DOCSLIB.ORG

Immigration Asile

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Immigration Asile Strasbourg, 17 June 2009 CommDH(2009)14 Original: French REPORT BY THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS, THOMAS HAMMARBERG, on his visit to Belgium 15-19 December 2008 For the attention of the Committee of Ministers and the Parliamentary Assembly CommDH(2009)14 Executive summary ..........................................................................................................................................3 Introduction .......................................................................................................................................................4 I. National system for protecting human rights........................................................................................5 1. Accession to European and international human rights conventions.....................................................5 2. Constitution and Belgian judicial system................................................................................................5 3. National human rights structures and national co-ordination of human rights issues ............................7 4. Police......................................................................................................................................................8 a. Police and human rights ....................................................................................................................8 b. Protection of arrested persons' rights during police questioning .......................................................9 II. Prison system ...........................................................................................................................................9 1. Prison overcrowding...............................................................................................................................9 2. Dilapidated state of some prisons ........................................................................................................11 3. Health conditions in prisons .................................................................................................................12 4. Protection of prisoners’ rights...............................................................................................................12 5. Prison staff ...........................................................................................................................................13 6. Action taken by the authorities to improve the situation in prisons ......................................................13 III. Immigration and asylum ........................................................................................................................14 1. Right of asylum.....................................................................................................................................14 2. Deprivation of migrants’ liberty/migrants’ detention conditions ............................................................15 a. Administrative detention of asylum seekers and irregular migrants.................................................15 b. Material detention conditions ...........................................................................................................17 c. Solitary confinement, special regimes and complaints procedure ...................................................18 d. Access to translation, information and legal aid...............................................................................19 3. Effective avenues of appeal against detention or deportation .............................................................20 4. Open facilities for families with children and separated minors............................................................20 5. Regularisation ......................................................................................................................................22 IV. Measures against discrimination, racism and violence against women ......................................22 1. Legislative framework and equality bodies...........................................................................................22 2. Gender discrimination and violence against women............................................................................24 3. Discrimination based on language .......................................................................................................25 V. Protection of children’s rights ..............................................................................................................27 1. Youth justice.........................................................................................................................................27 a. Anti-social behaviour........................................................................................................................27 b. Detention..........................................................................................................................................28 c. Relinquishment of jurisdiction ..........................................................................................................29 2. Corporal punishment............................................................................................................................30 VI. Anti-terrorism measures....................................................................................................................30 VII. Recommendations .............................................................................................................................32 APPENDIX I: List of authorities and organisations