On 24 March 2022, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatović, published her conclusions following a series of monitoring missions carried out to Poland, the Slovak Republic, Hungary and Romania. “All member states should strengthen their efforts to coordinate – both at domestic and European levels – and scale up support for the response to the humanitarian and human rights needs of people fleeing the war in Ukraine. Medium and long-term planning is urgently needed to ensure sustainability of humanitarian assistance, effective integration, and the protection of safety and dignity of people fleeing,” she said.
The Commissioner stressed that member states not sharing a border with Ukraine must also step up their role to coordinate and support the enormous efforts provided in the countries she and her teams visited. “This should include the facilitation of movement to other countries”, she said.
The Commissioner also underscored the need for medium and long-term measures in countries neighbouring or close to Ukraine.
“I am impressed by the enormous efforts that my teams and I saw in all countries we visited. Volunteers, NGOs, religious organisations and charities, local and regional authorities, national human rights structures, border guards, fire and rescue and law enforcement services, were the first to welcome people fleeing Ukraine with open arms. They continue to assist people with a selfless show of humanity and solidarity”, said the Commissioner. “This extraordinary mobilisation has made it possible to provide the necessary emergency aid, including food and drink, medical care, psychological support, temporary accommodation, interpretation, and pro bono legal services”. However, relying mainly on such civil society and local efforts is not sustainable and it is important that state authorities assume more responsibility, as they are now doing in some of the member states. Member States should publicly acknowledge and value the crucial role played by civil society and continue to work closely together with them in the next steps of the humanitarian response, including by providing them with any necessary support. In many cases, member states will continue to rely on the thousands of volunteers and others to overcome the many challenges that still lie ahead”, she said.
Special attention should be paid to the protection of specific groups of people.
The risk of trafficking in human beings of women and children was underscored in all countries visited, and the Commissioner welcomes the heightened awareness of this issue. Efforts such as registering persons offering transport and accommodation or covert police operations in the arrival points are commendable ways to cope with this problem. Nevertheless, it is necessary to strengthen these efforts to prevent and combat trafficking in human beings. The recommendations by the Council of Europe’s Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA) and the Lanzarote Committee should inform further action. Additionally, in relation to the many women and girls fleeing Ukraine, access to sexual and reproductive health services in member states visited may be problematic and this should be a particular point of attention, especially as regards those fleeing Ukraine who may need specific assistance, including access to safe and legal abortion services.
Border control, law enforcement and child protection authorities should also strengthen the identification and registration of unaccompanied and separated children and implement family tracing and reunification procedures for those children. This should include enhancing the capacities of safe places for children, in particular family-based solutions, and strengthening referral and guardianship procedures.