Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2016-02-02-Speech-2-549-000"
| Predicate | Value (sorted: default) |
|---|---|
| rdf:type | |
| dcterms:Date | |
| dcterms:Is Part Of | |
| dcterms:Language | |
| lpv:document identification number |
"en.20160202.30.2-549-000"2
|
| lpv:hasSubsequent | |
| lpv:speaker | |
| lpv:spoken text |
"Madam President, another Strasbourg, another debate about the migration and refugee crisis, another season beckons. As we look forward to spring, usually a season for optimism, it now becomes a season for concern.
As the snow melts, as the Mediterranean becomes passable and as the crisis reaches an epic scale, are we really ready to find solutions that work? Some suggest letting everyone in from every country; others suggest the EU take over all border management; others again suggest sealing all borders and turning Europe into a fortress. We need to get away from this debate of polarisation and get to work on tackling the problems. I know that Mr Verhofstadt has warned the media that he is about to bring up comments made by a Member of my group. Let me be quite clear: we will look into those comments and we will discuss it with my group with due process this afternoon. But I am disappointed at this trying to put politics above trying to solve this crisis.
My group has been consistent in our approach to this crisis since it began. We do not have months or years to rewrite the rule book; we have only a few weeks to help those in need and to regain the confidence of our citizens. Compassion can only be delivered when our rules are firm, fair and clear. Schengen rules say that the external border of the EU should be protected. If Member States cannot manage their borders, then we should offer them help through Frontex, but we should not force help on democratically—elected governments. Let us be clear: if you cannot play by the rules that you sign up to under Dublin and Schengen, do not be surprised if others want you out of the game. The rules only work if non-EU countries live up to their agreements too.
What can we do to make sure that Turkey, already struggling to cope with refugees from Syria, is not merely seen as a transit country? What about countries such as Pakistan that have signed readmission agreements but are slow to take back their citizens? It is time to get tough with these countries to live up to their responsibilities. The Dublin Regulation is clear that, in most cases, the first safe country is where people apply for asylum, but Dublin has failed, because one leader opened her country to everyone, regardless of whether they were fleeing persecution or simply seeking a better life. It has failed because the first countries that refugees and migrants arrive at are unable to cope. Dublin does not need to be completely rewritten; it needs changes to make it work better and to make sure refugees remain in the countries offering them asylum.
In order to stabilise the situation in the short term and focus help on genuine refugees, let us agree which countries can take refugees and how many, not impose it upon them. Let those countries that cannot take refugees help with money, equipment, boats and personnel to assist in border protection, processing and returns. But they should not simply wash their hands of the problem and expect others to pick up the bill.
As the Mediterranean becomes a route for traffickers again this summer, let us not abandon Italy and Malta to fend for themselves. In the EU we are never short of grand plans and great schemes, but now we need pragmatism and action: action to deliver resources; action to implement legislation; action to generate political will. So let us not seek to completely rewrite the rules. Let us implement the rules we already have. Let us cooperate to stabilise the crisis and let us focus on helping those genuinely in need, genuinely fleeing persecution or war, in the short, the medium and the long term."@en1
|
| lpv:spokenAs | |
| lpv:unclassifiedMetadata | |
| lpv:videoURI |
Named graphs describing this resource:
The resource appears as object in 2 triples