The recent election of Trump in the US and the surge of the far right and increasing acceptance of far-right ideas across Europe are a threat to the human rights of many people. At the sharp end of the hate and the demonisation of the “other” are refugees who have been forced from their homes and communities by violence, war and destruction. Over 75 % of the world’s refugees are hosted by poor and middle income countries. Only a fraction, lured by the talk of human rights try to find safety in Europe. Refugees have contributed immensely to the UK and other European countries. But for racist ideologues and politicians in search of a scapegoat they make easy targets. As human rights defenders we have to stand up against the hate and push back against the demonisation of refugees. Seeking asylum is a universal human right and we need to defend it. This Saturday at Amplify Festival we are going to discuss the implications of Fortress Europe. On 16th January we are showing the film “Green Border” at the Human Rights Action Centre. Hope to see many of you there.
Again please contact us for any questions or if you would like us to give talks in your communities.
Poland
by Lucja Jastrzebska
Women’s Rights
A year after Tusk came to power, why is access to safe and legal abortion still a distant dream in Poland?
While abortion had already been severely restricted in Poland since 1993, a ruling from Poland’s discredited Constitutional Tribunal in 2020, which went into effect the following year, removed one of the legal grounds for abortion – in cases of fetal impairment – and leaving a near-total ban.
If elected, Doland Tusk promised he would make access to free, safe and legal abortion for all a reality within 100 days of coming into power.
And yet those 100 days have come and gone and a year after Tusk swept to power, the possibility of Poland providing access to safe and legal abortion for all who need it, seems as distant as ever.
Read more of Anna’s story here- https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2024/10/a-year-after-tusk-came-to-power-why-is-access-to-safe-and-legal-abortion-still-a-distant-dream-in-poland/
Refugee Rights:
Amnesty deems Poland’s Plans to suspend the right to seek asylum ‘flagrantly unlawful’
States refer to the “instrumentalisation” of migration to designate actions by third states or other actors that facilitate irregular migration movements into another country in an attempt to destabilise it.
The plans for the suspension of asylum applications form part of Poland’s strategy on migration for 2025-2030, approved by the Government on 15 October 2024.
These plans are the latest in the Polish government’s efforts to undermine the human rights of refugees and migrants arriving at the Polish-Belarussian border.
‘Suspending the right to seek asylum is flagrantly unlawful and Prime Minister Tusk knows this. EU member states like Poland are playing politics with the rights of refugees and migrants. From Poland to Finland, Greece and Germany, so-called emergencies are being weaponized to enact laws that gravely undermine access to asylum and protection from befoulment’. – Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director for Europe, Dinushika Dissanayake.
Rise of Populism and far-right anti-immigration policies – EU backs call to ban asylum seekers in Poland | World | News | Express.co.uk [Read more…]
