Human Rights Watch finds 'troubling gap' between EU’s commitments, practices on human rights

By Aysu Bicer

LONDON (AA) – The European Union and its member states have come under heavy criticism from Human Rights Watch (HRW) for their persistent failure to translate renewed commitments into practical actions to uphold and protect the rights of those in most need.

In the World Report 2024 released on Thursday, the HRW highlighted a concerning trend of increased Islamophobia and antisemitism in Europe following the Oct. 7 war on Gaza.

Despite these rising tensions, the HRW points out that the "EU member states’ reactions were inadequate, with some imposing further discriminatory and abusive measures towards people identifying or perceived as Arab, Palestinian, and Muslim, including pushes for stricter immigration policies."

"There is a troubling gap between the EU’s commitments and its practices on human rights, and people are paying the price," said Benjamin Ward, deputy Europe and Central Asia director at Human Rights Watch.

"If the EU aspires to be a beacon of human rights in a troubled world, it needs to prioritize rights in practice, not just on paper," he added.

The HRW also said the human rights agencies of the EU have observed an uptick in discrimination against marginalized communities, however, member states within the EU have not taken decisive actions.

- EU members engage in unlawful pushbacks at external borders

In a scathing critique presented in the 740-page World Report 2024, Executive Director Tirana Hassan shed light on the troubling state of human rights practices, particularly within the European Union.

Hassan asserted that 2023 marked a pivotal year marred not only by human rights suppression and wartime atrocities but also by a disturbing trend of selective "government outrage and transactional diplomacy."

One of the central themes highlighted in the report revolves around the EU's response to an increase in people arriving at its borders.

"Amid an increase in people arriving at its borders, the EU and its member states doubled down on repressive deterrence measures and alliances with abusive countries. More than 2,500 people died at sea while trying to reach the EU, highlighting the deadly consequences of the EU’s approach to boat migration," it said.

Several EU member states, including Bulgaria, Croatia, Poland, Greece, Hungary, Lithuania, and Latvia, are accused of engaging in unlawful pushbacks at their external borders.