Refugees Restricted

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said in a statement Friday that Germany's states contravened the Geneva Refugee Convention and other human rights treaties, including the European Convention on Human Rights, as well as breaching EU legislation.

The refugee convention only allows authorities to restrict freedom of movement, if the regulation applies to all foreigners issued with a particular residence permit, but this was not the case, the UNHCR said. The European human rights convention requires narrowly defined conditions to justify such a restriction, such as to maintain public order, to prevent crime or to protect people's health, the agency added.

Life-long effects

Many of Germany's 16 states require refugees and others protected from deportation who receive welfare benefits to make their homes in the state, district, county or even municipality that issued their residence permits.

The restrictions are meant to control who is responsible for welfare benefits, some of which are paid by local authorities, and prevent the costs from shifting to other localities.

The UNHCR said that restricting freedom of movement could have a profound, even life-long, effect on people. It could limit their employment opportunities and harm their familial or social lives, the agency said, such as in cases where those affected fell ill or had to deal with traumatic events without being able to live near family or fellow countrymen or -women.