According to a broadcast, these “repeatedly use anti-human rights rhetoric to justify discriminatory measures” and thus contribute to a negative atmosphere towards human rights.
“This is of particular concern as human rights are a cornerstone of a just society and must be protected and promoted at all times.” Amnesty calls on politicians to make a clear commitment to human rights and “not to use them as a political toy”.
Refugee accommodation and pushbacks
“Austria is at a turning point in the fight for human rights,” says AI Austria Managing Director Annemarie Schlack. “The direction we take now will determine the coming decades. If we continue to marginalize people and deny them their human rights, it not only violates their rights but also undermines the cohesion of our society.”
In the area of asylum, the human rights organization criticizes, among other things, the temporary accommodation of asylum seekers in tents and illegal “pushbacks” at the border in its annual report published on Tuesday.
Unknown fate of thousands of children
In addition, a total of 11,629 refugee children disappeared in 2022. The NGO attributes this, among other things, to care that is not suitable for children and a lack of custody in federal care facilities such as Traiskirchen, “which are definitely not suitable for children to stay permanently”.
Amnesty therefore demands the immediate assignment of legal guardians for all unaccompanied minors immediately after their arrival in Austria – and not only after admission to the asylum procedure.
There are also shortcomings when it comes to helping refugees from Ukraine
Amnesty welcomes the admission of refugees from Ukraine, but sees shortcomings: the lack of access to social assistance, the hurdles in accessing the labor market and the lack of long-term residence prospects in Austria are still unresolved problems. In addition, Amnesty, like other NGOs, is calling for better financial and organizational support for private individuals who are accommodating the majority of Ukrainian refugees.
Press freedom under pressure
AI also sees freedom of the press under pressure. For example, at several protest events in Vienna, the police prevented journalists from observing and reporting or did not adequately protect them from attacks by demonstrators. When the protest camp of the “Lobau Stays” activists was cleared in April 2022, the executive set up a separate press zone that was so far away from the camp “that it was not possible to adequately monitor the events”.
Amnesty also points to SLAPP lawsuits (strategic court proceedings against public participation) against journalists and concerns that the “Ibizia detective” Julian Hessenthaler, who was sentenced to three and a half years in prison, actually received a fair trial. In addition, the Freedom of Information Act, which has been announced for years, is still on hold.
High hurdles for the homeless
A national housing strategy and comprehensive offers in the homeless assistance are also required. “Lack of information, high bureaucratic hurdles, language barriers and legal regulations that led to the exclusion of both Austrian and foreign nationals from entitlement to benefits also meant that many people did not have access to the relevant support services.”
The Social Assistance Basic Law considers AI to be inappropriate. With its maximum rates, which are below the risk of poverty line, it does not enable people to live in dignity.
Global report deplores “Western double standards”
In Amnesty’s international report on the global state of human rights, the organization complains that the West has “double standards”: “We have seen how Russian violations of international law have been condemned, crimes investigated and borders opened for refugees worldwide,” said Agnes, Secretary General of Amnesty International Callamard.
“This response must be a blueprint for how we will confront all gross violations of human rights.” The “resolute and welcome approach” toward Russia stands in “sharp contrast to grossly inadequate action in the face of current conflicts,” the report said.
China with impunity in Uyghur issue
Ethiopia and Myanmar are given as examples. The treatment of refugees from Ukraine and people fleeing from Syria, Afghanistan or Libya is just as unequal. By opening their borders to Ukrainians, EU member states have shown that the European Union is “fully capable of receiving large numbers of people seeking protection and giving them access to healthcare, education and housing.”
The “West’s double standards” gave countries like China, Egypt, Israel and Saudi Arabia “the necessary cover” to avoid criticism of their human rights record. For example, although serious human rights violations were committed against the Uyghurs in China in 2022, Beijing escaped international condemnation by the UN General Assembly, the Security Council and the United Nations Human Rights Council.
“Urgent reform” of UN Security Council called for
Around the world, demonstrations would be restricted and criticism suppressed. In Iran, for example, the authorities reacted with extreme brutality to unprecedented mass protests against decades of oppression.
The Middle East conflict also receives a great deal of attention in the annual report: for Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, 150 people died in 2022, which was “one of the deadliest years since the United Nations began systematically recording the number of victims in 2006”.
Amnesty International is calling for an “urgent reform” of the UN Security Council and the strengthening of international institutions that are supposed to “protect our rights”. According to the organization, “first of all, the UN human rights mechanisms would have to be fully financed”. Only in this way could the necessary investigations be carried out that would enable accountability and ensure justice.
