The regulation on Frontex operations at sea sets new rules for intercepting and pushing back migrants at sea as well as for rescuing them. It replaces the current Council decision of 2010, which was struck down by the European Court of Justice because the European Parliament was unlawfully excluded from…

Some days ago I received an email that really got me and made me very angry. Someone from my constituency told me about the experience of his Syrian relative at the Greek-Turkish border who tried to reach the shores of Greece on a rubber boat. “A military vessel stopped next…

Brussels, 4 December 2013 – The European Commission today presented proposals on the new EU ‘Mediterranean Taskforce’, which was established in response to the latest refugee disaster off the coast of Lampedusa. Commenting on the proposals, Green migration policy spokesperson Ska Keller said: “This Taskforce shows the Commission has sadly…

The EU should adopt long-term humanitarian measures to cope with illegal immigration. ANKARA  – EU struggles to cope with immigration, especially illegal immigration which has turned into a humanitarian crisis as hundreds lost their lives. Experts criticize the EU for handling the issue mainly from a security perspective rather than…

Last week I joined the protest of French NGOs against “Fortress Europe”. In front of the European Parliament in Strasburg they rolled out a list with the names of 17,306 refugees that had died at the borders of Europe. It was shocking to see that the list was nearly one…

Having been at Melilla several times, I have again been speechless facing this enormious fence and it’s consequences for security- and perspective-seeking refugees. I was there with Juantxo. Take a look at the video or this article’s .pdf [in ES]  

For some weeks, hatred has been stirred up against a planned refugee center in Pätz, an urban district of the municipality of Bestensee in Brandenburg, Germany. From spring 2014 about 150 people from conflict areas shall be accomodated in a former training facility that was already converted into a dormitory…

After hundreds of migrants have drowned in the Mediterranean, not far from Lampedusa, the question remains whose fault it was and what should be done to prevent further catastrophes. For that, we need to both look at the situation in the Mediterranean and at the reasons that brought migrants to…

EU needs to finally take responsibility for migrants at risk Brussels – 3 October 2013 – Commenting on the tragic boat accident in the Mediterranean, near Lampedusa, which has left at least 82 migrants dead, Green migration policy spokesperson Ska Keller said: “This latest tragedy in the Mediterranean must be…