Call for proposals: Micro or “rapid response” projects
Project duration: 25 Sept 2020–24 Jan 2021
Project budget: 4,883.38 EUR
From the summer of 2018 onwards there have been numerous reports of illegal conduct by the Slovenian police returning asylum seekers to Croatia. By doing this the Slovenian police are helping to establish a system of chain returns of asylum seekers to camps in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Most of those returned to Croatia are subjected to violence and torture by Croatian police, and are being held in inhumane refugee camps in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
In spite of all the reports, court decisions and publicly available information, the Slovenian Ministry of the Interior denies such practices. This is why an independent, international investigation is necessary. Slovenian institutions are committing the most serious violations of international and domestic law, resulting in devastating humanitarian consequences.
The project aims to initiate an inquiry by the UN Committee Against Torture (CAT) and thus exert international pressure to stop controversial practices and policies. A comprehensive expert report is required to initiate the procedure. The CAT monitors implementation of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment by its State parties.
This way we will investigate the conduct of authorities in the procedures of returning asylum seekers to Croatia. According to many international organizations this is a systemic practice where basic safeguards against inhumane treatment of aliens are not provided.
