15 December 2004
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT ENDORSES GREEN MEP'S CALL FOR DIGNITY FOR REFUGEES
London's Green MEP Jean Lambert has called on the European Parliament to step up its services to refugees.
"Refugees face an uncertain future when they flee their country and it is up to the EU to provide the highest quality of care and service." said Mrs Lambert presenting her report to the European Parliament.
"Sending refugees to camps in countries such as Libya is not the answer. It is not even useful as a short-term solution.
"We need to challenge the commonly held assumption that most refugees aim for Europe. On the contrary, the vast majority of refugees never even try to come to Europe, but remain in Africa and Asia. These countries which do face real floods of refugees need new money, help and support from the EU."
In its first vote on asylum held by this Parliament since enlargement the majority of Members supported Jean Lambert's proposals.
These include the setting up of a report-back system on what happens to people who have returned home. Currently there is no system in place and officials are left to rely on out of date information.
Parliament also supported her call to make massive improvements to the way in which we make decisions on asylum. Her recommendations secured a majority of support across all major political groups.
Speaking after the votes, she said; "There is a huge need for better use of in-country information by staff who simply don't have or don't use all of the right information available to them when making life-changing decisions. It is appalling that someone's life should depend on one person's opinion, which can creep into an official document. The Parliament has now agreed that we need to raise standards through the whole process.
"Only by demanding a uniformly high standard across the EU will we demonstrate that these processes are actually about peoples' lives and not merely inconvenient newspaper headlines.
"We need more money to achieve all of this. And a fresh approach which puts
refugees' safety at the centre of EU policy."
ENDS
For more information please contact Alex Rowe on 020 7407 6280 or at alexrowe@greenmeps.org.uk