Topical motion on the European Union’s migration policy

As we are seeing, every day brings more human drama, affecting migrants who are fleeing their home countries to escape the horrors of war, dictatorship, repression or poverty.

The EU Member States have responded to this situation by, at best, being moved by the migrants’ plight and, at worst, burying their heads in the sand, refusing to put in place the necessary humanitarian measures to rectify these tragic circumstances. In some countries, right-wing and far-right parties are taking advantage of this situation to prompt and fuel xenophobic reactions.

Gathered for their 7th Congress in Budapest, from 9 to 11 September 2015, delegates from the European Federation of Retired and Older Persons (FERPA) solemnly appeal to European and national leaders to urgently take necessary, long-term measures to end this humanitarian scandal by :
• introducing a solidarity-based European immigration policy involving all EU Member States, and 
• developing a common strategy for welcoming migrants and for establishing a common obligation shared by all countries.

It is both essential and absolutely vital to take emergency measures to take in migrants, but it is clear that there will be no solution to the crisis until the conflicts in these countries are resolved – and the European Union must play an active role in this process.

The fight against the exploitation of migrants is inseparable from that of European workers.

On the eve of the meeting of EU interior ministers, FERPA is calling on the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) to relay our appeal and urge European policymakers at the Council, Parliament and Commission to immediately introduce a European asylum law.

FERPA’s own activists, too, will fight hard to ensure that their demands are met and will join in with initiatives taken to achieve this.

The above motion was adopted unanimously on 11 September 2015 and submitted to :
• the president-in-office of the European Council ;
• the EU presidency ; 
• the president of the European Parliament ; 
• the president of the European Commission ;
• the general secretary elect of the European Trade Union Confederation.