"Refugees are forced to choose more difficult and expensive paths"

European Union leaders have agreed on major changes to the bloc's asylum rules. Human rights activists say the legislation violates refugee and human rights. Interview with Hamid Nozari, head of the Iranian Political Refugee Center in Berlin.

European Union leaders agreed on Friday (June 29) to make significant changes to the bloc's asylum rules.
For example, asylum seekers whose details are registered in one country and then enter another country and apply for asylum are to be sent back to the same country where they were registered.

The European Union is also seeking to establish refugee camps inside and outside Europe's borders.

Human rights activists are strongly criticizing the new asylum laws.

Hamid Nozari, head of the Iranian Political Refugee Center in Berlin, explained the view of human rights activists in an interview with Deutsche Welle.

He said that the European Union has made asylum conditions in Europe more difficult with new laws, and these stricter measures can be addressed in several ways:

First, Europe's external borders are becoming increasingly militarized with new laws called "Strengthening European Protection Forces in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea."

According to Nozari, this leaves those who flee their country for political and social reasons with no choice but to choose very dangerous and expensive routes.

Second, when asylum seekers arrive somewhere, officials want to know where they came from rather than looking at their reasons for seeking asylum.

According to Hamid Nozari, not paying attention to the reasons for seeking asylum when accepting an asylum application is a violation of asylum laws.

Third, camps are to be established inside and outside the European Union for new refugees.

According to the head of the Iranian Political Refugee Center in Berlin, however, based on past experience, these countries, for example, Greece in Europe and Libya in Africa, have had inhumane treatment of refugees.

According to Hamid Nozari, by approving new asylum laws, Europe is emptying the concept of asylum of its humanitarian and human rights content.

Although the German media has considered the agreement on new asylum rules a victory for the German Chancellor, the human rights activist believes that Angela Merkel has complied with the demands of her sister party, the Christian Social Party of Germany, which is considered a right-wing party, because she has decided to stay in power and prevent the collapse of her government.

Hamid Nozari says that it is possible to hope that in the future, with the protests of human rights defenders, as well as the change of governments in various European Union countries and the coming to power of parties that care more about human rights, the EU's asylum laws will change again.

Source: DW