VOA标准英语2012--European Rights Court Rules in Favor of African Migrants

European Rights Court Rules in Favor of African Migrants

The European Court of Human Rights has ruled in favor of Sub-Saharan African migrants who had sought asylum¹ in Italy in 2009. Italy had intercepted² the migrants’ boats at sea and returned them to Libya. The decision could have broad implications for European immigration policies.
The case was brought by 11 Somali and 13 Eritrean nationals. They were among about 200 people who left Libya on three boats bound for Italy. However, about 56 kilometers south of Lampedusa, the boats were intercepted by Italian Customs and Coast Guard vessels³. All the passengers were then placed aboard Italian naval⁴ vessels and taken to Tripoli.
At the time, Italy’s interior minister said the action was part of a bilateral⁵ agreement his country had with Libya. That agreement was suspended early last year during the uprising against then Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi.
Advocating for migrants
Human Rights Watch (HRW) had intervened in the case in 2010.
“The Grand Chamber⁶, which is the highest jurisdiction⁷ at the European Court of Human Rights, found that Italy had violated its obligations under international law when it summarily returned to Libya a group of sub-Saharan Africans in 2009,” said Judith Sunderland, HRW senior researcher on Western Europe, praised the court’s decision.
Sunderland said Italy’s responsibility in the case went beyond its shores.
“What the court said was that Italy’s obligations extended to the sea and that it had placed those individuals at risk of inhuman⁸ and degrading treatment, even torture, in Libya,” she said.
Far reaching
She added the court’s judgment⁹ has implications for all of Europe.
“Italy and all other states that are parties to the European Convention on Human rights have to ensure that they never summarily return boats of migrants and asylum seekers back to the countries where they originated - that the countries have to take full responsibility for allowing people to apply for asylum even if they have not landed on European soil,” said Sunderland.
It’s unclear what happened to all of the 24 sub-Saharans who brought the case. Sunderland says the whereabouts of some are unknown, some are applying for asylum in other countries and at least two have since died.
Nevertheless, Sunderland described it as an important victory for those involved in the case and for future asylum seekers.
The European Court of Human Rights is based in Strasbourg, France. Its jurisdiction covers 47 member states of the Council of Europe.

1 asylum   

n.避难所，庇护所，避难

参考例句：

• The people ask for political asylum.人们请求政治避难。
• Having sought asylum in the West for many years,they were eventually granted it.他们最终获得了在西方寻求多年的避难权。

2 intercepted   

拦截( intercept的过去式和过去分词 )； 截住； 截击； 拦阻

参考例句：

• Reporters intercepted him as he tried to leave the hotel. 他正要离开旅馆，记者们把他拦截住了。
• Reporters intercepted him as he tried to leave by the rear entrance. 他想从后门溜走，记者把他截住了。

3 vessels   

n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人

参考例句：

• The river is navigable by vessels of up to 90 tons. 90 吨以下的船只可以从这条河通过。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• All modern vessels of any size are fitted with radar installations. 所有现代化船只都有雷达装置。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

4 naval   

adj.海军的，军舰的，船的

参考例句：

• He took part in a great naval battle.他参加了一次大海战。
• The harbour is an important naval base.该港是一个重要的海军基地。

5 bilateral   

adj.双方的，两边的，两侧的

参考例句：

• They have been negotiating a bilateral trade deal.他们一直在商谈一项双边贸易协定。
• There was a wide gap between the views of the two statesmen on the bilateral cooperation.对双方合作的问题，两位政治家各自所持的看法差距甚大。

6 chamber   

n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所

参考例句：

• For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
• The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。

7 jurisdiction   

n.司法权，审判权，管辖权，控制权

参考例句：

• It doesn't lie within my jurisdiction to set you free.我无权将你释放。
• Changzhou is under the jurisdiction of Jiangsu Province.常州隶属江苏省。

8 inhuman   

adj.残忍的，不人道的，无人性的

参考例句：

• We must unite the workers in fighting against inhuman conditions.我们必须使工人们团结起来反对那些难以忍受的工作条件。
• It was inhuman to refuse him permission to see his wife.不容许他去看自己的妻子是太不近人情了。

9 judgment   

n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见

参考例句：

• The chairman flatters himself on his judgment of people.主席自认为他审视人比别人高明。
• He's a man of excellent judgment.他眼力过人。