‘It’s time to go from discussion to action on migration’ - Cyrus Engerer

It’s time to go from discussion on migration to action, MEP Cyrus Engerer said.

He was speaking during a European Parliament discussion on the matter. The MEP said it was time to discuss action by the Commission against certain member states for not acting on migration, leaving periphery member states on their own.

The Parliament has been discussing saving lives in the Mediterranean for over 14 years, he said. “My question is: how many times are we going to have to have the same conversation? For 14 years we have seen the same thing happening over and over again- migrants leave the North of Africa, they make the dangerous journey across the Mediterranean Sea, sometimes they do not survive. The EU governments, world leaders, send their thoughts and prayers, we host a debate in this Committee and sometimes even in plenary, if the death toll is high, and then we do the same thing over and over when we have a new boat that capsizes in the Mediterranean,” he said.

The debate came as several MEPs said the EU must help Greece manage its border with Turkey, while ensuring the right to asylum for those who need it.

In a debate with Commissioner Johansson and the Croatian Presidency of the Council, a majority of speakers criticised Turkish President Erdoğan for using people’s suffering for political purposes. Many also underlined that the 2015 refugee crisis should not be repeated and insisted that the EU needs to update its common rules on asylum.

Some political group leaders called for a revision of the deal with Turkey, which was hammered out in 2016 to stem the flow of migrants and asylum-seekers in exchange for EU financial aid. Others showed deep concern about the deteriorating humanitarian situation both at the border with Turkey and on the Greek islands, where thousands of asylum-seekers, many of them unaccompanied minors, are stranded.

The need to respect the Geneva Convention and offer protection to refugees, the allegations about police violence against people attempting to cross the border and the risk that jihadists could be entering EU territory were also raised during the discussion.

This article is part of a content series called Ewropej. This is a multi-newsroom initiative part-funded by the European Parliament to bring the work of the EP closer to the citizens of Malta and keep them informed about matters that affect their daily lives. This article reflects only the author’s view. The European Parliament is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information it contains.