Government urged to address rights breaches, rather than amend the law
The prime minister has said the human rights convention need to be amended where it involves migration
The University of Malta's Platform for Migration has accused the prime minister of 'apparent disregard' for fundamental human rights law after suggesting a reform of the human rights convention where it involves migration.
"The very suggestion that human rights should be 'merited' rather than universally upheld shows a profound misunderstanding of the very concept. It is an appalling statement that deserves to be outrightly and fully condemned. Human rights are not privileges to be earned; they are inherent and inalienable. Yet, the government’s rhetoric and actions continue to erode these protections, undermining the legal and moral obligations it is bound to uphold," the platform said in a statement on Wednesday.
The Government of Malta, it added, already has a disconcerting record of very half-hearted compliance and in some cases (especially as regards rescue at sea) of outright non-compliance with its international legal and human rights obligations. Time and time again it had been condemned by the European Court of Human Rights for operating a system which slammed the door in the face of asylum seekers.
"These failures are not isolated incidents but part of a broader pattern that threatens the integrity of the rule of law. We call on the government to reaffirm its commitment to human rights law and immediately address the systemic violations taking place rather than do its best to dismantle the basic principles of dignity, fairness, and justice for all human beings.," the platform said.
Earlier this week Abela insisted that past conventions did not reflect modern challenges: among others, the intensification of irregular migration in Europe in recent decades could not have been envisaged by those who drew up a convention in 1947.