83 Amendments of Roberts ZĪLE related to 2015/2095(INI)
Amendment 41 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 47
Citation 47
— having regard to the work and reports of the International Organization for Migration, including the key finding in one of the reports that over half of the European population believes immigration levels in their countries should be decreased,
Amendment 42 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 47 a (new)
Citation 47 a (new)
- having regard to the work and reports of the International Monetary Fund,
Amendment 43 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 47 b (new)
Citation 47 b (new)
- having regard to the work and report of the OECD, especially their finding about the migration's impact on GDP and other economic aspects,
Amendment 51 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Welcomes the Commission Communication entitled ‘A European agenda on migration’ (COM (2015)0240) and strongly calls for adequateStrongly calls on the EU and the Member States to find and immediate measures to be taken at both Member States and EU level to prevent further human miseries in the Mediterranean Sea and to ensure that international and ethical obligations are fulfilled in accordance with the principles of solidarity and shared responsibility, effective and sustainable solution to the current deficiencies of the EU’s migration system, to address the actual causes of the current immigration crisis and to prevent further departures of trafficked vessels and further loss of life in the Mediterranean Sea;
Amendment 58 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Underlines that in order to stop human trafficking and further loss of life in the Mediterranean Sea, refugee camps should be created in the respective region outside the EU, and after processing asylum applications, those applicants who have been granted asylum, should be provided by safe and legal maritime transport to cross Mediterranean Sea and enter the EU;
Amendment 68 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
C a. whereas, according to Donald Tusk, the President of the European Council, around 70% of immigrants are irregular migrants and not refugees; whereas there have been a number of reported cases where irregular migrants are pretending to be refugees from war torn countries;
Amendment 78 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Stresses that there should be a zero- tolerance policy on human trafficking, and urges the Member States to work closely with EUROPOL, FRONTEX, EASO and EUROJUST to combat these criminal networks of smugglers by identifying their routes, preventing their departure and encouraging both the EU and third countries to apply the toughest criminal penalties;
Amendment 80 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 1
Subheading 1
Amendment 82 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas Article 80 TFEU puts the principles of 'solidarity' and fair sharing of responsibility at the heart of the whole of the Union system, providing a legal basis for the implementation of these principles in'responsibility' go hand in hand and the former cannot be deemed more important at the expense of the latter, especially in relation to the Union policies on asylum, migration and border control;
Amendment 86 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas solidarity can take themany forms of internal and external solidarity; and whereas relocation, mutual recognition of asylum decisions, operational support measures, a pro-active interpretation of the current Dublin Regulation and the Temporary Protection Directive are all tools for internal solidarity, whileand the interpretation of the word should not be used in benefit of certain interests; whereas resettlement, humanitarian admission and search and rescue at sea promote external solidarity;
Amendment 93 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Underlines that recent temporary reintroduction of border controls by several Member States puts under risk the normal Schengen system of open EU internal borders and free movement of persons, and also creates problems for functioning of the EU transport system, including passenger carriages; stresses that in case asylum seekers will be compulsory distributed amongst Member States it will be necessary to prevent them from leaving one Member State and going to another, and therefore calls on Commission to come up with respective rapid reaction instruments and solutions on how the smooth functioning of transport system and rights of free movement of persons, including passenger rights, will be maintained;
Amendment 99 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Calls on all parties involved in the situation in the Mediterraneanfor a strengthening of EU cooperation with partner countries in the Middle East and Africa to seek solutions to the refugee crisis, including efforts to promote democracy, the rule of law, and improve the safety and human rights of the refugees in their home countries;
Amendment 101 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
G. whereas migrant smuggling, trafficking and labour exploitation are distinct legal phenomena requiring properly targeted responses, while often overlapping in practice is a significant push factor that has noticeably exacerbated the European migration crisis; whereas migrant smuggling, trafficking and labour exploitation are all aspects that require immediate properly targeted responses; 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 111 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H
Recital H
