cooperation with the Federal Ministry of the Interior, is an important preventive element. An expansion of this form of cooperation into other areas would be desirable. The commissions increasingly deploy delegations from across the commissions to utilise the available expertise to the greatest possible extent. External experts are included with the same objective in mind. In many facilities and institutions, administration of medication represents a problem to the extent that, as perceived by the commissions, medication is often administered by unauthorised personnel. The commissions are also directly informed by the persons affected regarding abuse allegations against the police. This topic was addressed in earlier reports to Parliament, where the commissions voiced their concern about the fact that the way such cases are processed is unsatisfactory. The commissions consider the avoidance of such incidents to be a priority human rights issue. Therefore the available information and documentation is being forwarded to the AOB with the recommendation that an investigative proceeding be initiated within the framework of the AOB’s ex-post control. However, this step is the end of any possible course of action by the commissions themselves as the commissions are limited to preventive monitoring and control. The observation of forced returns as part of the statutory mandate of preventive monitoring of acts of administrative power and coercive measures by the authorities is included in the ongoing responsibilities of the commissions, especially Commissions 4, 5 and 6. In the future, the commissions will also be able to accompany forced return flights. The medical examination to determine fitness to fly within the scope of forced returns is also included in the monitoring process. It was observed that further medical care of chronically ill persons in the target country is largely disregarded. Based on this observation, the AOB initiated an investigative proceeding in 2014. In the opinion of the commissions, it is regrettable that the Federal Ministry of the Interior has not taken up the proposal of the AOB to remind the teams overseeing the forced returns and the doctors involved in the form of a decree to ensure further medical care or to abort the forced return, as this could otherwise be deemed a violation of Article 2 (right to life) or Article 3 (prohibition of torture or degrading treatment) of the European Convention on Human Rights. Observation of forced returns The current situation regarding the refugee and migration movement in Europe was repeatedly the reason for visits in refugee housing that were carried out by the commissions on behalf of the AOB. Despite a fundamental understanding for the difficult situation, the commissions pointed out problematic deficits in care from a human rights perspective during all of these visits. These findings related to Visits to refugee housing 20

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