People help to secure custody: A disproportionate intrusion into personal freedom

Fenninger: „This policy is made on the back of the already discredited people“

Vienna (OTS) – in the case of yesterday, according to the Council of Ministers of the government presented plans to secure detention Erich Fenninger, Director of the volkshilfe Austria: „We live in one of the safest countries in the world. Therefore, the debate is not about to close a perceived security gap. But it is about to criminalize an already discredited group, and to discriminate, in General. The announcements, in what specific situations, in securing the future of imprisonment should be imposed, remain just as vague as the assessment of the risk situation. Therefore, the scheduled Backup is abuse, despite the authorisation of the judge is very vulnerable.“

In addition, the Director considers that the preventive detention of „dangerous“ asylum seekers, by order of the office for foreigners and asylum fall under its competence: „The office has no crime and safety police powers. How to define the official is a ’substantial threat to the public order or security‘?“

Dangerous the discussion, especially because, with the proposed Amendments to the Constitution the door for more intervention in the personal freedom to be open, says Fenninger concluded: „personal freedom is a very high Good. The protection of citizens against arbitrary state action by the separation of powers and the rule of law was a major achievement of the enlightenment. For the occasion of legislation to undermine a group of people border still further, and rejects the people’s help.“

people of Austria
Melanie Wenger-Rami, MA
Press officer
+43 (0) 676 83 402 228
melanie.rami@volkshilfe.at
www.people the help.at/press