Activities of Barbara MATERA related to 2015/2095(INI)
Plenary speeches (2)
The situation in the Mediterranean and the need for a holistic EU approach to migration (debate) IT
The situation in the Mediterranean and the need for a holistic EU approach to migration (A8-0066/2016 - Roberta Metsola, Kashetu Kyenge) IT
Amendments (57)
Amendment 6 #
Draft opinion
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas women and girls asylum seekers and undocumented migrants are particularly vulnerable to all forms of violence, including sexual violence, at all stages of their journey;
Amendment 28 #
Draft opinion
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas there exist disparities across the Member States in the treatment of women and girls seeking asylum and a holistic EU approach to asylum and immigration must ensure that consistent and gender-sensitive procedures are in place;
Amendment 32 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 11 a (new)
Citation 11 a (new)
- having regard to the Commission Communication 'Action Plan on Unaccompanied Minors',[1]and the European Parliament Resolution of 12 September 2013 on the situation of unaccompanied minors in the EU [1] COM 82010)0213 def Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council - Action Plan on Unaccompanied Minors (2010-2014)
Amendment 37 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 43 a (new)
Citation 43 a (new)
- having regard to the study for the Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality entitled "Reception of Female Refugees and Asylum Seekers in the EU" detailing the risks female refugees undergo,
Amendment 37 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Emphasises that, regardless of legal status, decisions to detain should take into account oif past histories ofwomen have undergone trauma including experiences of sexual violence, and that the needs of pregnant women are more appropriately accommodated in tailored facilitie or FGM; considers that pregnant women in particular and single mothers should receive a treatment that takes into account their condition; stresses that girls should never be detained because of their status of migrants;
Amendment 70 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas in 2015, over 3.771 persons are reported dead or missing in the Mediterranean sea, according to the International Organisation for Migration8 ; whereas children represent 30 per cent of all recorded deaths in the Aegean Sea[1]; whereas according to recent Europol data at least 10 000 unaccompanied children have disappeared after arriving in Europe [1] IOM and UNICEF, Data Brief: Migration of Children to Europe, http://www.iom.int/sites/default/files/press _release/file/IOM-UNICEF-Data-Brief- Refugee-and-Migrant-Crisis-in-Europe- 30.11.15.pdf __________________ 8 IOM, Missing Migrants Project, http://missingmigrants.iom.int/.
Amendment 72 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Welcomes the additions made by the Recast Reception Conditions Directive, namely the inclusion of victims of human trafficking and FGM as separate categories of vulnerable persons; expresses its deep concern that only 12 Member States have applied vulnerable person status to victims of human trafficking; calls on the remaining Member States to implement the provisions of the Recast Reception Conditions Directive;
Amendment 73 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Welcomes the additions made by the Recast Reception Conditions Directive, namely the inclusion of victims of human trafficking and FGM as separate categories of vulnerable persons; expresses its deep concern that only 12 Member States have applied vulnerable person status to victims of human trafficking; calls on the European Commission to encourage the remaining Member States to put into force relevant measures;
Amendment 76 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Calls on the Member States to fully implement Directive 2011/36/EU on preventing and combating trafficking in human beings and protecting its victims and Directive 2012/29/EU on establishing minimum standards on the rights, support and protection of victims of crime;
Amendment 78 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
3b. Calls on the Member States to ratify the Istanbul Convention on violence against women and domestic violence to ensure protection of migrant women and girls from violence;
Amendment 80 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 c (new)
Paragraph 3 c (new)
3c. Stresses that women and girls are particularly vulnerable to exploitation by smugglers; calls therefore on Member States to increase their police and judicial cooperation including with Europol, Frontex, Eurojust and EASO to effectively combat migrant smuggling;
Amendment 88 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Stresses that, notwithstanding fluctuation in migration flows which may put pressure on reception facilities, the needs of vulnerable people including women and girls, in particular unaccompanied girls, should be prioritised at all times;
Amendment 90 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Underlines the need of an holistic approach including a binding mechanism of distribution of refugees among Member States with a particular attention to the needs of pregnant women, victims of violence, especially FGM, single mothers, elder women and girls;
Amendment 96 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Underlines in particular the importance of ensuring access to education for migrant girls, especially when unaccompanied;
Amendment 102 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 c (new)
Paragraph 4 c (new)
4c. Strongly condemns the use of sexual violence against women as a weapon of war; considers that special attention should be given to migrant women and girls abused in conflicts by ensuring access to medical and psychological support;
Amendment 105 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G a (new)
Recital G a (new)
G a. whereas women are at especial risk of exploitation and sexual exploitation at all stages of the migrant's journey; whereas migrant women are especially likely to be involved in child, early, and forced marriages;
Amendment 107 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Encourages the UNHCR, EASO and Member States to ensure that the highest possible standards are in place for recruitment and that training which promotes a gender-based approach is provided for all staff.
