23 Amendments of Sylvie GUILLAUME related to 2015/2095(INI)
Amendment 6 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Recalls that under the UNCLOS convention1 and the SOLAS convention2 every state party to the convention requires the master of a ship flying its flag, in so far as he can do so without serious danger to the ship, the crew or the passengers, to render assistance to any person found at sea in danger of being lostin distress at sea and to actively participate in search and rescue operations at sea; stresses that rescuing a person in danger at sea is not only an international obligation but also an ethical duty; __________________ 1 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of 1982, Article 98 ‘Duty to render assistance’ 2 International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, Regulation 33 ‘Distress messages: obligations and procedures’
Amendment 11 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Underlines the fact that in the period 1 January until 31 May 2015, in which a total of 47 265 migrants were rescued at sea in the Mediterranean Sea, 13 475 were rescued by merchant vessels; takes note that in these five months, 302 merchant vessels were asked to re-route and change course to assist in rescue operations, of which 104 vessels aeffectively rescued and disembarked migrants and persons entitled to international protection;
Amendment 23 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Emphasises, therefore, that merchant vessels have a significantplay a decisive role in rescue operations both in terms of volume and activity; points out the fact that merchant vessels have not been equipped and their staff have not been trained, despite the measures implemented by ship-owners over the past few months in terms of equipment and procedures, merchant vessels have not been equipped - in particular with enough resources such as basic necessities (food, drinking water, medical care), do not meet the required security standards, and their staff have not been adequately trained - both operationally and psychologically, to make them sufficiently prepared to systematically take part in such large-scale rescue operations;
Amendment 33 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Stresses that this situation has led merchant vessels to bear additional costs in the process, and even to risk being financially sanctioned by Member States for transporting third countries nationals without the necessary travel documents; takes note that as a result some merchant vessels have started seeking alternative routes, so as to avoid areas frequented by boats with migrants and persons entitled to international protection, and show reluctance to reveal their position at sea;
Amendment 36 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
3b. Calls on the Commission to propose a revision of the Council Directive 2001/51/EC so that Member States are not given the possibility to sanction private vessels that would voluntarily assist migrants and persons entitled to international protection on humanitarian grounds;
Amendment 43 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Is concerned that without vessels and their crew being sufficiently prepared for such large-scale rescue operations, the situation will result in accidents in the Mediterranean Sea that might lead to loss of human lives and also entail environmental risks, to a lesser extent, also entail risks in terms of maritime security, in particular as regards the environment;
Amendment 44 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 48 a (new)
Citation 48 a (new)
- having regard to the European Parliament resolution of 26 November 2015 on education for children in emergency situations and protracted crises (2015/2977(RSP));
Amendment 54 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Welcomes the Commission Communication entitled ‘A European agenda on migration’ (COM (2015)0240) and strongly callss well as its two first sets of implementing measures, presented by the Commission respectively on May 27th and September 9th 2015, and strongly calls on all EU Member States to take their responsibilities and to commit for adequate and immediate measures to be taken at both Member Statesnational and EU level so as 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;
Amendment 61 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Is deeply concerned about the ongoing migrationrefugee crisis in the Central and Eastern Mediterranean, in particular the humanitarian aspects but also its impact on maritime transport in the Mediterranean Sea by passenger ships, cruise ships and container ships, the safety of the vessels and their crew, and general maritime safety;
Amendment 72 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Urges the Member States, Council and Commission to immediately increase funding for temporary, sufficientambitious and large-scale rescue operations in the Mediterranean, so that the safety and fundamental rights of both the refugees up to the challenge posed by the humanitarian emergency, so that the safety and fundamental rights of migrants and persons entitled to international protection seeking to enter Europe, on the one hand, and the maritime crews working in the Mediterranean waters, on the other hand, can be guaranteed;
Amendment 76 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Is of the opinion that a more long- term approach to search and rescue at sea is also necessary through a genuine and permanent EU Search and Rescue operation, which should be dedicated primarily to saving lives and take on a humanitarian dimension, in full respect of the non-refoulement principle and migrants’ fundamental rights, so that the EU and its Member States stop relying as much as now on merchant vessels to fulfil their international obligations;
Amendment 154 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital M a (new)
Recital M a (new)
M a. whereas the large majority of refugees and migrants are young people under 35 years (81% according to Eurostat) with increasing numbers of children, highlights that education and training policies are crucial for well- managed reception and integration of refugees and migrants;
Amendment 548 #
