MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on Eritrean refugees held hostage in Sinai

14.12.2010

with request for inclusion in the agenda for the debate on cases of breaches of human rights, democracy and the rule of law
pursuant to Rule 122 of the Rules of Procedure

Niccolò Rinaldi, Marielle De Sarnez, Charles Goerens, Ramon Tremosa i Balcells, Sonia Alfano, Leonidas Donskis, Marietje Schaake, Kristiina Ojuland on behalf of the ALDE Group

See also joint motion for a resolution RC-B7-0712/2010

NB: This motion for a resolution is available in the original language only.

B7‑0712/2010

European Parliament resolution on Eritrean refugees held hostage in Sinai

The European Parliament,

having regard to UNHCR Statement of 7 December 2010 on Eritrean hostages in
the Sinaï, in Egypt,

 

–     having regard to relevant UN and African conventions on Refugees,

 

–   having regard to the EU High Representative Catherine Ashton´s Declaration of 21 September 2010 on political prisoners in Eritrea,

–   having regard to the 'Friendship Treaty' between Italy and Libya, in particular its references to migration policy,

 

–   having regard to the Euro-Mediterranean partnership for promoting the rule of law and fundamental freedoms,

 

–   having regard to Rule 122 of its Rules of Procedure,

 

 

A.  concerned about a group of some 250 Africans mostly Eritreans who have been held hostage for about a month by traffickers in the Sinaï, Egypt;

 

B.  whereas UNCHR has been advocating with the Egyptian authorities for access to people who are detained in the course of making this journey, with a view to be able to determine those among them who are refugees and in need of international protection;

 

C.  whereas every year thousands of people attempt to cross the border from Egypt into Israel and often in the hands of traffickers who have little regard for safety;

 

D.  whereas according to UNHCR, about 85 percent of the migrants entering the Sinaï desert in recent months have been Eritrean nationals fleeing a repressive state and in conformity with UNHCR's eligibility guidelines should be considered as refugees;

 

E.  whereas a sizeable network smuggling sub-Saharan migrants through Egypt to Israel has been operating in Sinaï since last 2007;

 

F.  whereas Israel began work in November on a 250 km fence along the border aimed at stopping the influx of migrants;

 

G.  whereas a variety of humanitarian crises have occurred in the Horn of Africa;

 

H.  whereas according to media reports, in late November and early December traffickers shot or beat to death six Eritrean nationals who were among asylum seekers;

 

 

I.  whereas Egyptian border security forces have arrested thousands of asylum seekers and migrants in recent years and prosecuted many of them before military tribunals;

 

J.  whereas in June 2010, 10 African refugees, including Eritreans, were killed by human smugglers in Sinaï after they have been held for more than 2 months in this secret location;

 

K.  whereas since July 2007, Egyptian border guards have also shot and killed at least 85 people trying to cross into Israel;

 

L.  whereas the Egyptian authorities regularly refer to organized criminal activity in Sinaï involving the smuggling and trafficking of people, drugs, and weapons when justifying its prosecution before military tribunals of migrants charged with unlawful presence in Sinaï;

 

M.  whereas the office of the UNHCR in Libya remains closed;

 

N.  whereas at the start of the EU-Africa summit, Libyan Moammar Gadhafi has urged more EU support for African countries to tackle illegal migration to Europe;

 

 

 

1.  Calls on Egyptian authorities to rapidly intervene in order to ensure that these refugees are rescued and to take appropriate measures to proceed to arrest and prosecution of members of trafficking syndicates;

 

2.  Welcomes that the UN High Commissioner for refugees has opened the diplomatic procedures with the Egyptian authorities to initiate a search for the band of traffickers and hostages;

 

3.  Stresses that Egypt has a duty to urgently bring its treatment of refugees into line with international norms to which it is a signatory so that every refugee in Egypt is afforded full protection and assistance;

 

4.  Expresses its deep concern that large number of people who are entitled to protection under international law are being forcibly detained by criminal gangs for such lengthy periods of time and with evident lack of impunity;

 

5.  Calls on the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy to put this topic with high priority on the agenda of political dialogue with Egypt and to impress its Government to combat human trafficking and to uphold its obligations under international refugees conventions;

 

6.  Stresses that EU has definitely to address the root causes of migration and deplores in particular the dramatic side effects of the Italian-Libyan 'Friendship Treaty';

 

7.  Underlines, in this context, that since the Italian-Libyan Treaty of Friendship is in force the migrants risk being detained or locked up in detention centres in Libya or have to take the dangerous path of crossing the desert to the Israeli border;

 

8.  Calls on the Commission and the Member States to establish a true partnership with the UNHCR by offering both political and financial support to assist the work of the UNHCR in Cairo;

 

9.  Recognises the mandate of the UNHCR and the importance of its efforts to protect and promote durable solutions for refugees and other uprooted people;

 

10.  Expects the EU's partner countries to ensure that all people submitting applications for asylum at their borders are guaranteed safety and a fair procedure in accordance with international conventions and accepted principles of international refugee law;

 

11.  Deplores the persistent violation by Eritrea of its obligations, under domestic and international law, despite the repeated appeals by the international community;

 

12.  Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the President of the Arab Republic of Egypt, the Government and Parliament of Egypt, the Government of Sudan, the government of Eritrea, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy / Vice-President of the European Commission, the Council, the Commission, the UN Secretary-General, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the African Union institutions including the Pan-African Parliament, the Secretary General of the SADC and the governments of the Member States and candidate countries.