Tragic loss of life at the Melilla border crossing shows the urgent need for an Asylum and Migration Pact

In a plenary debate in the European Parliament today, Renew Europe strongly condemned the deeply inhumane treatment and brutal violence against migrants at the Moroccan border with the EU last month, leading to the tragic deaths of dozens of people.

All countries have obligations under international law to treat migrants with dignity and to protect life and human rights. Actions must be taken on both sides of the borders to guarantee that something similar never happens again.

Jordi Cañas (Ciudadanos, Spain), declared:

“Melilla's border is an EU external border whose protection and security concerns the whole of the European Union. EU cooperation with our southern partners should be based on the effective fulfillment of the commitments on border management, the long-term objective of tackling the root causes of irregular migration and the respect of human rights and of the security of the people who live in Melilla and Ceuta”.

The tragedy underlines why the EU urgently needs to put in place an Asylum and Migration Pact worthy of the name. Renew Europe do not believe in a fortress Europe approach. What is really needed is a well-functioning European approach based on solidarity, with responsibility sharing and swift and fair procedures at the external borders, to help create safe and legal routes for those who need protection and shelter in the EU.