32 Amendments of Patrizia TOIA related to 2015/2342(INI)
Amendment 42 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas 6.7 million refugees are living in protracted displacement situations, estimated to last on average about 26 years, with a total lack of perspectives; whereas durable solutions to displacement remain unacceptably low and this makes it necessary to view forced displacement as a political and development challenge, not an exclusively humanitarian one;
Amendment 71 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)
Recital E a (new)
Ea. whereas the EU response has mobilised different internal and external instruments, but appears to have been excessively focused on the short term and on reducing or stopping flows, whereas this short term approach does not address the causes of forced displacement and migration flows;
Amendment 74 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E b (new)
Recital E b (new)
Eb. whereas according to Article 208 of the Lisbon Treaty development assistance aims at reducing and eventually eradicating poverty in third countries;
Amendment 94 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F a (new)
Recital F a (new)
Fa. whereas mobility of people represents a great factor of growth for countries, including the EU, through the provision of adequate facilities (housing, education, languages) by fostering public and private sectors investments; whereas positive narratives should be developed to depict migration flows not just as a challenge to security and stability because of uncontrolled movements of people, but also as an opportunity for host countries, as this can also counter extremism and populism;
Amendment 128 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Stresses that this high level of human mobility responds to multiple, complex causes that require evidence- based decisions to differentiate its elements and develop targeted policy responses; underlines the need for the EU and its Member States to take into account this current reality and develop a new approach to the movement of people based on real data and the EU's interests, by fostering the resilience of people by increasing their access to basic services, notably education, and their integration and contribution to local contexts by providing opportunities for employment and self-employment;
Amendment 140 #
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, countering xenophobic, populist and nationalistic discourses and adopting policies focused 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; this process of changing the narrative should also begin by promoting, through accredited and recognised research centres, a genuine and objective understanding of the issue, the statistics of which are all too often manipulated with a view to exploiting them;
Amendment 172 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Stresses that EU development cooperation should continue to address the root causes of forced displacement by promoting peace, democracy and security, reducing poverty and inequality, strengthening basic services, addressing state fragility and promoting human rights and good governance, in line with Sustainable Development Goal 16 in the new 2030 Agenda; highlights the need to focus on the socioeconomic aspects of the migration phenomenon and promote the creation of decent jobs and real economic opportunities so as to make migration a choice and not an obligation; notes that a successful policy should recognize the need of creating economic resilience in both host and origin countries;
Amendment 192 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Welcomes the EU's commitment to humanitarian assistance – as the world largest donor – and calls on EU and Member States to fulfil the pledges already made and increase their financial commitments in line with the rise in humanitarian needs; notes that the humanitarian response will always be the first element of the response to displacement crises; stresses that international law and the humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence need to remain the guiding framework of the EU's humanitarian response to refugee and forced displacement crises;
Amendment 223 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Underlines that, in line with EU principles, an overall objective of the EU external migration policies should be to establish a multilateral governance regime for international migration, for which the recent UN High-Level Meeting is a first step;
Amendment 244 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Stresses that global cooperation should be built-up upon regional and sub- regional cooperation and mobility frameworks, including those between developing regions; calls on the Commission to strengthen cooperation frameworks with regional organisations such as the African Union, League of Arab States, Gulf Cooperation Council that can also encourage the management of intra-regional mobility, with the African continent as a priority; expresses support for the reinforcement of initiatives of South-South mobility;
Amendment 273 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Highlights the international law obligations regarding refugees and calls all countries which have not done so to ratify and implement the Refugee Convention and its Protocol; calls on countries to expand the protection to internally displaced persons, as is done in mechanisms like the African Union Convention for the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons in Africa (Kampala Convention), and to expand the definition of refugees to include those forcibly displaced by extreme poverty, climate change or natural disasters;
Amendment 278 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 b (new)
Paragraph 8 b (new)
8b. Underlines the need to boost opportunities for education; calls for harmonization of qualification recognition policies and Protection of migrant workers' rights and social security coverage in line with core ILO conventions; calls for the signature and ratification of the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families;
Amendment 291 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Highlights the fact that millions of children have been forced to become refugees, and stresses that access to education for refugee children is of paramount importance; calls on hosting countries to ensure that refugee children are given full access to education and to promote as far as possible their integration and inclusion in national education systems; calls also on the humanitarian and development communities to pay more attention to the education and training of teachers from both displaced and host communities, and on international donors to prioritise education when responding to refugee crises, through programmes aimed at involving and psychologically supporting migrant children, as well as promoting learning of the host country’s language in order to ensure better integration of refugee children;
Amendment 297 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Considers that temporary or subsidiary protection based on the assumption that refugees will return home as early as possible, creates a lack of perspective and of opportunity for integration; reminds the importance of the positive role that refugees can play in the reconstruction of their societies, upon returning to their countries or from abroad;
Amendment 299 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 b (new)
Paragraph 9 b (new)
9b. Commends the work, despite all difficulties and dangers, of local and international NGO and civil society organisations in delivering urgent and in many cases life-saving assistance to the most vulnerable ones whether in countries of origin, transit or destination of refugees and migrants, which has, in many cases, filled the gap left by the States and international community at large;
Amendment 300 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 b (new)
Paragraph 9 b (new)
9b. Voices serious concern at the number of unaccompanied minors who have disappeared; calls on the Commission and the Member States to set up a database containing details of the unaccompanied minors who have entered Member States;
