Activities of Bernd LUCKE related to 2015/2342(INI)
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on addressing refugee and migrant movements: the role of EU External Action PDF (459 KB) DOC (107 KB)
Amendments (42)
Amendment 5 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 10 a (new)
Citation 10 a (new)
– having regard to the Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols regulating the conduct of armed conflict and seeking to limit its effects,
Amendment 15 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas human mobility is at an unprecedentedly high level, with 244 million international migrants, owing to various reasonsdue to violent conflict, destabilisation, inequalities and poverty, including the doubling of the world’s population since 1960; whereas international migration occurs primarily within the same region and between developing countries;
Amendment 43 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas regional conflicts, political oppression and violence, abuse of human rights and poverty require bigger geopolitical solutions in order to foster sustainable stability and peace; whereas this is a challenge of the international community and not just the EU;
Amendment 55 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D b (new)
Recital D b (new)
Db. whereas an effective way of helping large numbers of refugees and asylum seekers is in improving the conditions and offering assistance to conflict regions as well as neighbouring countries offering humanitarian assistance;
Amendment 92 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas the increase in human mobility, if managed in a safe, orderly, regular and responsible manner, can provide significant benefits, as recognised by the 2030 Agenda, but these are often largely undoverestimated; whereas the ageing of the European population requires, among other measures, relying on foreign workers in order to guarantee an adequate balance between active and retired people;
Amendment 97 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F a (new)
Recital F a (new)
Fa. whereas due to cultural differences and a widespread lack of proper qualifications and language skills refugees and migrants from developing countries are not the solution for the demographic problem of the social security systems within Europe; whereas even successful integration in the labour market would only widen the contributor base to the same extent as it generates new claims;
Amendment 105 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F b (new)
Recital F b (new)
Fb. whereas humanitarian assistance in conflict and neighbouring regions and countries leads to an improvement of these countries; whereas the emigration of skilled workers from these countries has the opposite effect;
Amendment 106 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F c (new)
Recital F c (new)
Fc. whereas the track record of integrating Turkish or Arabic immigrant groups is very disappointing in a number of Member States, whereas in an economically successful Member State like Germany with free public education between 25% and 30% of the citizens with a migratory background from Turkey or the Middle East (first or second generation) do not have any educational degree at all, whereas according to recent data between 25% and 35% of these people are unemployed and up to 35% are dependent on social welfare;
Amendment 125 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Underlines the fact that we are witnessing in today’s world an unprecedented level of human mobility, and stresses that one of the most urgent actions the international community must undertake is the strengthening of a common response to address the challenges and opportunities that this phenomenon represents; stresses that this response must be guided by the fullshould aim at protection ofng the rights and dignity of everyone forced by any circumstance to flee theito flee, in particular thomes in search of a better lifse who are most vulnerable; underlines that, though their treatment is governed by separate legal frameworks, refugees and migrants have the same universal human rights and fundamental freedoms, which need to be safeguarded regardless of their status; recalls that the EU must abide by its values and principles in all common policies and promote them in its external relations;
Amendment 139 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Stresses that well-managed international migration represents an important contribution to socioeconomic development, as it has done historically, and that it is necessary to encourage this by changing the current narrative and developing a positive one,the unprecedented and unsustainable flow of refugees and migrants to the European Union threatens the effective functioning of the Schengen Area and the European Union's and the Member States' immigration systems; underlines in this respect the importance of a coherent strategy of the whole European Union to countering xenophobic, populist and nationalistic discourses, and adopting policies focussed on the medium and long term and not exclusively guided by immediate political pressures, while also addressing legitimate concerns regarding border management, social protection for vulnerable groups and integration of refugees and migrants; emphasizes the need for an effective control of the EU's external border to reduce the pressure on the littoral states of the Mediterranean, especially Greece and Italy; welcomes the measures Spain had implemented and recognizes the success of those;
Amendment 157 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Recognises that the humanitarian aid system is dangerously overstretched and that it will never be sufficient to respond to forced displacement crises, in particular given the protracted nature of a majority of them; welcomes therefore the new policy framework outlined in the Commission communication on ‘Forced Displacement and Development’ of April 2016; notes the importance of promoting closer humanitarian-development links and the need to engage with different partners – governments, local authorities, civil society, including refugees themselves, and the private sector – to develop targeted evidence-based strategies to tackle this challenge and to gradually end dependence on humanitarian assistance in existing displacement situations by fostering resilience and enabling the displaced to live in dignity as contributors to their host countries, until voluntary return or resettlement;
Amendment 195 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Emphasizes the fact that the EU is the world's largest donor of humanitarian aid to ameliorate the living conditions of refugees;
