Tag: Refugees

Party-Political Youth Organisations: Replace EU-Turkey Deal With Dignified Migration Policy

Today, it is one year since the deal between the European Union and Turkey on relocation of refugees came into force.

In the absence of a functional relocation scheme within the European Union, a deal was forged that would effectively push back refugees to Turkey, deemed a safe third country. There are, however, numerous reports from leading human rights organisations that Turkey is not safe for refugees (source: HRW, Amnesty International).

The EU-Turkey deal decreased the amount of crossings along the so called Eastern Mediterranean route from Turkey to Greece. However, the number of migrants trying to reach Europe via the so called Central Mediterranean route from North Africa to Italy increased . The latter route is considerably more dangerous than the former, leading to new deadly records each year. More than 5000 migrants lost their lives in the Mediterranean in 2016 – more than any previous year. In the first two months of 2017, the death toll in the Mediterranean is already higher than in previous years. The vast majority of these victims were attempting to reach Italy (source: IOM).

One year later, we regret to note that the EU-Turkey deal has worsened the already dire situation of thousands of displaced persons. Furthermore, deals modeled on the EU-Turkey deal with even less stable countries, like Libya and several countries in North Africa, threaten to lock up vulnerable people in inhumane situations. We therefore demand the following:

  1. The urgent implementation of a functional framework for the resettlement of refugees in the European Union. The size of the quotas must reflect the actual needs of protection of asylum seekers.
  2. Sufficient support to countries of entry, in particular Greece and Italy, to ensure decent living conditions for refugees and the resources needed to expediently process asylum applications.
  3. The abolishment of the Dublin-II regulation and an end to the nationalization of asylum policy in general.
  4. The constitution of a European Agency for Asylum and Migration responsible for the examining of asylum applications. This agency has the responsibility to coordinate the national asylum agencies, increase the efficiency and grant for the rights of refugees by consistently applying existing European standards.
  5. The creation of more legal channels of migration in order to save lives and reduce human trafficking by all EU Member States to commonly introducing a “humanitarian visa system” allowing refugees to enter the EU territory legally, and thus be able to seek asylum on humanitarian grounds upon arrival. The adoption of common criteria for these visas, and the enabling of asylum seekers to apply to all of the EU countries in any EU embassy by creating a common asylum policy at European level.
  6. The revoking of the EU-Turkey deal and the halting of plans for other similar deals with third countries, such as with Libya, until there are guarantees that all agreements with third countries comply with the international humanitarian legal obligations of EU member states. The EU to work together to even out the differences in financial responsibility of member states in managing the external border in order to make sure that no country feel that it is necessary to outsource border control to non-EU countries.
  7. The allocation of sufficient resources to the Asylum and Migration Fund, which will include the former asylum and refugee funds, in the EU Multiannual Financial Framework 2014-2020. The EU to ensure that the EU external aid priorities and fundings are coherent with the ones of the Asylum and Migration fund.

Signatories:

EFAy – European Free Alliance Youth
European Liberal Youth (LYMEC)
Young Democrats for Europe (YDE)
Young European Socialists
IUSY – International Union of Socialist Youth
Youth of the European Left
IFLRY – International Federation of Liberal Youth
Young European Federalists [JEF]
Federation of Young European Greens – FYEG

Picture by Elias Markou

YDE
Press Release

YDE co-signs call for solutions to refugees’ integration and employment

Investing in solutions for refugees/migrants and creating quality jobs for young people

Young people across Europe have been deeply affected by the migration and refugee crisis and have often been the first to act to protect human life. Civil Society Organisations and Youth Organisations in particular have done their best to translate the goodwill of young people into adequate responses to the urgent needs of migrants and refugees at local and national levels. Young people, often working as volunteers, are helping to stem a humanitarian crisis in countries across Europe.

As the Commission launches proposals to deal with the refugee crisis today – we state that a European solution to the migration and refugee crisis focusing on solidarity and European values is urgently needed. Europe cannot and must not return to national borders.

Young people want to continue making their contribution to a European solution to this crisis, believing that such a solution will create more quality employment opportunities for young people, including refugees and migrants themselves.

We call for efforts to focus on the following:

  • Reception of refugees and migrants: To ensure that refugees and migrants are treated in a way that protects their rights, is in accordance with European values and creates jobs in Europe – EU borders should be in Europe and not outsourced to Turkey or other countries.
  • Humanitarian programmes to provide services and decent conditions for and with migrants and refugees. This must include tailor-made support for refugees and migrants.
  • Inclusion programmes to engage refugees and migrants in local communities. Young people and youth organisations are uniquely positioned to carry out this effort, given our open and welcoming attitude to refugees and migrants. Done well, these can create social integration and harmony – one example being citizenship education and peace education programmes that can facilitate exchanges regarding identity. These can also create many quality jobs for European young people, refugees and migrants themselves, including through skills and competences acquired through non-formal education programmes.

Concrete actions of youth organisations: 

  •  Don Bosco Youth-Net volunteers in Germany, Italy, Spain and Austria offer free language courses and sports/leisure activities to young refugees as a first step to the integration in the local community.
  • Scouts are providing tents, medical supplies, basic medical assistance, organising the collection of donations among the local population, preparing food according to the different religious beliefs and organising its distribution on a daily basis

Full statement can be downloaded here.

