ECRE | 27.01.2017
A new report “Pushed back at the Door” by five human rights NGOs shows that access to protection is increasingly limited in Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovenia. The report urges European governments to find the right balance between protecting borders and people.
The report highlights that there have been increased border controls including the construction of physical barriers in Bulgaria and Hungary. In both countries concerns over police violence towards asylum seekers persist, in Hungary especially in regard to the “push-back law” and in Bulgaria in regard to the interception of asylum seekers who have crossed into the country irregularly. In the Czech Republic and Poland the main concerns lie in the lack of transparency and oversight of border control have led to violations of the principle of non-refoulement by border guards. In Slovenia access to the territory is very difficult, although these issues are currently being discussed.
