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Alain / Fridez / Switzerland

Moria, Lesbos: chronicle of a disaster foretold

11/09/2020 | Migration, Refugees and Displaced Persons

“The fires that have now burnt out the Moria camp for refugees, asylum seekers and migrants in Lesbos is a chronicle of a disaster foretold,” said Pierre-Alain Fridez (Switzerland, SOC), Chairperson of the PACE Migration Committee. “We know what happens when thousands of persons are confined in...

Domagoj Hajduković

PACE committee condemns attacks on NGOs who assist refugees and migrants

07/09/2020 | Migration, Refugees and Displaced Persons

PACE’s Migration Committee has strongly condemned attacks on NGOs and their donors who are assisting refugees and migrants and said that governments or political organisations should not use such NGOs as “vehicles for extending their sphere of influence through political agitation”. It pointed...

Alain / Fridez / Switzerland

Migrants and refugees, ‘doubly affected’ by the COVID-19 pandemic, says committee

07/09/2020 | Migration, Refugees and Displaced Persons

According to the Migration Committee, which today adopted the report by Pierre-Alain Fridez (Switzerland, SOC) on the humanitarian consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic for migrants and refugees, these vulnerable groups are “doubly impacted” in this crisis situation. Indeed, the adopted text...

Alain / Fridez / Switzerland

'Human trafficking is like a global pandemic'

29/07/2020 | Migration, Refugees and Displaced Persons

“Human trafficking is like a global pandemic,” said Pierre-Alain Fridez (Switzerland, SOC), Chairperson of the Committee on Migration, Refugees and Displaced Persons, on the eve of the World Day against Trafficking in Human Beings held on 30 July. “None of us – neither governments, parliaments...

Fabien Gouttefarde

Srebrenica: what can we do to bring justice to the victims?

15/07/2020 | Migration, Refugees and Displaced Persons

"Europe and the world commemorate the genocide in Srebrenica 25 years ago. We parliamentarians must ask essential questions: what have we done and what can we do to bring justice to the victims of these crimes against humanity? And what could prevent future massacres intended to force people to...

boat / migrants / saving / lives

Migration Committee Chairperson supports call by EU Presidency to relocate rescued boat migrants

08/07/2020 | Migration, Refugees and Displaced Persons

“I am grateful to Italy for having allowed the 180 migrants on board the vessel Ocean Viking, to be transferred to the Italian ship Moby Zaza for quarantine, medical support and registration of asylum applications,” Pierre-Alain Fridez (Switzerland, SOC), Chairperson of the Committee on Migration...

Corruption
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Investment migration must comply with Council of Europe legal standards

03/07/2020 | Migration, Refugees and Displaced Persons

National programmes for the award of citizenship, residence permits and tax domiciles to foreign investors must respect the legal standards set by the Council of Europe, the Committee on Migration underlined today, and Member States should do their utmost to ensure that “investment migration does...

Guardianship children
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Strengthening guardianship systems for unaccompanied and separated migrant children

03/07/2020 | Migration, Refugees and Displaced Persons

According to the Migration Committee, member States do not currently ensure effective guardianship systems for unaccompanied and separated migrant children, guaranteeing the protection and respect of their fundamental rights. “Guardianship systems are not harmonised across Europe. There is a...

NGO assistance
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COVID-19: Exchange of views on the humanitarian consequences for refugees and migrants

22/06/2020 | Migration, Refugees and Displaced Persons

The PACE Committee on Migration, Refugees and Displaced Persons will discuss the impact of the pandemic for migrants, and the lessons to be learned for future migration policies. The exchange will feed into a report to be debated by the Assembly in the autumn. The meeting, from 3.30-4.30 pm on...

Migrant children
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COVID-19: Protecting the health of refugees during and after the crisis

19/06/2020 | Migration, Refugees and Displaced Persons

“On the occasion of World Refugee Day, I would like to join appeals for action to protect the health of the most vulnerable people in displacement during and after the COVID-19 crisis,” said Pierre-Alain Fridez (Switzerland, SOC), Chairperson of the PACE Committee on Migration, Refugees and...

Missing children
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COVID-19 / Missing Children’s Day: missing migrant children need our help

25/05/2020 | Migration, Refugees and Displaced Persons

“Today on the occasion of International Missing Children’s Day, I would like to call special attention to the problem of missing refugee and migrant children in Europe,” said Serap Yaşar (Turkey, NR), PACE’s rapporteur on “Missing refugee and migrant children in Europe. “The pandemic situation...

Covid-19 and children
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COVID-19: A rapporteur urges aid for internally displaced children

11/05/2020 | Migration, Refugees and Displaced Persons

Rósa Björk Brynjólfsdóttir (Iceland, UEL), PACE rapporteur on “Stop violence against, and exploitation of, migrant children”, has called for urgent action from European governments to assist internally displaced children, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. “UNICEF’s new report, Lost at Home...