Roundup: MEPs slam EU member states for stalled relocation of refugees

Members of European Parliament (MEPs) have condemned a lack of action from European Union (EU) member states in relocation of 160,000 refugees in a resolution adopted Thursday in Strasbourg.

Adopted by 398 votes in favor to 134 against, with 41 abstentions, the resolution strongly denounces that, despite having committed to moving the refugees from Greece and Italy by September 2017, EU member states have only relocated 11 percent of agreed upon number (18,770 as of May 16).

The summer of 2015's unexpected spike in arrivals of asylum seekers saw the EU adopt emergency measures to relocate 160,000 migrants from the two front-line nations, but European unity has not been forthcoming since the agreement.

In their non-binding resolution, MEPs shared their disappointment in the lack of solidarity and responsibility-sharing. They also urged EU nations to honor their commitments and prioritize the relocation of unaccompanied children, often the most vulnerable members of the refugee population. The text points out that "only one unaccompanied minor was relocated so far."

A number of states were criticized by MEPs for "very restrictive and discriminatory preferences, such as granting relocation only to single mothers or excluding applicants from specific nationalities, such as Eritreans, and applying extensive security checks."

As of Thursday, only two EU countries are on track to meet their relocation targets, Malta and Finland. Meanwhile, four countries have only been relocating refugees on an extremely limited basis, and two countries have not been participating at all.

In a Tuesday debate that proceeded the adoption of the resolution, MEPs condemned the lack of political willpower that has led to the current situation.

Jeroen Lenaers (European People's Party, Netherlands) said that he had "never been in favour of compulsory quotas but over the past one and a half years we have seen that the voluntary system is not working."

Angelika Mlinar (Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe, Austria) said: "It is not a question of ability, but of willpower. It's high time for member states to follow through on the commitments they entered into." She compared the efforts made by the EU with those of countries such Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey where millions of refugees have been accommodated.

"It is not an issue of capacity, it is purely down to a scandalous lack of political will," said Ska Keller (Greens/EFA, Germany), welcoming news from European Migration Commissioner Dimitris Avrampopoulos, present for the debate, that countries who did not increase their relocation efforts soon would face infringement procedures from the European Commission.

"We're talking about people who are fleeing from war and persecution, and unaccompanied children who are being left alone in overcrowded camps," Keller said. Last year, 63,300 unaccompanied minors applied for international protection in the EU, with 57 percent of all applications registered in Germany alone.

Helga Stevens (European Conservatives and Reformers, Belgium) said it was unfair to criticize northern European countries alone: "Greece and Italy are not managing to organize the inflow of refugees." She also noted that the Dublin rules, which determine what EU country is responsible for processing asylum applications, are not being respected.

Barbara Spinelli (European United Left/Nordic Green Left, Italy) also criticized the Dublin rules, saying: "As far as Italy is concerned, in 2015 and 2016, there were 5,049 Dublin transfers and 3,936 relocations. In other words, more people were actually sent back to Italy than were transferred elsewhere."

Ska Keller said that "a good Dublin system, common rules and legal pathways are also needed", while Cecile Kyenge said: "We need a policy to allow safe and legal migration channels, as well as integration policies in the host countries." Angelika Mlinar also lamented the lack of "a proper EU asylum system."

Commissioner Avramopolous closed the debate with a call for solidarity and human consideration in the crisis: "Relocation is often reduced to numbers, but we shouldn't forget we are talking about people in need of protection. It is our shared moral and political duty to ensure that they get this protection as soon as possible and in a manageable way for the EU." Endit