Before the final vote on the reform of the Common European Asylum System, I explained to Deutschlandfunk radio why the European Greens will vote against most parts of the reform. The reform will not improve the organization of migration, but in practice will create more bureaucracy and more suffering for those affected and will not tackle the causes of flight. Why new approaches …
NDR Info: Warehouses are not a solution
In an interview with NDR, I criticized the fact that mass camps at the external borders do not solve any problems and why we cannot wipe away the complex challenges with simple answers. Above all, the reform will create a bureaucratic monster and hardly improve the situation in the municipalities or the chaos at the external borders. Here you can …
Syria: The current humanitarian situation and possible EU action
Syria has been at war for 13 years. In 2011, the Syrian revolution was violently crushed by dictator Bashar al-Assad as part of the Arab Spring. Iran and Russia support the Assad regime, which is internationally ostracized for brutal human rights violations. Half a million people have already been killed, 13 million people have been displaced – more than the …
Parliament criticizes funds for Tunisian autocrats
In a resolution of the European Parliament, we MEPs have criticized the release of funds to the Tunisian government. You can find my speech in plenary here. The EPP and Renew Europe groups, as well as the ECR and ID groups, opposed the resolution. The motion from our group to discuss the resolution had …
European Parliament strengthens protection of the press
In one of the last sessions of the European Parliament before the European elections, we adopted the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA). We Greens have long campaigned for a robust European law that guarantees the independence of public media and national regulators and ensures a fair distribution of state resources. The law …
The world's first AI law: why it must protect people on the run in particular
Agreement on the first law to regulate artificial intelligence As part of its digital strategy, the European Commission has proposed a legal act to regulate artificial intelligence (AI Act) in order to ensure better conditions for the development and use of artificial intelligence (AI) in Europe and to prevent risks. The aim of the legislators was to maximize the benefits …
Devastating Frontex report: Commission of inquiry into sea rescue must come
Following the Pylos shipwreck with over 600 fatalities off the Greek coast, the European Ombudswoman Emily O’Reilly launched an investigation. Due to her mandate, she focused on the role of Frontex. The report she has now presented shows that Frontex is not fulfilling its own European and human rights requirements. This is due, for example, to the fact that …
Reform of work and residence permits
An agreement was reached in January at the final trilogue on the recast of the Single Permit Directive. What is the directive about? Every year, around 3 to 3.5 million third-country nationals come to the EU, mainly for professional reasons. They work in EU countries, pay taxes and contribute to their mobility …
Study: Beyond borders, beyond boundaries
My Dutch colleague Tineke Strik and I have commissioned a critical analysis of the EU's financial support for border regimes in Tunisia and Libya for the Green Group in the European Parliament. You can find the entire study here in German, English and French. A two-page summary is available in German, English, Italian, French and Arabic. Clear failures of the …
Event: Beyond the walls: How EU asylum policy disenfranchises people outside Europe
Dear all, on February 22nd at 7 pm my event on the externalization of EU asylum policy will take place. The focus will be on the externalization (outsourcing) of responsibility to third countries and everyday life at Europe's borders: People are abandoned in the desert, EU-funded militias shoot at lifeboats, survivors in distress at sea are sold on slave markets: The list of horror reports on the …