Foreign Affairs - PPDE2 - Adopted
Proposal to delete some sentences from the Migration & Asylum system part:
Submitted by: PPDE
Sentences we propose to strike out are crossed out.
Migration
Pirates recognize that immigration has always been an essential part of the European community and has contributed immensely to our shared cultural heritage and development of Europe. Migration is primarily a social affair and must respect the human dignity and rights of all migrants and asylum seekers.
Pirates want to build a prosperous and dynamic Europe that is better prepared to meet future challenges and demands of the labour market. In light of Europe’s striking shortages of the labour force, an effective immigration system is inevitable to ensure the functioning of our communities and economies.
Pirates call on all member states to receive refugees and asylum seekers according to their capacities. It is crucial to implement a European refugee and asylum policy based on solidarity that does not leave individual Member states alone with the financial, logistical, and administrative effort.
Pirates are convinced that the most effective way to ensure safety of future asylum-seeker is an effective conflict prevention and fight with climate change.
Following the emphasis on international cooperation, Pirates recognize that the migrant smuggling and trafficking must be tackled through a cooperation with the countries of recruitment of migrants and other trafficked persons. We refuse the criminalization of those providing humanitarian help to people in need.
Ethical and effective immigration system
Pirates are convinced that migration must be well managed to benefit all participating parties. We demand a comprehensive immigration system that recognizes the skills and talents of each individual. Any discrimination based on religion, ethnicity, race, gender and sexuality contradicts our core values.
It is crucial to ensure fair and transparent recruitment of migrant workers and international students so that everyone is equally allowed to develop their full potential. In this regard, the cooperation with the sending states to ensure orderly migration is of the utmost importance.
We acknowledge that immigration may pose challenges. We are committed to addressing them responsibly and effectively. We insist on that immigration must be dealt with holistically and with a commitment to foster a culture of inclusion, collaboration and respect European values.
Pirates demand a common European immigration policy that:
- enables ways of legal migration to the European labour market while ensuring ethical and transparent recruitment of migrant workers and international students,
- protects rights of migrant workers and international students and enhances their participation in the daily life of receiving societies,
- ensures fair representation of interests of non-EU labour migrants under the temporary labour migration programmes,
- values language skills and other given skills of the applicants positively in the process,
- recognizes given certificates and professional qualifications in a simplified way,
- enables member states to adjust their requirements according to their situation and needs,
- is sensitive and non-discriminatory against migrants‘ religion, ethnicity, race, gender and sexuality.
Asylum system
Pirates are committed to a comprehensive revision of European refugee and asylum policy. We demand a reform of the asylum system based on public debate across the whole Europe (followed by a referendum as a part of our effort to strengthen elements of direct democracy). We need a thorough reform of the asylum system that will reflect not only the political interests but also the values of contemporary Europeans.
Pirates firmly believe that Europe’s refugee and asylum policy must be based on respect for human rights and International law. All EU states have an obligation to support refugees and asylum seekers as they are legally binded to this responsibility by international treaties. All EU states must comply with the provisions of the Geneva Refugee Convention and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Pirates condemn the criminalization of all people and organizations assisting to those seeking protection. The criminalization of humanitarian aid is fundamentally undermining the principle of legal certainty and, thus Rule of Law in the EU.
The EU border agency Frontex must comply with International Law in the same way as Member states. Frontex‘s allegations of the breach of the rule of non-refoulment must be taken seriously.
We must work on non-discriminatory reform of the asylum system all Member states will respect.
Pirates demand a common European Asylum Policy that implements the following:
- reconsiders the first safe country of asylum principle as decisive in determining where the asylum procedure takes place and where the asylum-seeker must stay,
- promotes the possibility of family reunification first for those whose application was approved;
- employs a system of mutual processing of asylum applications, allowing each application to be made directly to the EU,
while leaving a discretion to the Member States to decide whether to admit asylum-seekers onto their territory, - emphasizes the principle of solidarity among the Members States as a leading principle to face humanitarian crisis,
- avoids dehumanizing detention of asylum seekers and fast-track procedures at land borders and airports,
- ensures that applications for asylum can be done from any location on the planet, so that refugees can be transported to the host country in humane and safe ways.
Reasoning: 1. We should not “cooperate” with dictatorships regarding human beings. One not even close look to Turkey or Libya taught us.
- We are not encouraging referendums, where “political interests” are conflicting human rights. The reform of the asylum system should be based on human rights, and these rights are not debateable. The abuse of plebiscitarian instruments to undermine fundamental rights is clearly not what we want. Also, we do not see a reasonable question answered by a referendum that does touch asylum but not human rights and humanitarian standards.
- “according to their capacities” & “…member states to decide whether to admit asylum seekers onto their territory” is contrary to “to implement a European refugee and asylum policy based on solidarity” and “All EU states have an obligation to support refugees and asylum seekers as they are legally binded to this responsibility by international treaties.”