REFUGEES:
Urgent appeal to European governments
ahead of Laeken summit
Date: 6/12/0
Ahead
of this week's European summit in Laeken, 73 European refugee NGOs and leading
public figures, such as Isabelle Allende, Martti Ahtisaari and Wilfried
Martens, are calling on the EU Governments to put into practice their
commitment to human rights and asylum.
Two
years down the road, we are still far from the goal of a common asylum system
based on protection and international refugee and human rights, as agreed at
special summit Tampere, Finland in October 1999.
The
negotiations on minimum standards on asylum policy are bogged down, due to a
lack of political will to think European. Governments are competing to impose
their national systems on the rest of Europe. Almost all EU member states have amended their national laws
in the last two years, apparently oblivious to the wider European process.
While
the language of the Member States collectively respects the need for protection
of refugees, the focus of some governments has been on deterrence. ECRE fears that the EU risks
incorporating the worst aspects of national asylum systems and legitimising
them as European 'standards'.
The
recent events of September 11th raise further concerns that governments are
hurrying through legislation, which may further erode the rights of refugees.
ECRE
General Secretary Peer Baneke, said:
"The
Laeken summit offers a golden opportunity to give real momentum to the asylum
debate. If responsibility for refugees is to be fairly shared between Member
States, European leaders must commit to placing the protection of refugees,
rather than deterrence, at the core of a common asylum policy. The future
asylum system must not be founded on the lowest common denominator, but on best
practice from across Europe and must bridge the gaps between national
policies."
END
Press contacts:
Peer Baneke
0044/207/7295152-205, mobile 0044/7808295613
Irene Donadio 0032/2/5145939, mobile 0497427421
NOTE TO THE EDITOR:
ECRE is organizing a high profile meeting on Monday
December 10 to contribute to the
debate ahead of Laeken.
The meeting EUROPE
& REFUGEES, Freedom Security and Justice? will be held from 9 Am to 1 PM at the Theatre Residence Palace, rue
de la Loi 155, Brussels.
Speakers
include Mr. Eddy Boutmans, State Secretary for Cooperation and Development,
Belgium government, Mr. Gustaaf Borchardt, Director of DG Justice and Home
Affairs, European Commission, Mr. Aminullah Habibi, refugee from Afghanistan.