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 …

EP Plenary session - Single application procedure for a single permit for third-country nationals to reside and work in the territory of a Member State and on common rights for third-country workers legally residing in a Member State

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 …

Photo: Erik Marquardt

Parliament condemns attacks on press freedom and rule of law in Greece

Today (Wednesday, February 7), we Members of the European Parliament voted in favor of a resolution on the rule of law and media freedom in Greece. The Christian Democrats, together with the far-right, had tried to prevent the vote and clear demands on the rule of law and media freedom. You can find the exact voting behavior here. In Greece, cases of spying and harassment of …

Study shows widespread racism in the EU

The recent report "Being Black in the EU" concludes that racism, discrimination and hate crime remain a major problem, despite the existence of binding anti-discrimination laws since 2000. Key findings include that almost half of respondents have experienced racial discrimination – an increase from 39 % in 2016 …

Deutschlandfunk interview: Cooperation with right-wing extremists has no place in a democracy

Following the Correctiv revelation that AfD politicians are already planning mass deportations together with other right-wing extremists, I spoke to Deutschlandfunk radio about the rise of right-wing extremism in Germany. It was also about the populism of conservative parties and the fact that we need to find our way back to a democratic culture of debate. Click here’for the interview.

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