Valletta summit

EU foreign ministers assessing the six months since November’s Valletta Summit on migration from Africa must shift their focus to the urgent needs of people fleeing from violence and human rights abuses, said Oxfam and ICMC.

The Valletta summit's declaration on migration pays lip service to people’s rights and dignity, and leaves grave doubts as to how Europe will in fact improve the lives people in Africa. While EU and African leaders met in Valletta, more people drowned in the sea, razor-wire fences were being erected in Slovenia and Sweden was implementing border controls.

EU and African leaders neet to use the Valletta summit to address the causes forcing people to flee their homes if the meeting is to benefit the populations of the African countries taking part. The EU must let human rights be the focus at Valletta and not prioritize the EU's own agenda of tightened borders and increased state security.