UN Rules Sweden Violates Rights in Deportation of Disabled Albanian Child

(MENAFN) Sweden violated the rights of an Albanian child with severe disabilities by deporting him twice without guaranteeing access to necessary medical care, the UN Human Rights Committee said on Monday, according to reports.

The committee concluded that Sweden breached the child’s rights to life and protection from torture or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment. It argued that the deportations failed to meet the required safeguards for a child with life-threatening and complex medical conditions.

The case involves a child identified as E.B., who suffers from multiple serious conditions including autism, cerebral palsy, hydrocephalus, and epilepsy. He was deported along with his family in 2016 and again in 2019 after unsuccessful asylum applications in Sweden.

According to the committee, Swedish authorities did not adequately ensure that essential treatment and medication would be available in Albania before carrying out the removals.

“In a case as serious as E.B.’s, States must do more than conduct standard reviews,” said Wafaa Bassim.

She added that governments must conduct “a rigorous, individualised assessment” before deporting children with severe disabilities, especially when their survival depends on continuous medical care.

The committee also noted that the medical evidence indicating the child’s dependence on unavailable treatment in Albania was not properly verified by Swedish authorities, according to reports.

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