Dunja Mijatović pays respect to journalist Anna Politkovskaya before the memorial plaque placed on the facade of Novaya Gazeta office in Moscow

“The pardon by the Russian authorities of one of the men convicted in the murder of Anna Politkovskaya is an insult to justice, compounded by the fact that the masterminds behind this horrific crime were never revealed nor convicted,” said today the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatović.

“Anna Politkovskaya's remarkable work, highlighting human rights violations and championing free speech, exemplifies the vital role of journalists in a democratic society and is a testimony of her courage to speak truth to power. The fight for justice should continue. The memory of her life and work dedicated to journalism should continue to inspire future generations.

I express my deepest solidarity with her family and fellow journalists in Russia and abroad.

La Défenseure des droits, Claire Hédon, était auditionnée le 17 novembre par les rapporteurs de la Commission des lois de l’Assemblée nationale sur le projet de loi dit "pour contrôler l’immigration, améliorer l’intégration".
Elle alerte sur la méthode et les conditions dans lesquelles ce texte est débattu, en dénonçant notamment une inflation législative délétère en matière de droit des étrangers, ainsi que l’économie générale de ce nouveau projet de loi, qui marque un très net recul des droits fondamentaux des étrangers.

La Défenseure des droits avait émis un premier avis sur le projet de loi soumis au Sénat en pointant différentes difficultés. Le projet de loi "pour contrôler l’immigration, améliorer l’intégration" a été adopté par le Sénat le 14 novembre 2023. Avant d’être examiné en séance publique à l’Assemblée nationale à partir du 11 décembre 2023, il est soumis à l’examen de la Commission des lois.

Devant les rapporteurs de cette commission, la Défenseure des droits a alerté sur trois axes particulièrement problématiques :

• Le projet de loi multiplie les dispositifs de sanction et les mesures coercitives applicables aux étrangers, en se prévalant d’un objectif de protection de l’ordre public dont il ne s’agit évidemment pas de nier l’importance, mais dont les contours sont de plus en plus flous.
• Il accroit démesurément les exigences d’intégration concomitamment à une précarisation sans précédent du droit au séjour et de l’accès à la nationalité, au risque d’augmenter le nombre d’étrangers en situation irrégulière.
• Il remet profondément en cause les équilibres existants et menace ainsi les droits de tous, notamment en matière d’accès à la santé. 

Aujourd’hui, le texte issu des débats au Sénat est profondément déséquilibré et particulièrement défavorable aux droits des étrangers. Ce déséquilibre me paraît préjudiciable à l’intérêt général et à la cohésion sociale.

Dans mon avis sur la 1ère version du texte, je déplorais un projet qui ne tenait pas suffisamment compte de certains publics vulnérables. Je m’alerte aujourd’hui d’un projet qui les cible particulièrement et tend à renforcer leur précarité 

À la suite de la publication de son discours devant les rapporteurs de la Commission des lois de l’Assemblée nationale, la Défenseure des droits publiera dans les prochains jours un avis détaillé sur l’ensemble du projet de loi.

Télécharger le discours de la Défenseure des droits

• Discours de Claire Hédon devant les rapporteurs de la Commission des lois - 17 novembre 2023 (pdf, 227.39 Ko)

I new media sono ormai parte della nostra vita quotidiana: sono uno strumento che usiamo per informarci su ciò che accade nel mondo, per comunicare con amici, parenti e colleghi, per condividere i nostri pensieri e le nostre esperienze. La diffusione dei giochi online e dei social media è oramai talmente pervasiva da essere entrato a far parte costantemente anche della vita di bambini e adolescenti. Esistono, infatti, canali e contenuti pensati e realizzati appositamente per l’infanzia e molti giovani influencer rappresentano un vero e proprio punto di riferimento per gli adolescenti. Quali sono, però, gli effetti di questa sovrabbondanza e immediatezza di connessioni, stimoli e informazioni sulla crescita psicologica, emotiva e persino nell'alimentazione di bambini e adolescenti?

