Activities of Barbara LOCHBIHLER related to 2015/2342(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
Addressing refugee and migrant movements: the role of EU External Action (debate) DE
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on addressing refugee and migrant movements: the role of EU External Action PDF (459 KB) DOC (107 KB)
Amendments (37)
Amendment 12 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas human mobility isinternational migration occurs primarily within the same region and between developing countries; whereas the doubling of the world's population since 1960 has led to increased human mobility, which is now at an unprecedentedly high level, with of 244 million international migrants, owing to various reasons, including the doubling of the world’s population since 1960; whereas international migration occurs primarily within the same region and between develop; whereas migrant women make up the majority of international migrants in Europe (52.4%) and North America (51.2%); whereas South-South migration flows continued to grow compared to South-North movements: in 2015, 90.2 million international migrants born in developing countries resided in other countries in the Global South, while 85.3 million born in the South resided ing countries in the Global North;
Amendment 26 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas 65 million people – including 40.8 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) and 21.3 million refugees – have been forcibly displaced because of conflicts, violence and human rights violations, further to people displaced on account of natural disasters and poverty;
Amendment 39 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas this challenge requires global 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 and in Europe in the 1990s;
Amendment 40 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas a billion people could be displaced because of climate change by 2050, with more than 40 per cent of the global population living in areas of severe water stress; whereas already now, climate change has become a major root cause for migration; whereas economic losses from natural disasters are likely to increase dramatically from the $300 billion currently lost annually;
Amendment 52 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas refugees and migrants are legally two distinct categories but in reality often people are part of large-scale mixed movements of people – withoccur because of a variety of political, economic, social, developmental, and humanitarian and human rights implications that cut across bordersreasons and merit a response consistent with respect for human dignity and in accordance with human rights law;
Amendment 62 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas vulnerablecertain people, in particular women, but also children, people with disabilities, people in need of urgent medical treatment and the elderly, who are particularly exposed to all kinds of dangers, namely violenceexposed to violence, exploitation, trafficking and abuse, should be urgently granted access to protectedion and granted humanitarireferral mechanisms and protection as part of their resettlementvided access to a residence status and basic services including health care;
Amendment 69 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)
Recital E a (new)
Ea. whereas the European Court of Auditors has expressed serious doubts on the effectiveness of the EU's external migration spending, including the respect of projects for the human rights of migrants; whereas the Court also found that security and border protection were the predominant element in European migration spending;
Amendment 72 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E b (new)
Recital E b (new)
Eb. whereas violent conflicts constitute the main root cause of forced displacement; whereas the EU response to the increased migratory flows did hardly focus on improving EU crisis management and conflict prevention tools, but focused largely on development instruments;
Amendment 76 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E c (new)
Recital E c (new)
Ec. whereas economic development of countries leads to increased migration outflows as more people have the means to leave their country; whereas this trend can only be reverted in the long term;
Amendment 88 #
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 underestimatedoften underestimated, and can mitigate migrants' and refugees' exposure to harm; 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 98 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F a (new)
Recital F a (new)
Fa. whereas developing a human rights-based migration framework, allowing for the creation and expansion of regular migration channels, including resettlement opportunities for refugees, will enable the EU to draw on the economic and social benefits of mobility;
Amendment 102 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F b (new)
Recital F b (new)
Fb. whereas the successful implementation of a human rights-based migration policy requires to challenge negative perceptions of migration and conceptualisations of migration that underpin counterproductive and ineffective security policies, which result in the criminalisation and stigmatisation of migrants, and which have fostered the rise of xenophobia within the European Union;
Amendment 123 #
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 full protection of the rights and dignity of everyone forced by any circumstance to fleave their homes in search of a better life; 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 146 #
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 inclusive and flexible policies focused on the medium and long term regulating migration as a regular human phenomenon 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;
Amendment 167 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Underlines that jobs and economic opportunities are critical to mitigating the impact of displacement induced vulnerabilities; calls on the EU to help migrants and refugees to move to places offering such opportunities, to help create opportunities in their place of exile (including by removing the barriers and obstacles to access the labour market) and to help them to develop new skills more attuned to the needs of the local labour market;
Amendment 175 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. StresseConsiders thate EU development cooperation should continue to address the root causes of forced displacement by promoting peace, democracy and security, reducing poveresponse to the migration phenomenon with its strong focus on return, border management and development as ill-conceived; underlines the fact that development instruments are inappropriate instruments in order to reduce migration flows in the shorty and inequality, strengthening basic services, addressing state fragility and promoting humedium term as economic development leads to more not less migration; invites the EU to address much more the main rights and good governance, in line with Sustainable Development Goal 16 in the new 2030 Agendaoot causes of forced displacement which is violent conflicts and negative effects of climate change;
Amendment 196 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Stresses that EU development cooperation should not be made conditional upon cooperation of third countries on readmission, returns, prevention of irregular migration and border management;
Amendment 201 #
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 moreimportance of recognizing the gendered dimension of migration, not only women's vulnerableility to certain abuse, but also because oftheir multivariate reasons for migrating, their 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 deepeensure respect for women's rights and their causes of forced displacementtonomy at every stage of the migration process; reiterates the importance of adding a gender perspective to the EU policies addressing movements of migrants and refugees;