met or consulted during the visit and the places visited...............................................................................................................................................................35 APPENDIX II: Comments by the Belgian authorities [in French only] .......................................................37 2 CommDH(2009)14 Executive summary Commissioner Thomas Hammarberg and his delegation visited Belgium from 15 to 19 December 2008. In the course of his visit, the Commissioner held discussions with federal, regional and community authorities, parliamentarians, members of the judiciary, independent human rights structures, and representatives of civil society. Several institutions were also visited. I. National system for protecting human rights. Human rights are enshrined in the Constitution and Belgium has ratified a large number of Council of Europe and United Nations treaties related to human rights. Nevertheless, human rights protection could be strengthened especially by the ratification of Protocol No. 12 to the ECHR and the Framework Convention for the protection of national minorities. Efforts have been undertaken to improve the functioning of the judicial system although proceedings of excessive length persist. There is a great number of complaints bodies and human rights structures in Belgium. The Commissioner notes that a national human rights action plan could also be adopted and that the independence and transparency of the mechanism for monitoring police activities could be further strengthened. The Commissioner considers that the fundamental rights of persons held in police custody should be guaranteed as from the time they are placed in custody. II. Prison system. The Commissioner ascertained unacceptable overcrowding and inhumane detention conditions in a number of prisons. He welcomed the recent adoption of an ambitious construction and renovation programme for the prison estate. However, he urged the authorities to swiftly improve the prisoners’ situation in terms of hygiene, lack of privacy and safety, and to close cells which are not fit for detention. Alternatives to imprisonment should be developed in order to reduce overcrowding. Untried, convicted and psychiatric detainees should be detained separately. The Commissioner calls for the setting up of an effective and independent mechanism to deal with prisoners’ complaints. III. Asylum. The asylum procedure has recently been improved and speeded up. The Commissioner considers nevertheless that it could be made more transparent and accessible in terms of available information. He calls for an end to the systematic detention of certain categories of asylum seekers and the special treatment of asylum claims made at the border. IV. Detention of migrants. Living conditions and access to health care should be improved in the closed centres for aliens and in particular in 127 and INAD Centres. The Commissioner considers that frontline legal advice services should be created to advice and inform migrants detained in these centres of their rights. He calls for a review of the practice of special regimes in closed centres. The deadline to appeal against deportation decisions should be extended to at least five days. The Commissioner welcomes the new policy not to detain most irregular migrant families and considers the new housing system a substantial improvement. However, he regrets that in certain cases children and their parents continue to be detained and calls for an appropriate solution also for these cases. The commitments made to establish a procedure to regularise certain irregular migrants should be clarified. V. Action to combat discrimination, racism and violence against women. Belgium has recently adopted a number of important laws and measures in this field. Efforts should be pursued to achieve effective gender
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Rule of Law Belgium 2017
    Belgium 2017 Total: 77.94 Rule of Law Independence of the Judiciary : 7.83 Independence of judiciary from the executive is a principle developed in Belgium since its state independence in 1830. It was later enshrined by the Constitution. It is highly respected. Since federalization, Constitutional Court has become vital in peaceful resolution of conflicts of interest between the constituent regions or communities and in preventing discrimination. Another judicial body, Council of State, is the highest administrative court in the country, playing an important role in the peaceful settlement of inter-regional or inter-communal disputes. It also deals with legislation affecting human rights, freedom of commerce or other interaction between state bodies and private actors. Interviews with citizens fail to detect anybody who had paid a bribe to a judge, even though 25% think that there exists corruption in the courts. There certainly are sporadic outside influences by public opinion and/or political interference. According to GAN portal, efficiency or even efficacy of courts is but problematic. Judiciary is experiencing shortage of judges, hence backlog and even expiry of some important cases (such as those regarding transnational corruption). Corruption : 7.7 For several years now Belgium has been stagnating in its battle to eliminate corruption. The situation is very good, yet the final steps to make it excellent (such as in comparable Netherlands or Luxembourg) are missing. In the Transparency International`s Corruption Perceptions Index 2016, Belgium was ranked 15 (of 176). Social market economy, long experience in building anti- corruption mechanisms, trained professional administration and a highly developed citizens` awareness have narrowed the ground for - and led to relative rareness of - corruption.
