In 2018, the EU Council commissioned a group of experts to make an analysis of European development cooperation and its actors and to make suggestions for improvement. The report of the expert group was available in October 2019 and proposed as its main point the establishment of the new European Climate and Sustainable Development Bank (ECSDB). This should bundle and centrally coordinate European development cooperation, …
Civil society talks in WrocÅaw: Resilience and Resistance
Our conference against criminalization of solidarity and for support of civil society On October 22nd and 23rd, our group, my office in Brussels and the Polish Greens organized a conference to bring together people from all over Europe who are affected by criminalization. Criminalization means helpers are put on trial for helping other people on the run …
Refugees are deprived of their rights at Latvia's external EU border
On August 10, 2021, Latvia declared a state of emergency in four border regions with Belarus due to increasing numbers of refugees. This decree has the effect of sending the military to the border, suspending the right to asylum in these areas, and consequently forcibly pushing most refugees back to Belarus. In addition, press and NGOs are denied access to those …
500 € for reception of refugees
Because many municipalities are currently working at their capacity limits, I suggested in Der Spiegel that private individuals should receive €500 for accommodating refugees from Ukraine. SPIEGEL: Mr. Marquardt, hundreds of thousands of people have again fled to Germany, primarily because of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. How well is the accommodation working? Marquardt: It is working, but …
Request: Cases of "drift-backs" in the Aegean Sea
I have put a question to the Commission about the documented „drift-backs“ in the Aegean Sea. To my question whether the Commission finally admits these human rights violations at the Greek border I receive once again no answer. The Commission remains vague in its statements and only points out that it has asked the Greek authorities all …
Green delegation trip to the Greek border
I traveled to Greece from September 19 to 21 as part of a delegation from my group in the European Parliament together with MEPs Tineke Strik from the Netherlands, Saskia Bricmont from Belgium and Gwendoline Delbos-Corfield from France. The aim of the trip is to get a picture of the current situation of refugees in Greece – but …
We need a coordinated EU mechanism for Russian dissidents and defectors
In my letter to the Commission, I join 34 other MEPs from four political groups in calling for the EU to establish a coordinated mechanism for Russian dissidents and defectors. You can find the original letter in English with all signatures here. Dear Commission President von der Leyen Dear Vice-President Schinas, Dear Commissioner Johansson, after the …
Question: Rejections despite interim measures of the ECtHR
I have submitted a question to the Commission on pushbacks at the land border between Greece and Turkey. The Commission expresses shock and concern about the reports and responds that it will review the current control mechanisms to safeguard fundamental rights. You can find the question with answers in several languages here. My question As from …
Question: EU funding for closed migration centers
The EU funds several closed migration centers with detention-like conditions in Greece. Despite available evidence from a Greek court and several non-governmental organizations, the Commission denies that detention-like conditions exist and furthermore claims that the rights of protection seekers are not broken. You can find the question with answers in several languages here. My question The EU funds …
Resilience and resistance – Study on the criminalization of solidarity.
This study, commissioned by the Green Group in the European Parliament, analyzes the state of criminalization of solidarity with refugees in the European Union. Full study in English and Italian and summary and policy recommendations in English, German, Italian, French and Greek People are put on trial for helping others on the run in a humanitarian way. This should …