Deutschlandfunk interview on the fire in the Moria refugee camp in Greece: Politicians have not taken their responsibility there for years and must now finally provide humanitarian aid. You can listen to the interview here.
Ongoing human rights violations on the Balkan route
Even if it is less reported now, there are still people trying to flee to the EU via the Western Balkan route. Their situation is worsening, their fundamental rights are being trampled on. I have summarized here current developments in the region. Bosnia-Herzegovina Most refugees in Bosnia-Herzegovina don't want to stay in the country, but …
Floating illegal reception centres in Malta – My question to the Commission
Here you will find my question to the Commission on the floating illegal detention centres in Malta. You can also read it here on the homepage of the European Parliament in all 24 official languages of the European Union. The Commission states in its answer that it expects Malta and other Member States to abide by European fundamental rights and …
Worldwide, 79.5 million people are on the run. These are the causes
The UN refugee agency UNHCR published its annual report "Global Trend" on Thursday. It is the most important overview of flight and displacement worldwide. The latest report shows that 79.5 million people are currently on the run. That is 8.7 million more than in the previous year, more than twice as many as just eight …
Unmarried couples must be allowed to see each other even in times of pandemic!
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, …