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 protection; notes that the current system does not take into sufficient consideration the particular migratory pressurely important influx of refugees and migrants 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; __________________ 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 599 #
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 central 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 per Member State, 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, and that it should be supervised by and placed under the authority of a fully-fledged European asylum agency (for example by reinforcing EASO); underlines that any new system for allocation of responsibility must incorporate the key concepts of family unity and the best interests of the child;
Amendment 650 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 40 a (new)
Paragraph 40 a (new)
40 a. Emphasises the crucial role played by education and training policies, lifelong learning and intercultural dialogue, as well as youth and sports policy, to foster the integration and social inclusion of refugees and migrants in Europe thus contributing to building a more cohesive and inclusive society. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to increase the profile of culture and education in those operational measures undertaken as part of the European Agenda for Migration, in particular by supporting integration through access to education and training systems, the creation of a platform for the recognition of competences and the development of effective actions supporting intercultural dialogue and understanding;
Amendment 673 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 42
Paragraph 42
42. Takes the view that, where those persons granted international protection in the Union have an offer of employment or to follow an educational path, including access to universities in a Member State other than the one in which they have been granted international protection, they should be able to avail themselves of such an offer;
Amendment 790 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 51 a (new)
Paragraph 51 a (new)
51 a. Raises the problem of administrative detention, often used in a systematic and abusive way by some Member states, while it should be a solution of last resort; underlines that the use of detention very often leads to violations of migrants and asylum seekers' fundamental rights, including minors; demands more transparency with respect to the current situation in detention centres (through a better access for civil society, journalists and parliamentarians); calls on the Member States to make a better and more systematic use of existing alternatives to detention;
Amendment 800 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 52
Paragraph 52
52. Acknowledges the recent Commission proposal for a Union list of safe countries of origin, amending the Asylum Procedures Directive13; observes that ifwhilst such a Union list would become obligatory forcan facilitate the use of the idea of 'safe country of origin' by all the Member States it couland, in principle, be an important tool for facilitating the asylum process, including returt gives rise to some questions concerning, for example, its harmonising effect, the assessment of the countries concerned and the methodology used, as well as the processes of adoption and revision; __________________ 13 Directive 2013/32/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 June 2013 on common procedures for granting and withdrawing international protection (OJ L180, 29.6.2013, p. 60).
Amendment 815 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 53
Paragraph 53
53. Regrets the current situation in which Member States apply different lists, containing different safe countries, hampering of origin, in terms both of the number of countries concerned and of the understanding of the situation on the ground; is of the opinion that this situation hampers uniform application and incentivisinges secondary movements;
Amendment 822 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 54
Paragraph 54
54. Underlines, in any event, that any list of safe countries of origin should not detract from the principle that every person must be allowed an appropriate individual examination of his or her application for international protection in accordance with the provisions of the Asylum Procedures Directive (2013/32/EU) and, in particular, with the guarantees which must accompany the use of the 'safe country of origin' concept;
Amendment 846 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 58
Paragraph 58
58. Recommends that EASO be developed, in the long term, into a principal coordinator of the CEAS with a view to guaranteeing common application of the rules of that system; reiterates that, as the CEAS becomes genuinely European, EASO needs to develop from a collection of experts from Member States into a fully- fledged Union agency, providing operational support to Member States and at the external borders, and monitoring the new European asylum system that would replace Dublin III; emphasises, in that regard, that it must be provided with the necessary funding and human resources in the short, medium and long term;
Amendment 1198 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 111
Paragraph 111
111. Takes the view that, in the long run, the Union will need to establish more general rules governing the entry and residence for those third-country nationals seeking employment in the Union to fill the gaps identified in the Union labour market; stresses that the EU should overcome the too restrictive and fragmented approach of its policies in terms of legal labour migrations;
Amendment 1202 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 111 a (new)
Paragraph 111 a (new)
111a. Encourages the development of international labour matching mechanisms, which would extend the current EU and Member States job intermediation mechanisms to third country nationals, so as to provide the latter with information about job vacancies in Europe, and the corresponding job intermediation services; believes, in that regard, that EURES, the European Job Mobility Portal, should be made available in third countries, or, alternatively, linked to the labour market information systems of public employment services in partner countries;