Charity voices concern over new commission post

A major charity says that splitting the posts of justice, fundamental rights and civil liberties and that of internal affairs and migration in the new commission is cause for "concern."

The two posts are expected to be created when the new commission takes office, which is expected in January 2010.

Amnesty International says it welcomes the initiative as a potential way to "propel" justice and human rights issues to the "forefront of the political agenda."

But Natalie Alonso, acting director of its EU office, adds, "The split between the two posts raises concern."

She outlines their concerns in a letter to commission president José Manuel Barroso.

It says, "Amnesty International has consistently criticised both the marginalisation of human rights throughout the EU activities and the EU's reluctance to shape an overall human rights policy.

"Such a split between justice and security (including migration) could indeed serve to reinforce the misconceived dichotomy between the need to protect the human rights of all people and the need to guarantee their security.

"Amnesty International is particularly concerned that with regard to migration policy, the key task of the commissioner is defined as 'to develop a truly common approach to migration in line with the political guidelines - promoting the integration of legal migrants, fighting illegal migration and related criminal activities, and ensuring solidarity between member states'”.

She adds, "We believe that such an approach is inadequate to respond to the urgent need to develop a rights-based approach to migration that explicitly addresses and effectively protects the human rights of all migrants, whatever their legal status."

She says that "ensuring EU accountability for human rights protection lies at the heart of the new commissioner's role."

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