Greece rejects asylum applications from people seeking protection and issues exit orders to Turkey. However, Turkey has not allowed any readmissions for over a year now – people have to leave, but cannot. This leads to a situation „of perpetual refugees“ living in miserable conditions in Greece because they no longer receive benefits. I …
History of European asylum policy since 1997
Over the past two decades, we have unfortunately come little closer to a humane and progressive asylum policy. Below you will find an overview of the Amsterdam Treaty, the Lisbon Treaty and the current Commission proposal for a Common European Asylum System (CEAS), on which the Commission, Council and Parliament are currently working. The Amsterdam Treaty will be signed in 1997 …
Question: Situation of persons seeking protection on the Greek islands
On 12 March, I sent the Commission a question to find out what specific plans were being made to improve the situation on the Greek islands. The answer states that the accommodation has improved since the fire in Moria. However, even eight months after the fire, the residents do not notice much of this. The …
Letter to the Commission: Lead exposure in the new Moria
Since the new Mavrovouni (Kara Tepe) camp on Lesvos opened in September 2020, there have always been serious concerns about lead contamination in the former military area, in addition to all the other disastrous living conditions. Over 6,000 people live on land that has been proven to be contaminated with lead, putting pregnant women and children playing in particular at risk. Together with many other MEPs …
Frontex provides information for deadly interceptions to Libyan coast guard
Press release on new revelations about breaches of the law by the European border protection agency. Frontex sends information on sea rescue cases in the Mediterranean via WhatsApp groups and emails directly to the Libyan Coast Guard. Until now, Frontex also claimed to the European Parliament that they only inform sea rescue control centres about sea rescue cases. This was their justification for not giving coordinates to surrounding ships to ensure the fastest possible rescue …
Query: New evidence of push-backs at the Croatian border
There is ever more evidence of the illegal and violent rejection of asylum seekers at the Croatian-Bosnian border. Together with other MEPs, I have asked the EU Commission when it will finally react. Subject: New evidence of push-back measures at the Croatian border - will the Commission finally react? On 18 November 2020, the German weekly Der …
Inquiry about the "temporary" camp Mavrovouni on Lesbos
Refugees are no longer allowed to simply leave the new Moria on Lesbos. I have asked the Commission questions about these conditions. The Commissioner writes in her answer to my parliamentary question asking about push-backs at the Greek-Turkish maritime border and the role of the EU border and coast guard Frontex: „An effective and well-functioning agency for the …
Refugees in Greece receive money from the EU through this programme
In order to support the protection seekers on the Greek islands, the UNHCR has set up a Cash Assistance Programme. Under this programme, a fixed monthly amount is transferred to an account for the protection seekers, which they can then dispose of freely. In principle, the Cash Assistance Programme is intended to offer protection seekers the opportunity to arrange basic care according to their individual needs. It should …
Question on the involvement of Frontex in illegal pushbacks
Together with other MEPs, I put the following questions to the EU Commission, to which it replied on 14 April 2021: Subject: Alleged involvement of Frontex in illegal pushbacks of asylum seekers On 23 October 2020, Der Spiegel published its investigation entitled 'Frontex implicated in illegal pushbacks of refugees'. At the LIBE Committee meeting of 6 July 2020 …
Study shows: EU Commission may finance sea rescue operations
I have commissioned a study (German / English), which examines which legal obligations and competences the European Union has in sea rescue. This also applies to military operations of the EU. In March 2020, the EU decided to launch the naval mission Irini, to prevent arms smuggling to Libya using satellite information, at sea and from the air …