Amendment 200 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Stresses the crucial role of women in cases of forced displacement, not only as they are more vulnerable to certain abuse, but also because of the role they play in responding to emergencies, their socioeconomic contributions and their active participation in conflict resolution and prevention; notes that a focus on women’s empowerment is therefore necessary to address the deeper causes of forced displacement; reiterates the importance of adding a gender perspective to the EU policies addressing movements of migrants and refugees;
Amendment 216 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Recalls that children – particularly unaccompanied ones –, people with disabilities and the elderly are particularly vulnerable to abuse, including sexual and gender-based violence and discrimination, even once they have reached places deemed secure; calls for these groups to be given special assistance and humanitarian protection as part of their resettlement;
Amendment 225 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 2
Subheading 2
Better managed international migration: a global responsibilityMuch room for improvement for the EU and its Member States
Amendment 231 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Welcomes the UN General Assembly High-Level Meeting to Address Large Movements of Refugees and Migrants of 19 September 2016 and the hosting of the Leaders’ Summit by the USA, as migration flows are a global responsibility which demand a global response and enhanced cooperation between all stakeholders; welcomes the outcome of these summits as the expression of a political commitment of unprecedented force, initiating the path towards a truly international sharing of responsibilities for refugees and large migration movements; deeply regrets however the lack of specific pledges or legally binding commitments in terms of aid or reform, which are needed to close the current gap between rhetoric and reality; calls on all the parties involved to ensure continued political engagement, and cooperation, exchange of knowledge and experience with partner countries, CSOs and local authorities, funding and concrete acts of solidarity in support of host countries; calls for the EU and its Member States to take the lead in international efforts, particularly as regards ensuring that the agreements –including the future compacts on refugees and on safe, orderly and regular migration – are swiftly put into practice, establishing follow-up mechanisms as needed;
Amendment 237 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Welcomes the UN General Assembly High-Level Meeting to Address Large Movements of Refugees and Migrants of 19 September 2016 and the hosting of the Leaders’ Summit by the USA, as migration flows are a global responsibility which demand a global response and enhanced cooperation between all stakeholders; welcomes the outcome of these summits as the expression of a political commitment of unprecedented force, initiating the path towards a truly international sharing of responsibilities for refugees and large migration movements; regrets however the lack of specific pledges or legally binding commitments in terms of aid or reform, which are needed to close the current gap between rhetoric and reality; calls on all the parties involved to ensure continued political engagement, funding and concrete acts of solidarity in support of host countries; calls for the EU and its Member States to take the lead in international efforts, particularly as regards ensuring that the agreements –including the future compacts on refugees and on safe, orderly and regular migration – are swiftly put into practice, establishing follow-up mechanisms as needed;
Amendment 245 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Calls on the EU and its Member States to demonstrate by words and deeds that the Common European Asylum System (CEAS) must not and will not be abused by people who falsely pretend to be victims of persecution;
Amendment 249 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 b (new)
Paragraph 7 b (new)
7b. Calls on the EU and its Member States to make every effort to identify people who have deliberately destroyed their identity documents or who lie about their country of origin or about the persecution they claim to have suffered; calls on the EU and its Member States to make every effort to return these people to where they come from or to any other safe country outside of the EU;
Amendment 251 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 c (new)
Paragraph 7 c (new)
7c. Calls on the EU to ensure that asylum seekers who entered the EU via Greece and moved on to other EU Member States can be returned to Greece in line with the provisions of the Dublin system; emphasizes that this requires that Greece overhauls its asylum system such that the European Court of Justice and the European Court of Human Rights do no longer object to refugees being sent back to Greece on the grounds of fundamental deficiencies of the Greek asylum system; asks that financial aid to Greece under the current third restructuring program be conditioned on Greece's asylum system meeting at least certain minimum standards acceptable to the highest European Courts;
Amendment 252 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 d (new)
Paragraph 7 d (new)
7d. Asks the Commission to fully investigate which misperceptions exist in developing countries about the possibilities for migrants to be admitted to the EU and about the conditions under which immigrants may live and work in the EU if admitted; asks the Commission to develop an effective communication strategy to correct any such misperceptions in developing countries, making full use of the internet and social media to propagate the necessary information to the targeted recipients;
Amendment 262 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Underlines that the resettlement of forcibly displaced persons is a responsibility of the international community; considers it crucial to implement as a matter of urgency a coordinated response in third countries to grant asylum for people in need of international protection, instead of and/or offer any needed support, financial or in kind, to alleavingate the burden on theborne by front-line states or countries neighbouring conflict zones; highlights the fact that financial support is outpaced by the scope and scale of displacement, compounded by the lack of solutions to address the root causes of this forced displacement;
Amendment 275 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Stresses that improving the living and education standards in developing countries is crucial to reduce migration, notes that developed countries are happy to assist in accomplishing this task which, however, is the prime responsibility of governments in developing countries;
Amendment 279 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 b (new)
Paragraph 8 b (new)
8b. Confirms that the right to grant asylum and the right to accept refugees, including the number of refugees, is primarily the competence of Member States acting in full compliance with international and national laws; underlines the need to respect the principle of subsidiarity by the authorities of the European Union and the other Member States;
