Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2002-10-21-Speech-1-094"
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"en.20021021.7.1-094"2
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"Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, it is surprising, considering what is happening today in Belgium, to hear so much criticism of the Commission proposal. Indeed, in my view, it is a great credit to the European Union and this House.
We must bear in mind that, in the year 2000, 389 000 people made asylum applications, spread throughout the 15 Member States. Perhaps we should show a degree of humanity and realise that, behind all the speeches that we make in this Chamber, there are men, women and children who are fleeing persecution and conflicts or who are seeking to escape from a life of poverty and deprivation. Have we already forgotten that it is as a result of what we have experienced here in Europe in times of war that we have built up what now constitutes and justifies our presence in this House?
In our States in crisis, since the events of 11 September, those seeking asylum and international protection have been perceived by many as a threat to law and order, to social stability and even, in some cases, to national security. It is our duty, because we have a duty to remember, because it is the very justification for our existence, because we are essentially a democratic body which defends human rights, to give everyone a chance and to stop the European Union becoming a ‘Fortress Europe’ which is closed to the rest of the world.
Following on from other reports already adopted by Parliament, I believe that the proposal before us today makes it possible to establish something that is a real credit to us, in other words an area of freedom, security and justice. Furthermore, in order to introduce some coherence between the regulations and laws of the Member States and to define a platform for common standards, we are establishing, through this proposal for a directive, minimum standards on the definition and scope of the status of refugee. Let this be clear: the minimum standards are not aligned with the lowest common denominator, they do not make it possible to do a U-turn and to seal up Europe, the very place where the Geneva Convention was conceived – it is necessary to point this out again? The main victims of violence, trafficking and mutilation are women and girls. It is necessary, in particular, to ensure that they benefit from assistance, protection and services, and, at the same time, to make these women, who are at the greatest risk from discrimination in their countries of origin, less easy prey for traffickers of human beings or pimps, who deceive them with the offer of trips or visits to our countries.
That is why this proposal for a directive, which seeks, furthermore, to protect these women and children, must enable them to exercise their rights, must enable them to make an asylum application, must enable them to expose the specific forms of persecution that they have endured, because these are, first and foremost, attacks on respect for fundamental rights. It is this, discussions on directives such as this, which justify our continued presence in this Chamber."@en1
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