Amnesty welcomes EU court ruling on refugees
Human rights group Amnesty International has welcomed a ruling by the European Court of Justice against Hungary and Slovakia on the relocation of asylum-seekers, saying they have been trying to turn their countries into “refugee-free zones.”
The group’s EU office director, Iverna McGowan, said Wednesday that “Slovakia and Hungary have tried to dodge the EU’s system for solidarity, but each country has a role to play in protecting people fleeing violence and persecution.”
She called on EU nations to “show solidarity with each other, and with asylum-seekers who are seeking protection in Europe.”
EU countries agreed in September 2015 to relocate 160,000 refugees in Greece and Italy over two years, but only about 24,000 have been relocated so far.
Hungary and Slovakia were seeking to have the decision annulled. [AP]
