Notwithstanding the fact that the Council of Europe presents, through its monumental Convention and its Protocols, a remarkable record in promoting human rights and fundamental freedoms protection throughout a vast geographic area, it is rather disquieting to note that, in the field of illegal immigrants, including more specifically children, there is unfortunately still much left to be desired. Out of the nine Council of Europe conventions currently in force, there is none which directly targets the protection of children’s rights and which may deal sufficiently with the causes of the aforementioned, mushrooming, sad phenomenon. Concurrently, other entities, such as States, international organisations and NGO’s strive to deal with its harsh reality and the severe social and economic ramifications, while others merely ignore them altogether.
In this context, it is to be stressed that FRONTEX, in its 2013 annual report with regard to the analysis of the dangers on the borders of the European Union, acknowledged in particular that in 2012 there was a steep increase in the entry and detection of illegal immigrants in the region of the Aegean Sea. A contributing factor to this increase has arguably been the building of a barrier (fence) in the Evros region, separating Northern Greece from Turkey. There is no time for more delays and FRONTEX's initiatives have to be significantly reinforced further in order to prevent illegal immigration and not simply to cure it, namely by eradicating “fatal travelling” at its very beginnings on the coasts and in the ports of Asia and Africa. That said, the ensuing responsibility rests naturally upon the shoulders of every member State of the European Union and the Council of Europe.
Mr Triantafyllos,
To ask the Committee of Ministers: