Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2011-10-26-Speech-3-277-000"
| Predicate | Value (sorted: default) |
|---|---|
| rdf:type | |
| dcterms:Date | |
| dcterms:Is Part Of | |
| dcterms:Language | |
| lpv:document identification number |
"en.20111026.19.3-277-000"2
|
| lpv:hasSubsequent | |
| lpv:speaker | |
| lpv:spokenAs | |
| lpv:translated text |
"Mr President, in recent months, we have seen more than a million people leave everything behind them and flee Arab and North African nations in the face of persecution, violence and war.
Although relatively few have come to Europe, we have all been moved by scenes of men, women and children risking their lives on unseaworthy boats, trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea. Many drowned in the attempt and the exact number of lives lost in this way will remain unknown.
According to the figures, last year approximately 5 000 refugees resettled in EU territory, while around 75 000 resettled in the US in the same period. In fact, as a whole, EU Member States currently accept fewer refugees for resettlement than Canada, a statistic that clearly demonstrates that Europe must do much more with regard to immigration.
But how can we do this, when our failure to agree has already cost us two years and seriously jeopardised additional funding, which countries will be denied if we do not reach an agreement by the end of the year? It is imperative that a European Union joint resettlement programme be agreed as soon as possible.
According to various figures, there should be approximately 6 000 places in Europe for people who can no longer return to their own home, whether they are unwilling to do so for fear of continued persecution or are living in dangerous conditions in their country of first asylum.
By accelerating this programme, which must become an integral part of EU asylum policy, Europeans would show greater commitment to international solidarity and shared responsibility, while receiving the financial investment needed.
If not, we will seriously endanger refugees’ new lives, worsen the already catastrophic humanitarian situation in refugee camps and ensure refugees are even easier prey for people trafficking networks.
The European Refugee Fund and the European Resettlement Programme are both measures that save the lives of refugees. We all hold in our hands responsibility for those who risk their lives. It is therefore high time that we found a solution and that the Council began to inform us of procedures promptly and in an appropriate manner."@en1
|
| lpv:videoURI |
Named graphs describing this resource:
The resource appears as object in 2 triples