    [Show full text]
  • P U B L I C a T I E S
    P U B L I C A T I E S 1 JANUARI – 31 DECEMBER 2001 2 3 INHOUDSOPGAVE Centrale diensten..............................................................................................................5 Coördinatoren...................................................................................................................8 Faculteit Letteren en Wijsbegeerte..................................................................................9 - Emeriti.........................................................................................................................9 - Vakgroepen...............................................................................................................10 Faculteit Rechtsgeleerdheid...........................................................................................87 - Vakgroepen...............................................................................................................87 Faculteit Wetenschappen.............................................................................................151 - Vakgroepen.............................................................................................................151 Faculteit Geneeskunde en Gezondheidswetenschappen............................................268 - Vakgroepen.............................................................................................................268 Faculteit Toegepaste Wetenschappen.........................................................................398 - Vakgroepen.............................................................................................................398
    [Show full text]
  • Annual Report 2012 CENTRE for LEGAL AID ASSISTANCE & SETTLEMENT (CLAAS)
    1 Annual Report CLAAS 2012 Edited & Complied by: Ms. Katherine Sapna (Deputy National Director/Program Officer) Ms. Rama Rasheed (Assistant Program Officer) Printed by: HOPE TIME PRINTERS 2 CENTRE FOR LEGAL AID ASSISTANCE & SETTLEMENT Annual Report 2012 CENTRE FOR LEGAL AID ASSISTANCE & SETTLEMENT (CLAAS) CLAAS-PAKISTAN 31-Katcha Ferozepur Road, Mozang Chungi Lahore, Pakistan Phone: 0092-42-37581720 Fax: 0092-42-37591571 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.claasfamily.com CLAAS-UK P.O Box 81, Southall Middlesex UB2 5 YQ United Kingdom Tel: 0044-0845 3670567 0044-0208 8611253 E-mail: [email protected] Web-Site: www.claas.org.uk 3 CENTRE FOR LEGAL AID ASSISTANCE & SETTLEMENT CLAAS BOARD in 2012 CLAAS has a Board consisting of 09 members from different walks of life but share similar concerns of the promotion of human rights. CLAAS Board Chairman National Director +Most Rev. Dr. Andrew M. A. Joseph Francis MBE Francis Bishop of Multan Vice Chairman Rt. Rev. Samuel Robert Azraiah Treasurer Younis Rahi Rev. Fr. Inayat Bernard Mr. Amjad Saleem Minhas Mrs. Resha Qadir Mrs. Lesley Azad Mrs. Javaid William Bakhsh Marshall 4 CENTRE FOR LEGAL AID ASSISTANCE & SETTLEMENT List of CLAAS Staff Members in the year 2012 1. Mr. M.A Joseph Francis MBE, National Director 2. Ms. Katherine Sapna, Deputy National Director/Program Officer 3. Mr. Sohail Habel, Finance Manager 4. Ms. Neelam Uzma, Assistant Finance Manager 5. Mr. Joel Samuel, Internal Auditor 6. Mr. Nadeem Anthony Advocate, Research officer (Left in December 2012) 7. Ms. Rama Rasheed, Assistant Program Officer 8. Ms. Huma Lucas, Office Assistant 9.
    [Show full text]
  • Compte Rendu Analytique Beknopt Verslag
    CRABV 53 PLEN 003 CRABV 53 PLEN 003 CHAMBRE DES REPRESENTANTS BELGISCHE KAMER VAN DE BELGIQUE VOLKSVERTEGENWOORDIGERS COMPTE RENDU ANALYTIQUE BEKNOPT VERSLAG SÉANCE PLÉNIÈRE PLENUMVERGADERING Mardi Dinsdag 12-10-2010 12-10-2010 Après-midi Namiddag CHAMBRE-2E SESSION DE LA 53E LEGISLATURE 2010 2011 KAMER-2E ZITTING VAN DE 53E ZITTINGSPERIODE CRABV 53 PLEN 003 12/10/2010 i SOMMAIRE INHOUD EXCUSÉS 1 BERICHTEN VAN VERHINDERING 1 Ouverture de la session ordinaire 2010-2011 1 Opening van de gewone zitting 2010-2011 1 Nomination du Bureau définitif 1 Benoeming van het Vast Bureau 1 Nomination du président 2 Benoeming van de voorzitter 2 Orateurs: Thierry Giet, président du groupe Sprekers: Thierry Giet, voorzitter van de PS- PS fractie Nomination