PRAGUE, 25 March 2024 - Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský and MEP Markéta Gregorová, both of the Pirates, presented their positions on the growing wave of migration in Europe today. In 2023, European countries received approximately one asylum application for every 400 inhabitants. But the current migration system is inadequate and people often slip through it without due process. According to the Pirates, it is therefore necessary to set the rules so that we have a better overview and know who is moving around in Europe. The key to solving the migration problem, according to the Pirate politicians, is an emphasis on European cooperation, fighting organised crime and preventing migration on the ground.
The current system is not working optimally, European states are facing a number of problems related to the increase in illegal migration, and populists are trying to profit politically from these problems. On the other hand, people fleeing, including children, are being forced to choose dangerous routes and are dying at sea. This, according to the Pirates, needs to change. This is because the situation can only be resolved together, Europe-wide.
"Hundreds of thousands of migrants flood into Europe, often fleeing war or authoritarian rule in their home countries. Unlike the populist politicians who pick up votes on the issue of migration based on the fear they stir up, we are coming up with concrete proposals to reform the migration system. Last year, migration to the European Union was the highest in 7 years, and it is no longer possible to bury our heads in the sand. National measures are insufficient, we need to find a Europe-wide solution and we are ready to contribute what we do best as Pirates: rational, data-driven policy." argues Lipavský.
According to MEP Markéta Gregorová, it is necessary to start building an effective pan-European solution based on data. "Our approach to migration is realistic and rational. Migration is here and will be here. It needs cooperation at a pan-European level to tackle it. At the same time, we must choose appropriate solutions depending on the situation, not throwing the baby out with the bathwater and not mixing up the different issues of refugee, illegal or legal labour migration. In the area of tackling illegal migration, the main focus must be on preventing and combating organised crime and smuggling. In asylum policy, we draw attention to the obligations arising from international law, reject quotas and call for a revision of the Dublin system. We are also aware that there is a shortage of up to 200 000 workers on our labour market. We call for their rapid integration, the removal of unnecessary bureaucratic obstacles and fair conditions, with an emphasis on compliance with the Labour Code."
Both politicians agreed that migration needs to be addressed comprehensively. It is not possible to wait for hundreds of thousands of people to move. It is also key to focus on tackling the reasons why people leave their homes. They spoke, for example, on the topic of climate migration and the importance of development cooperation in this area, or the importance of strategic communication in the countries of origin of migration. There was also mention of the status of Ukrainian refugees and the importance of supporting Ukraine. "If any of the major Ukrainian cities were to fall, millions more refugees would be on the move. That is why we must support Ukraine and help stop Russian aggression", Lipavský commented on the situation with the Ukrainian refugees.
Markéta Gregorová
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