H. whereas the fight against migrant smuggling, trafficking and labour exploitation necessitates both short, medium and long-term responses, including measures to disrupt criminal networks and to bring criminals to justice, the gathering and analysis of data, measures to protect victims and to swiftly and effectively return irregularly staying migrants, as well as cooperation with third countries and longer-term strategies to address the demand for trafficked and smuggled persons and the root causes of migration which, some of which often force people into the hands of criminal smugglers;
Amendment 114 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H a (new)
Recital H a (new)
H a. whereas the overwhelming majority of people using the services of the smugglers to reach Europe via Mediterranean do so voluntarily and have a choice to avoid people smugglers;
Amendment 121 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital J
Recital J
J. whereas the abolishment of internal border controls must go hand-in-hand with thit is important that the Schengen Member States uphold their commitment to open borders and free, unhindered movement of people and goods within the Area; and whereas the very existence and functioning of the single market as well as the single currency rests upon open borders; whereas it is equally important to ensure effective management of external borders, with high common standards, effective exchange of information between Member States, and full respect for everyone’'s fundamental rights;
Amendment 135 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital L
Recital L
L. whereas 86 % of the world’s refugee population is hosted by non-industricriminal networks and smugglers facilitate the illegali seda countrierossings; and whereas criminal networks andthe smugglers also exploit the desperationwillingness of people trying to enter the EU whil, many of which are fleeing persecution or war;
Amendment 144 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital M
Recital M
M. whereas safe and legal routes for refugeemigrants to access the EU are limited, andavailable, yet many continue to take the risk of embarking on dangerous routes facilitated by smugglers, often being a part of wider criminal networks; and whereas the creation of new safe and lawful routes for asylum seekers andgenuine 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;
Amendment 161 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital P
Recital P
P. whereas the EU has intensified its external cooperation with third countries in migration and asylum to respond adequatelyin attempt to respond to the current refugeemigration crisis, and has launched new cooperation initiatives such as the EU-Turkey Joint Action Plan, the commitments taken on the Western Balkans Routes and the Aaction Plan adopted at the Valetta sSummit;
Amendment 177 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 6
Subheading 6
Amendment 180 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital Q
Recital Q
Q. whereas the working-age populinflow of migrants is already unmanageable and unsustainable but the recent immigration wave will not significantly improve the demographic situation inof the EU as the working-age population is projected to decline by 7.5 million by 2020; whereas projections on the development of labour market needs in the EU points to emerging and future shortages in specific fields; and whereas third-country nationals face many difficulties in obtaining recognition of their foreign qualifications, and therefore tend to be over-qualified for their jobcannot offset these future shortages;
Amendment 184 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital R
Recital R
R. whereas the current EU approach to labour migration is fragmented, with numerous directives focusing on specific categories of workers and of third-country nationals who are, under certain conditions, allowed to work; and whereas this approach can only serve to meet short-term, specific needvarious studies have shown that mass immigration has at least a short term negative impact on natives workers' wages, especially in the lower income wage earner groups;
Amendment 196 #
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 in many Member States; whereas implementation is essentialnecessary 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, however, harmonisation of reception conditions and asylum procedures can avoid stress on countries offering better conditions and are key to responsibility sharingare unlikely to change the migrants' perception of certain Member States and their willingness to seek asylum in specific countries;
Amendment 215 #
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 areais a two-way process and the Member States' diverging views on the issue of the European migration crisis have to be respected; takes the view that the word 'solidarity' has been misused within the context of the European migration crisis;
Amendment 221 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. Stresses that solidarity cannot be deemed more important and be at the expense of responsibility;
Amendment 231 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Starts from the premise that people smugglers have exacerbated the European migration crisis and have been responsible for countless deaths at sea, however, saving lives must be a firstmong the top priorityies and that proper funding, at Union and Member State level, for search and rescue operations is essential; notes that there has been an increase in the number of irregular arrivals by sea and an alarming increase in the number of deaths at sea throughout 2015, and that a better European response to the migration crisis is still required;
