EP BUDG Delegation mission to Turkey : visit of refugee Camp in Osmaniye - statement by Jean ARTHUIS (ALDE,FR) , Head the EP BUDG delegation

visit

EU - Türkiye (T)

EP delegation

GEIER, Jens (S&D, DE)

situation of Syrian refugees (T)

Committee on Budgets

RÜBIG, Paul (EPP, AT)

DENANOT, Jean-Paul (S&D, FR)

VISTISEN, Anders (ID, DK)

ARTHUIS, Jean (ALDE, FR)

OMARJEE, Younous (The Left, FR)

ZANNI, Marco (ID, IT)

FERNANDES, José Manuel (EPP, PT)

VAIDERE, Inese (EPP, LV)

JÄÄTTEENMÄKI, Anneli (ALDE, FI)

MARAGALL, Ernest (Greens/EFA, ES)

Visit of the Camp, supermarket, project founded by the EU.

The BUDG Delegation is being welcomed at the refugee Camp in Osmaniye, Jean ARTHUIS (ALDE,FR) , Head the EP BUDG delegation greets a girl and talks to her

The delegation visits a photo exhibition at the camp.

Meeting with the authorities of the Camp.

Credit cards that have been distributed to the refugees to pay at the Camp facilities.

SOUNDBITE (French), Jean ARTHUIS (ALDE, FR), Chair of the delegation, We just spent a moment with a couple and their little girl; we can feel their impatience to be back to their country when peace will be re-established, and that must be our priority, peace in the Middle East, because only peace can solve the problem of migration.

SOUNDBITE (French), Jean ARTHUIS (ALDE, FR), Chair of the delegation, There&rsquo;s a call for solidarity with Turkey, and there&rsquo;s been credit lines that had been agreed for Turkey as pre-accession funds, but also for supporting the refugees. As BUDG delegation we are here to see whether this credit is being spent in the right way. There is a lot of rules and administrative steps to follow, and that&rsquo;s ok for pre-accession funds, but for those funds related to the help of refugees, when there is no time to waste, I wish we in the EU can find more appropriate procedures. There is a trust fund for Syria that has been agreed, and the 3 billion confirmed by the EU member states, so now it&rsquo;s time for action. Turkish authorities are already evaluating the needs for funding, the EU delegates on the ground are also working on it and we can only hope for a coordinated action. And in order to go fast, we need transparency and non-ambiguities from Turkish side, because trust is indispensable if we want to go fast, and there is a real emergency here.

SOUNDBITE (French), Jean ARTHUIS (ALDE, FR), Chair of the delegation, We all need to set our objectives clear; when a country asks for visa, that means it is a safe country, and those who have crossed the borders illegally shall be sent back to their country of origin. So all parties must live up to their responsibilities. We have to ensure a close partnership and if we want it to function, immediate actions must be taken. And for that, trust and transparency are essential.