CAT/C/LTU/CO/2
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children, and traumatized asylum-seekers, are accommodated in the same building (arts. 2 and
16).
The Committee recommends that the State party take necessary steps to ensure
appropriate reception conditions for asylum-seekers with special needs, such as
single women or women with children and traumatized asylum-seekers, by
providing them with separate accommodation. The Committee further recommends
that medical personnel, social staff in reception centres and others involved in the
refugee status determination procedure should receive thorough training and
sensitization in respect of victims of torture or ill-treatment in order to identify such
cases at an early stage for referral to the appropriate medical and psychosocial
services.
Non-refoulement
9.
While noting that article 130 of the Aliens Law provides for prohibition of refoulement,
whenever there are serious grounds to believe that the person concerned will be tortured or
subjected to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, the Committee notes with concern that the
principle of non-refoulement does not apply with respect to an alien who, for serious reasons,
constitutes a threat to the security of the Republic of Lithuania or has been convicted by an
effective court judgement of a serious or grave crime and constitutes a threat to the public (art. 3)
The State party should ensure that it complies fully with article 3 of the Convention
and that individuals under the State party’s jurisdiction receive appropriate
consideration by its competent authorities and guaranteed fair treatment at all
stages of the proceedings, including an opportunity for effective, independent and
impartial review of decisions on expulsion, return or extradition.
In this respect, the State party should ensure that the relevant judicial and
administrative authorities carry out a thorough and exhaustive examination, prior
to making any expulsion order, in all cases of foreign nationals who have entered or
stayed in Lithuania unlawfully, including individuals who may constitute a security
threat, in order to ensure that the persons concerned would not be subjected to
torture, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment in the country where they
would be returned.
Training
10.
The Committee notes with appreciation the approval of the 2006 Lithuanian Police
System Development Programme with the objective, inter alia, to create an integrated
management system for the selection, training, qualification improvement and retraining of
police personnel, as well as the 2007 Plan of Measures for Implementing the Development
Programme. The Committee also notes the detailed information provided by the State party on
training programmes and sessions for law enforcement officials, prison staff, border guards,
migration officials, officers of correctional inspection departments, health care specialists and
psychologists, etc. However, the Committee regrets the limited information on monitoring and
evaluation of these training programmes and the lack of available information on the impact of
the training conducted for all relevant officials, including law enforcement officials, prison staff