Under international human rights law, the principle of non-refoulement guarantees that no one should be returned to a country where they would face torture, cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment and other irreparable harm. This principle applies to all migrants at all times, irrespective of migration status.
Amnesty International is deeply concerned about the prospect of the Danish government violating international law by stripping refugees of their residency and returning them to Syria. Anyone returned to Syria are at significant risk of facing torture, enforced disappearance and arbitrary detention.
Amnesty International Australia has written to the Australian government, asking Foreign Minister Marise Payne to urge the Danish Minister of Immigration and Integration, Mr Mattias Tesfaye, to:
- Revise the assessment that parts of Syria are safe for return
- Revert the policy of revoking protection for Syrian refugees
- Stop the transfer of Syrian refugees to return centres.
- Renew the residency of Syrian refugees who sought refuge in Denmark after fleeing the armed conflict.
