Amnesty International on the return of Syrian refugees: All those who fled are treated as “traitors,” and security has no bearing on the areas.
According to local media, Amnesty International's annual human rights report was released, praising the West for its response to the Russian war, while at the same time Amnesty International accuses the West of applying double standards.
Specifically, Western countries demonstrated double standards last year in their response to human rights abuses around the world, as countries that commit human rights violations are easily allowed to go unpunished.
Phoebe Klarup, Secretary General of Amnesty Denmark, commented: “It’s a kind of double standard. At the same time, EU countries are criticized for not being willing to accept refugees from countries like Syria, Afghanistan, and Iran compared to refugees from Ukraine. We saw how the Russian invasion of Ukraine united the West. On the other hand, we also saw how a number of other countries have not faced the same massive criticism for the violations they represent. These are countries like Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Israel, and China. Nor has action been taken against human rights violations in Myanmar and Ethiopia. It’s a rather double standard approach to protecting human rights and fighting for an international legal order.”.
The report assesses the human rights situation in Denmark and criticizes the withdrawal of Syrian residency permits.
The report included a close look at Denmark in Amnesty International's annual report, criticizing the return of Syrians and pointing the finger at Denmark, while the organization praised Denmark for helping Ukrainian war refugees reach safety: “We are particularly critical of the practice of withdrawing residence permits, for example, from Syrians and Afghans. The areas in Syria that the Refugee Council deems safe for return continue to expand, despite Amnesty's repeated documentation that it is not about where you come from, but whether you fled. This determines whether you will be added to the list of traitors,” says Phebe Klarup.
When it comes to Afghan refugees, Amnesty International criticizes Denmark for removing the basis of residency for Afghan women, even though in their homeland they would be subjected to what Phoebe Clarup calls serious abuses, but in 2023 this practice was changed.
