Motion for a resolution | Doc. 13423 | 05 February 2014

The humanitarian emergency concerning the resettlement of refugees and the strengthening of the international assistance to the southern European countries

Signatories: Ms Lorella STEFANELLI, San Marino, EPP/CD ; Mr Pedro AGRAMUNT, Spain, EPP/CD ; Mr Ferdinando AIELLO, Italy, SOC ; Mr Jean-Charles ALLAVENA, Monaco, EPP/CD ; Lord Donald ANDERSON, United Kingdom, SOC ; Mr Paride ANDREOLI, San Marino, SOC ; Ms Eka BESELIA, Georgia, SOC ; Ms Sílvia Eloïsa BONET PEROT, Andorra, SOC ; Mr Khalid CHAOUKI, Italy, SOC ; Mr Irakli CHIKOVANI, Georgia, ALDE ; Mr Boriss CILEVIČS, Latvia, SOC ; Ms Deirdre CLUNE, Ireland, EPP/CD ; Mr Paolo CORSINI, Italy, SOC ; Mr Jonny CROSIO, Italy, EDG ; Mr Jim D'ARCY, Ireland, EPP/CD ; Mr Arcadio DÍAZ TEJERA, Spain, SOC ; Ms Aleksandra DJUROVIĆ, Serbia, EPP/CD ; Ms Eirini DOUROU, Greece, UEL ; Mr Bernard FOURNIER, France, EPP/CD ; Mr Hans FRANKEN, Netherlands, EPP/CD ; Mr Gerardo GIOVAGNOLI, San Marino, SOC ; Mr Sandro GOZI, Italy, SOC ; Mr Ferenc KALMÁR, Hungary, EPP/CD ; Mr Tiny KOX, Netherlands, UEL ; Ms Stella KYRIAKIDES, Cyprus, EPP/CD ; Ms Athina KYRIAKIDOU, Cyprus, SOC ; Mr Luca LAZZARI, San Marino, UEL ; Mr George LOUKAIDES, Cyprus, UEL ; Ms Guguli MAGRADZE, Georgia, SOC ; Mr Thierry MARIANI, France, EPP/CD ; Mr Jean-Claude MIGNON, France, EPP/CD ; Ms Olivia MITCHELL, Ireland, EPP/CD ; Mr Rubén MORENO PALANQUES, Spain, EPP/CD ; Mr Nicos NICOLAIDES, Cyprus, SOC ; Mr Michele NICOLETTI, Italy, SOC ; Mr Joseph O'REILLY, Ireland, EPP/CD ; Mr Dimitrios PAPADIMOULIS, Greece, UEL ; Mr Grigore PETRENCO, Republic of Moldova, UEL ; Ms Foteini PIPILI, Greece, EPP/CD ; Mr Ivan POPESCU, Ukraine, SOC ; Mr Ivan POPESCU, Ukraine, SOC ; Ms Carmen QUINTANILLA, Spain, EPP/CD ; Mr Ivan RAČAN, Croatia, SOC ; Mr René ROUQUET, France, SOC ; Ms Milena SANTERINI, Italy, NR ; Mr Serhiy SOBOLEV, Ukraine, EPP/CD ; Ms Tineke STRIK, Netherlands, SOC ; Mr Konstantinos TRIANTAFYLLOS, Greece, SOC ; Mr Tuğrul TÜRKEŞ, Turkey, EDG ; Mr Konstantinos TZAVARAS, Greece, EPP/CD ; Mr Snorre Serigstad VALEN, Norway, UEL ; Mr Nikolaj VILLUMSEN, Denmark, UEL ; Mr Piotr WACH, Poland, EPP/CD ; Ms Katrin WERNER, Germany, UEL

This motion has not been discussed in the Assembly and commits only those who have signed it.

Political instability resulting from the conflicts in the Southern Mediterranean Countries, the clashes between regime and opposition in Syria, leading to civil wars, as well as the events occurred in many countries of the African continent, have caused and further intensified massive migration flows involving thousands of people fleeing from the countries concerned.

The Lampedusa Island represents a landing place for the refugees from those countries, with increasing flows causing slaughters of boat people. Throughout the years, together with the institutions of the island, its population tries to deal with this situation with great humanity and generosity in spite of its difficult conditions due to the very high number of people reaching their shores.

The ongoing humanitarian emergency involves all the countries – Italy, Spain, Malta, Cyprus and Greece – where the migrants land risking their own lives, fleeing from their countries of origin in order to seek refuge in Europe.

The issue of resettlement of refugees and particularly the respect of human rights are matters of common interest, concern and responsibility both in a direct and indirect way for all member States. Therefore the Parliamentary Assembly should consider in priority the humanitarian issues linked to the resettlement of refugees and the strengthening of the international assistance to countries, such as Italy, Spain, Malta, Cyprus and Greece, on the frontline to deal with this humanitarian emergency.

This emergency is of concern for all member States and those countries should not be left alone. A joint Europe action should therefore be put in place in the general interest of all countries and to safeguard human lives in the Mediterranean.