Julie Ward (S&D). – Mr President, over the past five years, I have sought to learn about the migration and refugee experience directly from those affected. I’ve spent time in Calais and on the streets of Paris. I’ve worked with NGOs and taken every opportunity to listen to people who have been forced to migrate because of conflict and unsustainable lives.

We have a tragic situation whereby people are willing to risk drowning in our seas in order to start new lives here in Europe. So there are elements of this regulation that I welcome. I’m glad that the European Border and Coast Guard Agency will conduct searches to prevent people drowning. Those who are rescued must then be treated with empathy and humanity, and I particularly welcome the commitment to fundamental rights when working with third countries.

However, more than managing borders and documenting migration, we should take responsibility for and tackle the inequality and deprivation that forces so many to abandon their homes and risk dangerous journeys. We must uphold European values, protect the vulnerable and ensure our communities welcome those who, in a different moment of history, could, indeed, be us.