Activities of Eleni THEOCHAROUS related to 2015/2342(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
Addressing refugee and migrant movements: the role of EU External Action (debate) EL
Amendments (17)
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 37 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas this challenge requires global, coordinated and concrete solutions; whereas, however, 86 % of the world’s refugees live in developing regions, with least developed countries hosting 26 % of the total; whereas the million people who arrived in the EU in 2015 represented 0.2 % of the EU population, compared with much higher percentages in neighbouring 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 54 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
Da. whereas migratory pressure is unfortunately the 'new norm' for both the EU and for partner countries and is part of a global displacement crisis; whereas responding together in a meaningful way requires a more coordinated, systematic and structured approach, matching the EU's interests and the interests of our partners;
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 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 152 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Identifies that migrants' integration is one of the biggest challenges in the context of our efforts to successfully address the refugee and migration crisis; equal treatment and opportunities to employment, the role of education and training in promoting the respect of fundamental rights are vital whereas at the same time education should aim to prepare the host society in accepting and integrating migrants; matching migrants -as a voluntary process - with the best possible country for their skills and culture could control the impact on labour markets and help improve relations with the local population; prioritising the creation of jobs could be a key component of aid and to that end supporting third countries in enabling refugees to get access to employment and economic opportunities is important;
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 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 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 322 #
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, inequalities, insufficient job creation, political instability, violence and conflict and climate change;
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 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 455 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16a. Is concerned by the situation in Turkey and calls the European Commission to fully investigate any reports of inhumane treatment of refugees in Turkish camps and at Turkey's Syrian borders as well as that of recently returned refugees; stresses that visa liberalisation for Turkey must not be perceived as a reward for cooperating with the EU in the area of asylum and migration but as result of strictly meeting all the benchmarks put in place by the EU.
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 525 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Welcomes the use of common security and defence policy (CSDP) missions such as EUCAP Sahel Niger and EUNAVFOR MED, preventing trafficking of human beings and smuggling of migrants, cooperation with NATO, and EU initiatives such as Europol’s Joint Operational Team (JOT) Mare to gather intelligence and fight smugglers, while underlining that global mobility should not be considered a threat; recommends the use of CSDP tools for early warning (forecasting), mediation and conflict resolution, while stressing the importance of starting to plan for durable, sustainable and viable solutions as early as possible in conflict situations;