The public outcry over the tragic deaths of people attempting to cross the Mediterranean has placed a different slant on World Refugee Day, 2015.

People are risking a perilous journey that they know could end in death, as well as having already met with exploitation and robbery en route for no other reason than they believe it is their best chance to find safety from the persecution and risk faced in their home countries.

EU Member States are struggling to face up to collective responsibility for refugees.

There may be some short term effect by seizing and sinking smugglers’ boats, but the longer term and lasting effect is just increased injuries and deaths. Destroying boats does not in any way provide a solution

More opportunities for legal access to the territory of the EU and greater commitment on combating the underlying reasons why refugees flee their country of origin will go a long way to offering solutions. But it won’t count for much without a humane and compassionate response now. This is how we should view the problem, and not endorse a competition to see who can talk toughest.

On World Refugee Day, we must renew efforts to support, and not demonise, refugees fleeing war and strife by offering safe haven, not furthering the toxic rhetoric of “fortress Europe”.

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MEPs will give their views on the European Agenda on Migration presented by the Commission in a debate with Vice-President Frans Timmermans, Migration Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos and the Council Presidency this morning in Strasbourg.

Ahead of the debate Jean Lambert, Molly Scott Cato and Keith Taylor, Green MEPs for London, the South West and the South East of England united in saying:

“The European Commission seems, at least, to have understood that EU Member States must together face up to their collective responsibility for refugees.

More opportunities for legal access to the territory of the EU and greater commitment on combating the underlying reasons why refugees flee their country of origin are needed. Along with this, a humane and compassionate response should frame the debate, not a competition to see who can talk toughest.

Seizing and sinking smugglers’ boats may have a short term effect, but it also risks more injuries and deaths. Rather than grab headlines, what is needed is a well-resourced, internationally co-ordinated effort to improve the quality of life in departure countries and put people smugglers out of business.”

ENDS

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The European Commission today presented a new package of measures on migration. The proposals do not go far enough, according to Jean Lambert, Greens MEP for London and Member of the Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs committee, who stated:

‘The European Commission seems, at least, to have understood that the EU Member States must together face up to their collective responsibility for refugees. The proposal for firm allocations for the distribution of asylum seekers is a first step. Nevertheless, on the whole, the Commission’s proposals are timid and don’t go far enough. The Commission must ensure that the Dublin rules do not block the right to asylum.

‘The progress made on allocations is overshadowed by the proposals to combat people smugglers by means of UN-backed military operations. These military operations are focused on deterrence but will in practice mean that desperate people seek out even more dangerous routes into the EU. We need more opportunities for legal access and greater commitment on combating the underlying reasons why refugees flee their country of origin.’

Jean Lambert concluded:

‘The Home Secretary gave interviews this morning but doesn’t appear to be in full possession of the facts, which is deeply worrying. Two of the biggest groups crossing Med are Syrians & Eritreans: almost all refugees. The crisis in the Mediterranean is a humanitarian issue, not a security problem.’

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A press conference will take place today in the European Parliament in Strasbourg on the Mediterranean and EU migration and asylum policies. It was live-streamed using the hash tag #silenceisnotenough and focused on the proposals from the Greens – strong critics of the current EU proposals. The event is ahead of Parliament’s debate where the Green/EFA group will call on the Commission for:

•     a full-fledged rescue operation;

•     legal entry; and

•     more resettlement; by establishing a minimum binding quota for the distribution of asylum seekers amongst all Member States

Speaking at today’s session Jean Lambert, Green MEP for London, who has been involved in much of the EU’s asylum legislation said:

‘It is crystal clear that immediate action is needed to prevent further loss of life. An EU-funded programme for more search and rescue of refugees is vital and over-due. So far we have seen a plan that focuses on smugglers and return programmes. This doesn’t address why people come or how they are to find a safe way into the EU. Frontex is border control, it’s not a rescue operation.’

The UK declined to take part in Frontex’ Operation Triton in 2014, on the grounds that more migrants and asylum seekers would make the journey if they were confident they would be rescued. By November 2014 over 200,000 refugees and migrants had arrived by sea in the Mediterranean, compared to 60,000 in 2013. 160,000 were received by Italy, 40,000 by Greece.

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A ten-point action plan has been revealed by the European Union in the wake of large-scale loss of life in The Mediterranean, promising to both increase control as well as rescue operations. The European Commission said the plan, approved by EU Foreign and Interior ministers at an emergency meeting in Luxembourg, will be presented at a summit today, Thursday the 23rd. Commenting, Jean Lambert, Green MEP for London said:

‘It could not be clearer that immediate action is needed to prevent further loss of life. We need an ongoing EU-funded programme for search and rescue of refugees because individual governments can no longer cry crocodile tears while at the same time refusing to support rescue missions. We must of course work to combat despicable smugglers, but acknowledge that desperate people take desperate measures. What worries me about this plan is the focus on smugglers and on return programmes. It looks as if we are just pandering to fears instead of really getting to the root of the problem.

‘No-one should be fooled, FRONTEX is border control, not a rescue operation. Unless Libya and Syria can experience prolonged stability people will continue to do what they have always done throughout history: try and reach safety. While the EU is not above criticism, it is our own Government that decides the level of support for the Italian Government.’

The European Parliament will have a co-decision role on any proposal to adapt the EU budget, and Greens call on all political groups to consider this in the ongoing negotiations on the 2016 EU budget and put pressure on the European Commission and EU governments.

Next week the plenary agenda of Parliament in Strasbourg will include a formal  Oral Question ( for which Jean was a co-signatory) with Council and Commission statements on the situation, Jean concluded:

‘We need a common European approach based on solidarity and humanity. The overwhelming majority of refugees are not in the EU: if Germany had the same proportion of refugees as Lebanon, there would be more than 20 million to support. The real crisis here is for those seeking sanctuary, not for the EU.’

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With 8 000 desperate people being picked up in the Mediterranean in under a week, it is clear that we have a humanitarian problem. People will always try and escape miserable conditions, political and civil unrest, environmental disaster, and persecution. For them to drown trying to reach European shores and safety only indicates their desperation.

Jean Lambert, Green MEP for London said:

‘This is why we need greater search and rescue at sea to be able to prevent catastrophe. Riskier and ever more treacherous sea routes are attempted because land borders are increasingly restrictive. If safe access routes existed, we would have one way of avoiding this. Not everyone travelling in unsafe and dangerous overcrowded boats claims asylum, but whether they do or don’t we should not turn away from people who view the EU as offering hope and safety.

‘Many of us have been working for a long time for solidarity among the EU’s member states so that humane and effective rescue-at-sea, and land follow-up can be provided. We have argued for ways in which people seeking asylum can get safe access routes to the territory of the EU to lodge claims, and for countries to offer resettlement possibilities for recognised refugees.’

Jean concluded:

‘Another practical and achievable step is that all member states must be willing to contribute resources so that other member states, with main ports of entry on their borders, can cope. What is missing is political will and solidarity from across the EU, and all too often, genuine empathy – stop the crocodile tears and take concrete action. Until this happens, we can only respectfully remember the 400 people who died overnight, unable to find sanctuary in their home country, or at our borders.’

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