MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on migration and refugees in Europe
7.9.2015 - (2015/2833(RSP))
pursuant to Rule 123(2) of the Rules of Procedure
Monika Hohlmeier, Roberta Metsola, Esteban González Pons, Elissavet Vozemberg, Elmar Brok, Cristian Dan Preda, Davor Ivo Stier, Mariya Gabriel, Frank Engel, Agustín Díaz de Mera García Consuegra, Lara Comi, Elisabetta Gardini, Rachida Dati, Axel Voss, Anna Maria Corazza Bildt, Alessandra Mussolini, Carlos Coelho, Jeroen Lenaers, Emil Radev, Ivo Belet, Barbara Matera, Milan Zver, Romana Tomc, Ramón Luis Valcárcel Siso, Jaromír Štětina on behalf of the PPE Group
See also joint motion for a resolution RC-B8-0832/2015
The European Parliament,
– having regard to the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union,
– having regard to the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms,
– having regard to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948,
– having regard to the Geneva Convention of 1951 and the Protocol thereto,
– having regard to the Commission’s European Agenda on Migration of 13 May 2015,
– having regard to the Commission proposal for a Council decision establishing provisional measures in the area of international protection for the benefit of Italy and Greece (COM (2015)0286 – 2015/0125(NLE)), and the Commission recommendation on a European resettlement scheme involving 20 000 people from outside the EU in clear need of international protection, as identified by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (C(2015)3560),
– having regard to the Commission guidelines on fingerprinting (SWD (2015)150), which set out a best-practices approach to fingerprinting newly arrived applicants for international protection, and to the Commission’s intention of setting up a new ‘Hotspot’ approach,
– having regard to Council Decision (CFSP) 2015/972 of 22 June 2015 launching the European Union military operation in the southern Central Mediterranean against human smugglers and traffickers with the mission of identifying, capturing and disposing of vessels and the enabling assets used by migrant smugglers or traffickers,
– having regard to the European Asylum Support Office (EASO) annual report on the situation of asylum in the EU in 2014,
– having regard to the debate on migration and refugees in Europe held in Parliament on 9 September 2015,
– having regard to its resolution of 29 April 2015 on the recent migrant ship tragedies in the Mediterranean[1],
– having regard to the Council conclusions of 20 July 2015 and the ten-point action plan on migration of the Joint Foreign and Home Affairs Council of 20 April 2015,
– having regard to Rule 123(2) of its Rules of Procedure,
A. whereas the number of migrants and asylum seekers who have arrived in Europe by sea so far in 2015 is now approaching a quarter of a million, according to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), and whereas, according to FRONTEX, the number of illegal border crossings between January and July 2015 via the Western Balkan route was 102 342, making it abundantly clear that migratory pressure is a challenge of European dimensions requiring a European response;
B. whereas for the first seven months of 2015 Frontex reported a total of 340 000 detections of irregular entry (all routes, both land and sea borders), compared with the 123 500 recorded in the same period of last year, and 280 000 for the whole of 2014;
C. whereas 560 000 asylum applications have been lodged since the beginning of 2015, compared with 660 000 in 2014 for the entire year;
D. whereas, despite the courageous work of Member State rescue teams and the unprecedented scale of Frontex operations, saving more than 110 000 lives since their deployment, ruthless smugglers still manage to exploit migrants, endangering their lives with their inhumane and atrocious practices for nothing more their own financial gain;
E. whereas the political instability in Libya, Syria and Iraq creates an ideal environment for the criminal activities of traffickers and smugglers, and whereas the rapid expansion of IS/Da’esh in neighbouring conflict areas has an impact on the mass influx of migrants and flows of displaced people;
F. whereas German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President François Hollande agreed on 3 September on the establishment of a permanent, mandatory mechanism for allocating refugees among all the EU Member States;
G. whereas on 3 September 2015 European Council President Donald Tusk called for at least 100 000 refugees to be redistributed;
1. Regrets the recurring tragic loss of lives of migrants trying to reach Europe, and is saddened by the heartbreaking images of children being washed up on EU shores, mainly as a result of criminal acts carried out by smugglers, which are feeding an unscrupulous trade that threatens the lives of desperate people; urges the European Union and the Member States to do everything possible to prevent further loss of life at sea or on land;
2. Recalls the need for consistent implementation of the existing common EU rules, and reiterates the need for a further set of core measures aimed at protecting those in need and acting with solidarity and responsibility towards fellow European countries which are receiving the highest numbers of refugees and asylum seekers, in either absolute or proportional terms; recalls in this regard that the Commission has opened infringement proceedings against 17 Member States for non-implementation of the CEAS acquis; welcomes Germany’s remarkable readiness to receive thousands of refugees arriving at its borders in response to the dramatic dimensions of the crisis;
