In latest RevDem Rule of Law podcast Oliver Garner discusses securitization’ of EU refugee law with Aleksandra Ancite-Jepifánova. She is a Research Affiliate with the Refugee Law Initiative at the University of London, Visiting Fellow at the Centre of Law and Society at Cardiff University and Research Affiliate at CEU Rule of Law Clinic.
You are collaborating at the moment with the recently established CEU Democracy Institute Rule of Law Clinic in producing amicus curiae briefs for the European Court of Human Rights. Could you explain the action, and yours and the Clinic’s contribution?
We have submitted third party interventions in two cases concerning the situation at the EU’s border with Belarus. In total, there are currently about 30 cases pending before the European Court of Human Rights against Lithuania, Latvia, and Poland involving asylum seekers who have attempted to enter these countries from Belarus. The two cases in which we intervened are brought against Latvia and are both very similar. The first case concerns a national of Guinea, and the second case concerns a small group of five Syrian nationals. In both cases, the applicants attempted to enter Latvia from Belarus irregularly aiming to subsequently claim asylum in the EU’s territory. However, in both cases, they ended up being subjected to constant pushbacks exercised by both Latvian and Belarusian authorities, and were effectively forced to remain in the forest for prolonged periods of time in inhuman and life threatening conditions.
Full interview is available at: https://revdem.ceu.edu/2024/05/28/securitization-of-eu-refugee-law/
