Ombudsman Kräuter attends workshop on migration and refugee crisis in Thessaloniki

The Thessaloniki meeting was a follow-up of the Belgrade Conference organised by the Serbian Ombudsman last year. During this conference Ombudsman institutions established possible ways of action involved with the current refugee crisis and signed a declaration confirming their willingness to cooperate.

Based on this Belgrade Declaration, a concrete action plan has now been developed and presented during the Thessaloniki meeting. Ombudsman institutions present in Thessaloniki emphasised the fact that this action plan did not aim at dictating political solutions but rather wants to present a concrete and pragmatic approach. Through coordinated action and international cooperation Ombudsman institutions in the countries concerned will be able to strengthen their operative independence on a national level and to receive the necessary support in fulfilling their mandate, i.e. protect the fundamental and human rights of refugees and migrants.

Ombudsman Kräuter participated in the workshop as one of the panellists. His contribution to the debate put a special focus on vulnerable groups and the fact that protecting the rights of children, women, older people and persons with disabilities must be given special attention. Given current developments, a wave of forced returns and deportations must be expected in the near future. The issue of forced return operations must therefore become the centre of the Ombudsman’s attention; especially those institutions which are also vested with the mandate of the National Preventive Mechanism (NPM) and as such will be responsible for the monitoring of such operations. Respect for and protection of human rights of vulnerable groups is of utmost importance. Ombudsman Kräuter took the opportunity of his speech to call for the development of specific minimum standards and safeguards to be applied when forcefully returning members of such vulnerable groups.