"As a human rights defender for 20 years, I would have never imagined myself working on war crimes in my country. No one chooses where he or she was born but we all have a choice whether we want to be active against human rights violations or remain indifferent to it. I chose not to be indifferent. " Oleksandra Matviichuk, 2022 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and human rights lawyer, told the Committee on Migration, Refugees and Displaced Persons in an exchange of views held on 26 January 2023.
This moving and precise testimony took place in the context of the preparation of a report on “The situation of Ukrainian persons forcefully displaced or transferred to the Russian Federation or Ukrainian territories under the de facto control of the Russian Federation” for which Paolo Pisco (Portugal, SOC) is the rapporteur.
Ms Matviichuk underlined how difficult it is to get specific figures and receive information once persons have crossed the border. While the Ukrainian civil society works closely with Russian volunteers, human rights defenders, and independent journalists to address cases, solid and analytical data is missing.
She highlighted the specific situation of forcibly displaced children, particularly poorly investigated and documented, and provided concrete cases where children are being used as a propaganda tool to erase Ukrainian identity. The fact that children are being forcibly adopted in Russia is also a cause for deep concern. The Nobel Peace Prize Laureate urged PACE to request UN agencies and ICRC to engage further in evacuating safely these children from the Russian Federation.
The Migration Committee also expressed concern at the Russian Federation's military attack against Ukraine, leading to the highest numbers of refugees and displaced persons since World War II. In this context, the Committee urged member States to show European solidarity, particularly with Ukrainians fleeing war, conflict, persecution and human rights violations.
PACE’s Migration Committee has set out sixteen approaches that Council of Europe member states can take to integrate migrants and refugees in a way which encourages “a sense of togetherness” and minimises fear and resentment towards people arriving from other countries. In a draft resolution based on a report by Domagoj Hajduković (Croatia, SOC), adopted by a large majority, the parliamentarians said integration was a “dynamic process of mutual adaptation where both migrants and host societies bear some responsibility” for success. The report is due to be debated by the full Assembly during its spring plenary session in June.
Sixteen ways to integrate migrants and refugees to the benefit of all (coe.int)
Ahead of the European Council (23-24 March), the Committee on Migration, Refugees and Displaced Persons recalled the importance of European solidarity to facilitate the reception of migrants and refugees. In a declaration adopted today, it urged European Union institutions to allocate means for reception policies and for the individualised examination of cases, standing out as blind spots in the Migration and Asylum Pact.
The EU Migration and Asylum Pact must make European solidarity a priority (coe.int)
The challenges faced by Belarusians in exile was the focus of a fact-finding visit to Warsaw and Vilnius by Paul Galles (Luxembourg, EPP/CD), who is preparing a report on this topic for the Assembly.
In late March, he made the first ever visit by a Council of Europe representative to Belarus democratic opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who underlined how important it was that an institution such as PACE was tackling the “essential yet overlooked” issue of the situation of Belarusians in exile.
The report by Mr Galles is foreseen for discussion by the Assembly in June.