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Abstract
In the context of the refugee crisis in Europe, the measures taken by the institutions and bodies of the European Union as they relate to respecting, protecting, and ensuring human rights have proven to be woefully inadequate. The development of a restrictive, defensive, security-based immigration policy has led to failure by European countries and the European Union to fulfil their human rights obligations. Specifically, the Agreement struck between the European Union and Turkey on 18 March 2016, in addition to externalising borders, placed economic and political considerations centre stage, leading to serious violations of the human rights of refugees and migrants, including their sexual and reproductive rights. In an effort to identify the failures and the institutions responsible for promoting the necessary measures to mitigate the negative impacts these policies have had, the international human rights organisation Women’s Link Worldwide lodged a complaint with the European Ombudsperson. In its complaint, Women’s Link alleges maladministration by the European Commission for its failure to carry out a human rights impact assessment of the 18 March 2016 EU-Turkey Agreement and the reports on its implementation. Such an assessment should include a gender perspective and a children’s rights approach, and its omission is not only a failure to comply with international human rights standards, but also directly and negatively affects women’s and children’s rights.
Résumé
Dans le contexte de la crise des réfugiés en Europe, les mesures prises par les institutions et les organes de l’Union européenne dans le domaine du respect, de la protection et de l’application des droits de l’homme se sont révélées tout à fait insuffisantes. La mise au point d’une politique de l’immigration restrictive, défensive et axée sur la sécurité s’est soldée par l’incapacité des pays européens et de l’Union européenne à s’acquitter de leurs obligations relatives aux droits de l’homme. Plus précisément, l’accord intervenu entre l’Union européenne et la Turquie le 18 mars 2016, en plus d’externaliser les frontières, a placé des considérations politiques et économiques au centre de la scène, donnant lieu à de graves violations des droits de l’homme des réfugiés et des migrants, notamment leurs droits sexuels et génésiques. Désireuse de recenser les échecs et les institutions responsables de promouvoir les mesures requises afin d’atténuer les conséquences négatives de ces politiques, l’organisation internationale des droits de l’homme Women’s Link Worldwide a déposé une plainte auprès du Médiateur européen. Dans sa plainte, Women’s Link fait état d’une mauvaise administration de la Commission européenne qui s’est révélée incapable d’évaluer les répercussions sur les droits de l’homme de l’accord du 18 mars 2016 entre l’Union européenne et la Turquie et d’informer sur sa mise en œuvre. Une telle évaluation devrait inclure une perspective sexospécifique et une approche des droits des enfants. Leur absence ne respecte pas les normes internationales des droits de l’homme, mais de plus elle lèse directement les droits des femmes et des enfants.
Resumen
En el contexto de la crisis de refugiados en Europa, se ha comprobado que las medidas adoptadas por las instituciones y los organismos de la Unión Europea con relación al respeto, protección y garantía de los derechos humanos son lamentablemente insuficientes. La formulación de una política de inmigración restrictiva, defensiva y basada en la seguridad, ha llevado al incumplimiento de las obligaciones de derechos humanos por parte de los países europeos y la Unión Europea. En particular, el Acuerdo celebrado entre la Unión Europea y Turquía el 18 de marzo de 2016, además de externalizar las fronteras, situó en el centro intereses económicos y políticos, lo cual produjo graves violaciones de los derechos humanos de las personas refugiadas y migrantes, incluidos sus derechos sexuales y reproductivos. En un esfuerzo por identificar los fracasos y las instituciones responsables de promover las medidas necesarias para mitigar los impactos negativos que estas políticas han tenido, la organización internacional de derechos humanos Women’s Link Worldwide presentó una queja ante la Defensora del Pueblo Europeo. En su queja, Women’s Link alega mala administración por parte de la Comisión Europea por su incumplimiento de realizar una evaluación del impacto que tuvo en los derechos humanos el Acuerdo celebrado el 18 de marzo entre la UE y Turquía, así como de los informes sobre su ejecución. Dicha evaluación debería incluir una perspectiva de género y un enfoque de derechos de infancia, y su omisión no solo representa un incumplimiento de las normas internacionales de derechos humanos, sino que también afecta directa y negativamente los derechos de las mujeres, las niñas y los niños.
