Latest news with #EveGeddie
Arab News
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
EU review of Israel ties ‘devastatingly late': Amnesty
LONDON: The EU's decision to review trade and cooperation with Israel in light of concerns over the Gaza war is 'devastatingly late,' Amnesty International has said. On Tuesday, the European Commission agreed to conduct a review into Israel's potential violation of Article 2 of the EU-Israel Association Agreement. The article mandates respect for human rights and democratic principles from both parties. Seventeen EU member states raised objections to Israel's conduct in Gaza and demanded the review. Eve Geddie, director of Amnesty's European Institutions Office, said: 'While this is a welcome first step, it also comes devastatingly late. The extent of human suffering in Gaza for the past 19 months has been unimaginable. Israel is committing genocide in Gaza with chilling impunity.' The NGO has long called for a review of the EU's association agreement with Israel. It has cited Israel's illegal occupation of Palestinian territory as a key violation of the agreement. Israel's conduct in Gaza has only strengthened calls for a review into European trade with the country. 'Emboldened by EU inaction — and even backed by some EU states — Israeli leaders have flaunted their genocidal aims,' Geddie said. 'The EU's unofficial policy of appeasement towards Israel is contrary to its member states' obligations and will forever be judged in the annals of history.' Geddie warned that any delay in European action would 'cost human lives in Gaza.' She called for the EU to immediately suspend all trade linked to Israel's settlement industry, which has expanded significantly amid the war in Gaza. 'The stakes are too high. If the EU fails to live up to these obligations as a bloc, and seeks to shield itself from its clear legal obligations, its member states must unilaterally suspend all forms of cooperation that may contribute to violations of international law,' Geddie said. After the EU agreed to probe ties with Israel, Amnesty said it would now focus on pushing for a 'meaningful review which takes evidence and international standards into account.'
Reuters
11-03-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
EU proposal would send rejected migrants to centres outside the bloc for deportation
BRUSSELS, March 11 (Reuters) - The European Commission on Tuesday proposed that member countries be allowed to set up centres in non-EU countries where migrants whose asylum claims were rejected would await deportation. EU member countries struggle to ensure that asylum seekers whose claims are rejected leave their territories. The proposal aims to address the problem by sending the migrants to centres called "return hubs" in countries outside the EU while they await deportation proceedings. 'The EU has some of the highest asylum standards in the this is not sustainable if people who don't have the right, abuse the system," EU Commissioner for Migration Magnus Brunner told a press conference on Tuesday. "One out of five people who are told to leave the EU, actually leave the EU and that is not acceptable.' The new plan aims to create common regulations across the EU, so that an order to a migrant to leave one member state will be considered an order to leave the entire EU. The proposal, which still requires approval from the European Parliament and EU member states, is part of the migration and asylum pact agreed upon in late 2023. Immigration remains a highly sensitive topic in most of the bloc's 27 member states, even though migrants entering the EU illegally dropped by 38% last year, the lowest level since 2021. The proposal has faced heavy criticism from rights groups, who argue that it could lead to human rights violations and the extended detention of migrants on vague and punitive grounds. 'The European Commission has capitulated to the unworkable, expensive, and inhumane demands of a few vocal anti-human rights and anti-migration governments,' said Eve Geddie of Amnesty International in a statement on Tuesday. The proposal would also allow member states to detain individuals for up to two years if they pose a security risk.
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
EU proposal would send rejected migrants to centres outside the bloc for deportation
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Commission on Tuesday proposed that member countries be allowed to set up centres in non-EU countries where migrants whose asylum claims were rejected would await deportation. EU member countries struggle to ensure that asylum seekers whose claims are rejected leave their territories. The proposal aims to address the problem by sending the migrants to centres called "return hubs" in countries outside the EU while they await deportation proceedings. 'The EU has some of the highest asylum standards in the this is not sustainable if people who don't have the right, abuse the system," EU Commissioner for Migration Magnus Brunner told a press conference on Tuesday. See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. "One out of five people who are told to leave the EU, actually leave the EU and that is not acceptable.' The new plan aims to create common regulations across the EU, so that an order to a migrant to leave one member state will be considered an order to leave the entire EU. The proposal, which still requires approval from the European Parliament and EU member states, is part of the migration and asylum pact agreed upon in late 2023. Immigration remains a highly sensitive topic in most of the bloc's 27 member states, even though migrants entering the EU illegally dropped by 38% last year, the lowest level since 2021. The proposal has faced heavy criticism from rights groups, who argue that it could lead to human rights violations and the extended detention of migrants on vague and punitive grounds. 'The European Commission has capitulated to the unworkable, expensive, and inhumane demands of a few vocal anti-human rights and anti-migration governments,' said Eve Geddie of Amnesty International in a statement on Tuesday. The proposal would also allow member states to detain individuals for up to two years if they pose a security risk.
