Wednesday, 23. May 2012
:: Home > General News > Fekters draft law may breach human rights, claim critics
| M | T | W | T | F | S | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 |
| 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 |
| 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 |
| 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
Today
Polls
RSS Feed General News23. 07. 09. - 16:00
Fekter’s draft law may breach human rights, claim critics
By David Rogers
People’s Party (ÖVP) Interior Minister Maria Fekter’s draft law on foreigners may violate human rights legislation, critics have claimed.
Under the draft law x-rays can be used to determine the age of asylum applicants who claim to be minors and therefore exempt from deportation.
The Association of Austrian Cities and Towns (Städtebund), the Physicians Chamber (ÖAK) and attorneys representing children have criticised the x-ray clause.
And the Association of Austrian Cities and Towns said not only was the reliability of age determination by x-rays questionable but that it could constitute a violation of asylum applicants’ human rights.
ÖAK said the provision would violate legislation in protecting people from harmful rays and requiring that "ionizing radiation" be used exclusively for medical purposes.
But a spokesman for Fekter’s office said there had been no objections to the use of x-ray examinations of applicants already carried out for tuberculosis and the fact that age-determination by x-ray might not provide precise results was no problem as the examinations were not trying to differentiate between an 18-year-old and a 19-year-old but to catch someone 35 who was pretending to be a teenager. An error of a year or two would be "irrelevant," he said.
Meanwhile the Austrian Judges Association and the justice ministry workers’ union have also attacked the legislation. They said it would increase their workload at a time when they were already short of staff.
And the science ministry said the draft law would only make foreign students and researchers’ problems in Austria worse.
The Polytechnic Conference also warned the draft law would make cooperation with foreign schools more difficult since it would make it harder for foreigners who needed visas to get them and increase the length of their residence once they were in Austria.
Fekter announced a crack down on criminal asylum applicants last month. The minister said the new measures would help make Austria "one of the safest countries in the world."
Under the proposed measures, there would be faster expulsion proceedings against applicants who have been charged with crimes by the public prosecutor and broader use of preventive detention for applicants facing expulsion from Austria.
Fekter, who said the number of applicants in preventive detention had risen from 5,400 last year to 8,700, said a new detention centre, probably to be located in Leoben, Styria, would be used for the accommodation of more applicants in preventive detention.
The minister added applicants in fake marriages with Austrians would also face expulsion. In the past, only Austrians involved in such marriages have been liable to punishment.
Fekter said she wanted the measures to become law by 1 January 2010.
Austrian Times
Related articles: right-wing Austria
-
Pröll outpaces friends and foes in capability check
» General News 2012-05-23
Austria’s longest-serving governor has been identified as the most capable one in the opinion of citizens.
-
BZÖ ends Stronach speculations
» General News 2012-05-18
The Alliance for the Future of Austria (BZÖ) has finally dismissed the circulating rumours about teaming up with a billionaire businessman.
-
BZÖ farewell possible, poll shows
» General News 2012-05-17
The chances of the Alliance for the Future of Austria (BZÖ) to avoid dropping out of parliament are waning, according to a new poll.
Tag cloud:
schools Austrian Conference legislation ministry Polytechnic violate expulsion workers examinations marriages preventive asylum problem human researchers Minister Fekter critics foreigners
AUA rules out Whitsun travel chaos
The current conflict with the works committee does not negatively affect Austrian Airlines’ (AUA) booking figures, according to a spokesman.
Weak start for RWR Card
People’s Party (ÖVP) Economy Minister Reinhold Mitterlehner has admitted difficulties in introducing the Red White Red Card (RWR Card, Rot-Weiß-Rot Card).
Pröll outpaces friends and foes in capability check
Austria’s longest-serving governor has been identified as the most capable one in the opinion of citizens.
Foul-mouthed MPs might face fines
Fritz Neugebauer has started another attempt to introduce a system of fees for abusive parliament delegates (MPs).
Car sharers should get cheap U-Bahn tickets say greens
People who support the environment by signing up for car sharing initiatives to cut down inner city congestion should get subsidised public transport.
Film festivals in Vienna
There are two film festivals back to back in Vienna this May and June. The "Let's CEE Film Festival" shows films from Central and Eastern Europe, while the "Vienna Independent Shorts" focuses on short films.
Salzburg builds new prison
Salzburg is to get a new prison.
Postwoman killed by express train
An 32-year-old postwoman was killed instantly when she apparently failed to see a stop sign on a train track - and was hit by a 120 kph express train at the Grimmenstein sortage depot in the Lower Austrian region of Neunkirchen.
Dirty water caused by excrement
Health experts are struggling to find the source of excrement that has contaminated water supplies at the town of Köstendorf in Salzburg province.
Man Utd chase Austrian ace
Manchester United have signalised interest in David Alaba.
The most popular stories –
last 7 days
|
Giant penis is blown up |
|
Swastika Shaped Austrian School Rebuilt |
|
Nazi still honoured in Austria |
|
Thieves caught trying to nick F**king Sign |
|
20th Vienna Life Ball a fiery success! |
