After the accident of a boat off the coast of Calabria with more than 200 people on board, the search for survivors continues. More than 60 bodies have already been recovered. The boat has left in Turkey, bypassed Greece, because refugees are illegally rejected and mistreated there, and headed for Italy, hundreds of kilometers away. Long before …
T-Online reports on the refugee summit of the federal and state governments
T-Online asked me for my assessment of the federal-state refugee summit. I made it clear that rhetoric about sealing off and deporting refugees will not solve the problems and that we need pragmatic solutions instead.
Radio eins: EU Special Summit Migration
In an interview with radio eins, I called for a humane European asylum policy instead of even more isolation. More about the summit and the current state of EU asylum policy can be found in my press release and briefing.
The call for new fences is the capitulation to the real challenges
At its special meeting, the European Council dealt with flight and migration. The focus, not for the first time, is on measures to combat symptoms, compartmentalization and externalization. Meanwhile, the negotiations on the new European Asylum Pact still do not give the impression of ultimately finding a solution to the mistreatment of refugees at the external borders and the lack of solidarity …
Volodomyr Selenskyj in the European Parliament
Today Volodomyr Selenskyj spoke to us in the European Parliament. He emphasized the "European-Ukrainian values", fundamental and human rights and promoted Ukraine's accession to the EU. Ukraine's EU accession will still take time, this is not a short-distance run, but it is right to support Ukraine on this path – especially in the fight against the …
Interview with Frankfurter Rundschau on EU special summit
I spoke to the Frankfurter Rundschau about the EU special summit and explained that the wall-building rhetoric distracts from the real challenges.
Landmark court rulings in Rome and Strasbourg
In recent weeks, there have been two landmark judgments in European courts. First, at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), the Croatian authorities were indicted, and second, at the Court in Rome, the Italian authorities were indicted. In both cases, the state actors were found guilty. Three prisoners burn to death in Croatian prison cell In December 2017, Croatia was …
Question to the Commission on pushbacks from Italy to Greece
A week ago, Lighthouse Reports published a report about the results of their research on pushbacks on tourist ferries from Italy to Greece. They found evidence that asylum seekers, including children, are being held in unofficial prisons – sometimes handcuffed – during the crossing in the belly of passenger ships. SRF and ARD …
„Then Europe might as well declare moral insolvency“
Watson reports on my speech criticizing the EU for criminalizing refugee aid. You can find the article here.
Criminalization of refugee assistance
In the European Parliament this week we discussed the criminalization of sea rescue and humanitarian aid. You can find my speech here. Read more in our study on criminalization in Europe.