In a letter to the President of the National Assembly of Slovenia, Commissioner Muižnieks  expressed his concerns  about the non-compliance with international human rights and refugee protection standards of amendments to the Aliens Act that would be activated when the migration situation ‘threatens public order and national security’.  He invited the authorities to reconsider these exceptional measures that do not provide appropriate guarantees against refoulement and ‘chain refoulement’.” The adoption of this legislation is a negative step that could trigger a race to the bottom and may have repercussions on the human rights of migrants and asylum seekers in the whole region”, he wrote.

In addition, Commissioner Muižnieks urged member States to work towards the abolition of migrant detention and to present roadmaps, including a firm deadline, for the abolition of child detention. In his Human Rights Comment on this issue, he offers a 5-step plan for European states to step up their work on reducing migrant detention and developing effective alternatives.