U.S. Dep't of State, 2024 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Andorra

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

There were no significant changes in the human rights situation in Andorra during the year. There were no credible reports of significant human rights abuses. The government took credible steps to identify and punish officials who committed human rights abuses. Section 1.

Life a. Extrajudicial Killings There were no reports the government or its agents committed arbitrary or unlawful killings during the year. b. Coercion in Population Control There were no reports of coerced abortion or involuntary sterilization by governmental authorities. Section 2. Liberty a. Freedom of the Press The constitution and law provided for freedom of expression, including for members of the press and other media, and the government generally respected this right. An independent media, an effective judiciary, and a functioning democratic political system combined to promote freedom of expression, including for media members. b. Worker Rights Freedom of Association and Collective Bargaining The constitution and law provided for workers to form and join independent trade unions.

The law also regulated relations between trade unions and employer associations as well as mechanisms of collective conflict. There were no legal restrictions that limited freedom of association or collective bargaining. The law provided for the rights to bargain collectively and to strike. Alternate dispute resolution mechanisms such as mediation and arbitration existed.

The law neither prohibited antiunion discrimination nor required the reinstatement of workers fired for union activity. The government effectively enforced laws protecting freedom of association, collective bargaining, and the right to strike for workers. The country’s main union, Unio Sindical d’Andorra, continued to allege the law did not effectively protect workers, especially those with short-term contracts. Penalties for violations were commensurate with those for other crimes involving the denial of civil liberties.

Labor unions continued to call on the government to increase wages, reform the pension system, and provide access to affordable housing. The government and employers protected freedom of association. Collective bargaining did not occur during the year. There were no official reports of or investigations into antiunion discrimination.

Workers were reluctant to admit to union membership due to fear of retaliation by their employers and arbitrary dismissal. Forced or Compulsory Labor There were no confirmed reports during the year that traffickers exploited domestic or foreign victims in the country or that traffickers exploited nationals as victims abroad. The law prohibited and criminalized all forms of forced or compulsory labor. The government effectively enforced the law and penalties were commensurate with those for analogous crimes.

Acceptable Work Conditions Wage and Hour Laws The national minimum wage was above the poverty level but not sufficient to provide a decent standard of living for a worker and family. The national ombudsperson reported an increase in cases of individuals not having access to affordable housing, especially among vulnerable groups such as women, elderly, and migrants. The law provided for a workweek of 40 hours. Employees could work up to 12 hours per week of overtime, 48 hours per month, and 426 hours per year.

Penalties for wage and overtime violations were commensurate with those for similar crimes. Occupational Safety and Health Occupational safety and health (OSH) standards were generally appropriate for the main industries in the country. The government identified unsafe conditions and responded as well to workers’ OSH complaints. Under the law, OSH experts, rather than workers, were responsible for identifying unsafe situations.

The law protected workers who removed themselves from situations that could endanger their health or safety without jeopardy to their employment. As of the end of July, the Labor Inspection Office had received 50 occupational safety and health complaints. As of October, the Andorran Social Security Fund had registered 2,151 workplace accidents, which led to 1,133 persons on sick leave for an average of 51 days. Two deaths were registered.

The most common workplace accidents were in the construction sector, followed by the automotive and services sector. Wage, Hour, and OSH Enforcement The government effectively enforced minimum wage, overtime, and occupational safety and health laws, and the penalties for violations were commensurate with those for crimes such as fraud or negligence. Penalties were regularly applied against violators. The Labor Inspection Office had the authority to make unannounced inspections and initiate sanctions and fines against companies violating standards.

The office had enough inspectors and resources to enforce compliance. The informal sector was marginal, and the government enforced labor laws in that sector. c. Disappearance and Abduction Disappearance There were no reports of enforced disappearances by or on behalf of government authorities. Prolonged Detention without Charges The constitution and law prohibited arbitrary arrest and detention and provided for the right of any person to challenge the lawfulness of their arrest or detention in court. The government generally observed these requirements.

The law provided that the duration of provisional detention could not exceed four months. A judge could, by means of a reasoned decision, extend its duration for the same amount of time. The duration of the provisional detention could not exceed half the maximum penalty prescribed by the criminal code for the offenses for which it had been ordered. According to the law, once a case had been sent to court, the duration of the pretrial detention could not exceed six months (minor offenses) or 12 months (serious offenses).

As of September, prisoners were in pretrial detention on average for 377 days, or approximately 13 months. The slow pace of the justice system and lack of human resources often resulted in lengthy detentions beyond the period stipulated by law. d. Violations in Religious Freedom See the Department of State’s annual International Religious Freedom Report at https://www.state.gov/religiousfreedomreport/ . e. Trafficking in Persons There were no confirmed reports that traffickers exploited domestic or foreign victims in the country or that traffickers exploited nationals as victims abroad. Section 3. Security of the Person a. Torture and Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment The constitution and law prohibited such practices, and there were no credible reports that government officials employed them. b. Protection of Children Child Labor The law prohibited children younger than age 14 from working and prohibited all the worst forms of child labor.

Children ages 14 or 15 could work up to two months per year during school holidays following strict regulations. The law provided for protection of children from exploitation in the workplace. Penalties were commensurate with those for other similar crimes. The government effectively enforced the law.

There were no confirmed reports of the worst forms of child labor. Child Marriage The minimum legal age of marriage was 16 for girls and boys, and as young as 14 with judicial authorization. Authorities enforced the law effectively. c. Protection to Refugees The government cooperated with the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and other humanitarian organizations in providing protection and assistance to refugees, returning refugees, or asylum seekers, as well as other persons of concern. Provision of First Asylum The law did not provide for the granting of asylum or refugee status, and the government did not have a system for providing protection to refugees, preferring to deal with refugees on an ad hoc basis.

The law provided, however, for the temporary and transitional protection of asylum seekers for humanitarian reasons and allowed their entry, stay, and right to work for a two-year period, renewable for six additional months. The law established a cap on refugee admissions: 20 in the case of refugees arriving from Syria, and 285 for those coming from Ukraine. As a result of the 2018 Syrian refugee crisis, the government and the Community of Sant’Egidio maintained a humanitarian corridor from French and Spanish airports for refugees to enter the country. Since the start of the corridor in 2018, the government with the support of the Community of Sant’Egidio, the Andorran Red Cross, and Caritas Andorra provided legal, medical, psychological, social, and educational assistance to 17 Syrian refugees and 285 persons coming from Ukraine. d. Acts of Antisemitism and Antisemitic Incitement Unofficial estimates placed the size of the Jewish community at 75 persons.

There were no reports of antisemitic incidents. On This Page search > < EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Section 1. Life a. Extrajudicial Killings b. Coercion in Population Control Section 2. Liberty a. Freedom of the Press b. Worker Rights Freedom of Association and Collective Bargaining Forced or Compulsory Labor Acceptable Work Conditions c. Disappearance and Abduction Disappearance Prolonged Detention without Charges d. Violations in Religious Freedom e. Trafficking in Persons Section 3.

Security of the Person a. Torture and Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment b. Protection of Children Child Labor Child Marriage c. Protection to Refugees Provision of First Asylum d. Acts of Antisemitism and Antisemitic Incitement Tags Andorra Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs Human Rights Reports