Amendment 245 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Takes the view that a permanent, robust and effective Union response in search and rescue operations at sea is crucialwill not stop the flow of immigrants, but is nevertheless one of the steps that needs to be taken to preventing an escalating death toll of migrants attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea;
Amendment 255 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Suggests, iIn that respect, suggests that search and rescue capacities must be strengthened, and that Member States’' governments must deploy more resources –within their means – both, in terms of financial assistance and assets –- in the context of a Union- wide humanitarian operation, dedicated to finding, rescuing and assisting migrants in peril and bringing them to the closest place of safety;
Amendment 275 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Calls for a clear distinction to be made between those persons who are smuggled into the Union and those who are trafficked into the Union because, while the policy response must be properly integratedst both activities are criminal, they must also be properly targeted; states that, in general terms, the criminal smuggling of migrants involves facilitating the irregular entry of a person to a Member State, whereas human trafficking involves the recruitment, transportation or reception of a person through the use of violent, deceptive or abusive means, for the purpose of exploitation;
Amendment 282 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Holds that any holistic approach to migration must necessarily contain measures aimed at disrupting the activities of criminal networks involved in the trafficking and smuggling of people has to be among the top priorities in the context of the European migration crisis;
Amendment 300 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. WelcomNotes the positivelimited role played by navy vessels in saving lives at sea and in disrupting criminal networks to date; supports the aims oftresses that navy operations such as Operation Sophia, and have been unsuccessful in reducing the number of people being smuggled to Europe via Mediterranean Sea; further stresses the need to protect life, emphasising that all aspects of the operation should ensure that migrant lives are protected;
Amendment 312 #
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 reiterates that Operation Sophia must not distract assets already deployed in the Mediterranean from saving lives at seaPoints out that seizing of vessels used by smugglers has a potential to exacerbate the numbers of deaths at sea as they are adapting their modus operandi accordingly and opting instead for more disposable, often sea unworthy boats that further endanger the lives of migrants;
Amendment 331 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Points out that, since criminals can and do change their modus operandi very quickly, policy responses must adapt to the most recent and accurate data; notes, as a positive step forward, that the Commission adopted a Union Action Plan against Migrant Smuggling on 27 May 2015 (‘'the Action Plan on Smuggling’),') under which it, among other initiatives, provides for the setting up of a Contact Group of Union Agencies on migrant smuggling, to strengthen their operational cooperation and information exchange; notes, however, that other initiatives included in the Action Plan, such as the development of counter narrative in the media to uncover the smugglers' lies have limited added value;
Amendment 352 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Recalls that the process of relocation – that is to say, transferring an applicant for international protection, or a beneficiary of international protection, from one Member State to another – is a practical example of solidarity within the Union; recalls, in addition, that, since 2009, Parliament has been calling for a binding mechanism for the distribution of asylum seekers among all the Member Staten unhelpful way to tackle the problem of mass immigration of people and is in contradiction to an idea of holistic approach in solving the migration crisis;
Amendment 357 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Notes that, within the last year, the Council has adopted two decisions on temporary relocation measures in the Union (‘Relocation Decisions’)9 , and that theydespite clear concerns and opposition expressed by some Member States. Further notes that as in the case of the latter of the two Relocation Decisions there was no consensus amongst the Member States, majority voting was used instead and four Member States voted against the relevant Relocation Decision that involves the transfer of applicants of international protection from Greece and Italy to other Member States; observes that, although the Relocation Decisions do not end the current Dublin rules on allocation of responsibility, they do constitute a ‘temporary derogation’ from the Dublin rulesare effectively putting the Dublin rules on hold in the foreseeable future; __________________ 9 Council Decision (EU) 2015/1523 and Council Decision (EU) 2015/1601.
Amendment 375 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Takes the view that the establishment of urgent relocation measures is not a move in the right direction, ands calls onn be witnessed by the Member States to' slow fulfilment of their obligations with regard to those measures as soon as possible;
Amendment 385 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Recalls that, for the purposes of the Relocation Decisions, relocation will cover only those nationalities for which the proportion of positive decisions granting international protection in the Union has been 75 % or more for the preceding three months, on the basis of Eurostat data; notes that the Relocation Decisions will affect a relatively small number of people, and will leave out the large numbers of applicants originating from other third countries who cannot be relocated under those decisionso date the Member States’ implementation of Relocation Decisions have been slow;
