Poliflw

Eén van de kernwaarden van de Europese Unie is het respect voor onze diversiteit in taal en cultuur, en de bescherming van de rechten van minderheden in de Europese Unie. Het succesvolle burgerinitiatief Minorities SafePack, met meer dan 1 miljoen steunbetuigingen, vraagt hier aandacht voor. Een onderwerp dat me na aan mijn hart ligt als Nederlander, met een Marokkaanse achtergrond en Friese wortels! Belangrijk dat wij als Europees Parlement brede steun uitspreken! Bekijk hier mijn speech tijdens de plenaire vergadering van gisteren

From the tragic death of Alan Kurdi 5 years ago, to the thousands of lost lives in the Mediterranean, to the recent fire at the Moria refugee camp, it has been clear for many years now that the European Union’s approach to migration and asylum is not fit for purpose.

Despite the attempts of the Juncker Commission and the European Parliament to make progress, the EU still not has a solid common migration and asylum policy and the most poor and vulnerable continue to pay the price for our failures.

In the meantime, politicians from the extreme right and populists have exploited the EU’s inability to put in place an effective European system, further dividing our communities and destabilising the European Union itself.

The failure to agree a system has not only contributed to a loss of life, it has undermined the EUs ability to project influence in our own neighbourhood. As President Erdogan is visibly in a state of nationalist fever, moving away from European values and threatening to send millions of migrants Europe’s way, the EU is increasingly exposed.

It is high time, therefore, to overcome the divergences and differences between Member States. A road to a genuine, European approach, based on common values and our values exists as shown by the European Parliament.

We expect this week a bold plan from the European Commission and a clear commitment from the European Council to finally grasp this issue. Never has the metaphor, united we stand: divided we fall, been more prescient.

Renew Europe made migration policy one of its priorities following the last European elections. Six months ago, after many weeks of intensive work, we released our vision paper on migration and presented it to the European Commission based on six fundamental pillars based on truly European solutions and solidarity. Migration starts with people. People fleeing from war, poverty or prosecution. People wishing to build a better life.

We can all agree we do not want these people risking their lives on shoddy boats on the Mediterranean sea. We can all agree that we want to provide proper protection to people who genuinely need protection. We can all agree that it would be easier to protect these people, if we could better manage migration flows to the EU.

Currently however, we do not control migration, we respond to irregular migration as it happens. If we were to put a strong migration policy in place, we could start to regain control. We could prevent future disasters in camps like Moria. How? By starting at the root of migration. Creating refuge in safe countries close to regions of conflict, managed by the international community.

By creating legal pathways to Europe and dismantling human trafficking networks more effectively, we would stop people from embarking on long, dangerous and often unsuccessful journeys. For people still arriving irregularly at our borders, it needs to be clear immediately whether they can stay or not, which means efficient processing of asylum claims, returning those who cannot stay and a mechanism to distribute refugees across the EU.

Creating this clarity and efficiency will stop the incentive of people migrating irregularly to the EU, knowing they will be able to prolong their stay indefinitely due to inconsistent EU asylum policies.

Keeping people in limbo in camps like Moria is inhumane and failure epitomised. We should start controlling migration flows and increasing their predictability. This predictability would in turn make room for solidarity between Member States. Not knowing how many asylum seekers are coming your way, makes Member States hesitant to agree to take people in.

The debate on migration should not be limited to a discussion on more or less as far rights populists would like it to be. Control and humanity should not be opposed either as more efficient controls would actually allow for more solidarity. Renew Europe is determined to break the impasse in the migration debate by championing this common ground. Let’s take responsibility and work together to put in place a migration policy that can stand the test of time.

Dacian Ciolos MEP, President of Renew EuropeMalik Azmani MEP, First Vice — President of Renew EuropeFabienne Keller, MEPJan-Christoph Oetjen, MEP

Vanochtend stond de situatie in het kamp Moria op de agenda van het Europees Parlement. De vreselijke brand in het kamp laat pijnlijk duidelijk zien dat het huidige Europese migratiebeleid niet effectief is. Volgende week komt de Europese Commissie eindelijk met nieuwe voorstellen. Ik wil lef zien! Grip op migratie is de enige manier om drama’s als Moria te voorkomen. Tijd voor een ambitieus & duurzaam migratiebeleid! Dit is wat ik er vanochtend tijdens het debat over zei tegen Eurocommissaris Johansson

"We have to show the courage to focus on our priorities, set the wheels in motion. Ms. Von der Leyen, this year is going to be a real test case for you and your team and I ask you, are you up for it? Are you ready and with renewed energy? We are"

After a little over a year in Brussels as an MEP, and closely following the EU's foreign affairs, it astonishes me how ineffective the European Union leverages its power on the world stage.

