Home - Un mondo dove
tutti i rifugiati sono inclusi (A world where all refugees are
included) at the Auditorium Antonianum in Rome. For details see
https://withrefugees.unhcr.it/eventi/hope-away-from-home-un-mond
o-dove-tutti-i-rifugiati-siano-inclusi/
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