Caritas Europa: Migration is not a crime
Caritas Europa calls on the European Union (EU) to stand up to its values and show the rest of the world that Europe takes human rights seriously.
The European Justice and Home Affairs Council (JHA Council) is meeting today [16 June] to discuss the EU Migration Agenda and to follow up from the extraordinary meeting of the Council on 23 April that tried to set up a new strategic vision for the EU migration policies.
With regret, Caritas Europa sees how difficult it is for EU member states to find a common effective response to migration flows and to the current humanitarian crisis in the Mediterranean sea.
This situation is taking migrants and refugees – vulnerable women, children and men – hostage and further victimising them. Migration is not a crime. On the contrary, leaving any country and seeking international protection are human rights recognised under international law.
Caritas Europa reiterates the EU Commission’s acknowledgement of the urgent need for safe and legal channels for migrants and refugees to enter the EU. Caritas Europa has been calling for this solution for years. It is hopeful that the JHA Council will respond positively to this urgent need.
