37 Amendments of Heinz K. BECKER related to 2015/2095(INI)
Amendment 103 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
G. whereas migrant smuggling, trafficking and labour exploitation are distinct legal phenomenainstances of wrongdoing requiring properly targeted responses, while often overlapping in practice; and whereas criminal smuggling and trafficking networks can change their modus operandi very quickly, thus requiring rapidly adapted responses based on the most recent and accurate data;
Amendment 127 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital J
Recital J
J. whereas the abolishment of internal border controls must go hand-in-hand with the effective management of external borders, with high common standards, effective exchange of information between Member States, and full respect for everyone’s fundamental rights, as well as raising the status of, and strengthening, the EU border protection agency Frontex;
Amendment 149 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital M
Recital M
M. whereas safe and legal routes for refugees to access the EU are limited, and many continue to take the risk of embarking on dangerous routes; and whereas the creation of new safe and lawful routes for asylum seekers and refugees to enter the EU, building on existing legislation and practices, would allow the EU and the Member States to have a better overview of the protection needs and of the inflow into the EU and to undermine the business model of the smugglers; whereas contact points for asylum applications should be set up in third countries, and applications processed with the help of UNHCR expertise and shared among all Member States in accordance with a distribution key to be calculated, as proposed by the Austrian interior ministry under its 'Save Lives' initiative;
Amendment 197 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital U
Recital U
U. whereas the CEAS includes a set of common rules for a common asylum policy, a uniform asylum status and common asylum procedures valid throughout the Union; whereas, however, many alerts, including the infringement decisions adopted by the Commission, show that the CEAS has not been fully implemented as widely as possible in many Member States; whereas implementation is essential in order to harmonise national laws and promote solidarity among Member States, and whereas Member States can seek supporting assistance from EASO to meet the standards required by the CEAS; whereas harmonisation of reception conditions and asylum procedures can avoid stress on countries offering better conditions and are key to responsibility sharing;
Amendment 220 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Points out that solidarity must be the principle upon which Union action on migration is based; notes that the principle of solidarity, as set out in Article 80 TFEU, covers asylum, immigration and border control policies; takes the view that Article 80 provides a legal basis ‘jointly’ with Articles 77-79 TFEU to implement the principle of solidarity in those areas; calls on all Member States to show concrete solidary by taking their shared responsibility in receiving people in need of international protection.
Amendment 316 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Underlines that military operations should not be the predominate aspect of any holistic approach to migration and reiterate, but are important to save lives and combat smugglers; considers that CFSP Operation "Sophia must not distract" and Mare Sicuro are an essential contribution to the effectiveness of search and rescue operations and to the assets already deployed in the Mediterranean forom saving lives at sea;
Amendment 321 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10 a. welcomes the recent decision to use NATO assets in the Eastern Mediterranean to combat traffickers and smugglers who are exploiting innocent migrants
Amendment 430 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Believes that the preferences of the applicant should, as much as practically possible, be taken into account when carrying out relocation in particular based on their skills and competences; recognises that this is one way of discouraging secondary movements and encouraging applicants themselves to accept relocation decisions, but that it should not stop the relocation process;
Amendment 449 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. ObserveConsiders, furthermore, that resettlement through the auspices of UNHCR is a well-established humanitarian programme, and is a useful tool for managing orderly arrivals of persons inthe best existing legal and safe way for persons in need of international protection to reach orderly the Member State territories; deplores that the offer of quotas for resettlement by all Member States is totally insufficient to meet the needs of international protection ontoeven the most vulnerable refugees; deplores that according to UNHCR procedures for resettling refugees are too long; Calls on all Member States territorio participate to resettlement programmes and to speed up procedures;
Amendment 554 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31
Paragraph 31
31. Points out that the pressure placed on the system – as established by the Dublin Regulation – by the rising number of migrants arriving in the Union has shown that, as implemented, the system has largely failed to achieve its two primary goals of establishing objective and fair criteria for allocation of responsibility and of providing swift access to international protection; observes that, because of the lack of unity among EU Member States, the Dublin Regulation has effectively become inoperative;
Amendment 576 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33 a (new)
Paragraph 33 a (new)
33a. Recommends that the examination of asylum applications should largely be moved to contact points outside the EU, close to refugees' place of origin, in order to combat the smuggling of people effectively;
Amendment 632 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 39
Paragraph 39
39. Believes that the asylum systems of some frontline Member States are already clearly overburdened and that the Temporary Protection Directive should – under its own logic – have been triggered; calls, in any case, for a clear definition of ‘mass influx’ to be established upon revision of this directive; understands that such a revision of the Temporary Protection Directive can form part of the review of the Dublin system;
Amendment 643 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 40
Paragraph 40
40. Emphasises that hosting Member States must offer recognised refugees support and opportunities to integrate and build a life in their new society and – as provided for in the Qualifications Directive12 – this should also include effective access to democratic structures in society; emphasises that integration is a two-way process and that respect for the values upon which the EU is built must be an integral part of the integration process; __________________ 12 Directive 2011/95/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 December 2011 on standards for the qualification of third-country nationals or stateless persons as beneficiaries of international protection, for a uniform status for refugees or for persons eligible for subsidiary protection, and for the content of the protection granted (OJ L 337, 20.12.2011, p. 9).
