In a statement released on the occasion of ENNHRI’s General Assembly Meeting on 6 March 2017, European NHRIs call for solidarity with the countries whose refugee reception and protection mechanisms are under pressure and express concern about push-backs at borders.

ENNHRI members urge EU member states to live up to their commitments to relocate 160,000 persons in need of international protection by September 2017, and ensure the strict observance of the principle of non-refoulement and the access of asylum seekers to the international protection procedures.

ENNHRI’s statement calls for:

• an effective implementation of the decisions of the European Court of Human Rights regarding the obligation to protect migrants attempting to enter Europe by sea;
• the careful review of EU migration policy and particularly of the Dublin system;
• a more equitable numerical distribution of refugees across Europe; and
• the use of alternatives to detention or closed reception centres.