3. Welcomes the recently launched Commission proposals on relocation and resettlement, as well as the new proposal for emergency relocation of an increased number of asylum seekers in need of international protection, covering Greece, Italy and Hungary;
4. Reiterates its call to meet the immediate need for a binding, permanent distribution mechanism for the relocation of beneficiaries of international protection triggered once a certain threshold has been reached; reiterates also that the resettlement programme for people in need of international protection must be guaranteed and further strengthened, by Member States providing access to protection, without refugees being at the mercy of illegal immigration or trafficking networks, while also allowing Member States to manage arrivals of people in need of international protection;
5. Welcomes the Commission proposal to immediately implement and further strengthen its ‘Hotspot’ approach, whereby the European Asylum Support Office, Frontex and Europol will work on the ground with the frontline Member States most affected by the current migration pressure to swiftly identify, register and fingerprint incoming migrants and to process asylum cases; calls on the Member States to standardise legal, financial and reception conditions, and stresses the need for equivalent reception facilities in all Member States, ensuring that applicants have a dignified standard of living;
6. Considers it necessary to immediately strengthen EU border security by stepping up border control both at sea and on land in the Southern Mediterranean, the Aegean Sea and along the ‘Balkan route’, and to improve the functioning of Frontex and EASO; recalls the particular obligation of frontline Member States in this regard and reiterates its commitment to open borders within the Schengen area; calls on the Member States to continue to show solidarity and commitment by stepping up their contributions to FRONTEX and EASO budgets and operations; commits itself to providing those agencies with the resources (human and material) needed to fulfil their obligations through the EU budget and its relevant funds;
7. Calls on the Commission to give priority to monitoring the implementation of the Return Directive, with a swifter return system going hand in hand with respect for the procedures and standards that allow Europe to ensure humane and dignified treatment of returnees, in line with the principle of non-refoulement; urges the Member States to apply the Return Directive and encourages the reinforcement and amendment of Frontex’s legal basis so as to strengthen its coordination role in return operations;
8. Embraces the Commission proposal to strengthen the ‘safe country of origin’ provision of the Asylum Procedure Directive by establishing a common EU list of safe countries of origin, which will relieve asylum systems, this being an important step towards focusing our asylum and reception capacities on those truly in need of protection;
9. Recalls that the Member States should lay down strong criminal sanctions against human trafficking and smuggling, both into and across the EU, and also against individuals and groups who exploit vulnerable migrants in the EU;
10. Stresses the urgent need to tackle the root causes of the massive migration flows, including by finding sustainable solutions to conflicts in our neighbourhood, and especially to Islamist terrorism linked to groups such as IS/Da’esh, which is terrorising large parts of Africa and the Middle East and must be fought with determination; underlines that the European Union should undertake a diplomatic offensive together with the United States and other international partners to convince other countries in the region, such as Turkey, Saudi Arabia, the Gulf states and Iran, to take up their responsibilities in managing this global challenge;
11. Considers it necessary to offer safety and humanitarian assistance as close as possible to the places of origin by creating safe zones and initial reception centres in third countries where the asylum procedure can be initiated, thus creating safe ways for people in need to enter Europe and reducing their risk of falling into the hands of inhumane people smugglers; European financial aid should also be increased to support local efforts;
12. Emphasises the need for a new approach to Africa comprising better opportunities for trade and development that will enable prospects of economic growth, as well as a reinforcement of our cooperation with countries of origin and transit as regards irregular migrants, human smuggling and return procedures through EU development aid; welcomes, in this regard, the ad hoc summit to take place in Valletta in November 2015;
13. Urges the EU, its Member States and other international donors to deliver urgently on the pledges made at the Financing for Development Conference held in July 2015 in Addis Ababa, and stresses the need to refocus development policy on building peaceful societies, combating corruption and promoting good governance, as specified in Sustainable Development Goal 16 of the post-2015 global development framework;
14. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission and the governments and parliaments of the Member States.
- [1] Texts adopted, P8_TA(2015)0176.