Observations from UNHCR on Estonia's proposed law amendments to the Penal Code and Aliens Act

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, has submitted our observations to the Estonian government’s law proposal amending the Penal Code and the Aliens Act.

The proposal seeks to bring Estonia’s national legislation in line with the European Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence. In UNHCR’s view, the proposal provides an excellent opportunity to develop a policy framework for addressing gender-based violence in Estonia, also against refugees and asylum-seekers.

UNHCR also takes the opportunity to reiterate its recommendation that Estonia, when reviewing its penal code, ensures a safeguard against penalization of asylum-seekers due to illegal entry to the country.

The observations are available here.