Se ne parlerà giovedì 16 novembre 2023, dalle ore 17, ad Aosta, nella Sala Maria Ida Viglino di Palazzo regionale, durante il convegno "Dall'infanzia all'adolescenza "online": strategie e buone pratiche". L'iniziativa, organizzata in sinergia dal CoReCom, dalla Difensora civica e dalla Consigliera regionale di parità, col patrocinio dell'Università della Valle d'Aosta, intende valorizzare un percorso di conoscenza, indirizzi e buone pratiche a favore non solo degli addetti ai lavori ovvero genitori, insegnanti, educatori ma, soprattutto, evidenziare quali sono i segnali che si possono/devono percepire di questo disagio minorile dovuto all'eccesso o al non corretto uso di questi strumenti in modo da intervenire in tempo utile evitando più gravi conseguenze.

Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatović, published today the report on her visit to Denmark in May-June 2023, with recommendations on the rights of refugees, asylum seekers and migrants and the rights of persons with disabilities.

There have been several positive developments in the area of asylum, particularly with regard to those fleeing Ukraine, and the protection of women and girls from Afghanistan based solely on their gender. However, the Commissioner considers that the recent paradigm shift in Danish refugee policy towards temporary protection and return, rather than integration, presents a number of human rights risks. The authorities should refocus on providing greater certainty and security to refugees and other protection holders.

The Commissioner also urges the authorities to abandon plans to externalise aspects of the asylum process to a third country, considering doubts about their compatibility with international human rights standards. “Externalisation plans may set a troubling precedent in shifting responsibility within the global system of international protection”, she emphasises. Instead, the authorities should redirect and step up focus on greater and fairer responsibility-sharing among European states and globally.

Following the intensification of measures aimed at ensuring that rejected asylum seekers and other foreigners without a residence permit cooperate to ensure their own return, the Commissioner finds particularly problematic the fact that individuals who cannot be returned, including families with children, may find their lives suspended and left in limbo for years. Considering the impact on mental health and wellbeing, as well as the potential to have life-long negative consequences, she encourages the authorities to reconsider the use of return centres. Regarding administrative detention of rejected asylum seekers and other migrants, the Commissioner calls on the authorities to ensure that alternative measures are prioritised, and that strict, prison-like rules and regimes are not implemented in this context. As regards integration, she calls for further steps to be taken to facilitate family reunification for protection holders, including for temporary subsidiary protection status holders and older children. She also underlines the rising number of stateless persons, and invites the authorities to facilitate access to citizenship for children and young people who were born or grew up in Denmark.

The Commissioner calls on the authorities to foster a structural approach to improving the situation of persons with disabilities, in particular through the introduction of a general legal obligation for reasonable accommodation, as well as a comprehensive national action plan on persons with disabilities. She emphasises the need to address challenges such as the exposure to violence and abuse, including sexual abuse, in residential institutions; the continuing use of larger residential institutions; the limited opportunities for certain persons with disabilities to choose their living arrangements; and the reported increasing number of children and young people with severe mental health conditions being placed in closed care institutions, as well as the conditions within those institutions.

Noting the progress made regarding legal capacity and the right to vote, including the introduction of a system of partial guardianship, the Commissioner considers that there is a need to increase focus on supported decision-making. She urges the authorities to abolish the system of full guardianship and to take steps to foster greater take-up of partial guardianship. In addition, she calls for citizenship acquisition procedures to be fully accessible to persons with disabilities and include provisions of reasonable accommodation.

While recognising efforts made by the authorities in this area, the Commissioner urges the authorities to drastically reduce the use of all forms of coercion, and to end recourse to any coercive measure that may amount to ill-treatment, including in particular the use of belt restraints for extended periods of time.

• Read the Commissioner's report on her visit to Denmark in May-June 2023
• Read the comments of the Danish Government on the Commissioner's report