HEARING: 'THE
SITUATION OF FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS IN THE EUROPEAN UNION AND THE ESTABLISHEMENT OF
THE EUROPEAN AREA OF FREEDOM, SECURITY AND JUSTICE'
On behalf of the 70
refugee protecting agencies represented by the European Council on Refugees and
Exiles (ECRE), I would like to thank you for the opportunity to speak
today.
ECRE and many other
European nongovernmental organisations have actively contributed to the
preparation of the European Charter of Fundamental Rights. We were therefore
genuinely pleased with the inclusion in the Charter of Article 18 on the right
on asylum which stresses the importance of the respect of the Geneva Convention
of 1951 and Article 19 on the principle of non refoulement.
Fundamental Rights are
important. Human rights are important. They are at the roots of what Europe
stands for, or at least: of what it should stand for.
It is easy enough to
criticise foreign countries for their violations of human rights. Many European
governments and politicians do that.
But, the best way of
judging Europe's commitment to human rights is to look how we treat those who
try to flee these violations.
Europe rightly criticises
countries such as Aghanistan or Iraq for the pattern of human rights
violations. But what happens to those who flee those countries?
What protection do we
offer? Or, are we most keen on deterring them - keep them away from this future
Common Area of Freedom, Security and Justice?
You all know what is
happening now in Macedonia. We must act to avoid that the worse happens; but if
we fail and people flee – what will Europe’s countries do? Provide
protection, share responsibility?
Still, whatever happens,
we must remember that the numbers of people fleeing to the countries of the
European union will be much fewer than the numbers of refugees that find
protection in countries like Iran or Pakistan - countries much less well
equipped to cope than we are.
ECRE welcomed many of the principled statements
of the Tampere Summit of 1999.
However we are worried that, at the end of this year at the Laeken
Summit, we may conclude that Europe has not come far, or even gone back in some
respects.
We see too many negative political emotions,
states competing against each other. Governments saying to their neighbouring
state: you keep those asylum
seekers - we don't want them; Politicians playing to the sentiments, xenophobic
or otherwise, of their own populations, rather than leading them to work
together, to trust their neighbours and to share responsibility - in Europe!
The implementation of the Amsterdam Treaty and of
the Commissions' Scoreboard will run into the sand if individual states are not
willing to bring upwards some of their national standards of refugee
protection.
If they keep clinging to their own systems as the
best, the result may be that in a year or two a whole range of legal instruments
will be adopted which dash our aspirations and make a farce of all the
statements about human rights.
And, then, the countries of the EU may also
impose those low standards on the accession countries, making them concentrate
on border controls rather than on protection of those who desperately need it.
The months and next few years ahead are crucial.
We have great hopes that governments will grab the opportunities provided by
the Amsterdam Treaty
But, governments can only do this if they trust
each other and work together. We call on you, members of national parliaments,
and members of the European Parliament
to exert your leadership.
To explain to your populations why people flee
persecution and why they need protection.
To be vigilant in monitoring and engaging with
your governments, the Commission and the Council in the development of the
European policies.
Please work with us and with the national NGOs in
your countries as well as with UNHCR to protect refugees.
Thank you.
Irene
Donadio
ECRE EU
REPRESENTATIVE