Fuldstændigt Forhandlingsreferat

Torsdag den 23. juni 2022 - Bruxelles

9.3. Forslag til ændringsbudget nr. 3/2022: Finansiering af udgifter til modtagelse af personer, der er flygtet fra Ukraine (A9-0181/2022 - Karlo Ressler)

Suulliset äänestysselitykset

  Billy Kelleher (Renew). – Madam President, I strongly supported the motion for a resolution on the draft amending budget to finance reception costs of people fleeing Ukraine. There is no doubt there are about four and a half million people who have left Ukraine, fleeing Russian military aggression in their country.

I was very heartened at the response that the European Union came up with in such a short period of time, but particularly the Member States that are closest to Ukraine itself. I instance the extraordinary efforts of the Polish people in trying to accommodate as many Ukrainian refugees as is possible. Of course, there has been a dispersing of refugees across the entire European Union, and I want to commend all of those people that have tried to accommodate Ukrainian refugees, either in their own areas, communities or their own homes.

But we need to be conscious that this could go on for a prolonged period of time. So we need to be continually reviewing the budget so that we have enough supports in place to ensure that there is no downgrading of facilities, of support to Member States that are housing and receiving refugees from Ukraine.

  Clare Daly (The Left). – Madam President, I voted for this report because I’m always in favour of giving money to refugees not just in Ukraine, but everywhere. I’m thinking today also of the people of Afghanistan who are grappling with a horrific earthquake on top of starvation, sanctions and being blocked out from entry to the European Union.

We have to end these double standards, but we also have to look at the policies that are making people refugees in the first place – mainly war and climate change. The report bemoans the lack of funds in the multiannual framework that we can use for refugees. That’s fair enough. But why is that the case? It’s because we’re spending billions on the European Defence Fund, on the misnamed European Peace Facility, billions to the European coastguard to help drown people in the Mediterranean, billions to ensure that the Ukrainian war continues rather than working for peace and a negotiated settlement.

It was striking that when the President of Zambia called for that today, a majority of colleagues sat on their hands. They didn’t want to know. But actually, a negotiated peace is the best way to help the refugees in Ukraine.