Amendment 153 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital M a (new)
Recital M a (new)
M a. whereas all EU Member States have a duty to protect and promote the rights of all children and ensure that migrant children are treated first and foremost as children and that the principle of the child's best interests takes precedence over migration management objectives;
Amendment 217 #
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, including its financial aspect, in those areas;
Amendment 220 #
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 areas; calls on all Member States to show concrete solidary by taking their shared responsibility in receiving people in need of international protection.
Amendment 259 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Suggests, in that respect, that search and rescue capacities must be strengthened, and that Member States’ governments must deploy more resources – 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, recommends that, in planning such search and rescue operations, child specific measures be taken, such as child safeguarding policies in manuals on search and rescue, child protection trainings and child-focused care at disembark;
Amendment 279 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7 a. Calls for the European Union's relevant Institutions and bodies to ensure proper protection to migrant women from sexual exploitation and to provide services and proper health care for cases of pregnancy and FGM;
Amendment 286 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Holds that any holistic approach to migration must necessarily contain measures coordinated between the relevant agencies aimed at disrupting the activities of criminal networks involved in the trafficking and smuggling of people;
Amendment 316 #
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 reiterate, but are important to save lives and combat smugglers; considers that CFSP Operation "Sophia must not distract" and Mare Sicuro are an essential contribution to the effectiveness of search and rescue operations and to the assets already deployed in the Mediterranean forom saving lives at sea;
Amendment 321 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10 a. welcomes the recent decision to use NATO assets in the Eastern Mediterranean to combat traffickers and smugglers who are exploiting innocent migrants
Amendment 343 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12a. Recalls that cooperation and sharing of information between national authorities and JHA agencies are necessary for an effective fight against human trafficking and smuggling; to this purpose, stresses the importance of the Joint Operational Team MARE established at Europol;
Amendment 389 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16a. Considers it appropriate therefore to extend relocation arrangements to all nationalities following the relocation of all those belonging to nationalities for which the proportion of positive decisions granting international protection in the Union has been 75 % or more for the preceding three months;
Amendment 430 #
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 relocation in particular based on their skills and competences; recognises that this is one way of discouraging secondary movements and encouraging applicants themselves to accept relocation decisions, but that it should not stop the relocation process;
Amendment 431 #
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 relocation; recognises that this is one way of discouraging secondary movements and encouraging applicants themselves to accept relocation decisions, but that it should not stop the relocation process; further recalls that the best interest of the child must be a primary consideration should always guide any decision on relocation involving children;
Amendment 477 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 a (new)
Paragraph 23 a (new)
23a. Believes that the permanent Union- wide resettlement programme should aim at guaranteeing a homogeneous distribution, in the host country, of men and women who are refugees or in need of international protection; underlines that resettlement programmes should be mainly addressed to vulnerable people;
Amendment 507 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 a (new)
Paragraph 26 a (new)
26a. Observes that vulnerable people should benefit from humanitarian visas with priority;
Amendment 676 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 42 a (new)
Paragraph 42 a (new)
42 a. Believes that access to the labour market of Member States should be immediately denied to refugees or applicants for international protection who committed crimes;
Amendment 705 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 45
Paragraph 45
45. Encourages the Member States to seek to keep families together, which will assist integration prospects in the long-term as the focus can be directed towards the establishment of a new life instead of concerns towards family members that are still in insecure situations; urges Member States to take all measures necessary to prevent the separation of a child from his/her parents;
Amendment 722 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 47 a (new)
Paragraph 47 a (new)
