23 April 2015 was a terrible day: the European Council, that was at last to “take action” as regards a “tragic” situation in the Mediterranean, merely attempted to shelter the European Union and its Member States from migrants by toughening border protection.
The European Union Heads of Government, who met with great ado, had but one message for those thousands of human beings – men, women and children – who risk death and often find it, attempting to reach a place to rebuild their lives. That message was: “Security!” They did not seek to put an end to the race to the bottom between Member States to take as few migrants as possible after rejecting all the others. As for the word “welcome”, it does not form part of the vocabulary of the Heads of Government
Combating emigration with the support of third countries, deportation, refoulement and detention in specialised centres and criminalization of entry are just part of what survivors experience when they have finished counting their dead. In taking these shameful measures, the European Council turns its back on its responsibility, adding its own dishonour to the ranks of the dead.
The associations and organizations across Europe that defend the rights of all to live somewhere in safety cannot accept such a position, and in the coming weeks will decide how to oppose this deadly policy.
MIGRANT’S RIGHTS (Last Update 24 April)
Signatories:
Action Luxembourg Ouvert et Solidaire – Ligue des Droits de l’Homme (ALOS – LDH)
Asociación Pro Derechos Humanos de Andalucía (APDHA)
Association de Soutien aux Travailleurs Immigrés – Luxembourg (ASTI)
Associazione Di Promozione Sociale (ARCI)
Borderline Europe
Centre de Recherche et d’Information pour le développement (CRID)
La Cimade – service oecuménique d’entraide
CIRÉ – Coordination et initiatives pour réfugiés et étrangers
Coordination Nationale d’Action pour la Paix et la Démocratie (CNAPD)
Emmaüs Europe
Emmaüs International
Enda Europe
European Association for the Defence of Human Rights (AEDH)
European Federation of National Organisations Working with Homeless People (FEANTASA)
Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network (EMHRN)
Fédération des Associations de Solidarité avec Tou-te-s les Immigré-e-s (FASTI)
FIDH (International Federation for Human Rights)
Fondation France-Libertés
France Amérique Latine (FAL)
Groupe d’Information et de Soutien des Immigré.e.s – France (GISTI)
Ihmisoikeusliitto – The Finnish League for Human Rights (FLHR)
Initiatives Pour un Autre Monde (IPAM)
Institut de Drets Humans de Catalunya (IDHC)
Internationale Liga für Menschenrechte (ILMR)
KISA – Action for Equality, Support, Antiracism
Le Syndicat de la magistrature – France
Lega Italiana Dei Diritti Dell’ Uomo (LIDU)
Liga Portuguesa dos Direitos Humanos – civitas (LPDH)
Liga Voor de Rechten van de Mens (LVRM)
Ligue des droits de l’Homme – Belgique (LDH)
Ligue des droits de l’Homme – France (LDH)
Malta Association of Human Rights (MAHR)
Movimiento Migrante Mesoamericano – Mexico
Montgolfière, Association d’aide aux demandeurs d’asile
Migreurop
Plate-forme Migrants et Citoyenneté européenne (PMC)
Syndicat des avocats de France (SAF)
The Organisation for Universal Citizenship (The O.U.C)
