Graham Watson, rapporteur for the opinion of the Committee on Foreign Affairs. - Mr President, we face a challenging number of irregular migrants crossing our southern seas in overloaded and unseaworthy boats. Armed conflicts in Africa have increased this flow. That it was left to the European Court of Justice to shame Member States into a more humanitarian approach to this challenge says little for our civilisation.

Carlos Coelho has done a good job to restore Europe’s reputation. He has strengthened in this measure the rights of those who risk their lives to save themselves and has prohibited push-backs at sea and the return of individuals to countries where they risk serious harm. These new rules should improve surveillance of our sea borders and strengthen coordination within Frontex. They must be accompanied by robust policies for asylum and legal migration and, as we enter an election campaign, we must maintain a sense of perspective: the 30[nbsp ]000 arrivals last year compared to over 300[nbsp ]000 at Ellis Island a century ago. That island became a symbol of hope and freedom. Unless we reform, Lampedusa risks entering our lexicon as a stain on our humanity.