des vice-présidents et des secrétaires 2 Benoeming van de ondervoorzitters en van de 2 secretarissen Orateurs: Thierry Giet, président du groupe Sprekers: Thierry Giet, voorzitter van de PS- PS fractie Allocution de M. le Président 2 Toespraak van de voorzitter 2 Éloge funèbre de M. Daniel Ducarme, ministre 4 Rouwhulde – de heer Daniel Ducarme, minister 4 d'État van staat Orateurs: Yves Leterme, premier ministre Sprekers: Yves Leterme, eerste minister Éloge funèbre de M. Albert Claes 7 Rouwhulde voor de heer Albert Claes 7 Orateurs: Yves Leterme, premier ministre Sprekers: Yves Leterme, eerste minister Éloge funèbre de M. André Lagasse 8 Rouwhulde – de heer André Lagasse 8 Orateurs: Yves Leterme, premier ministre Sprekers: Yves Leterme, eerste minister Application de l'article 147 du Règlement de la
    [Show full text]
  • Children's Rights Convention Alternative Report by The
    CHILDREN'S RIGHTS CONVENTION ALTERNATIVE REPORT BY THE BELGIAN NGOS September 2001 Kinderrechtencoalitie Vlaanderen vzw Coordination des ONG pour les droits de (Flemish Children’s Rights Coalition) l'enfant (CODE) Limburgstraat 62 (Coordinators of the NGOs for Children’s 9000 Gent Rights) Tel.: (00-32) 9/329.47.84 Rue Marché aux Poulets 30 E-mail : [email protected] 1000 Bruxelles Tel. : (00-32) 2/209.61.68 1 Fax. : (00-32) 2/209.61.60 E-mail : [email protected] 2 Presentation of the NGOs The “Coordination des ONG pour les droits de l’enfant” and the “Kinderrechtencoalitie Vlaanderen” have collaborated closely to produce this alternative to the official Belgian report. 1. La Coordination des ONG pour les droits de l’enfant The “Coordination des ONG pour les droits de l’enfant” (CODE) was founded in 1994 within the framework of the first official Belgian report was an initiative by the Belgian section of the Defence for International Children (DEI). Members today include: Amnesty International, ATD Quart Monde, the Belgian Committee for UNICEF, DEI International, Justice et Paix, la Ligue des droits de l’homme, la Ligue des familles and OMEP. These different associations have a common objective of developing specific actions to promote and defend children's rights in Belgium and in the world. Together, they have the following goals: · To monitor that the Convention concerning Children’s Rights is put in action by Belgium. · To develop a programme for informing, consciousness raising and educating about children’s rights. The “Coordination’s” programme aims to be vigilant and constructive.
    [Show full text]
  • Ihf Report 2006 Human Rights in the Osce Region 76 Belgium
    74 BELGIUM* IHF FOCUS: anti-terrorism measures; freedom of expression, free media and infor- mation; freedom of religion and religious tolerance; national minorities; racism, in- tolerance and xenophobia; migrants, asylum seekers and refugees. The main human rights concerns in New anti-terrorism legislation adopted Belgium in 2005 were racial discrimination during the year broadened the powers of and intolerance and violations of the rights police and public prosecutors to engage in of asylum seekers and immigrants. surveillance and control, which gave rise to In May, Belgium signed Protocol No. 7 concern about violations of privacy rights to the Council of Europe Convention for and freedom of expression. the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (ECHR), which ex- Anti-Terrorism Measures1 tends the list of protected rights to include On 28 October, the Council of Minis- the right of aliens to procedural guarantees ters submitted to the Chamber of Repre- in the event of expulsion from the territory sentatives a draft law that envisaged chan- of a state; the right of a person convicted ges to the criminal code and judicial code of a criminal offence to have the sentence concerning special forms of investigation reviewed by a higher tribunal; the right to in the fight against terrorism and organized compensation in the event of a miscar- crime.2 New legislation on this topic was riage of justice; the right not to be tried or necessary because the Court of Arbitration punished for an offence for which one has partially revoked existing legislation in a already been acquitted or convicted; as decision of 21 December 2004.