Amendment 666 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 41
Paragraph 41
41. Recalls that, under Article 15 of the Reception Conditions Directive, Member States are to determine the conditions for granting access to their labour markets for applicants for international protection, provided that such access is effective and is in accordance with the timeframe laid down in Paragraph 1 of that Article; stresses that access to labour market for asylum seekers and refugees is key to successful integration and for the refugees and asylum seekers to be able to support themselves rather than being dependent on subsidies; understands that, per Article 15(2) for reasons of labour market policies, Member States may give priority to Union citizens and nationals of states parties to the Agreement on the European Economic Area, and to legally resident third-country nationals;
Amendment 684 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 43
Paragraph 43
43. Reaffirms that better recognition of adequate foreign qualifications is one practical way of ensuring that those third- country nationals already present in the Union can integrate better, and calls on the Commission to come forward with appropriate proposals in that regard;
Amendment 710 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 46
Paragraph 46
46. Underlines that Member States should overcome any legal and practical obstacles to arrive at swiftercorresponding decisions on family reunification;
Amendment 717 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 47
Paragraph 47
47. RecommendObserves that, until such time as the Dublin Regulation has been fundamentally overhauled, it is important for Member States to make betterMember States can also make use of the discretionary clauses to respect the principle of family unity;
Amendment 837 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 56
Paragraph 56
56. Re-emphasises how essential it is that, once Union legislation has been agreed upon and adopted, the Member States implement it. Calls therefore on the Member States to uphold their side of the bargain and fully implement thatEU legislation;
Amendment 842 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 57
Paragraph 57
57. Notes further that it is impossible to properly to evaluate the advantages and drawbacks of certain elements of the CEAS owing to the fact that many Member States have not yet fully implemented the legislation and calls on the Commission to take this aspect into account while preparing the revision of Dublin;
Amendment 844 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 58
Paragraph 58
58. Recommends that EASO be developed, in the long term, into a principal coordinator of the CEAS with a view to guaranteeing common application of the rules of that system; reiterates that, as the CEAS becomes genuinely European, EASO needs to develop from a collectiongroup of experts from Member States into a fully- fledged Union agency providing operational support to Member States and at the external borders; emphasises, in that regard, that it must be provided with the necessary funding and human resources in the short, medium and long term;
Amendment 859 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 60
Paragraph 60
60. Notes the receCommends the important role of Frontex in rendering assistance to any vessel or person in distress at sea, and acknowledges its contribution, through the Triton and Poseidon joint operations, to the rescuing and saving of many lives in the Mediterranean; stresses that all Member States should provide logistical and human resources and participate to joint- operations;
Amendment 902 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 65
Paragraph 65
65. Acceptstresses that the Union needs to strengthen its external border protection and further develop the CEAS, and that measures are necessary to enhance the capacity of the Schengen Area to address the new challenges facing Europe and preserve the fundamental principles of security and free movement of persons;
Amendment 922 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 69
Paragraph 69
69. Takes notewelcomes that on 15 December 2015 the Commission came forward with a proposal for a targeted revision of the Schengen Borders Code, proposing to introduce systematic controls of all Union nationals (not only on third-country nationals) against the relevant databases at the external borders of the Schengen Area;
Amendment 930 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 70
Paragraph 70
70. Recalls that, in the ‘hotspot approach’ set out by the Commission in its European Agenda on Migration, Frontex, EASO, Europol and Eurojust are to provide operational assistancend budgetary assistance, and assistance with the use of funds, to Member States in accordance with their respective mandates;
Amendment 946 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 73
Paragraph 73
73. Calls for the set up of the hotspots to be set up as soon as possiblecompleted faster in order to give concrete operational assistance to those Member States in need;
Amendment 956 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 74
Paragraph 74
74. Recognises that one of the main purposes of hotspots is to allow the Union to grant protection and humanitarian assistance in a swift manner to those in need; emphasises that great care needs to be taken to ensure that the categorising of migrants at hotspots is carried out in full respect for the rights of all migrants; acknowledges, however, that proper identificfurther recognises the essential role of the hotspots to support Member States in the proper identification and registration of applicants for international protection at the point of first arrival in the Union should helpto facilitate the overall functioning of any reformed CEAS;