Amendment 392 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Notes, in addition, that Member States of first arrival will therefore have to handle the more complicated asylum claims (and appeals), wilhave to handle most asylum claims (and appeals) and to date have been often doing so in a very lax manner, with cases reported of migrants pretending to be from refugee producing countries and being registered accordingly; further notes that Member States of first arrival have to organise longer periods of reception, and will, in theory, have to organise and coordinate returns for those ultimately not entitled to international protection;
Amendment 411 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Is of the opinion that, in addition to the Relocation Decisions is an unconstructive approach to help solve the migration crisis at the Union level and at the very least the weighting of the criteria contained in the Relocation Decisions, namely the GDP of the Member State, the population of the Member State, the unemployment rate in the Member State, and the past numbers of asylum seekers in the Member State, should be reconsidered in future; notes that consideration should be given to two other criteria, namely, the size of the territory of the Member State and the population density of the Member Stateincluding but not exclusively, the Member States' willingness to accept the relocated migrants, the Member States' readiness to process the relocated asylum applicants as well as the readiness of the Member States to physically settle and house the arriving migrants;
Amendment 427 #
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 be determined before the decision of relocation is taken; recognises that this is one way of discouraging secondary movements and encouraging applicants themselves to accept rsecondary movement of migrants within the Union cannot be effectively discouraged and is a further proof that the Relocation dDecisions, but that it should not stop the relocation proces adopted are unhelpful in solving the migration crisis;
Amendment 436 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Paragraph 19 a (new)
19a. Further believes that the societies of the host Member States, in the context of migrant relocation scheme, need to be adequately informed about the potential costs of receiving and settling of migrants which, among other aspects, can result in deficit spending; notes, at the same time, that, as found by a number of studies, the economic benefits of immigration are marginal whilst the impact on such values as social capital are more noticeable;
Amendment 442 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 14
Subheading 14
On resettlement and refugee camps
Amendment 445 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Takes the view that resettlement is one of the preferred options for granting safe and lawful access to the Union for true refugees and those in need of international protection, where the refugees can neither return to their home countries nor receive effective protection or be integrated into the host country;
Amendment 459 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Points out that, given the unprecedented flows of migrants that have reached and continue to reach the Union’'s external borders, and the steady increase in the number of people asking for international protection, the Union needs a binding and mandatory legislative approach to resettlement, as set out in the Commission’'s agenda for mMigration; recommends that, to have an impact, such an approach must provide for resettlement of a meaningful number of refugees, with regard to the overall numbers of refugees seeking international protection in the Union;
Amendment 472 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Underlines that there is a need for a permanent Union-wide resettlement programme, with mandatory participation by Member States, providing resettlement for a meaningful number of refugees, having regard to the overall number of refugees seeking protection in the Union;
Amendment 478 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 a (new)
Paragraph 23 a (new)
23a. Understands that all refugees seeking asylum in Europe cannot be resettled in a short timeframe and therefore more work needs to be done on establishment of safe refugee camps in third countries;
Amendment 545 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30
Paragraph 30
30. Observes that the operation of the Dublin III Regulation10 has raised many questions linked to fairness and solidarity in the allocation of the Member State responsible for examining an application for international protectioneffectiveness of the Regulation, including the responsibility for Member States to uphold the commonly agreed rules; notes that the current system does not take into sufficient consideration the particular migratory pressure faced by Member States situated at the Union’'s external borders; believes that the European Union needs to accept the on-going difficulties with the Dublin logic, and to develop options for solidarity both among its Member States and the migrants concerned; that are in line with the objective of tackling the European migration crisis; __________________ 10 Regulation (EU) No 604/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 June 2013 establishing the criteria and mechanisms for determining the Member State responsible for examining an application for international protection lodged in one of the Member States by a third-country national or a stateless person (recast) (OJ L 180, 29.6.2013, p. 31).