Signatories: Austrian Youth Council, European Liberal Youth, Federation of Young European Greens (FYEG), Young European Socialists,  Don Bosco Youth-Net, European Federation for Intercultural Learning (EFIL), World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM), Young Democrats for Europe (YDE). Coordinated by European Youth Forum.

YDE
News Press Release

Germany moves to the right!

State elections in Germany: right-wing-populist-party AfD enters three parliaments

During the past weeks, Germans have often made fun of the Americans. “How can they vote for someone like Donald Trump?” German people would ask. And they cannot be blamed. The Republicans’ presidential candidate wants to forbid the entry in the United States to Muslims; he wants to bolt the Mexican border with a wall and describes himself as “the best president God has ever created”. Regarding his statements and demands, we are stunned and also about the Americans’ electoral behaviour. But with the last state elections in Germany on March 13, the situation in Germany turned out to be as worse as in the United States.

24.2% is the score the right-wing party Alternative für Deutschland (AfD, Alternative for Germany) did receive in Saxony-Anhalt at its first election! This result is frightening and dangerous. In Baden-Wurttemberg (15.1%) and Rhineland-Palatinate (12.6%), the situation is hardly better. After this electoral Super-Sunday, the political map of Germany has changed. A party that wants to allow shooting at refugees, to dissolve the EU, to abolish social benefits and to prohibit Muslims from practising their religion is now represented in eight of the 16 federal state’s parliaments. “The AfD confesses to the traditional family as an example” and rejects state kindergartens. Men should work; women should educate children and stay at home to cook. Every vote for the right-wing populists is a retrograde step.

UKIP in the United Kingdom, the Front National in France – and now the AfD in Germany. The biggest reason why parties like these could get that popular is the refugees’ crisis: hundred thousands of people fleeing from their native countries from war,  to Europe, to Germany. The AfD takes advantage of this, rushes and shrinks back from nothing; and gets votes – alarmingly many votes. The AfD gets voters from the established parties; however, non-voters give primarily their votes to the right-wing-party. Besides, three of four voters indicate to have chosen the AfD not because of their manifesto, but to teach a lesson to the governing parties.

Already once in German history a right-wing-party scored such a great success in such a short time! It should not only be a German effort, but also a European one, that this will not happen again. Established centrist parties must take the citizens seriously, their demands, worries and fears. They must not give them a reason to vote for a right-wing party only to teach a lesson. This is the only way to maintain our democratic and pro-European values. However, the AfD is not one thing for sure: an alternative.

By Bettina Schwarz (@betti_schwarz)

Photo: Túrelio

YDE
News

Beyond the gloomy present: your Democratic impulse! – IED/YDE Winter Academy

This first IED/YDE Winter Academy Edition gathered in Brussels about 30 young centrists from all over Europe.

Speakers with various backgrounds and responsibilities participated in making this event interesting, lively and a general success. Amongst these speakers were François Pauli (deputy Secretary General of the ALDE Group), François Lafond (member of the Scientific Committee of the IED), Claude Rolin (Belgian MEP), Henri Malosse (Former EESC president), as well as young experts such as Marinella Davide, Wilhelm Bargum, Stepan Berko, Mihai Sebe, Jeremy Van Gorp, and Mathieu Baudier.

IED/YDE Winter Academy – Dec'15 – Beyond the gloomy present: y…

What do more than 30 young Centrists do just a week before Christmas? Reflect, exchange, learn and plan on a brighter future for Europeans and #Europe

Posted by Young Democrats for Europe (YDE) on Tuesday, 29 December 2015

The European Union is facing one massive challenge and all the participants agreed on it: the EU has nearly no budget and is facing great adversity and expectations both internally and externally. The EU’s Budget – 1% of the EU-28’s Gross National Income (just a little bit above Hungary’s GNI) – is far too small for 508 million Europeans. With 75% of its expenditure going to the Common Agricultural Policy and the Regional Cohesion Policy, there is very few left to tackle tremendous crises and challenges at a continent scale such as those currently faced by the EU.

We understand that we need more Europe where it is necessary to tackle those challenges. However, the current organisation of European institutions and the Eurosceptic climate in Europe is a break we, Democrats, will have to handle.

Improving our messages and how the EU is functioning are the only ways to tackle challenges such as youth unemployment, which is “a cancer for our societies”, as Claude Rolin explained. A dematerialised economy and politicians understanding what it means for someone to be unemployed for several months or years are one of the key issues Europe needs to address.

Our internal challenges should not make us forget about external challenges, those just happening at and within our borders. We need to rethink the way we approach the Eastern partnership considering the current and the potential future geopolitical situation. We need to support Democrats where they are, battling for a better, independent, society, just like in Ukraine.

No practical solution can be found without values. Solidarity was exuding from our different talks. Solidarity between citizens after the recent terrorist attacks, solidarity with smaller countries threatened by climate change, solidarity with youngsters who thrive to integrate, solidarity between Member States in tackling the refugees’ crisis.

It is crystal-clear that European Union members have not found the answer yet to handle the refugees’ crisis following a truly humanist path regarding refugees and migrants; nor in a fair way for Member States such as Greece, Italy or Spain which have been asked to handle on their own a region-wide situation, or Germany and Sweden showing solidarity for all others. Fighting opposition one by one is the best way to fail and fall one by one.

While the present does look gloomy, it is not too late to avoid more deadlocks. But solutions will not happen without everyone’s contribution and it is about time to roll up our sleeves.

Special thanks to Eimys Ortiz and Mathieu Camescasse for making it happen.

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YDE
News

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