Safe passage of persons trapped in Libya to safe destinations

29.7.2019

Question for written answer E-002471-19
to the Commission
Rule 138
Konstantinos Arvanitis (GUE/NGL)

Since last Thursday, the Mediterranean has again been filling up with corpses — the corpses of people trying to escape the hell of Libya in search of hope and security in European Union countries.

In view of the above, will the Commission say:

What steps are being taken to create legal, safe corridors to Europe — by means of specific legislative initiatives involving an effective maritime search and rescue mechanism in the Mediterranean — to stop our Mediterranean sea becoming a graveyard for innocent people?

When will initiatives be formulated, clearly and with a specific timetable, to remove the 1.1 million people trapped in Libya, a country that the UN High Commissioner for Refugees has categorically designated as not being a ‘safe haven’?

How will they be resettled in EU countries where their security and rights will be fully guaranteed, and what specific actions will the Union take so that Member States meet the resettlement needs of these persecuted people, in accordance with the relevant United Nations directives?