Amnesty slams EU's "shameful" response to refugee crisisFebruary 24, 2016 - 12:19 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - European countries' "shameful" response to the migrant crisis and their efforts to counter the threat of attacks risk undermining their historic commitment to human rights, Amnesty International warned on Wednesday, February 24, according to AFP. The London-based campaign group, traditionally more used to lambasting dictatorships for rights abuses, used its annual report to take some of the world's oldest democracies to task. Several countries in the European Union's passport-free Schengen area have reimposed border controls in response to a huge wave of migrants and refugees fleeing war and persecution in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia. "That Europe, which is the richest bloc in the world, is not able to take care of the basic rights of some of the most persecuted people in the world, is shameful," said Amnesty Secretary General Salil Shetty. He called for safe, legal routes for people to reach Europe and said they should be treated on a case by case basis, not subjected to "collective punishment." "The majority of countries, with the honourable exception perhaps of Germany, have simply decided that the protection of their borders is more important than the protection of the rights of refugees," added Amnesty's Europe director John Dalhuisen. Amnesty also expressed alarm about fresh counter-terrorism laws being introduced across Europe, in particular the "rights-sapping" state of emergency implemented in France after jihadist gunmen attacked Paris in November, killing 130 people. The measure allows the interior minister to place under house arrest any person whose behaviour is considered "a threat to security and public order" and to order searches of homes at any hour without involving the court. "This is curbing free expression, it is curbing free movement of people," Shetty told AFP. "Everybody understands that the French government has to respond to this reality. But a government that has historically championed human rights can't take shortcuts." Top stories Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". Partner news | Concept to complete Yerevan Cascade discussed at city hall A conceptual proposal to complete the Cascade complex in downtown Yerevan has been presented by Jean-Michel Wilmotte. Pashinyan visits flood-hit region Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Saturday, June 8 visited the disaster area in the Lori province. €3.5 mln EU grant to support justice reforms in Armenia The European Union has paid €3.5 mln grant to Armenia within a €11mln program on Support to Justice Reforms. Yerevan reacts to Baku’s proposal to see Minsk Group abolition Alen Simonyan has declared that Armenia is taking steps aimed at concluding a peace treaty with Azerbaijan. |