WCC NEWS: WCC applauds EU court ruling on migrants’ rights

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World Council of Churches - News

WCC APPLAUDS EU COURT RULING ON MIGRANTS’ RIGHTS

For immediate release: 27 February 2012

The World Council of Churches (WCC) applauds the landmark ruling of the
European Court of Human Rights, which held Italy responsible for violating
the rights of Eritrean and Somali migrants for sending them back to
Libya.

The ruling came out in the case of Hirsi Jamaa and Others vs Italy
(Link:
http://www.oikoumene.org/index.php?RDCT=07ef2abb13f7d22aa58c
) on 23 February. The court found Italy responsible for intercepting and
returning a boatload of African migrants without determining whether such
a decision would put their lives at risk. The court ordered Italy to pay
financial compensation to each migrant in damages.

The Somali and Eritrean applicants were among two hundred individuals, who
left Libya aboard three vessels in 2009 to reach the Italian coast. After
being intercepted by the Italian Coastguard, the passengers were
transferred to Italian military ships and taken to Tripoli, without being
informed of the destination.

The WCC general secretary Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit called the court ruling
a turning point invoking national responsibilities towards migrants.

“There is an increase in the number of people who try to reach the
territories of developed countries and claim asylum due to hardships they
face in their home countries,” said Tveit in his message.

However, he stressed that this should not be a “pretext for developed
nations to undermine the protection of the rights of refugees.”

Tveit commended the court decision to be in line with the principle of
non-refoulement in international law, which prohibits states from
returning asylum seekers to a country or territory, where their lives
might be at risk.

“This landmark judgement is a sign of hope for hundreds of thousands of
asylum seekers and migrant people around the world, who are facing great
peril while attempting to reach safe or better havens”, said Dr Mathews
George Chunakara, director of the WCC Commission of Churches on
International Affairs (Link: 
http://www.oikoumene.org/index.php?RDCT=b83ebcccdeb1d7971ddd
).

“The human rights of migrants and asylum seekers should always be at the
forefront of considerations when dealing with migration policies,” he
added.

Read full text of the WCC general secretary message (Link:
http://www.oikoumene.org/index.php?RDCT=f0ce555b85c4b06dd433 )

WCC expresses concern over human trafficking in Sinai Desert
(Link:
http://www.oikoumene.org/index.php?RDCT=b94f481cc64f559880a4
) (WCC press release of 18 November 2011)

Commission of the Churches on International Affairs (Link:
http://www.oikoumene.org/index.php?RDCT=fcf03109020059383241 )


The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness 
and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of 
churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 349 Protestant, 
Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 560 million 
Christians in over 110 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman 
Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, 
from the [Lutheran] Church of Norway. Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland.



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