Together with 26 non-governmental organizations and associations, Amnesty International publishes an appeal to the Federal GovernmentJulia Duchrow, Secretary General of Amnesty International in Germany, says:
“The current debate about an alleged emergency and the rejection of asylum seekers at German borders is endangering European cohesion. Asylum policy challenges can only be solved jointly and at the European level. The federal government must not sever the umbilical cord to Europe by relying on national unilateral action and throwing European legal requirements overboard. Anyone who saws away at the European foundation will later be faced with the ruins.”
Appeal to the Federal Government:
Refugee protection is part of our democratic values -
Reject calls for pushbacks, defend the rule of law and human rights in Europe
We all want to live in a society that protects us, supports us and in which we are respected. That is why the pillars of our society are democracy, the rule of law and human rights. They protect each of us and we must protect them. The diversity of our society – from ideas to thoughts, from origins to identity – is our strength. Standing up for the rights of all people in our society also strengthens our own rights. The current debates about tightening asylum laws contradict this self-image.
The right to seek protection from human rights violations in Germany and Europe is part of the DNA of our democracy after the experiences of the Second World War. People who have fled to Germany are part of our society: they work and volunteer here, raise their children here and belong here. The misconduct of individuals must never lead to certain groups of people being stigmatized, racialized and marked as not belonging. We will not allow ourselves to be divided.
In this way, we are opposing political forces that have an interest in division and uncertainty. In various EU countries, we have seen the roadmap of authoritarian politicians: an “us against the others” mentality is used to stir up sentiment against certain social groups. There is agitation against queer people, immigrants or racialized people, the unemployed, people with disabilities and other social groups. Violence at the borders – even against children – is normalized. At the same time, the institutions of the constitutional state are being attacked – from the independence of the judiciary to the work of lawyers. We will not allow such a development to happen again in Germany. Democratic parties must pull together to counteract attempts at division with the cohesion of society.
The right to asylum is the first target of a policy that is increasingly questioning human rights. This is evident in the current debate. Proposals such as turning people back at the German border clearly violate European law and basic human rights principles. In many EU countries, asylum seekers face a life on the streets, impoverishment and arbitrary detention. For these reasons, German courts repeatedly prohibit such deportations. This makes it clear that each individual case must be examined to determine whether a deportation is legal. This is part of our constitutional state and cannot be decided ad hoc at the border. There is also no national emergency that could justify ignoring these principles.
The ability to act is demonstrated by realistic, value-based and law-abiding policies. Instead of allowing itself to be driven to ever-increasing tightening of laws, the Federal Government must stand up for a Europe of the rule of law and human rights. For all people.
The appeal in PDF format can be found here.