Amendment 214 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Recalls that children – particularly unaccompanied onboth separated and accompanied by their families –, people with disabilities and the elderly are particularly vulnerable to abuse, including sexual and gender-based violence, even once they have reached places deemed secure; calls for these groups to be given special assistance and humanitarian protection as part of their resettlementbe granted access to protection and provided access to a residence status and basic services including health care and education;
Amendment 222 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Recognises that children are a significant proportion of migrants and refugees, and specific procedures must be developed and put in place to ensure protection of all children, both unaccompanied and with their parents or other caregivers, regardless of migration status, in line with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child;
Amendment 236 #
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 UN compacts on refugees and on safe, orderly and regular migration – are swiftlygrounded in human rights, and are swiftly developed and put into practice, establishing follow- up mechanisms as needed;
Amendment 259 #
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 grthat ensures fair antd asylumccessible procedures for people in need of international protection to be granted asylum in the European Union and other receiving countries, instead of leaving the burden onresponsibility to the 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 solutionchallenges to address the root causes of this forced displacement;
Amendment 284 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Stresses nonetheless the need to find political solutions to violent conflicts and to invest in early- warning and conflict- prevention mechanisms so as to reduce them in the future; callasks for the EU to take a more active and effective role of the EU in the field of prevention and mediation; stresse, mediation and reconciliation and appropriate resources in terms of budget and staffing; highlights that the response to forced displacementmigration needs to be rights- based and take account of the population’'s vulnerabilities – in particular as regardsnotably women and minors – and not be limited to humanitarian assistance but also involve development and civil society actors;
Amendment 321 #
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 aviolent conflicts, climate change, lack of human rights, growing population, poverty, insufficient job creation, and political instability and climate change;
Amendment 340 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10a. Calls on the EU and Member States to take their responsibilities seriously concerning the challenge of climate change and to swiftly implement the Paris Agreement; calls in particular on the EU to put sufficient means at the disposal of countries affected by climate change in order to help them to adapt to its consequences and to mitigate its effects; urges that this should not happen at the expense of traditional development cooperation aiming at reducing poverty;
Amendment 342 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 b (new)
Paragraph 10 b (new)
10b. Calls on the EU and Member States to improve means regarding conflict prevention and crisis management; regrets the worrying absence of EU influence on major conflicts like the one in Syria; calls for a further enhancement of EU diplomatic means and improved coordination;
Amendment 346 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Calls for the establishment of a genuine, value-based common European migration policy – with adequate and fair 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, couched within a clear and transparent framework and in line with Article 21 of the TEU; 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; calls on the European Commission to bring the existing EU acquis fully in line with the UN Smuggling Protocol and ensure adequate protection for migrants victims of violence or abuse; 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 370 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Welcomes theNotes the adoption by the European Commission of its communication on establishing a new Partnership Framework with third countries as a signal of real political acunder the European Agenda on Migration; stresses however that the successimpact 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 originapproach to render development cooperation conditional on cooperation by third countries on border management, prevention of irregular migration, readmission, return of irregular migrants and Assisted Voluntary Return schemes; highlights the need to balance and complement this response, focusing on the development of local economies, qualification and regional mobility and the creation of regular channels for migration, including resettlement opportunities for refugees; points out the worrying high number of "non-removable returnees", i.e. irregular migrants in a return procedure who cannot be returned for varying reasons, ending up in a limbo situation; calls on EU Member States to regularise the situation of these non-removable returnees;
Amendment 420 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Welcomes the high-level dialogues carried out by the VP/HR and the Commission, and in some cases by Member States on behalf of the EU as a whole, as good and effective practices fostering coordination; stresses that coordination should be undertaken by the Commission and the EEAS; calls on the Commission and the EEAS to keep Parliament regularly informed of these dialogues and to report on the exact operational implementation of the Rabat and Khartoum processes and the priority initiatives agreed at the Valletta Summit; notedeeply regrets that the packages designed for priority countries as part of the new Partnership Framework, by the Commission, the EEAS and the Member States, have neither been presented nor debated by the elected representatives of European citizens;
Amendment 422 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14a. Is strongly concerned by the completely intransparent nature of the Khartoum process and the risks related to the respect of human rights of migrants when engaging with international pariah states like Eritrea and Sudan; underlines that in Sudan at least one Member State has started to cooperate with Sudanese border management authorities, possibly financing them and that a paramilitary force commander, whose troops have been involved in war crimes in Darfur, has claimed receiving EU support and fighting "illegal" migration on behalf of the EU; reminds that returning migrants from Europe to certain States participating in the Khartoum process risks contributing to further instability;
Amendment 451 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16a. Expresses concern regarding the negotiation of informal agreements with third countries covering cooperation concerning forced return and readmission to countries of origin or provenance of third-country nationals who do not or who no longer fulfil the conditions for entry, presence or residence in the territory of one of the Member States in the absence of due scrutiny and oversight of the European Parliament, as in the case of the negotiations of the EU-Turkey deal of 18 March 2016 and of the "EU- Afghanistan Joint Way Forward on migration issues" of 4 October 2016; recalls that, in line with Article 218 TFEU, the European Parliament's consent must be obtained prior to the conclusion of association and similar agreements and that the European Parliament shall be immediately and fully informed at all stages of the procedure.