    [Show full text]
  • Counter-Terrorism and Human Rights in the Courts: Guidance for Judges, Prosecutors and | 3 Lawyers on of EU Directive 2017/541 on Combatting Terrorism
    Counter-Terrorism and Human Rights in the Courts Guidance for Judges, Prosecutors and Lawyers on of EU Directive 2017/541 on Combatting Terrorism Counter-Terrorism and Human Rights in the Courts: Guidance for Judges, Prosecutors and Lawyers on Application of EU Directive 2017/541 on Combatting Terrorism International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) Human Rights in Practice (HRiP) Nederlands Juristen Comité voor de Mensenrechten (NJCM) Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna di Pisa This Guidance was written by Helen Duffy (HRiP), Róisín Pillay and Karolína Babická (ICJ). November 2020 Counter-terrorism and human rights in the courts: guidance for judges, prosecutors and | 3 lawyers on of EU Directive 2017/541 on combatting terrorism Table of Contents I. Introduction ............................................................................................................. 5 II. Applicable international law standards in law and practice ..................................... 7 1. Respect and protection of the human rights of all affected by the criminal process .................................................................................................... 7 2. Investigating and appropriately charging serious violations and crimes under international law ................................................................................ 8 a) States must carry out prompt, thorough, independent investigations of serious acts of violence, by non-State and State actors, and hold to account those responsible ...........................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights at 10 the Impact of the Ungps on Courts and Judicial Mechanisms
    UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights at 10 The Impact of the UNGPs on Courts and Judicial Mechanisms Disclaimer This report has been prepared in conjunction with the ‘UNGPs 10+’ project organized by the United Nations Working Group on the Issue of Human Rights and Transnational Corporations and Other Business Enterprises to mark ten years since the adoption of the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) by the UN Human Rights Council in 2011. This report is designed to provide an overview of the application of the UNGPs by judicial and quasi- judicial mechanisms, and is prepared on the basis of material available generally up to January 2021. It is not intended nor is it to be used as a substitute for legal advice. The information provided to you in this report is not intended to create and does not create an attorney-client relationship with Debevoise or with any lawyer at Debevoise. You may inquire about legal representation by contacting the appropriate person at Debevoise. © Debevoise & Plimpton LLP All rights reserved. 2 Project Lead Authors David W. Rivkin Samantha J. Rowe Deborah Enix-Ross Partner, New York and London Partner, London and Paris Senior Advisor, New York [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Emily Austin Sophia Burton Aymeric Dumoulin Associate, Hong Kong Associate, London Associate, New York [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Nelson Goh Rhianna Hoover Jesse Hope Associate, London Associate, New York Trainee Associate, London [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Merryl Lawry-White Nadya Rouben Katherine Seifert Associate, London Associate, London Associate, Washington D.C.
    [Show full text]
  • Belgian National Report on Drugs 2004
    Scientific Institute of Public Health Unit of Epidemiology BELGIAN NATIONAL REPORT ON DRUGS 2004 Commissioned by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction Lisbon Edited by Sandrine SLEIMAN IPH/EPI REPORTS Nr.2004-022 IPH Belgian national report on drugs 2004 Epidemiology Unit, Scientific Institute of Public Health, October 2004; Brussels (Belgium) IPH/EPI REPORTS N° 2004 - 22 Deposit number: D/2004/2505/19 BELGIAN NATIONAL REPORT ON DRUGS 2004 Edited by Sandrine SLEIMAN Scientific Institute of Public Health Unit of Epidemiology/Drugs Programme rue J. Wytsmanstraat 14 B-1050 BRUSSELS Tel. +32 2 642 57 82 Fax +32 2 642 57 49 Email: [email protected] http://www.iph.fgov.be/epidemio/drugs This report was coordinated and written by: the staff of the Focal Point: De clercq T. Sleiman S. Jossels G. Van der Biest E. Plasschaert S. Walckiers D. Sartor F. and the staff of Sub-Focal Points: ASL: Köttgen S. Eurotox: Hariga F., Molnar M., Rwubusisi M. CTB/ODB: Vanderveken M. VAD: Geirnaert M., Schrooten J. Acknowledgements The report was made possible thanks to the contribution of many public and private professionals, health professionals and social workers who participated in the data collection. Their essential contribution is gratefully acknowledged. We would like to especially thank for their very active contributions: Andries C. (VUB) Bastin P. (Infor Drogues) Deblaere P. (Federal Police, Road traffic division) De Pauw W. (Federal Public Service Justice) Dessoy AC. (Federal Public Service Justice) De Smet P. (FARES/VRGT and ULB) Garlement P. (Federal Police, Drug programme) Gillard C. (Federal Public Service Justice) Lambrecht P.