Amendment 553 #
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, among other aspects, 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 protectiondeterring multiple asylum claims (so-called 'asylum shopping');
Amendment 559 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32
Paragraph 32
32. Further points out that, at the same time, the incidence of secondary movements across the Union remains high; views it as self-evident that, since its creation, the Dublin system was not designed to share responsibility among Member States, but that it within the context of the European migration crisis the first Member State legally responsible for processing of the asylum claims under the Dublin system is rarely the country of choice for arriving irregular migrants; notes that since its creation, the Dublin system's main purpose was to assign swiftly assign responsibility for processing an asylum application to a single Member State;
Amendment 570 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33
Paragraph 33
33. RecommendNotes that the criteria on which the Relocation Decisions are based are largely unhelpful and therefore should not be built directly into the Union’'s standard rules for allocating responsibility; further recommends that the concerns of the Member States, especially those with little experience of immigration, should be taken into account; emphasises that, in reviewing the Dublin Regulation, it is important to reflect on the value of describing certain asylum seekers as ‘'applicants in clear need of international protection’', since those migrants and refugees who do not fall into that category would still – at least under the current system – have to be dealt with by the Member State of first arrival;
Amendment 593 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35
Paragraph 35
35. Points out that one option for a fundamental overhaul of the Dublin system would be to establish a central collection of applications at Union level – viewing each asylum seeker as someone seeking asylum in the Union as a whole and not in an individual Member State – and to establish a; understands, however, that most migrants within the ceontral system for the allocation of responsibility for any persons seeking asylum in the Union; suggests that such a system could provide for certain relative thresholds perext of the European migration crisis want to make their asylum claims and settle in just some Member State,s above which no further allocation of responsibility could be made until all other Member States have met their own thresholds, which could conceivably help in deterring secondary movements, as all Member States would be fully involved in the centralised system and no longer have individual responsibility for allocation of applicants to other Member States; believes that such a system could function on the basis of a number of Union ‘hotspots’ from where Union distribution should take place; underlines that any new system for allocation of responsibility must incorporate the key concepts of family unity and the best interests of the childnd no amending of existing rules is going to change that in near future; regrets that certain Member States have knowingly suspended the application of Dublin system in order to welcome migrants, thus also worsening the uncontrolled influx of people in the Union;
Amendment 631 #
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 shcould – 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 dDirective; understands that such a revision of the Temporary Protection Directive can form part of the review of the Dublin system;
Amendment 647 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 40
Paragraph 40
40. Emphasises that hosting Member States must within their means offer 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; understands that there can be no forced integration of people unwilling to accept the way of life of certain Member States; further understands that within the context of the Relocation Decisions, relocated migrants cannot effectively be integrated in a way to discourage secondary movement within the Union; __________________ 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 715 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 46
Paragraph 46
46. Underlines that Member States should overcome any legal and practical obstacles to arrive at swifter decisions on family reunification; notes, however, that this should not come at the expense of other relevant aspects such as thorough background checks to insure safety and security of the relevant societies;
Amendment 741 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 48
Paragraph 48
48. UnderstandStresses that the safe and swift return of those people who, following an individual assessment of their asylum application, are determined not to be eligible for protection in the Union is something that must be carried out as part of the proper implementation of the CEAS;
Amendment 755 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 49
Paragraph 49
49. Acknowledges that, in the light of the fact that, in 2014, only 36 % of third country nationals who were ordered to leave the Union were effectively returned, there is a need to improve the effectiveness of the Union’s return system;
Amendment 770 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 50
Paragraph 50
50. Believes that the return of migrants should only be carried out safely, in full compliance with the fundamental and procedural rights of the migrants in question, and where the country to which they are being returned is safe for them;, reiterates, in that regard, that voluntary return should be prioritised over forced returns, but cannot alone insure that a meaningful number of migrants physically leave the Union;
Amendment 787 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 51
Paragraph 51
51. Suggests that any attempt, however rare, by Member States to ‘'push -back’' migrants who have not been given the opportunity to present asylum claims runs contrary to Union and iInternational lLaw, and that the Commission should take appropriate action against any Member State that attempts such ‘'push -backs’';
Amendment 813 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 53
Paragraph 53
53. Regrespects the current situation in which Member States apply different lists, containing different safe countries, hampering uniform application and incentivising secondary movementfact that Member States are free to create their own lists, containing different safe countries;
Amendment 873 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 61
Paragraph 61
