RIGHT TO AN ADEQUATE STANDARD OF LIVING  UNICEF said that malnutrition rates had increased over the past few years in four out of six regions of Eritrea, and cited research which projected that 22,700 children under five would be affected by severe acute malnutrition during the year. It also noted national data indicating that half of all children had stunted growth. In her June report, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Eritrea cited UNICEF’s report. She further highlighted accounts from Eritreans living abroad describing their relatives at home as “struggling to meet their basic needs”. Many of them could not afford “adequate and sufficient basic supplies” and were dealing with “acute water shortages, especially in Asmara”. Reports suggested that more and more people were leaving “drought-affected regions in search of better living conditions.” She noted that the government’s draconian regulations that limited cash withdrawals from individuals’ bank accounts prevented people from buying adequate food and other basic items. ESTONIA Republic of Estonia Head of state: Kersti Kaljulaid Head of government: Jüri Ratas A draft amendment to the Asylum Act would increase the risk of refoulement for refugees sentenced to imprisonment for certain types of crimes. The Supreme Court ruled that the Family Law does not prohibit recognition of same-sex marriages registered in other countries. REFUGEES AND ASYLUM-SEEKERS By the end of the year, Estonia had relocated 141 asylum-seekers from Italy and Greece under the EU Emergency Relocation Scheme; however, of these, 71 people had left the country by the end of the year. Amnesty International Report 2017/18 In accordance with the November 2016 decision of the Tallinn Appeal Court, which ruled against the blanket application of the “safe third country” concept for applications from asylum-seekers entering from the Russian Federation, the merits of eight individual asylum requests were assessed. These cases were pending at the end of the year. In May, the government presented a draft amendment to the Asylum Act. The draft extended the exceptions under which refoulement – the forcible return of people to countries where they are at real risk of persecution – was allowed in situations where refugees have been sentenced to imprisonment for certain types of crimes. UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, raised concerns that the proposed amendment was not compliant with the UN Refugee Convention. In particular, it recommended that the government clarify the term “danger to the community of Estonia”, which was included among the grounds for removal of a refugee from the country. A number of refugees faced legal uncertainty and difficulty in accessing services as a consequence of the March 2016 Supreme Court decision which held that asylum-seekers who received a negative decision on their application immediately lose their status. The NGO Estonian Human Rights Centre raised concern over access to legal aid for asylum-seekers held in detention centres. This lack of access particularly affected asylum-seekers who entered the country via its border with Russia. The lack of thorough investigations into racially motivated crimes against refugees and migrants persisted. DISCRIMINATION – ETHNIC MINORITIES 80,000 people resident in Estonia remained stateless – almost 7% of the population, most of them Russian speakers. Roma continued to suffer discrimination across a range of social and economic rights. 161