Fortress Europe must end! Europe needs a clear YES to welcoming refugees

“There are 4 million refugees from Syria, 2 million Iraqis, 3.5 million Afghanis and 2 million Libyans. All as a result of war. And how does the EU respond when these refugees are at the doors of Europe what do you do?” questioned GUE/NGL MEP Marina Albiol, today in a debate in the European Parliament reflecting on the current refugee crisis. If the problem is that people are fleeing wars, then the answer is not through bombs.”

Continuing on behalf of the group, French MEP Marie-Christine Vergiat said, “The current number of refugees who have arrived in Europe make up only 0.11% of the European population and yet we are going to process them and decide who are the 'real refugees' according to their nationalities or even worse criteria.”

“What about those living under dictatorships? What about economic migrants who come here and have no hope for the future? We in the EU need to offer a solution and alternative to human trafficking, these people have rights and these rights must be respected.”  

Cornelia Ernst, pointed out some of the problems of the response so far, noting that “migration takes place for a reason, nobody can decide who will migrate and there are no good or bad refugees.

“It doesn't matter how high the wall is, you cannot stop people fleeing and therefore we need a clear 'Yes' to welcoming these refugees, all over the EU, regardless of their religion or background. The current asylum law is simply not sufficient, the EU must do more.” 

Finally, Swedish MEP Malin Björk said: “The people have spoken and shown what type of Europe they want to live in and that is an open society that helps refugees and welcomes them.  We should no longer try and adapt to the rhetoric and polices of the extreme right, this is not what people want. Fortress Europe must end!


GUE/NGL Press Contact:

Gay Kavanagh +32 473 84 23 20