The United Nations refugee agency has warned that the idea of asylum is under attack in Europe, with refugee pushbacks at external borders increasingly common.
Police check a migrant disembarked from Frontex ship "Protector" at the port of Pozzallo, Sicily Image: picture-alliance/ANSA/F. Ruta
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Refugees are increasingly at risk of being forcibly pushed back from European borders, according to a report from the United Nations agency report published on Thursday.
The UNHCR said boat arrivals were being sent back out to the open sea and people who managed to reach the shore were pushed back into their vessels and forced to leave.
What did the UN say?
"UNHCR has received a continuous stream of reports of some European states restricting access to asylum, returning people after they have reached territory or territorial waters, and using violence against them at borders," said the refugee agency's assistant high commissioner for protection, Gillian Triggs.
Triggs did not mention any country by name. However, refugees have reported this kind of behavior in the past by the Greek coastguard.
"The pushbacks are carried out in a violent and apparently systematic way," Triggs said. "Boats carrying refugees are being towed back. People are being rounded up after they land and then pushed back to sea. Many have reported violence and abuse by state forces."
Individuals who have fled across land borders have also been turned away without checks to see if they really need protection, the UNHCR said.
The UNHCR said it had made its concerns clear to European capitals and called for "urgent inquiries into alleged violations and mistreatment."
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"Respecting human lives and refugee rights is not a choice, it's a legal and moral obligation," Triggs stressed.
What is the situation like for refugees at the moment?
Arrivals to the EU have been dropping in recent years, the agency said. Last year there were 95,000 — 33% fewer than in 2018.
"With so few arrivals to Europe, this should be a manageable situation," Triggs said. She added that every case needed to be assessed individually under both the UNHCR Refugee Convention and European Union law.
"It is regrettable that the issue of asylum remains politicized and divisive despite such declining numbers."
The UNHCR noted that some countries were carrying a disproportionate responsibility in hosting new arrivals. It urged other European nations and the EU itself to show solidarity by supporting them.
A graphic novel depicts a refugee's journey
The comic "Temple of Refuge" was created in Berlin and based on the life of Iraqi-Kurdish migrant Sartep Namiq.
Image: Die Autoren und Die Gesellschaft der Neuen Auftraggeber, 2020
Sartep's vision emerges
The book's main character, migrant Sartep, stands in front of the concrete wall of Fortress Europe. In front of this inaccessible world is the Tempelhof Airport refugee camp, which can be seen in the foreground of the cover (pictured). In the story, the young northern Iraqi finds an imaginative way to reconcile both worlds.
Image: Die Autoren und Die Gesellschaft der Neuen Auftraggeber, 2020
Depicting the journey
In striking images, the comic-style book "Temple of Refuge" depicts Sartep's perilous journey from Kurdish northern Iraq. It takes him across the Mediterranean, where he and fellow refugees wander through the streets of Rome. They then make the long trek through wintry southeastern Europe.
Image: Die Autoren und Die Gesellschaft der Neuen Auftraggeber, 2020
A world without hope
A white bus speeds through a shantytown on Tempelhofer Feld toward the wall that separates two worlds. On one side, a refugee camp; on the other, the desired destination of many: Europe. The camp is spread out like a labyrinth at the foot of this fortress, whose walls seem impenetrable.
Image: Die Autoren und Die Gesellschaft der Neuen Auftraggeber, 2020
United by fate
People from many parts of the world live in the camp — they are united by a sense of hopelessness. Graphic artist Felix Mertikat has drawn powerful images to tell the story of Sartep Namiq who in reality was a resident of the temporary refugee shelter at Tempelhof Airport. He commissioned this work and also became its protagonist.
Image: Die Autoren und Die Gesellschaft der Neuen Auftraggeber, 2020
The Berlin miracle
Only a miracle can break through the hopelessness of the people in the refugee camp on Tempelhofer Feld. Thanks to a special kind of magic wand, Sartep succeeds in fulfilling the wishes and dreams of the refugees. His vision of peaceful coexistence with all Berliners finally becomes reality.
Image: Die Autoren und Die Gesellschaft der Neuen Auftraggeber, 2020
Creating a utopia
By the end of the story, Tempelhof Airport becomes the center of the world; a place where dreams can come true, thanks to a strong community. "Temple of Refuge" was commissioned by the German chapter of the New Patrons society and will be published by Berlin's Egmont publishing company in March 2021.
Image: Die Autoren und Die Gesellschaft der Neuen Auftraggeber, 2020