Amendment 471 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Supports the Commission’´s proposal for a new and ambitious External Investment Plan (EIP) in order 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; notes that the proposed European Fund for Sustainable Development will be partly financed through DCI (Development Cooperation Instrument) allocations, which constitutes a transfer between official development funds to subsidies for the private sector; urges the board of the fund to define stringent social and environmental criteria for the selection of supported projects and to develop relevant administrative capacities in these fields; calls on the Commission to ensure coherence between financing instruments –- for example with the Development Ccooperation Instrument (DCI) and the European Development Fund (EDF) –EDF- and projects in order to focus the EU’s assistance on priorities and to avoid the scattering of funds and efforts;
Amendment 491 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Underlines that without sufficient funding, the EU cannot perform the functions it is expected to, nor meet the expectations of the European people; underlines the political and economic costs of inaction; notes that the mid-term revstrongly regrets that the Commission of the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) – or the negotiation of the next MFF at the latest – provides a necessary opportunity for the revision of the external instruments related to migration, and also to increase the EU’s budget in such a manner that it would allow an end to ad hoc instruments and restore the unity of the budget, despite itself regularly putting forward pressing needs, did not propose to increase budgetary means for external action - a budget heading already relatively low -, but basically limits itself to transfer funds from development instruments to so-called migration management measures;
Amendment 499 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18a. Underlines that addressing new and chronic disasters and vulnerabilities requires long term predictable investments and the compliance with the new sustainable development agenda, mainly by promoting joint risk assessment, planning and financing between humanitarian, development, peacebuilding and climate change actors;
Amendment 505 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Notes that the creation of trust funds and ad hoc financial instruments, while helping to mobilise necessary resources and bringing flexibility to EU action, alsopool resources, also puts in danger development effectiveness principles like alignment to country priorities and undermines the unity of the budget and Parliament’s budgetary authority; calls therefore for Parliament’s greater involvement in supervision of these instruments, including by being part of the steering committees; recalls that the effectiveness of trust funds depends heavily on Member States’ readiness to contribute and their full involvement;
Amendment 522 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. WelcomNotes the use of common security and defence policy (CSDP) missions such as EUCAP SahelAHEL Niger and EUNAVFOR MED, 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 and a military response to migration such as EUNAVFOR MED Sophia is morally and legally highly questionable; stresses in this context that the rights of migrants must be of paramount importance in all these operations; recommends more efforts in the field of early warning (forecasting), mediation and conflict resolution, while stressing the importance tof starting to planning for durable solutions as early as possible in conflict situations;
Amendment 533 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)
Paragraph 20 a (new)
20a. Urges the HR/VP, the Commission and the Member States to significantly strengthen civilian conflict prevention structures as well as financial and human resources; is deeply concerned about plans to dissolve the EEAS's only directorate in charge of civilian conflict prevention and calls instead for an increase in numbers of relevant policy planners, mediators and analysts; reminds that the EU Global Strategy calls for investments in conflict prevention but that in reality far reaching cuts have been proposed by both the Commission and the Council on the 2017 budget for the EU's only instrument for conflict prevention (IcSP); stresses the need to redouble efforts in the field of conflict prevention, mediation, reconciliation given the many security challenges in the European neighbourhood and beyond;