28/11/2008 Standing Committee
PACE´s Standing Committee Committee today called on European governments to put forward minimum standards of reception to be guaranteed by all countries of destination of “boat people” and to share the responsibility of receiving them.
In a report prepared by Morten Østergaard (, ALE) adopted today in , the Assembly recalled that in 2007 alone, over 51 000 persons arrived on the coasts of , , and . The parliamentarians expressed concern that “search and rescue obligations are not always being complied with, leading to increased risk to life and loss of life”.
They expressed also concern with the detention conditions. “Excessive periods of detention, cramped and unsuitable accommodation with poor sanitation, lack of contact with the outside world, inadequate legal assistance and few, if any, recreational activities are all problems which need to be addressed,” they said.
According to the report, “detention facilities in and are in particular need of review”, while there are “worrying reports” concerning the treatment of unaccompanied minors in , and other countries in the region. etention facilities in need to be examined further, including by the Council of Europe’s anti-torture committee (CPT), and should “withdraw the geographical limitation for non-European asylum seekers”.
The adopted text puts forward minimum standards of reception to be guaranteed by all countries of destination. It calls for the international community, including all member states, the European Union and its border agency Frontex, to help share the responsibility of receiving these “boat people”. It also puts forward a number of proposals to continue to monitor closely the conditions in detention and reception facilities.