PRESS RELEASE
17 June 2002
Seville Summit:
Blocking Access to Europe is not the Answer
The
European Council on Refugees and Exiles (ECRE)[1]
calls on European leaders
gathering in Seville later this week to
show strong political leadership, stand by their human rights
commitments and ensure access to Europe for people in need of protection. Peer Baneke, the General Secretary of ECRE said "access is at the core of
refugee protection. Without the possibility of access to the territory, the right
to seek asylum is meaningless. Ever stricter control measures have not only
obstructed the right of asylum seekers to access the territory of Europe but
have also forced people to resort to illegal entry and rely on criminal
networks. As
a result, the phenomenon of people smuggling and trafficking at Europe's land
and coastal borders has thrived fuelling public insecurity and mistrust in the
ability of European governments to control their borders."
"Political
will, courage and determination are needed to foster public confidence in
Europe's capacity to shape and manage a coherent asylum and immigration
policy. We believe that the answer
to public fears does not lie in the constant tightening of control measures but
in a comprehensive and principled approach that is based on a thorough
understanding of the asylum and migration phenomenon in Europe. The EU must
live up to the commitments of the 1999 Tampere Summit to 'respect…the
absolute right to seek asylum' and provide 'guarantees to those who seek protection
in or access to the European Union'. We strongly urge European governments
to develop a coherent strategy
that includes the establishment of a principled and fair common European asylum
system; a commitment to global responsibility sharing; active engagement in the
root causes of forced displacement; and a common immigration policy".
ECRE
calls on all Heads of EU governments
and in particular Prime Minister Aznar as the Chair of the Seville EU
Summit:
- To demonstrate the necessary political leadership to
rebuild public confidence in the asylum system;
- To incorporate fundamental safeguards consistent with
international human rights and refugee law standards into border control
measures that enable refugees to access European territory to present
their asylum claims;
- To significantly increase the European
governments’ participation in resettlement programs without
prejudice to the right of spontaneous arrivals to seek and enjoy asylum on
the territory of Europe;
- To ensure that a harmonized European approach to
safeguard access and protection for persons fleeing persecution forms part
of a co-ordinated strategy, which addresses the causes of forced
displacement and includes the channeling of aid to countries hosting large
numbers of refugees.
Peer
Baneke and other ECRE representatives
will be present at the Seville Summit and can be contacted on:
Peer
Baneke: ECRE General Secretary tel: + 44 7808 295 613
fax: + 44 20
7729 5141
e-mail:
Pbaneke@ecre.org
Charlotte
Altenhoner, ECRE Legal Officer tel: + 44 729 5152 x
221
e-mail: CAltenhoner@ecre.org
Jon Zabala Otegui, Comision Espanola de Ayuda al Refugiado (CEAR)
tel: +34
91 804 5404
fax: +34
91 804 6886
e-mail: jonza@ctv.es