WARSAW, 20 June 2017 – Michael Georg Link, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), today on World Refugee Day reminded OSCE participating States of their commitment to ensuring the dignified treatment and human rights of all men, women, and children wanting to cross borders.
“Today on World Refugee Day, we should remain cognizant of our responsibility to afford refugees the protection they need and to treat them humanely,” Director Link said. “Countries should continue to work to ensure that the human rights of all individuals – including refugees – are respected within their countries and find ways to prevent discrimination against these vulnerable groups.”
The 57 OSCE participating States have committed themselves to combating discrimination against asylum seekers and refugees wherever it exists, as well to supporting efforts to ensure their protection and providing them with assistance, with the aim of finding durable solutions. The most recent count from 2016 found 5.2 million refugees and 1.7 million asylum seekers hosted in OSCE participating States. ODIHR’s annual reporting on hate crime indicates that asylum seekers and refugees, as well as those who assist them, are often targets of bias-motivated crime.
“As the plight of refugees coming into our region continues to make headlines, their treatment and rights must remain high on policy agendas. The authorities in participating States must ensure that the solutions they adopt comply fully with their OSCE commitments and other international human rights standards and obligations,” said Link.
In 2017, ODIHR’s hate crime reporting will, for the first time, provide detailed and disaggregated information on hate crimes targeting refugees, their places of residence or services, or the activists who assist them.