47 a. Calls for, through relevant EU agencies, the coordination between Member States of family records in order to facilitate, where possible, family reunification, especially if members of a single family are separated in different Member States;
Amendment 723 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 47 a (new)
Paragraph 47 a (new)
47 a. On Unaccompanied Minors (new title)
Amendment 724 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 47 b (new)
Paragraph 47 b (new)
47 b. Recalls that refugee and migrant children should be provided with information on their right to family reunification and how to claim it in a child-friendly way; Recalls that support and protection should be extended to unaccompanied and separated children, in line with their best interests, and that applications for family reunification filed by unaccompanied and separated children should be expedited;
Amendment 725 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 47 c (new)
Paragraph 47 c (new)
47 c. Calls on Member States to fully apply the specific provisions of the Common European Asylum System concerning unaccompanied minors, including access to legal assistance, guardianship, access to healthcare, accommodation and education, the right to be spoken in a language they understand, to have interviews with trained officials not in a uniform, etc.; calls on the Member States to end detention of children because they are migrants.
Amendment 726 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 47 d (new)
Paragraph 47 d (new)
47 d. Calls on the Member States to ensure that refugee and migrant children enjoy rapid and non-discriminatory access to national services, including child protection systems, in line with the provisions of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child with the same level of care and support recognised to national children deprived of parental care; calls on Member States to gather disaggregated data on the situation of refugee and migrant children in order to improve the ability of systems to integrate refugee and migrant children;
Amendment 727 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 47 e (new)
Paragraph 47 e (new)
47 e. Believes that age assessment should be carried out in a manner that is multi- disciplinary, safe and in respect of children's physical integrity and human dignity, with particular attention to girls and should be performed by independent, qualified practitioners and experts; calls for legal guardians to be appointed to support unaccompanied and separated children immediately upon identification and calls on the Member States to speed up procedures for appointing legal guardians
Amendment 758 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 49
Paragraph 49
49. Acknowledges that, in the light of the fact that, in 2014, 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, also by concluding new readmission agreements, in particular with African countries, that should be added to the 17 agreements already drawn up by the EU;
Amendment 769 #
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, taking into account the rights and needs of women, children, religious and ethnic minorities; reiterates, in that regard, that voluntary return should be prioritised over forced returns;
Amendment 773 #
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; recalls no child should be returned without a thorough risk assessment, conducted by independent child protection officer, and based on Country of Origin Information reports in cooperation with non-governmental, local and international organisation to ensure protection and reintegration after their return;
Amendment 778 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 50 a (new)
Paragraph 50 a (new)
50 a. Believes that a quick adoption of the Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on a European travel document for the return of illegally staying third-country nationals, in the framework of structured readmission agreements with third countries, would help to make the return of irregular migrants lacking valid travel documents more effective;
Amendment 789 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 51 a (new)
Paragraph 51 a (new)
51 a. Suggests to Member States to work on measures which make repatriation of migrants authors of criminal matters easier; underlines that such measures should abide by international law;
Amendment 842 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 57
Paragraph 57
57. Notes further that it is impossible to properly to evaluate the advantages and drawbacks of certain elements of the CEAS owing to the fact that many Member States have not yet fully implemented the legislation and calls on the Commission to take this aspect into account while preparing the revision of Dublin;
Amendment 859 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 60
Paragraph 60
60. Notes the receCommends the important role of Frontex in rendering assistance to any vessel or person in distress at sea, and acknowledges its contribution, through the Triton and Poseidon joint operations, to the rescuing and saving of many lives in the Mediterranean; stresses that all Member States should provide logistical and human resources and participate to joint- operations;
Amendment 902 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 65
Paragraph 65
65. Acceptstresses 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 922 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 69
