CDU Criticism Surges Over Frei's Asylum Outsourcing Plan
The Baden-Württemberg Refugee Council has blasted CDU politician Thorsten Frei's idea of outsourcing asylum procedures, saying that the CDU's proposal "pours fuel on the fire" of hostile refugee policies and steps over human rights boundaries. Anja Bartel, the council's co-director, highlighted the UK Supreme Court's rebuke of similar UK government measures as unlawful.
Frei, first deputy leader of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group in the Bundestag, plans to advocate for discontinuing the individual right of asylum at the CDU state party conference on Saturday in Reutlingen. According to his plan, asylum assessments would be delegated to other countries. The Southwest CDU's state executive has yet to comment on the proposal.
Frei previously suggested abolishing the individual right of asylum for migrants on European soil and substituting it with reception quotas in July. The Refugee Council's criticism of Frei extends beyond his latest CDU party conference statement, as they also condemned his July proposal.
Human Rights Concerns Surface Over Frei's Plan
Frei's ambition to outsource asylum procedures to other countries and establish those nations as refuges' safe havens has alarmed human rights groups. The Baden-Württemberg Refugee Council asserts that such measures violate human rights principles, raising concerns about international law and protection quality.
If implemented, outsourcing asylum procedures to non-EU countries could break international law concentrating on the 1951 Refugee Convention, which emphasizes the prohibition on returning individuals to countries where they might face persecution (non-refoulement) and the right to seek asylum in any country.
Non-EU countries may not offer the same degree of protection and human rights guarantees as EU member states, potentially leading to refugees enduring inadequate living conditions, inaccessible fair asylum assessments, and potential human rights breaches. Prolonged detentions in "prison-like" facilities, such as those disputed during Italy's migration outsourcing endeavor, are also possible consequences.
Discrimination may also result from the differentiation in treatment of asylum seekers detained in facilities and those not, highlighted by Albania's ombudsman Erinda Ballanca. Lack of transparency in negotiations may further complicate human rights concerns while making it increasingly difficult to hold accountable parties responsible for potential abuses.
In conclusion, outsourcing asylum procedures to non-EU countries lacking adequate protection and adherence to international human rights principles could lead to severe human rights violations, including non-refoulement breaches, inhumane living conditions, and discriminatory treatment.
