Migration “Important step to tackle immediate crises, but more needed to solve the root causes”
Commenting on today’s Commission migration proposals, Guy Verhofstadt, ALDE president commented:
“President Juncker has taken an important step. Europe cannot continue to look away from the tragedies that are happening in the Mediterranean.”
“The proposals to trigger the emergency clause to share the responsibility for the asylum seekers, is a first step to solve the immediate crisis. But more has to be done to remove the incentives for immigrants to undertake the dangerous journey to Europe.”
“We need to address the root causes by putting in place a permanent system for asylum seekers and economic migrants. We need a functioning blue card which gives access to the European market if you have a work contract, the possibility to apply for humanitarian visas in our embassies abroad and a permanent European responsibility sharing mechanism for asylum seekers.”
Cecilia Wikström, coordinator in the civil liberties committee, added: “The Commission is taking a great step forward today and we do welcome this. Still it is not enough. We need a comprehensive approach to asylum and migration, a new truly European agenda that really links these two policy areas, which is not the case at the moment. Member states need to share the responsibility for the asylum seekers and to increase the solidarity, both towards asylum seekers and between member states.”
“Our visit to Malta, on the same day that the Commission is presenting the agenda on migration, is not symbolic. We have to go beyond the numbers and the statistics, because what we are seeing here today in Valletta is that, at the end of the day, migration is about people whose only wish is to make a better life for themselves. The Commission may be presenting a range of proposals in Brussels today. I’m leading a delegation of Liberal and Democrat MEPs meeting people on the ‘front line’ of migration and asylum in Malta who will be affected by this proposal and what I’m seeing is that we must not forget that this is all about people, people escaping persecution or simply searching for a better life.”
Please find the ALDE blueprint on migration and the programme of ALDE’s delegation to Malta on
http://www.alde.eu/
