Immigration security

European Refugee Crisis: A ‘Systematic’ Violation of Human Rights

The UN human-rights commissioner has accused the Czech Republic of a systematic violation of the human rights of migrants and refugees in order to deter them from coming to the country.

Measures cited by Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein include strip-searching migrants and refugees in order to confiscate money that is then used to pay for their detention, which can last up to 90 days.

“According to credible reports from various sources, the violations of the human rights of migrants are neither isolated nor coincidental, but systematic: They appear to be an integral part of a policy by the Czech Government designed to deter migrants and refugees from entering the country or staying there,” Zeid said in a statement issued in Geneva.