Dornbirn – ESI on migration and the collapse of the rule of law - Austria, Europe, and a policy of humane borders

3 April 2023
Photo: ESI
Photo: ESI

ESI's Gerald Knaus was invited to speak at two events of the Montagsforum, a university interdisciplinary lecture series in the Kulturhaus Dornbirn.

The first event was the "Kleine Montagsforum", which took place on Sunday, 2 April in the smaller hall of the Kulturhaus Dornbirn. Gerald gave a presentation on peace and the rule of law in Europe. After his lecture, he engaged in a moderated discussion.

The second event was the "Große Montagsforum", which took place on Monday, 3 April in the main hall of the Kulturhaus Dornbirn. More than 700 people attended.

Gerald warned that refugee protection is in a crisis globally because the core of the Geneva Refugee Convention – the non-refoulement requirement – is violated worldwide, even in democracies. Regularly – in Australia, the U.S., Greece, Croatia, or Poland – governments opt for pushbacks. While these violate national and international legal norms, they are increasingly normalized, including in the EU. But when laws and conventions are openly disregarded and this very fact is denied, this cannot remain without impact on our democracies. After all, the fundamental value that holds everything together in a community of law like the EU is the rule of law. The only way out of this downward spiral is to combine humane borders and control of irregular migration with the orderly admission of those in need of protection. Austria stands out in this regard because, contrary to political rhetoric, it has granted more asylum than any other EU state in recent years. This is something to build on.

While in Dornbirn, Gerald gave a TV interview on Vorarlberg Online:

Video: Vorarlberg Online

Europa quo vadis?