EUROPEAN Council Commissioner for Human Rights Nils Muižnieks expressed his concern on Monday over reports that Cyprus continues the practice of detaining and separating migrant women from their children.
In a letter to the head of communication unit, at the office of the Commissioner for Human Rights Council of Europe Stefano Montanari, Muižnieks said this practice is irreconcilable with Cyprus` legal obligation to ensure the best interests of the child and must be ended.
“Depriving migrants, especially women accompanied by dependent children, of their liberty without examining alternatives to detention is not in line with international human rights standards,” he said.
“I urge the government of Cyprus to put an end to these practices and to fully align law and practice with international standards. This effort would highly benefit from taking duly into account the views of the ombudsman, the child commissioner and the civil society with expertise in this area,” he concluded.
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