EU governments’ continued focus on deterrence fails refugees and migrants

At the EU summit in Brussels today, EU leaders have decided to stick to their migration policies which aim at increasing restrictions on movement.

In reaction, Oxfam International’s Deputy Director for Advocacy and Campaigns, Natalia Alonso, said:

“EU governments are continuously failing to show the leadership needed for a humane migration response  and instead put fear ahead of respect for human dignity and rule of law. They default to policies that result in large numbers of people spending long periods of time in appalling  conditions, out of sight and out of mind.

“This short-sighted view ignores the volatile and fragile situation in countries such as Libya to which they want to push back people. People who have managed to escape what they call the ‘hell’ have regularly told us about the trauma and physical violence they have experienced, including starvation, beatings, and burnings.  

“Ultimately, the European migration policies will fail in the long-term if the EU is not open to a real partnership with its neighbors in dealing with migration, for the benefit of Europeans and people elsewhere alike.”