Amendment 306 #
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 and more pro- active in the areas of conflicts prevention, control and solution; 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; underlines the essential need to reinforce policy coherence at two levels: between internal and external EU policies, and - within external action – between the enlargement, neighbourhood, relations with EU strategic partners, development and trade policies;
Amendment 337 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10a. Stresses the need to put in place a comprehensive approach to external conflict and crises by implementing a mapping of the direct and indirect economic, environmental, social, fiscal and political impacts of displacement on third countries in order to better adjust development and humanitarian policies to their needs;
Amendment 347 #
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, including circular 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; notes that the EU external migration policies need agreements with third countries to be guided by long-term objectives and by establishing durable partnerships; recalls that any such partnerships should be based on dialogue, common interests and mutual ownership;
Amendment 363 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11a. Welcomes the approach that the EU should set itself clear priorities and measurable objectives for any common policies and especially in dealing with third countries; underlines that Parliament should participate in the setting up of these clear objectives; considers that an EU external action based on a common approach will be the only way for a stronger and effective policy; calls for a real unified and coordinated action between the EU and the Member States, as unilateral initiatives, whether in internal or external affairs, can undermine the viability and success of our common policies and interests;
Amendment 384 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12a. Voices its concern about the issue of ‘repatriations’ and points out that, although they have been put forward as a means of containing incoming flows, the number of repatriations actually carried out shows them to be an unrealistic and unworkable solution owing to a range of economic, political, sociological and anthropological factors that need to be analysed with reference to the situation in both the countries of origin and the countries of arrival;
Amendment 431 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15a. Draws the attention to the intention of revising development cooperation programming documents to deliver on the new migration compacts; stresses that this revision needs to be done in line with development effectiveness principles and in dialogue with partner countries, European and local civil society organisations and private sector; calls for the European Parliament to be fully involved at all stages of the revision, including programming documents part of the European Development Fund (EDF);
Amendment 440 #
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 Lebanon and Jordan, which continue to demonstrate extraordinary solidarity in hosting millions of refugees in spite of limited resources; reminds that a great part of these populations continue to live in deprived conditions with none or limited access to legal recognition, health and education systems or job markets; calls on the EU and its Member States to continue and step-up its cooperation and dialogue with Lebanon and Jordan, as with other third host countries, to ensure that, first, refugee populations can enjoy decent living conditions, access to basic services, and are granted rights to free movement and work opportunities, and, second, that funds reach their final objectives; stresses that this should be coupled with assistance to the host communities;
Amendment 478 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17a. Recommends that adequate resources should be allocated to measures specially tailored to the time spent by refugees and IDPs under temporary protection arrangements, which needs to be a period full of opportunities for growth and training for all generations, with education being provided for children, vocational training for young adults and jobs for adults; believes this will ensure that, when it becomes possible for them to return home, these people will be ‘regenerated’ and able to lend their countries new impetus, instead of having been worn down by years of waiting with no real prospects;
Amendment 481 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17a. Welcomes the deployment of European Migration Liaison Officers to priority countries as a first step to reinforce the EU's cooperation with third countries in the field of migration; recommends the reinforcement of staff for Justice and Home Affairs within the EU Delegations with a clear mandate to develop coordination within the Member States;
Amendment 483 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 b (new)
Paragraph 17 b (new)
17b. Underlines the need for a decentralised approach instead of carrying on with a centralised approach from Brussels, by making better use of EU Delegations - which have become in a very short period of time a tool of great value -; and applying greater flexibility and shorter programming period especially for countries at risk; calls for the appointment of regional coordinators with the capacity to lead on development and cooperation and external relations to ensure a coherent approach based on the local reality on the ground;
Amendment 484 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 c (new)
Paragraph 17 c (new)
17c. Recommends the promotion, with the support of the EU, of information campaigns in third countries to inform citizens of their mobility rights and obligations and alert them of the risks they could face during their journey - particularly with regards to smugglers and traffickers - in order to facilitate the most informed decision;
Amendment 485 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 d (new)
Paragraph 17 d (new)
17d. Demands that twinning programmes and TAIEX action be used better, not simply for exchanges of best practices and training but for development and cooperation with special effort to countries under pressure;
Amendment 486 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 e (new)
Paragraph 17 e (new)
17e. Stresses that targeted support based on local situation is a key element to an efficient and results-oriented policy, and that such support should be negotiated with third countries; calls on the Commission and the Member States to develop clear and measurable objectives to be implemented by the financial instruments including Trust Funds, in a coherent and coordinated way;
Amendment 487 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 f (new)
Paragraph 17 f (new)
17f. Underlines that the EUR 3.35 billion earmarked for the new European Fund for Sustainable Development (EFSD) as part of the EIP correspond to over 5% of the total funds available from EDF, DCI and European Neighbourhood Instrument (ENI) under the multiannual financial framework (MFF); calls on the Commission to provide more details regarding this estimation, the expected impact, and to indicate on which assumption it expects Member States, other donors and private partners to contribute by up to 44 billion to it, while some Member States have yet to contribute to current Trust Funds;
Amendment 510 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Paragraph 19 a (new)
19a. Expresses concerns that the 2017 EU draft budget foresees an increase in the management of migration flows or internal security initiatives at the expenses of EU cohesion funds and action in the world;
Amendment 514 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 b (new)
Paragraph 19 b (new)
19b. Welcomes and supports the initiatives of the European Investment Bank to sustain economic resilience in the EU's Southern Neighbourhood and the Western Balkans regions through projects that lead to job creation, economic resilience and poverty reduction in line with the European Union's external policies;