Amendment 960 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 74
Paragraph 74
74. Recognises that one of the main purposes of hotspots is to allow the Union to grant protection and humanitarian assistance in a swift manner to those in need; emphasises that great care needs to be taken to ensure that the examination of the motive for migration, identification and categorising of migrants at hotspots is carried out in full respect for the rights of all migrants; acknowledges, however, that proper identification of applicants for international protection at the point of first arrival in the Union should help facilitate the overall functioning of any reformed CEAS;
Amendment 988 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 79
Paragraph 79
79. Recalls that, to ensure that criminal investigations are conducted effectively, intensive training of the practitioners who are to conduct them is essential, so that those involved fully understand the phenomenon they are seeking to tackle and know how to recognise them at an early stage;
Amendment 1007 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 81 a (new)
Paragraph 81 a (new)
8a. Recommends a careful evaluation of readmission agreements in order, if appropriate, to be able to propose and initiate steps to optimise them;
Amendment 1038 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 86
Paragraph 86
86. Recalls that the Union has intensified its external cooperation with third countries in migration and asylum in order to respond adequately to the current refugee crisis, and has launched new cooperation initiatives, such as the EU-Turkey Joint Action Plan; emphasises, in that respect, the need for all parties to fulfil their commitments deriving from the Joint Action Plan, including addressing the root causes leading to the massive influx of Syrians, stepping up cooperation for the support of Syrians under temporary protection and their host communities in Turkey, and for Turkey to fulfil its commitments to prevent irregular migration flows from its territory to the Union; considers that more cooperation and support is necessary for search and rescue operations in the Aegean sea, including between Greece and Turkey; Calls on the Commission and on the Member States to speed up the disbursement of 3 billion euros to support refugees in Turkey;
Amendment 1049 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 32
Subheading 32
Amendment 1075 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 89 a (new)
Paragraph 89 a (new)
89a. Observes that the de-escalation of conflicts in areas affected by war or civil war may in some circumstances also have to be achieved by means of military action with allies in order to be able to combat war as a motive for flight effectively;
Amendment 1111 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 94 a (new)
Paragraph 94 a (new)
94a. Deplores that the UNHCR appeal to increase funding has been ignored by Member States and that WFP had to reduce their nutrition ratio to 80% because of reductions of funds; calls on the Member States and the EU to increase funding to the UN agencies and their partner NGOs in third countries;
Amendment 1159 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 104 a (new)
Paragraph 104 a (new)
104a. Recalls that decisions on the admission of refugees wishing to immigrate are a matter for the European Union and its Member States, a fact which should be taken into account in a possible future reform of the 'blue card';
Amendment 1184 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 110
Paragraph 110
110. Notes that even if the existing EU legislative framework regulating the access of third- country nationals to work in the Union is rather fragmented, as it focuses on specific categories of workers rather than on regulating, generally, all migrant workers; , it still provides a useful set of common rules for the admission of third country nationals in the EU for the purpose of work; calls therefore on the Member States to implement all existing legislation on legal migration to avoid fragmentation and ensure legal certainty,
Amendment 1197 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 111
Paragraph 111
111. Takes the view that, in the long run, the Union will need to establish more general rules governing the entry and residence for those third-country nationals seeking employment in the Union to fill the gaps identified in the Union labour market; recalls that on the labour market the substantial potentials of older unemployed people and of women should be exploited as a priority;
Amendment 1240 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 121
Paragraph 121
121. Believes, moreover, that it is clear that the directive should focus not just on the highly-qualified, but also on targeted high- qualification occupationsoccupations for which appropriate qualifications are needed (such as those of skilled workers, trained craftsmen, etc.) where there are proven labour shortages; believes, in addition, that the revision of the Blue Card should be both ambitious and targeted, and should seek to remove the inconsistencies of the existing directive, particularly as regards parallel national schemes; recommends that thought be given to revising the scope to include those third- country nationals who could help tackle the gaps identified in EU labour markets;