61. Understands that the recently proposed European Border and Coast Guard is intended to effectively replace Frontex and is meant to ensure a European integrated border management at the external borders with a view to managing migration effectively and ensuring a high level of internal security within the Union, while safeguarding the free movement of persons therein;
Amendment 888 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 64
Paragraph 64
64. Acknowledges that the integrity of the Schengen area andis dependent on all participating Member States observing the commonly agreed rules; regrets the fact that within the context of the European migration crisis a number of member states reintroduced controls on their borders, with some Member States effectively trying to unjustifiably seek ways to prolong such controls; also regrets that in addition to border controls some Member States have constructed or are in the process of constructing fences along their borders with neighbouring countries, in some cases even those that border another Schengen Member country; notes, however, that the abolishment of internal border controls are dependent on having effective management of external borders, with high common standards applied by all Member States at the external borders and an effective exchange of information between them;
Amendment 903 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 65
Paragraph 65
65. AcceptsUrges Member States to respect the Schengen Agreement and keep the internal borders open so as to ensure the free movement of people and goods, and effective functioning of the single market and the single currency; accepts, however, 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 974 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 76
Paragraph 76
76. Believes that such a revision is necessary and should consider introducing a system allowing for victims of trafficking and criminal smuggling to come forward and aid in the effective prosecution of a trafficker or criminal smuggler without fear of being prosecuted themselves;
Amendment 985 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 78
Paragraph 78
78. Underlines that another crucial step in dismantlstep in weakening criminal smuggling and trafficking networks is to prioritisestep up financial investigations, as: tracking and confiscating the profits of those criminal networks is essential if they areone way to be weakened and eventually dismantled; calls, in this regard, them; understands, however, that effective dismantling of criminal networks facilitating people smuggling will not be possible for as long as there is a constant demand to use the services of the smugglers; calls for the Member States to transpose swiftly and effectively the fFourth Anti-Money Laundering Directive;
Amendment 996 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 80
Paragraph 80
80. Points out that the Global Approach to Migration and Mobility (GAMM) pillar on asylum and international protection should be developed further, with greater involvement of third countries; notes that current actions in this field, under Regional Protection Programmes (RPPs) or Regional Development and Protection Programmes (RDPPs), focus on capacity building to tackle criminal smuggling and human trafficking networks within third countries of origin and transit; notes, at the same time, that the resettlement component of these programmes continues to be weak; believes that capacity-building efforts and resettlement activities should be stepped up and carried out together with third countries hosting large refugee populations that are unable to cope with the numbers;
Amendment 1013 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 82
Paragraph 82
82. Understands that the external dimension should focus on cooperation with third countries in tackling the root causes of, and addressworking towards stopping, irregular flows to Europe; understands that partnerships and cooperation with key countries of origin, transit and destination should continue to be a focus, for example through the Khartoum and Rabat processes, the Africa-EU migration and mobility dialogue, the Budapest Process and the Prague Process;
Amendment 1052 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 87
Paragraph 87
87. Points out that many smuggled persons have some level of awareness of the risks they will face on a potentially hazardous trip to Europe, but choose to embark on the journey regardless, as they assess those risks to be lower than those they would face if they were not to migrate;
Amendment 1057 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 88
Paragraph 88
88. WelcomNotes the fact that the Action Plan on Smuggling links the launching of new awareness-raising campaigns to the assessment of existing ones; recommends that any such campaigns should contain information on the criteria to be used to determine protection status in the Union, since such information may convince some migrants – who risk embarking on a perilous journey only to be returned if they are not granted protection – not to make the journey;
Amendment 1060 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 88 a (new)
Paragraph 88 a (new)
88a. Is of the view that awareness-raising campaigns need to be implemented across the Member States as well in order to inform the citizens about the relevant aspects of mass migration, including its impact on the Member States' economies;
Amendment 1067 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 89
Paragraph 89
89. Reaffirms that the Union must adopt a long-term strategy to help counteract the ‘'push factors’' in third countries (persecution, conflict, generalised violence or extreme poverty), which force people into the hands of criminal smuggling networks, which they see as their only chance to reach the Union as well as the 'pull factors' (among them, the role of people smugglers in facilitating illegal sea crossings as well as the unilateral welcoming of migrants by some Member States, in some cases ignoring the common rules);
Amendment 1082 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 91
Paragraph 91
91. Highlights that the recent increase ind arrivals of refugees into the Union has shown that, on their own, the extent of preventive measures are to date have not been sufficient for managand need to be stepped up; stresses that the measures already taken and any future initiatives in regards to strengthening of the current migration phenomenaUnion's external borders will not be effective if, among other factors, some Member States encourage mass immigration in the meantime;
Amendment 1087 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 92
Paragraph 92
