Human Rights and Refugee Protection in Europe

The human rights center “European Peace House” organized a conference titled “Human Rights and Refugee Protection in Europe: Challenges of Migration Policy and the Right to Life” in the suburbs of Verviers in Belgium.

Zainab Gashayeva, Preseident of the European Peace House, Lachin Mamishov, Vice President of the European Peace House, prominent human rights defenders Said-Emin Ibragimov and Fatima Gaziyeva, Roza Dunayeva, Commissioner for Human Rights of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria, Teimuraz Telia, Georgian economist, as well as the members of the government of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria participated to the conference. Oleksiy Honcharenko, a member of the European Parliament and the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, and Ikhvan Gerikhanov, an international lawyer, made their presentations online through Zoom connection.

The key issues concerning the problems of refugees in Europe against the backdrop of the full-scale war in Ukraine, which is now in its fourth year raised at the meeting. This topic was particularly relevant to people from the North Caucasus who have applied for asylum in the European Union. Chechen human rights activist Fatima Gaziyeva recalled that international human rights organizations, such as Amnesty International, had recommended not to extradite refugees from Russia on the grounds that they would face arrest, torture and even death. Specific names were given of people deported to Russia who had disappeared or died in Russian custody.

The issue of responsibility of the countries responsible for the mass influx of refugees from different countries to Europe was also raised. In particular, the opinion was voiced that Russia should be held financially responsible for the maintenance of millions of refugees from Ukraine and Chechnya, relieving the burden on the countries hosting refugees.