UN plans to send teams to Italy, Austria to examine treatment of migrants

The new UN human rights chief on Monday announced plans to send teams to Italy and Austria to examine the treatment of migrants. Both countries’ governments take a hard line on migration, and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said that “prioritizing the return of migrants from Europe, without ensuring that key international human rights obligations are upheld, cannot be considered a protection response,” AP reports. Bachelet said her office expects to dispatch a team to Austria to “assess recent developments in this area.” She added that “we also intend to send staff to Italy, to assess the reported sharp increase in acts of violence and racism against migrants, persons of African descent and Roma.” Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said that he welcomed Bachelet’s announcement as offering an “opportunity to rectify prejudices and deliberate false information about Austria.”