Due to travel restrictions, many couples have been unable to meet since the pandemic began. What a torment at this difficult time. I have asked Interior Minister Horst Seehofer, along with many other Members from the European Parliament, to finally find a solution. There are already solutions in Denmark, and other EU countries could apply the same rules. Especially as the people affected incur costs …
ZDF interview: „Shameful situations for Europe“
The situation on the Mediterranean and at Europe's external borders is undignified and shameful. In the ZDF-Mittagsmagazin, I spoke about how Germany must use its EU Presidency to ensure that people there are finally treated with dignity and why a Federal Minister of the Interior must do more than appeal to others. You can read the interview here.
Tagesschau interview: Organising European reception of refugees
The proposal of the Green Group on the Common European Asylum Policy provides incentives to distribute refugees in solidarity between the member states. You can watch the article here.
Closed borders do not help against the pandemic
In the paper Protect Schengen we, the Greens/EFA Group in the European Parliament, explain why the controls at Europe's internal borders are wrong. They jeopardise the possibility of travelling and living together in a common area without border controls. Border controls at the EU's internal borders separate families and friends, they create borders between long-integrated regions and neighbourhoods and undermine the …
"The most beautiful borders are open" Guest article in the Tagesspiegel:
On the 35th anniversary of Schengen, I wrote a guest article in the Tagesspiegel. 35 years ago, on 14 June 1985, five European member states laid the foundations in the small town of Schengen for the fact that today 400 million people can travel and live together in the great Europe without restrictions. This achievement is at the heart of the European project. Here you can …
Even in Corona times, the EU must rescue and take in people in distress at sea
The Covid 19 pandemic led to the closure of the EU's external borders and was used by Malta and Italy as an excuse to close their ports to rescue ships. A boat carrying 55 people was returned to Libya in April on the orders of the Maltese Rescue Coordination Centre (RCC). Twelve people died of thirst or drowned in the process. As early as February 2020, an expert opinion was published by the Heinrich Böll Foundation, …
Andreas Scheuer amends ordinance to make sea rescue more difficult
For several years now European states have been trying to make human rights monitoring and sea rescue operations at the EU's external borders more difficult and criminalised. Germany, too, has now passed further rules that could spell the end for the missions of some aid organisations. The model for this approach seems to be the Netherlands, where last year sea rescue was hindered on similar grounds. …
Our proposal for a fair and efficient asylum system in Europe
With this paper, we, the Greens/EFA Group in the European Parliament, present our proposal for the future Common European Asylum System. We believe this is necessary because we in Europe are currently not treating refugees with the dignity they deserve. The Greek islands must not continue to be misused for a hotspot system that inevitably leads to a humanitarian …
Question: Situation on the border between Turkey and the EU
In order to be able to exercise my parliamentary control function as an MEP, I have the possibility to put questions to the EU Commission. The Commission must answer these questions.On 04.03.2020 I put the following questions to the Commission: Question with priority for written answer P-001313/2020 to the Commission Subject: Situation at the border between Turkey and the EU Since the …
#LeaveNoOneBehind – How can I help
I receive many requests from people who ask how they can help in the current situation. I am very happy about the great willingness to help and have therefore put together a few ideas for you what you can do now. Join the #LeaveNoOneBehind campaign Join more than 330,000 people and support the campaign …