Venizelos criticizes Greek Government over migration bill’s reference to Human Rights derogation clause

Former PASOK leader Evangelos Venizelos has sharply criticized the Mitsotakis government over a recent amendment concerning the treatment of migrants entering Greece from North Africa, citing serious concerns about constitutional and international legal order.

In a Facebook post, Venizelos condemned the government’s reference to Article 15 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) in the amendment's explanatory report. Article 15 allows for the suspension of certain human rights obligations only in cases of war or national emergency threatening the life of the nation.

Venizelos argued that invoking Article 15 implies an extraordinary situation akin to a state of siege, which under the Greek Constitution would require activation of Article 48, a measure he believes is not justified under current circumstances. He emphasized that previous surges in migration were handled without resorting to such extreme legal justifications.

The former minister warned that this legal framing could undermine the rule of law and raise doubts about Greece's international obligations, especially with ongoing cases before the European Court of Human Rights related to the country’s migration policies.

He further highlighted that invoking Article 15 would necessitate formal notification to the Secretary General of the Council of Europe and strict compliance with procedural safeguards, none of which, he suggests, have been properly considered.

Venizelos concluded by calling for the immediate withdrawal of the Article 15 reference from the bill’s explanatory note, urging the government to reconsider the legal basis of its migration strategy to align with both constitutional principles and international law.

Source: Empros News