Notes
* Women’s Link makes a clear distinction between sexual rights and reproductive rights, as sexuality need not be linked to reproduction.
† For example, Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Article 25); Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (Articles 10 and 12); Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women (Articles 12 and 16); Convention on the Rights of the Child (Article 24); and Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (Articles 23 and 25).
‡ See, for example, Roa and Klugman.Citation19
§ Point eight of the Agreement states:
“The EU and Turkey reconfirmed their commitment to re-energise the accession process as set out in their joint statement of 29 November 2015 […]. They welcomed that the Commission will put forward a proposal to this effect in April. Preparatory work for the opening of other Chapters will continue at an accelerated pace without prejudice to Member States' positions in accordance with the existing rules.”
** According to the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union the principle of non-refoulement means that
“No one may be removed, expelled or extradited to a State where there is a serious risk that he or she would be subjected to the death penalty, torture or other inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment” (article 19.2); Directive 2013/32/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council defines third safe country as “a country of origin where, on the basis of the legal situation, the application of the law within a democratic system and the general political circumstances, it can be shown that there is generally and consistently no persecution […], no torture or inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment and no threat by reason of indiscriminate violence in situations of international or internal armed conflict.”
†† The Women’s Refugee Commission, for example, said that
“While urgent action was needed to better manage the crisis, the Women’s Refugee Commission finds the deal short-sighted, discriminatory and legally dubious, with profound and distressing ramifications for refugees seeking asylum and family reunification in Europe, particularly women and girls: Women’s Refugee Commission.”
‡‡ Article 21 of the Treaty on European Union; the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union; the June 2012 EU Strategic Framework and Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy; the EU Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy 2015-2019; the EU Strategies for equality between women and men 2010-2015 and 2016-2019; the EU Guidelines on violence against women and girls and combating all forms of discrimination against them; the EU Guidelines for the promotion and protection of the rights of the child; the Guidelines to EU policy towards non-EU countries on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment; and public international law.
§§ For example, Article 21.1:
“The Union's action on the international scene shall be guided by the principles which have inspired its own creation, development and enlargement, and which it seeks to advance in the wider world: democracy, the rule of law, the universality and indivisibility of human rights and fundamental freedoms, respect for human dignity, the principles of equality and solidarity, and respect for the principles of the United Nations Charter and international law. The Union shall seek to develop relations and build partnerships with third countries, and international, regional or global organisations which share the principles referred to in the first subparagraph. It shall promote multilateral solutions to common problems, in particular in the framework of the United Nations.”
“The Union shall define and pursue common policies and actions, and shall work for a high degree of cooperation in all fields of international relations, in order to consolidate and support democracy, the rule of law, human rights and the principles of international law.”
*** European Ombudsperson, Decision in case 1409/2014/MHZ on the European Commission's failure to carry out a prior human rights impact assessment of the EU-Vietnam free trade agreement.
††† Human rights at risk under the Agreement include the rights to international protection, to live free of violence and discrimination in EU territory, to physical and moral integrity, to live free of torture or inhuman or degrading treatment, to private and family life, to health, to sexual and reproductive healthcare, to dignity, and to live free of slavery and forced servitude.
‡‡‡ Women’s Link, along with several other organizations, requested precautionary measures from the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights to protect the rights of displaced persons living in camps after the 2010 Haiti earthquake. Measures requested included specific measures to protect women from sexual violence and facilitate access to healthcare services, including emergency contraception. This violence was taking place partly due to the structural conditions of the camps: Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. Precautionary Measures no. MC 340/10: Women and girls victims of sexual violence living in 22 internally displaced persons in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. 2010. http://www.oas.org/en/iachr/decisions/precautionary.asp
§§§ The Ombudsperson cites the Preamble of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union and Article 6(3) of the Treaty on European Union.
**** The Ombudsperson first offered this definition in her Decision in case 1409/2014/MHZ on the European Commission's failure to carry out a prior human rights impact assessment of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement.