European ministers to discuss sending rejected asylum seekers to third-country hubs
Exclusive: Council of Europe to meet in Moldova on Friday, with human rights body expected to stress countries’ right to control borders
TL;DR
- European ministers will discuss sending rejected asylum seekers to third-country hubs.
- The meeting in Moldova will address the removal of asylum seekers who arrived by irregular routes.
- A political declaration stressing countries' rights to control borders is expected.
- There are calls to change the interpretation of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) that impede removals.
- Human rights organizations are concerned that undermining the ECHR could weaken protections for vulnerable groups.
- The Council of Europe insists that removed migrants must still be protected by the ECHR.
- Several EU countries are involved in talks regarding potential return hub destinations.
- The political declaration is expected to limit how asylum seekers can use articles 3 and 8 of the ECHR to resist removal.
- Some political parties in the UK have threatened to withdraw from the ECHR.
- Statistics show a significant number of individuals ordered to leave the EU do not do so.