At this very moment, a mid-sized power named Turkey is punching above its weight by interfering in multiple conflicts in the Mediterranean region in a bid to defend its geopolitical interests and we are letting it happen right under our noses.

MEP Malik Azmani: 'After a little over a year in Brussels as an MEP, and closely following the EU's foreign affairs, it astonishes me how ineffective the European Union leverages its power on the world stage' .

With a military presence in Libya and Syria, Turkey exercises considerable influence in these conflicts.

By contrast, the EU merely has its naval Operation Irini in place near the coast of Libya, which plays a modest role in enforcing the UN arms embargo.

EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell has limited options in his foreign and security policy instruments and can only resort to intensifying diplomatic efforts, alas with little effect.

To put it simply, the EU is not a geopolitical factor of importance in conflicts in the Mediterranean region. This is baffling.

The EU has great interest in ensuring stability, cooperation and progress in our direct neighbourhood. Yet, we stay on the sideline and let others intervene.

The escalating conflict between Turkey and EU member states Greece and Cyprus about the exploration of gas in the eastern Mediterranean Sea is a testament to this sad conclusion.

The most recent development, namely Turkey threatening Greece with war, should be cause for all European member states to stand in full solidarity with both Greece and Cyprus.

Unfortunately, the opposite is true.

Various individual interests of member states leave the EU completely divided with the absence of a joint strategy as a result.

Our leverage potential, as the second economic block in the world, can only be achieved if we act as a united front. When we fail to do so, we effectively allow Turkey to take advantage of our strategic weakness. In the meantime, Josep Borrell endlessly calls for 'dialogue' and has warned to impose sanctions on Turkey so many times that it can only be described as an empty threat.

The EU's response to offensive Turkish behaviour has a complete predictability and proves ineffective.

The repetitive calls for de-escalation through mediation and dialogue are proof that soft power cannot be Europe's answer to everything.

Nato incoherence

Just in the last year, Turkey invaded northern Syria, 'opened up' its gates to Europe for migrants, embarked on a military intervention in Libya, threatened a French frigate, illegally searched for gas fields in the eastern Mediterranean, bought crucial Russian military equipment and now openly threatened a European member state and fellow Nato-ally with war.

This unilateral Turkish behaviour is paralysing Nato coherence and cooperation.

Looking at this depressing (and sadly, impressive) list, we can clearly conclude that the EU's current policies and strategy towards Turkey are not working.

In fact, the EU-Turkey relationship is worsening with no end in sight, while Turkey pursues its interests, with no regard for and at the expense of the EU's interests.

It is time for the EU to find its voice as a 'geopolitical player' and use it accordingly.

Simultaneously, we need a complete revision of EU-Turkey relations. Starting by thinking more strategically about this relationship, acknowledging the importance of Turkey and the value of good neighbourly relations, but also by finding a new balance in our cooperation on many vital aspects such as security, migration and trade.

By directly threatening Greece however, president Recep Tayyip Erdogan went a step too far.

Aside from needing to re-evaluate our relationship with Turkey in general, right now Europe needs to show unity and unconditionally back the Greeks and Cypriots.

Cancel membership candidacy

Calling on improved dialogue cannot be our only answer any longer. Instead, I propose we immediately start the process of ending Turkey's status as a candidate EU member state.

Additionally, more EU member states should dedicate military naval vessels to ensure the territorial integrity of Cyprus and Greece.

Finally, the European Council should impose severe sanctions, if Turkey chooses the path of further escalation.

In the drafting of these sanctions, everything should be on the table: the cost to Turkey's interests must be severe in order to result in the desired deterrent effect.

We should make very clear that certain actions have repercussions and that we will not tolerate this behaviour.

Simultaneously, I call upon Borrell to reshape our relationship with Turkey and to propose a new and credible strategy to ensure a balanced future relationship with this vital neighbour.

"The EU must prevent any conflict by being united, constructive, but also by being firm and at this moment it is very difficult to see Turkey as a EU candidate member. We need a renewed future relationship with our vital neighbour!"