27/07/2011 | Migration, International Protection and Economic Co-operation
At the end of a one-day visit to the Hatay region in Turkey on 26 July, a four-member delegation from the PACE Committee on Migration, Refugees and Population, headed by Christopher Chope (United Kingdom, EDG), stated that “the Turkish authorities must be congratulated for their quick response to the situation". The delegation, which visited two refugee camps in the Hatay region and met those involved in managing the situation said the conditions in the camps were of high standards.
22/07/2011 | Migration, International Protection and Economic Co-operation
On 26 July, a four-member delegation from PACE’s Migration Committee will visit reception camps near Antakya, on the Turkish-Syrian border, set up to give refuge to the flow of people fleeing conflict in Syria. The cross-party delegation, headed by Christopher Chope (United Kingdom, EDG), will meet residents of the camps and local and regional authorities, as well as representatives of the Turkish Red Crescent.
23/06/2011 | Migration, International Protection and Economic Co-operation
PACE has launched an inquiry into who is responsible for the more than 1,000 “boat people” thought to have perished in the Mediterranean since January 2011 while trying to reach European soil from North Africa. Following a request for an inquiry signed by 34 members of the Assembly, PACE’s Migration Committee today appointed Tineke Strik (Netherlands, SOC) to prepare a report on “Lives lost in the Mediterranean sea: who is responsible?”.
01/06/2011 | Migration, International Protection and Economic Co-operation
Christos Papoutsis, Greece’s Minister for Citizen Protection, has acknowledged his country’s “serious problems” with flows of irregular migrants, with huge implications for Greek society and economy – but pledged to handle them “with sensitivity and responsibility”.
01/06/2011 | Migration, International Protection and Economic Co-operation
All Council of Europe member states have a “moral duty” to share responsibility with frontline Mediterranean states – such as Malta, Italy or Greece – for handling asylum-seekers and refugees arriving on Europe’s southern shores, PACE’s Migration Committee has said.
25/05/2011 | Migration, International Protection and Economic Co-operation
Europe must share, not shirk, responsibility for the large number of refugees, asylum seekers and migrants arriving by boat to the island of Lampedusa, a five-member delegation from PACE Committee on Migration, Refugees and population has declared.
25/05/2011 | Migration, International Protection and Economic Co-operation
How to handle the large-scale arrival of irregular migrants, asylum seekers and refugees on Europe’s southern shores will be a main focus of meetings of the Committee on Migration, Refugees and Population of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) in Corfu, Greece, on 1-2 June 2011.
18/05/2011 | Migration, International Protection and Economic Co-operation
A five-member delegation of parliamentarians from PACE Committee on Migration, Refugees and Population is to visit the Italian island of Lampedusa on 23-24 May as part of its assessment of the large-scale arrival of irregular migrants, asylum seekers and refugees on Europe’s southern shores.
30/03/2011 | Migration, International Protection and Economic Co-operation
“The Council of Europe has been the pioneer in promoting the protection of the Roma and has been making efforts for a long time now to improve their situation,” stressed Annette Groth (Germany, UEL), who is currently preparing a report on "The Situation of Roma in Europe: movement and migration," at the opening ceremony of the Plenary Assembly of the European Roma and Travellers Forum (ERTF).
17/03/2011 | Migration, International Protection and Economic Co-operation
EU member states have so far "failed the test of solidarity" when it comes to helping fellow member states facing huge numbers of irregular migrants and asylum seekers, a hearing of PACE’s Migration Committee in Brussels was told yesterday. "If we are serious about building a common EU asylum system by the end of 2012, there needs to be solidarity to help member states who are under pressure – to live up to standards consistently and properly implement regulations," said Cecilia Wikström.
16/03/2011 | Migration, International Protection and Economic Co-operation
There are proportionately fewer Europeans in the world, and the trend is set to continue, members of PACE’s Migration Committee were told yesterday at a hearing in Brussels on demographic trends in Europe. UNECE expert Vitalija Gaucaite Wittich explained that Europeans made up 22 per cent of the world’s population in 1950. By 2010, that had dropped to 11 per cent, and will drop to 8 per cent by 2050 if the trend continues.
16/03/2011 | Migration, International Protection and Economic Co-operation
“Migrant children are children first and their migrant status is secondary,” declared rapporteur Pedro Agramunt, speaking at the opening of a Brussels hearing on undocumented migrant children. “The best interests of the child should remain primordial.”