Brussels
10 February 2023
The European Council which concluded today on Friday 10 February is shameful for the EU’s fundamental value of openness and decency towards refugees and migrants fleeing war zones and human rights abuse in search for a peaceful and safe future.
The far-right shift towards an ever more restrictive Fortress Europe, fully supported by the center right, is particularly worrying. Anti-migrant rhetoric and policies are not at the heart of the European project. Solidarity and support for those facing human rights threats and danger are.
The European Greens continue supporting an EU-wide solidarity-based migration policy. A common EU Asylum System with a fair distribution of asylum seekers to support Southern countries and countries as the border of Europe is an urgent necessity.
Externalising our border control to third countries is also a dangerous solution: EU funding cannot support regimes and systems abusing migrants’ and refugees’ human rigths.
Additionally, the EU needs to ensure safe and legal migration routes instead of building walls and criminalising refugees and search and rescue NGOs.
Mélanie Vogel and Thomas Waitz, co-chairs of the European Green Party, comment:
“Once again, the conservative and far-right playbook of fearmongering is at full speed here. Building Fortress Europe with EU funding is an absurd proposal that goes against the values the European project is built on.
When countries are facing wars, or natural disasters, like we have just witnessed in Turkey and Syria, we must embrace solidarity and welcome refugees and migrants.
Conservative leaders using Bulgaria and Romania’s hope for Schengen accession as a bargaining chip over migration policies is even more destructive and harmful for the EU’s unity.”
END
Valentin Dupouey
Head of the Communication Unit / Press Officer
E valentin.dupouey@europeangreens.eu
T +32 (0) 485 93 99 26
European Green Party
Rue du Taciturne 34, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
www.europeangreens.eu
