“Last night was proof that common European responsibility still exists - despite populists’ and nationalists’ attempts to undermine our unity and destabilise Europe. We see that our repeated calls for a comprehensive and fair European approach to the migration challenge are starting to be heard. Thanks to progressive leaders’ pressure, the Council agreed to go ahead with a coalition of states sharing responsibility for refugees instead of simply closing down borders. This is an important step in the right direction, safeguarding Schengen and our common European values. The next step has to be a complete adoption of the reform of the Common European Asylum System as laid out by the European Parliament. We need to make sure that the rights of children, women and men who are persecuted are protected within a fair and transparent system.

 

“We welcome the announcement to increase support for Africa that the Socialists and Democrats have been demanding for so long. Only by addressing the roots of migration will we be able to tackle this challenge in an effective way.

 

“The debate has shown that there is no time for further delay. Given the falling numbers of refugees arriving, it is clear that this was much more a political crisis than a migration crisis. Populists and nationalists scandalize the issue in order to gain votes, thus directly threatening the lives of innocent people on refugee boats. European leaders may not allow for this to happen again. This is why we need to proceed immediately."