Still No Contact with Syrian After Deportation from Austria
The 32-year-old Syrian received a seven-year prison sentence in 2018 for involvement in a terrorist organization. Last year, he was released, but then convicted again and taken into detention pending deportation. The European Court of Human Rights ultimately did not prevent the deportation.
No Contact with Deported Syrian - Criticism from NGOs
Since a stopover in Istanbul during the deportation process, the Deserters and Refugee Counseling has had no contact with the man. Whether he has gone into hiding or been arrested is unclear. The UN Committee on Enforced Disappearances (CED) now wishes the federal government to contact the Syrian authorities on a diplomatic level. They should find out whether the man is still alive, where he is, and in what condition he is.
Criticism comes from NGOs. It is apparently now necessary for a UN monitoring body to urge Austria to comply with basic human rights obligations. It is a matter of course in a democratic constitutional state to prohibit enforced disappearances, to criminalize them, and to take all necessary measures, says Lukas Gahleitner-Gertz from the Asylum Coordination. Austria must immediately clarify the situation and refrain from further deportations to the highly volatile Syria.
Amnesty International concurred. Austria has clearly violated the internationally enshrined principle of non-refoulement. This prohibits deportation to countries where torture, persecution, or other serious human rights violations are threatened. Syria is characterized by systematic violence and is therefore not a safe country of origin, explained Aimée Stuflesser, a lawyer from Amnesty Austria, in a statement.
Karner Rejects Criticism After Deportation of Syrian
Interior Minister Karner sees it completely differently. Speaking to the APA, he referred to the criticism from the UN organization as "detached and unrealistic statements." He is concerned with the safety of the population in Austria. Therefore, it is the task to deport further offenders to Syria as well. This path will be continued. According to NGO information, another deportation is expected to take place next week. For once, FPÖ Secretary General Michael Schnedlitz was on the same page as Karner. Instead of being glad to have one less threat in the country, "the asylum industry and UN bureaucrats are staging an international circus." It is beyond cynical that Austria should now play detective for a criminal.
(APA/Red)
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