Today, in the plenary session in Strasbourg, Iratxe García expressed her dismay at the recent deaths in the Mediterranean Sea and the lack of humanity in the management of migration flows towards Europe. She also called on the EPP to be constructive and support a New Pact on Migration and Asylum based on solidarity and on EU values.

Iratxe García said:

“The tragic Calabria shipwreck, caused by the inhumane omission of the Meloni government and the illegal deportations, robberies and mistreatment of migrants by the Greek authorities, are the latest episodes of shameful failures surrounding EU search and rescue operations in the Mediterranean Sea. The governments of Italy and Greece, as well as the Commission, are obliged not only to investigate and explain the facts, but also to adopt measures that put an end to these abuses.

“Closing legal paths will not stop the human instinct for survival, it will only strengthen criminal gangs who get rich by exploiting the most desperate ones. But instead of advancing on the conclusion of the New Pact on Migration and Asylum, the right prefers to debate whether to build walls on Europe's external borders and who should finance them.

“An effective and humanitarian management of the arrival of refugees and migrants demands a comprehensive approach based on shared responsibility, such as the one proposed by the New Pact on Migration and Asylum. This new pact shall ensure international protection for asylum seekers and guarantee legal channels for immigration, and it must also prioritise integration, including education, employment, and humanitarian visas.”