In May Europe will experience a crucial transition.
The nationalist, populist and xenophobic movements that combine euro-scepticism, intolerance, hatred and racism to gather consensus are a danger to the creation of a democratic, cohesive and peaceful European society. Recent European migration and asylum policies have created a favourable environment for their growth. To stop it, it is crucial to redirect European policies towards human rights, social justice and the fight against all forms of discrimination and racism.
A humane Europe free from racism
The public debate is marked by stereotypes and prejudices against immigrants and refugees who often degenerate into racist crimes and attacks. This trend has accelerated dramatically over the past year.
We ask the future Members of the European Parliament:
– to expel hatred, xenophobia and racism from public rhetoric and to commit to develop a code of conduct for preventing and combating hate speech in the political and institutional debate;
– to give priority to the prevention and protection against all forms of discrimination in welfare, employment and school;
– to strengthen the EU commitment against the spread of discriminatory, xenophobic and racist discourses in the public, media and institutional debate;
– actions aimed at strengthening protection systems for victims of racist violence and supporting protection organizations in all member states.
An open Europe that protects people
Fortress Europe puts the lives of thousands of people at risk every year. At sea and on land, every day women and men are forced to risk their lives trying to overcome the physical and legal barriers imposed to the free movement of persons at national and European level. The only way to stop the deaths of migrants at sea and to offer protection to refugees is to allow them to enter Europe by legal means.
– We call for the opening of legal channels of entry for employment purposes.
– We call on European governments to immediately approve the Dublin Regulation Reform as approved by the European Parliament.
– We call for the termination of existing agreements with countries that do not offer adequate and effective guarantees of respect for human rights, such as Libya.
Saving lives and welcoming is the right thing to do: stop criminalising solidarity
In recent months, attacks against all forms of solidarity have multiplied throughout Europe. Solidarity has become a crime.
Saving lives at sea as well as welcoming people with dignity is not a crime.
We ask the future Members of the European Parliament:
– to promote European missions of search and rescue at sea that have as a priority goal saving people’s lives;
– to take steps to launch a programme for the reception of refugees coordinated at European level and to provide it with adequate resources;
– to take all necessary measures to protect human rights defenders, humanitarian organisations and all those involved in reception and solidarity actions.
A democratic and participatory Europe
The right to participate in local and European elections is denied to a large number of non-EU foreign nationals residing in Europe.
We ask the future Members of the European Parliament:
– to promote an initiative aimed at harmonising national legislation in order to give non-EU foreign nationals the right to vote in local and European elections.
A Europe that recognises all its citizens
The legislation on the acquisition of nationality in the individual Member States is very diverse and also constitutes a disparity in access to European citizenship.
We ask the future Members of the European Parliament:
– to take steps to harmonise the national legislations of member states in order to facilitate the acquisition of citizenship of the country of residence by foreign citizens who are permanently resident and, in particular, by “children of immigration” born and/or raised in Europe.
A Europe free from hotspots and detention centres
All European countries have detention centers run by law enforcement agencies in which undocumented migrants are detained while awaiting their return to their country of origin. These are often asylum seekers and/or minors. Administrative detention has no effect on reducing the presence of undocumented migrants, while it leaves room for even serious violations of people’s fundamental rights.
We ask the future Members of the European Parliament:
-to press for the adoption of a new European migration agenda, including the dismantling of administrative detention systems.
