The UN Human Rights Committee on Monday accused Sweden of violating the right to life of a severely disabled child by twice deporting him to Albania.

This international body, composed of 18 independent experts, examined a complaint concerning EB, an Albanian now 21 years old, diagnosed with autism, a serious mental disorder, spastic diplegia, hydrocephalus and epilepsy.

He and his family arrived in Sweden in 2012 seeking protection and medical care, but after years of unsuccessful asylum applications and appeals, they were deported to Albania in 2016, when he was ten years old.

The family then quickly returned to Sweden without legal status to ensure EB's treatment and had their applications for residence permits rejected several times before being deported once again in 2019, according to the UN Human Rights Committee, which specifies that the boy was then 14 years old.

"Before expelling a child suffering from a severe and complex disability and a life-threatening illness, States must conduct a rigorous and individualized assessment and ensure that essential treatments and medicines will be effectively accessible and available in the host country," insisted Wafaa Bassim, the vice-president of this organization, in a statement.

In its decision of March 30, this body stressed that countries should not "extradite, expel or return a person from their territory when there are serious reasons to believe that there is a real risk of irreparable harm" in the destination state.

"The committee found that by failing to verify that EB would actually have access to essential medicines and medical care in Albania before deporting him, the Swedish authorities exposed him to a real risk of irreparable harm, thereby violating his right to life and his right to be protected from torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment."

EB told the body that he had returned to Sweden but was subject to a new removal order.

The committee asked Stockholm to reconsider his asylum or residence permit applications and to grant him adequate compensation.

This body monitors the implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights by States Parties and conducts regular country reviews. It does not have the power to compel States to comply with its decisions, but these decisions carry considerable weight in terms of reputation.

AFP