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Investigation of the incidents in Farmakonisi and Lampedusa

Motion for a resolution | Doc. 13419 | 04 February 2014

Signatories:
Mr Dimitrios PAPADIMOULIS, Greece, UEL ; Mr Miloš ALIGRUDIĆ, Serbia, EDG ; Mr Paride ANDREOLI, San Marino, SOC ; Ms Khadija ARIB, Netherlands, SOC ; Mr Egemen BAĞIŞ, Turkey, EDG ; Ms Theodora BAKOYANNIS, Greece, EPP/CD ; Mr Deniz BAYKAL, Turkey, SOC ; Ms Delia BLANCO, Spain, SOC ; Ms Sílvia Eloïsa BONET PEROT, Andorra, SOC ; Ms Marjolaine BOUTIN-SWEET, Canada ; Mr André BUGNON, Switzerland, ALDE ; Mr Reha DENEMEÇ, Turkey, EDG ; Mr Arcadio DÍAZ TEJERA, Spain, SOC ; Ms Eirini DOUROU, Greece, UEL ; Mr Ioannis DRAGASAKIS, Greece, UEL ; Mr Gvozden Srećko FLEGO, Croatia, SOC ; Mr Hans FRANKEN, Netherlands, EPP/CD ; Ms Maria GIANNAKAKI, Greece, SOC ; Mr Gerardo GIOVAGNOLI, San Marino, SOC ; Ms Angeliki GKEREKOU, Greece, SOC ; Mr Nazmi GÜR, Turkey, UEL ; Mr Igor IVANOVSKI, ''The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia'', SOC ; Mr Tadeusz IWIŃSKI, Poland, SOC ; Mr Valeri JABLIANOV, Bulgaria, SOC ; Mr Ögmundur JÓNASSON, Iceland, UEL ; Mr Leonid KALASHNIKOV, Russian Federation, UEL ; Ms Tinatin KHIDASHELI, Georgia, ALDE ; Mr Tiny KOX, Netherlands, UEL ; Ms Stella KYRIAKIDES, Cyprus, EPP/CD ; Ms Athina KYRIAKIDOU, Cyprus, SOC ; Mr Luca LAZZARI, San Marino, UEL ; Mr Pierre-Yves LE BORGN', France, SOC ; Mr George LOUKAIDES, Cyprus, UEL ; Mr Epameinondas MARIAS, Greece, EDG ; Ms Liliane MAURY PASQUIER, Switzerland, SOC ; Ms Ermira MEHMETI DEVAJA, ''The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia'', SOC ; Ms Melita MULIĆ, Croatia, SOC ; Mr Nicos NICOLAIDES, Cyprus, SOC ; Mr Michele NICOLETTI, Italy, SOC ; Mr Grigore PETRENCO, Republic of Moldova, UEL ; Mr Ivan POPESCU, Ukraine, SOC ; Mr Luc RECORDON, Switzerland, SOC ; Mr Stefan SCHENNACH, Austria, SOC ; Mr Yanaki STOILOV, Bulgaria, SOC ; Mr Spyridon TALIADOUROS, Greece, EPP/CD ; Mr Konstantinos TRIANTAFYLLOS, Greece, SOC ; Mr Snorre Serigstad VALEN, Norway, UEL ; Mr Eric VORUZ, Switzerland, SOC ; Ms Gisela WURM, Austria, SOC

The recent humanitarian tragedy in the islet of Farmakonisi (Greece), as well as the recent one in Lampedusa (Italy), increases a long list of casualties in the Mediterranean. The death toll in Farmakonisi left 12 victims, among them 9 children, whereas in Lampedusa the victims were 175. The Mediterranean and other key maritime borders followed by immigrants and asylum seekers have become death traps revealing Europe’s lack of a comprehensive, humanitarian, common immigration policy.

Contradictions concerning the circumstances of the accident from the side of the undocumented immigrants and the Greek Coast Guard have already alerted the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe, Amnesty International and other national and international NGOs and caused an international outcry in the international press.

The Greek authorities have ordered a full-scale investigation. The Greek and the Italian authorities should be requested to ascertain the exact circumstances under which the incidents occurred, leading to the death of immigrants, and those responsible, if any, should immediately be prosecuted.

The Parliamentary Assembly should also conduct an independent investigation into these cases and make proposals for a consistent, comprehensive, common immigration policy for Europe, that underlines the contribution of legal immigration to the socio-economic development of our countries and at the same time tackles effectively illegal immigration and human trafficking so that dangerous movements are avoided.