Europe Must Act Newsletter

Welcome for All: World Refugee Day

20.06.2022

Life Jacket Graveyard (Lesvos, Greece)

This World Refugee Day, it is important to acknowledge the ongoing atrocities, inhumane treatment, and human rights violations that are a daily occurrence for so many people who come to Europe seeking protection. There is a need for immediate action to create and implement better and more humane European migration policies, safe and legal routes to claim asylum, and a more dignified reception process.

What is a Refugee?

A refugee is ‘someone who is unable or unwilling to return to their country of origin owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion’, as outlined in the 1951 Refugee Convention. In reality, the term ‘refugee’ is a legal status that has become increasingly difficult to receive, even when the evidence overwhelmingly points to a lack of safety, both in the places someone has arrived from and transited through.

Seeking asylum is a human right. In Europe, people on the move continue to be denied access to this right, as their other human rights are also repeatedly breached. This is both unacceptable and illegal under international law.

A Crisis of Compassion

People have their rights violated systematically along European borders every day. In the Mediterranean, 842 people have died or gone missing in 2022 alone while attempting to seek protection. We are only 171 days into the year. This number shows only those whose disappearance or death has been recorded by the IOM with the actual total likely being higher than recorded data.

In Greece, Serbia, Lithuania, Poland, France, the UK, and along countless other European borders, people are being left in a cruel and inhumane limbo. Pushbacks continue across the continent with EU authorities having been documented to be involved. This practices was even legalised by the Polish government, despite being a violation of international law.

Moves towards cruel and inhumane policies have continued across Europe; the UK’s Nationality and Borders Bill and the Home Office’s attempts to send people seeking protection to Rwanda to wait for their asylum claims to be processed, Greece’s increasing shift towards closed access detention-style camps, the continued criminalization of migration and solidarity, and Poland’s newly erected wall along its border with Belarus are unfortunately only some examples.

Graffiti (Lesvos, Greece)

Solidarity works

Despite the continued increase in securitization and intimidation tactics along European borders, there continue to be grassroots movements and acts of solidarity. This solidarity not only exists, but has also been proven to work. The tireless efforts of people including activists, protestors, donors, and lawyers can have a huge impact as has been seen in the U.K. where the power of people was enough to #StopTheFlights, in Greece where after a long wait the Samos 2 were freed, and in countless other instances. These actions and results are evidence of the strong support and humanity that does persist in Europe, despite the disconnect between these acts and current European migration policies and choices.

Europe Must Act stands in solidarity with these acts and movements. We appreciate and applaud the efforts of every individual and collective who strives to prove that a better Europe is possible. We are committed to advocating for and with refugees, asylum seekers, and all people on the move as well as to continue pushing for better and more humane migration policies and a more dignified reception in Europe for all those who arrive seeking

Europe Must Act NOW.

“A Life Without Freedom Is Not A Life”: Life in the closed, controlled access centre in Samos

At Europe Must Act, we remain united in the belief that all people forced to leave their homes have the right to a dignified and humane welcome, and legal and safe pathways to reach safety.

Today and for the rest of World Refugee Week, join us in our work to ensure a welcoming Europe for all people on the move, by signing and sharing our petition far and wide, and tagging us in your #WelcomeForAll pictures!"

Sign our petition calling on European leaders to act for an improved and more dignified and welcoming approach to the reception of refugees and asylum seekers into Europe.

Our demands:

1. Protection for all and access to asylum for all.

2. European solidarity and relocation.

3. Dignified reception conditions.

4. Power to the cities.

5. Safe and legal routes.

Sign the petition here!