92. Understands that, in the long -term, greater impetus is needed in helping to solvinge the geo-political and other issues that affect the root causes of migration, as – war, poverty, corruption, hunger, and a lack of opportunities meand the role played by people smugglers; realises that people will still feel forced to fleecontinue migrating to Europe unless Europe looks at how to help re-build those countries; points out that this meanshelps overcome some of the above problems; understands, however, that it is beyond the reach and is not the Union's unilateral responsibility to solve the above problems; notes that most problems related to root causes of migration cannot be overcome quickly and easily; Points out that the Commission and the Member States, where appropriate, must put up the money to help build capacity in third countries,; such as by facilitating investment and education,; strengthening and enforcing asylum systems,; helping to manage borders better, and reinforcing legal and judicial systems there;
Amendment 1137 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 100
Paragraph 100
100. EncouragNotes theat Member States to take full, if necessary and where appropriate, can take advantage of the possibilities offered by funds which are not directly related to migration policy, but which can be used to fund actions in that area (e.g. integration actions), such as those available under the European Social Fund, the Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived, Horizon 2020, the European Regional Development Fund and the Rights and Citizenship Programme;
Amendment 1140 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 101
Paragraph 101
101. Recommends that, under the MFF review scheduled for the end of 2016, substantial additional resources be provided under the Union budget, Heading 3, on Citizenship, Freedom, Security and Justice, so that adequate funding is made available on the basis of migration trends and the attendant financial requirements for the Union’s and the Member States’ asylum, migration and integration policies; stresses, however, that without a proper framework to tackle the European migration crisis, increase in funding alone will not help solve the wider problem of large scale immigration;
Amendment 1151 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 38
Subheading 38
On demographic trends and employment
Amendment 1157 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 104
Paragraph 104
104. Notes that, prior the increased migratory flows into the Union in 2015, according to an OECD and Commission study of 2014, the working-age population (15-64) in the Union will decline by 2.2% (7.5 million) between 2013 and 2020, and that if net migration were to be excluded from their projections, the decline would be even more pronounced, as it would amount to a reduction of the working age population by 11.7 million; stresses that, according to the same report, European labour force, despite declining population, is actually projected to increase by 1.2% between 2010 and 2020; further stresses that whilst the current levels of mass immigration to Europe are unsustainable for extended periods for socio-economic and other reasons, the inflow of people, however large, is not going to noticeably rejuvenate the European population; stresses, therefore, that the demographic arguments cannot be used in support of large scale immigration, especially if the demographic benefits are singled out at the expense of other aspects that contain significant risks which are deliberately overlooked;
Amendment 1163 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 105
Paragraph 105
105. Points out, nevertheless, that, as of NovDecember 2015, the youth unemployment rate across all the Member States stood at 20 % the unemployment rates in the European Union and the Euro Area stood at 9% and 10.4% respectively, whilst the youth unemployment rate across all the Member States stood at 19.7%; stresses that such levels are still too high, whilst at the same time a number of studies have found a short-term negative link between immigration and the native workers' unemployment levels; further stresses that current studies about the impact on unemployment levels caused by immigration may be too optimistic as they rely on a small sample whereas the current levels of immigration to the EU are unprecedented;
Amendment 1168 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 106
Paragraph 106
106. Further nNotes that, according to recent Eurostat projections, the ratio of pean Commission report, using data from Eurostat, the demographic old-age dependency ratio (people aged 65 or older,above relative to those aged 15 to 64, will) is projected to increase from 27.5 8% at the beginning of 2013 to almost 50 % by 2050; notes that thisat would mean a change from the present ratio of four4 working-age persons for every person aged 65 or oldver at present to only two2 working- age persons for everyone aged 65 or older; notes, however, that the particular report does already project significant net migration and therefore the current inflow of migrants, however large, will not significantly reduce the worsening old-age dependency ratio;
Amendment 1176 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 107 a (new)
Paragraph 107 a (new)
107a. Notes that short-term economic rationale in the context of labour migration should not be prioritised over other aspects, including those related to the immigration's impact on local workers' displacement and wage depression risks, the impact to the social capital as well as the potential security risks;
Amendment 1192 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 111
Paragraph 111
111. Takes the view that, in the long run, the Union will need to establish mor, if necessary, can propose general rules governing the entry and residence for those third-country nationals seeking employment in the Union to fill the potential gaps identified inby the UnionMember States in their labour markets;
Amendment 1211 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 113
Paragraph 113
113. Believes that better data and improved tools for analysing such data can only help policy-makers determine future labour migration policies, and that the Union and the Member States should identify potential gaps in their labour markets that could help them fill jobs that would otherwise remain vacant;
Amendment 1235 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 120
Paragraph 120
120. Reiterates that the Commission’s Implementation Report on the current Blue Card Directive underlines its flawshortcomings, including the very limited level of harmonisation brought about by the wide discretion in implementation it gives the Member States, in particular the right for Member States to maintain parallel national schemes;
Amendment 1242 #
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 occupations 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 potential gaps identified in EU labour markets;