I have asked the Commission what it thinks about the fact that the Libyan coast guard, which it supports, is itself involved in smuggling and human trafficking. This includes a person who is on the sanctions list of the United Nations Security Council. In its response, the commission says that human rights abuses and conditions in detention centers in Libya …
5 billion € of the EU to Greece for migration and asylum – and still such conditions?
Since 2014, the European Union has provided Greece with a total of ⬠4.96 billion for migration and border management. The support of the European Union to Greece is provided through four funds: the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF), the Internal Security Fund (ISF), the Emergency Support Instrument (ESI) and the Border Management …
NDR Info: Ocean Viking and Sea Rescue
I talked to NDR about the rescue of over 600 people by the Ocean Viking and the situation of sea rescue in general. You can listen to the seven-minute conversation here.
Question: Is the Commission ready to act after the cover-up of the Crotone accident?
On June 14, I sent a question to the EU Commission, which was supported by 25 MEPs from four political groups. The Commission did not answer my questions, saying that it does not want to comment on ongoing investigations. My question Based on joint research by Lighthouse Reports, El País, Sky News, Le Monde, Süddeutsche …
Question to the Commission on EU-funded detention center in Bosnia
On April 19, I sent the following question to the Commission. The Commission again took more time than it should have to answer. In the meantime, Bosnian politicians have announced the end of the prison facility because there is no legal basis for it. My inquiry about the problematic wording of the commissioner Olivér Várhelyi is not answered by this …
moma duell: Abolish the basic right to asylum?
In the moma duell, I explained to Thorsten Frei, the parliamentary manager of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group, why we cannot abolish the individual right to asylum. I consider this proposal to be unworkable and a punishment program for right-wing extremists. The eleven-minute argument can be found here.
World: „Better human rights in Tunisia and then there is money for it.“
In the conversation with the world, I talked about the so-called pact with Tunisia. It is about the terrible conditions in Tunisia, which simply abandons refugees in the desert. Cooperation with Tunisia only makes sense if Tunisia also respects human rights and we make migration agreements that include safe escape routes and work visas. …
European Parliament calls for sea rescue mission in the Mediterranean Sea
Finally! In a resolution, the EU Parliament has clearly spoken out in favor of an EU maritime rescue mission. In addition, we demand, among other things, that information about sea rescue cases are shared immediately, that the criminalization of sea rescue organizations is refrained from and that ships are allowed after sea rescues in the nearest safe port.†I negotiated the resolution for our group and even if we have the …
Video: Presentation of the study on the criminalization of refugees
On July 6, we presented the results of the study âA lawless space – the systematic criminalization of refugees for driving a car or boat to Greeceâ. If you missed the event, you can watch it again here. The presented study can be found in English, German and Greek here. Borderline Europe has been …
Exhibition: "1000 Dreams"- Refugees portray refugees
At the beginning of the July plenary week, in cooperation with Witness Change and the Heinrich Böll Foundation Thessaloniki, I opened a photo exhibition at the Parliament on individual stories of refugees. Against the backdrop of the current debates on the reform of the EU asylum system, it is important to keep reminding that behind technical discussions on refugee numbers, distribution mechanisms …