During the plenary session (14-17 January 2019) of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, MEPs debate on the reform of the EU asylum and migration policy in light of the continued humanitarian crisis in the Mediterranean and Africa. Statements by Melania CIOT, Romanian Presidency, Dimitris AVRAMOPOULOS, Member of the EC in charge of Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship, Cecilia WIKSTRÖM (ALDE, SE), Cornelia ERNST (GUE/NGL, DE). Illustrative shots: border surveillance and rescue operation by FRONTEX at the Mediterranean Sea.

Strasbourg

debate

plenary session

migration and refugees in Europe (T)

WIKSTRÖM, Cecilia (ALDE, SE)

asylum procedures in the EU (T)

AVRAMOPOULOS, Dimitris (EL)

ERNST, Cornelia (The Left, DE)

CIOT, Melania-Gabriela (RO)

Reform of the EU asylum and migration policy in light of the continued humanitarian crisis in the Mediterranean and Africa: extracts from the debate and illustrative footage

SOUNDBITE (English), Melania CIOT, Romanian Presidency , Striking the right balance is not only about finding the right formula for the distribution mechanism. Solidarity can be expressed in different ways. The complexity of the situation is demonstrated by the fact that notwithstanding the important decrease in number of arrivals, there is still a high number of asylum applications. A big proportion of which are large in countries other than the front-line Member States. This shows that there are significant secondary movements which will need to be tackled if we want come to a structural solution for the issue at stake.

SOUNDBITE (English), Dimitris AVRAMOPOULOS, Member of the EC in charge of Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship, Having 49 people, 49, on boats at sea for almost three weeks is not what the European Union stands for. (claps) And it is even more shameful to think that this happened during the Christmas period.

SOUNDBITE (English), Dimitris AVRAMOPOULOS, Member of the EC in charge of Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship, I ask everyone to open their eyes: we are not in any migration or refugee crisis anymore, although some tried to present it as such. And while we are determined to continue reducing irregular migratory flows towards Europe, we also have to acknowledge that some migrants and refugees will continue to come even if those numbers are much smaller today.

SOUNDBITE (English), Dimitris AVRAMOPOULOS, Member of the EC in charge of Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship, Now is the time to finalize the reform of the European Union's asylum rules. Now is the time for the governments to take up their responsibilities in the Council and stop blaming the Commission.

SOUNDBITE (English), Cecilia WIKSTR&#214;M (ALDE, SE), Rapporteur on Asylum reform, <p>The result that we see of member states now is that people rescued at sea have to wait for weeks in full despair and desperation as member states haggle over their future. With every failure of member states the bar seems to be set lower and lower. Believe me, Madame Chair, judgment day will come, and generations to come will ask all of us: why did you allow this to happen? Why?</p>

SOUNDBITE (German), Cornelia ERNST (GUE/NGL, DE), <p>You are blocking a very positive asylum policy: you are jointly responsible and liable for the thousands of deaths on our external border. I'm ashamed of you, I'm ashamed of the Council. You are really neglecting any mention of human rights.</p>

Footage, illustration shots on border surveillance and rescue operation by FRONTEX at the Mediterranean Sea