AI warns that restrictions against the COVID-19 pandemic increase discrimination against marginalized groups

MADRID, 31 May. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The NGO Amnesty International (AI) has warned this Monday that the restrictions imposed due to the coronavirus pandemic around the world have caused greater discrimination against already marginalized groups, among which are LGTBI people, drug addicts and homeless, among others.

In a report, the organization lamented that the measures taken to prevent the spread of the virus have exposed these groups to "more discrimination and human rights abuses", in addition to an increase in violence at the hands of the security forces.

This would also have contributed to even less access to essential services such as food, health care and housing. After conducting a survey, AI has indicated that nearly 69 percent of the organizations surveyed estimate that the responses given by the States to COVID-19 have "aggravated the negative consequences of pre-existing laws and regulations that criminalized and marginalized people with those who work".

Thus, nearly 90 percent consider that the communities with which they work have been "specifically affected" or have suffered "disproportionate consequences" from the application of measures against the coronavirus.

Among other punitive measures, organizations have mentioned the widespread use of fines, arrests, reprimands, written warnings and police orders. "Although the measures taken against COVID-19 have varied from country to country, the approaches of governments to tackle the pandemic have had a common effect. The excessive emphasis on the use of punitive sanctions against people for not complying with regulations, Instead of supporting them to better enforce it, it had a very disproportionate effect on those already facing systematic discrimination," said Amnesty International's Director General for Policy, Rajat Josla.

"When governments use punitive approaches to enforce public health measures, they simply become more difficult to enforce. People who lost their livelihoods overnight and those who are homeless have been criminalized for failing to comply with public health measures. COVID-19, instead of receiving support to access housing or other essential services," he asserted.

Amnesty has also warned that groups that were already subject to excessive police control before the pandemic have suffered discrimination, unlawful use of force and arbitrary arrests by security forces.

According to the Mexican human rights organization Elementa, the country's punitive "war on drugs" has allowed police forces, using COVID-19-related measures, to attack people for drug use or possession.

"In an alarming case that sparked widespread protests, a construction worker, who was under the influence of drugs at the time, was detained in the state of Jalisco, allegedly for not wearing a mask. The man died in custody days later. His body was full of bruises and a bullet wound in his leg," the NGO said.

Amnesty has further stated that the use of punitive measures has created "additional barriers to accessing essential services and support, especially for people experiencing poverty and systematic discrimination."

"Instead of resorting to punitive measures that place all the responsibility and blame on people who already suffered systematic discrimination, governments should have focused on protecting the human rights of all people and ensuring that marginalized communities have universal access to medical services and essential services for their protection," said Josla.

In this regard, he stressed that this is a "crucial issue that governments must take into account when negotiating a treaty to improve prevention, preparedness and response to the pandemic under the auspices of the WHO". "Placing Human Rights at the core of government efforts to address public health emergency responses is not an optional consideration, it is an obligation," she insisted.