    [Show full text]
  • They Entered Without Any Rumour. Human Rights in the Belgian Legal
    Goettingen Journal of International Law 4 (2012) 1, 291-311 They Entered without any Rumour. Human Rights in the Belgian Legal Periodicals Sebastiaan Vandenbogaerde Table of Contents A. Introduction ........................................................................................ 292 B. The Rechtskundig Weekblad ............................................................. 295 I. Belgian linguistic history ............................................................... 297 II. Quantitative analysis ...................................................................... 300 1. Autonomous doctrinal contributions .......................................... 300 2. Case law ..................................................................................... 301 C. External: Belgian cases procedural changes ...................................... 302 I. Linguistic issues create a greater attention for Strasbourg ............. 302 II. How a baby changed the focus in the legal periodicals ................. 306 III. The adoption of the 11th and 14th Protocol ............................... 308 IV. A Change of mentality in the Belgian legal world ..................... 310 D. Internal changes: the Editorial Board ................................................. 310 E. Conclusion ......................................................................................... 311 Sebastiaan Vandenbogaerde has a degree in history (2006) and law (2010). Since August 2010 he is researcher in the Department of Legal Theory and History at Ghent University.
    [Show full text]
  • Trafficking in Human Beings in Belgium 2007-2008
    Trafficking in Human Beings in Belgium 2007-2008 Human Rights Without Frontiers International 28 April 2009 Trafficking in Human Beings Index Trafficking in Human Beings .......................................................................................................................1 1.1. The Law of 10 August 2005................................................................................................................2 1.2. The law of 15 September 2006...........................................................................................................3 1.3. Criminal Legislation ..........................................................................................................................4 2. Trafficking in human beings: the implementation of the legal framework...............................................5 2.1. National Action Plan..........................................................................................................................5 2.2. Sectors................................................................................................................................................5 a. Prostitution....................................................................................................................................6 b. Textile ...........................................................................................................................................7 c. Construction..................................................................................................................................8
    [Show full text]
  • Ungp on Business and Human Rights in Belgium
    UNGP ON BUSINESS AND HUMAN RIGHTS IN BELGIUM. STATE-BASED JUDICIAL MECHANISMS AND STATE-BASED NON- JUDICIAL GRIEVANCE MECHANISMS, WITH SPECIAL EMPHASIS ON THE BARRIERS TO ACCESS TO REMEDY MEASURES. Fido Project MP-OO/FIDO/2016/5 Wouter Vandenhole (Project Director) Liliana Lizarazo Rodríguez (Author) 1 University of Antwerp Faculty of Law Law and Development Research Group 1 The author and the project director wish to thank the Working Group on CSR of the Interdepartmental Commission for Sustainable Development and the members of the Advisory Committee of this project (Koen De Feyter, Stephan Rutten and Luc Van Liedekerke) for all their valuable comments, and acknowledge also further inputs and written comments from Departement Werk en Sociale Economie and Departement Buitenlandse Zaken (Vlaanderen), FOD Werkgelegenheid, Arbeid en Sociaal Overleg/SPF Emploi, Travail et Concertation Sociale, and as well as from Stefanie De Somer (Universiteit Antwerpen). In addition, we thank Myria, the Center for Gender Table of Contents 1 INTRODUCTION: SETTING THE SCENE ........................................................................................ 4 1.1 THE RELEVANCE OF THE RESEARCH PROJECT ............................................................................................................................. 5 1.2 FRAMEWORK: GUIDELINES ON BUSINESS AND HUMAN RIGHTS ............................................................................................... 5 1.3 TRANSNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS LITIGATION ON BUSINESS AND HUMAN RIGHTS................................................................
    [Show full text]