Amendment 315 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Stresses that EU external action should be forward-looking instead of mainly reactive with changing objectives in response to new crises; recalls that the migration phenomenon stems from a complex set of causes such as a growing population, poverty, insufficient job creation, political instability and climate change; emphasizes that poverty and child mortality have been greatly reduced in many African and other developing countries over the last decades;
Amendment 344 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Calls for the establishment of a genuine, value-based common European migration policy – with adequate legal channels for migration as a sustainable long-term policy to promote growth and cohesion within the EU – in order to set a clear framework for EU relations with third countries; wWelcomes the EU Action Plan against migrant smuggling (2015- 2020), which envisages closer cooperation with third countries, but underlines that the implementation of a common EU legal migration policy would be instrumental in breaking the business model of smugglers;
Amendment 355 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Calls for the establishment of a genuine, value-based common European migration policy – with adequate legal channels for migration as a sustainable long-term policy to promote growth and cohesion within the EU – in order to set a clear framework for EU relations with third countries; welcomes the EU Action Plan against migrant smuggling (2015-2020), which envisages closer cooperation with third countries, but underlines that the implementation of a common EU legal migration policy would be instrumental in breaking the business model of smugglers; and tackling the exploitative trade of human trafficking;
Amendment 366 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11a. Asks the EU to negotiate agreements with southern Mediterranean Countries such that refugees and migrants saved from distress at sea can be safely brought to these countries and can be assured to receive from them any assistance they may legitimately require;
Amendment 375 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Welcomes the new Partnership Framework with third countries as a signal of real political action; stresses that the success of the approach outlined in the communication of June 2016 depends on the EU’s capacity to offer real, commonly agreed incentives to third countries and is concerned by the limited offer mainly focused on border management or Assisted Voluntary Return schemes, which – while essential and needed – constitute only a partial response to the situation; highlights the need to balance and complement this response, focusing on the development of local economies, qualification and regional mobility and improved levels of protection in countries of transit and origin;
Amendment 390 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
Amendment 409 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13a. Emphasises that returns and readmission is the most effective way to protect potential refugees as it functions as deterrence and therefore destroys the business model of human traffickers; underlines the importance of a common list from the EU of safe third countries in this respect;
Amendment 424 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
Amendment 447 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Is extremely concerned by the continuing conflict in Syria, in which violence against civilians, attacks on civilian infrastructures and hospitals and violations of international humanitarian law over the past five years have led to the forced displacement of half of the country; expresses its full support to Lebanon and Jordan, which continue to demonstrate extraordinary solidarity in hosting millions of refugees in spite of limited resources;
Amendment 449 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Is extremely concerned by the continuing conflict in Syria, in which violence against civilians and violations of international humanitarian law over the past five years have led to the forced displacement of half of the country; expresses its full support to Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan, which continue to demonstrate extraordinary solidarity in hosting millions of refugees in spite of limited resources;
Amendment 457 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16a. Calls upon the Commission to fully investigate any reports of inhumane treatment of refugees both in and outside of the EU;
Amendment 462 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 b (new)
Paragraph 16 b (new)
16b. Recommends the negotiation of readmission contracts with countries like Pakistan, Morocco and Algeria, paying full respect to international law and human rights and taking into consideration each country and region's own singularities;
Amendment 465 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 c (new)
Paragraph 16 c (new)
16c. Stresses the need for the return of illegal migrants and rejected asylum seekers to their country of origin or the third country of departure while fully respecting the Geneva Convention, international law and human rights;
Amendment 473 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Supports the Commission’s proposal for a new and ambitious External Investment Plan (EIP) to mobilise investments in developing third countries; considers that supporting private sectors in third countries while fostering an environment of good governance and business practices should not be presented as a new measure but should be further enhanced; ; calls on the Commission to ensure coherence between financing instruments – for example with the Development Cooperation Instrument (DCI) and the European Development Fund (EDF) – and projects in order to focus the EU’s assistance on priorities and to avoid the scattering of funds and efforts;
Amendment 480 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17a. Emphasises that the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is the largest share of the EU budget, accounting for around 40% of total spending, and for the most part is comprised of subsidies to farmers and landowners; stresses that subsidising EU farmers can distort trade to the disadvantage of the agricultural sector in developing countries; urges the EU to recognize that the EU's CAP is partially incoherent with its development goals and the goal of its agenda on migration;
Amendment 488 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
Amendment 500 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18a. Underlines that increasing EU funds would deprive Member States of resources urgently needed to integrate refugees and migrants;
Amendment 517 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20