AFET

MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION BY THE COMMITTEE  ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS  (AFET)

Hide-and-seek along Europe’s borders: As migrants keep fleeing inhumane situations to seek refuge in the EU, borders crossing increased by 70% in 2021. In light of the European Commission’s New Pact on Migration and Asylum, how can the EU provide better migration policies by effective solidarity and deepening international partnerships while keeping in mind the concerns of its Member States?

Submitted by: Pleun van Eijk (NL), Ensar Esen (NL), Benthe Jade Hauzendorfer (NL), Elodie Kho (NL), Parmis Mohajeri (NL), Chloé Post (NL), Sara Swaneen (NL), Luying Wang (NL), Fenna Winter (NL), Micaela Lai (Chairperson, IT)

The European Youth Parliament,

  1. Concerned by the lack of cooperation and trust between Member States regarding migration, resulting in unequally shared responsibilities and difficulties in forming an EU-wide, sustainable migration management system,
  2. Observing the lack of coordination, monitoring and evaluation of migration and coherent integration in all Member States,
  3. Recognising the physiological detriments resulting from civil unrest, violent situations, abuse and strained living conditions associated with seeking refuge,
  4. Regretting the lack of safe routes for refugees, who are forced to undergo irregular and dangerous journeys including long-distance walks and a severe risk of human trafficking,
  5. Concerned with the lack of resources in refugee camps and asylum centres across Member States, including:
    1. lack of funding to establish new centres in times of increasing need,
    2. existing facilities having to host up to 6-7 times the number of refugees they were designed for, 
  6. Deeply disturbed by the blatant violations of basic human rights known to have taken place in refugee camps,
  7. Noting with concern that refugee border crossings within the EU have increased by 70% in 2020 compared with 2019,
  8. Further noting with concern the negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the health and safety of refugees as well as the decreased capacity for asylum application approvals,
  9. Noting with deep concern that some Member States, such as Hungary, are not respecting the EU’s rules, policies and values on asylum and migration,
  10. Bearing in mind the slow and complex asylum application procedures common to the EU, refugees can not legally enter a European country on short notice and may resort to unlawful entry instead,
  11. Considering the recent nonconformity of Turkey with regard to a 2016 refugee deal, 1The EU-Turkey joint action plan reflects the common understanding between the EU and Turkey and establishes an approach to the influx of specifically Syrian refugees entering the EU from turkey in a joint venture. whose aim was to create cooperation with Greece by splitting  leading to the redirection of a large group of asylum seekers to Greece;
  1. Appeals to all Member States to jointly work towards efficient long-term migration policies in cooperation with the countries of origin of the refugees;
  2. Asks the European Commission to incite a better common understanding of the current situation in refugee camps and at borders through the use of information campaigns wherein refugees may share their past experiences;
  3. Calls upon the European Commission to provide funding for integration support programmes in refugee camps with the aid of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and NGOs involved in similar activities;
  4. Requests the United Nations Refugee Agency to establish guidelines on the protection of the physical and psychological health through regular visits and hygiene rules;
  5. Suggests creating a solidarity mechanism based on an annual assessment of the amount of political and monetary contributions and aid offered by each Member State;  
  6. Requests the European Commission to amend the EU Recovery Plan to incorporate guidelines on healthcare and education services in refugee camps;
  7. Authorises the European Commission to fund the training of volunteers for the asylum application process in overcrowded refugee camps;
  8. Urges the European External Action Service to remind Turkey to more strictly adhere to the 2016 refugee deal using diplomatic action;
  9. Recommends the European Commission to involve European Humanitarian Admission Programmes in migration infrastructure to safely and efficiently relocate refugees between Member States.