Paragraph 69
69. Takes notewelcomes that on 15 December 2015 the Commission came forward with a proposal for a targeted revision of the Schengen Borders Code, proposing to introduce systematic controls of all Union nationals (not only on third-country nationals) against the relevant databases at the external borders of the Schengen Area;
Amendment 947 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 73
Paragraph 73
73. Calls forUrges the hotspots to be set up as soon as possible in order to give concrete operational assistance to those Member States;
Amendment 956 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 74
Paragraph 74
74. Recognises that one of the main purposes of hotspots is to allow the Union to grant protection and humanitarian assistance in a swift manner to those in need; emphasises that great care needs to be taken to ensure that the categorising of migrants at hotspots is carried out in full respect for the rights of all migrants; acknowledges, however, that proper identificfurther recognises the essential role of the hotspots to support Member States in the proper identification and registration of applicants for international protection at the point of first arrival in the Union should helpto facilitate the overall functioning of any reformed CEAS;
Amendment 963 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 74
Paragraph 74
74. Recognises that one of the main purposes of hotspots is to allow the Union to grant protection and humanitarian assistance in a swift manner to those in need; emphasises that great care needs to be taken to ensure that the categorising of migrants at hotspots is carried out in full respect for the rights of all migrants as well as the needs of pregnant women and children; acknowledges, however, that proper identification of applicants for international protection at the point of first arrival in the Union should help facilitate the overall functioning of any reformed CEAS;
Amendment 1030 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 85 a (new)
Paragraph 85 a (new)
85a. Welcomes the commitments taken at the Valletta summit which recognise the need to give hope and opportunities to young people, and to protect children from violence and abuse;
Amendment 1038 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 86
Paragraph 86
86. Recalls that the Union has intensified its external cooperation with third countries in migration and asylum in order to respond adequately to the current refugee crisis, and has launched new cooperation initiatives, such as the EU-Turkey Joint Action Plan; emphasises, in that respect, the need for all parties to fulfil their commitments deriving from the Joint Action Plan, including addressing the root causes leading to the massive influx of Syrians, stepping up cooperation for the support of Syrians under temporary protection and their host communities in Turkey, and for Turkey to fulfil its commitments to prevent irregular migration flows from its territory to the Union; considers that more cooperation and support is necessary for search and rescue operations in the Aegean sea, including between Greece and Turkey; Calls on the Commission and on the Member States to speed up the disbursement of 3 billion euros to support refugees in Turkey;
Amendment 1039 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 86 a (new)
Paragraph 86 a (new)
86a. The Union should make the allocation of economic resources for international cooperation projects to assist developing countries conditional upon the full and effective cooperation of those countries with regard to the control of outgoing migration flows and the return of migrants who are denied political asylum or other forms of international protection;
Amendment 1040 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 86 a (new)
Paragraph 86 a (new)
86a. Welcomes that Turkey’s authorities and the UNHCR in Turkey are harmonising their data base of registration of refugees in one single registration system; considers it urgent to look at technical ways to make that data base interoperable and compatible with the European data base for the registration of asylum seekers, Eurodac; stresses that it is also important that once refugees leave Turkey to go to Europe, they should be de-registered from the Turkish data base;
Amendment 1111 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 94 a (new)
Paragraph 94 a (new)
94a. Deplores that the UNHCR appeal to increase funding has been ignored by Member States and that WFP had to reduce their nutrition ratio to 80% because of reductions of funds; calls on the Member States and the EU to increase funding to the UN agencies and their partner NGOs in third countries;
Amendment 1184 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 110
Paragraph 110
110. Notes that even if the existing EU legislative framework regulating the access of third- country nationals to work in the Union is rather fragmented, as it focuses on specific categories of workers rather than on regulating, generally, all migrant workers; , it still provides a useful set of common rules for the admission of third country nationals in the EU for the purpose of work; calls therefore on the Member States to implement all existing legislation on legal migration to avoid fragmentation and ensure legal certainty,