unimelb-nlp/MultiEup-v2 huggingface dataset:
Debate: The need for European solidarity in saving lives in the Mediterranean, in particular in Italy
Date: TUESDAY, 18 APRIL 2023
Speaker: Damian Boeselager
Political group: Verts/ALE
Country: Slovenia
Language: EN

Mr President, I have to say, I’m still amazed by this debate because it should be about saving lives, but instead we repeat our points about the asylum system. I think what’s clear is that we currently let people die in the Mediterranean. We let them die by ordering container ships and fisher boats to stand by and wait, we let them die by criminalising and jailing those who want to pull them out of the water, we let them die by systematically funding Libyan coast guards that bring them back to their man-made hells, where they face exploitation, rape and murder. Colleagues, it has been said, but we have to say it again: we need state-funded, state-led search and rescue missions. We need a truly European system of solidarity, where we also allow for disembarkation across Europe. And we need to stop scandalising migration because this actually just drives the points for the far right as we can see now. The real solution is to find a European common asylum system, because otherwise we will delegitimise the European Union as a whole and we need to stand up to our values.
Debate: The need for European solidarity in saving lives in the Mediterranean, in particular in Italy
Date: TUESDAY, 18 APRIL 2023
Speaker: Angel Dzhambazki
Political group: ECR
Country: Germany
Language: BG

Г-н Председател, уважаеми колеги от ляво, ако наистина искахте да спасявате човешки животи, нямаше да насърчавате нелегалната миграция. Ако наистина искахте да спасявате човешки животи, нямаше да подкрепяте неправителствени организации, които организират трафик на хора, нямаше да давате фалшиви надежди и да заблуждавате населението на Африка, на Азия и на Близкия изток, че всички тези хора могат да дойдат в Европа, да се настанят тук и да налагат техния начин на живот. Ако наистина искахте да спасявате човешки животи, щяхте да кажете каква е разумната бройка хора, които вие бихте приели в домовете си и бихте дали пример с Вашите домове. Колко човека сте приели във всеки един Ваш дом, колко сте настанили, колко сте вписали, колко са интегрирани?  Уважаеми колеги от левицата, колкото и да не ви харесва, държавите имат граници, а тези граници трябва и могат да бъдат защитавани, уважаеми колеги. Колкото и да ми клатите глави отсреща, всяка държава има граница и незаконното ѝ преминаване е престъпление и тези престъпления трябва да бъдат наказвани, защото в края на краищата говорите за върховенство на закона.  Това означава върховенство на закона, а не нарушаване на границите. Защото ние тук, в Европа, за разлика от Вас, имаме своите ценности и имаме своята религия. За мен е православна, за някои е протестантска, за други е католическа. Имаме нашия начин на живот и смятаме да си го запазим. Надявам се, това не е лоша новина за Вас.
Debate: The need for European solidarity in saving lives in the Mediterranean, in particular in Italy
Date: TUESDAY, 18 APRIL 2023
Speaker: Dietmar Köster
Political group: S-D
Country: Lithuania
Language: EN

Mr President, ‘the current situation in the Mediterranean is not a natural disaster, but the result of Italian and European migration policies’. That’s what the private search and rescue NGO Sea-Watch said a few days ago, and I could not agree more. The situation in the Mediterranean is currently more dramatic than ever before. The Italian Coast Guard is completely overwhelmed. The state of emergency, which the far right Italian government has now declared, only worsens the rights of people fleeing. More than ever, action must be taken now. We finally need a European non-military search and rescue programme that is financed by the money which is currently given to the so-called Libyan Coast Guard. The more the EU is refraining from humane acting, the more the EU is betraying its own values. Flight is not a crime.
Debate: The need for European solidarity in saving lives in the Mediterranean, in particular in Italy
Date: TUESDAY, 18 APRIL 2023
Speaker: Isabel Santos
Political group: S-D
Country: Hungary
Language: PT

Senhor Presidente, a Organização Internacional para as Migrações revela que o primeiro trimestre deste ano foi o mais mortífero no Mediterrâneo desde 2017. Em três dias registou—se, recentemente, o desembarque de 3 000 pessoas na costa de Itália. Uma crise migratória, como Meloni e Salvini e companhia querem fazer crer? Não. A entrada e acolhimento de milhões de refugiados ucranianos em solo da União Europeia desde 2022, sem sobressalto, é a prova que assim não é. Mas sim, temos uma crise humanitária, e sobretudo uma crise de vontade política e uma crise dos valores humanistas em que nos fundamos. A criminalização do salvamento, a declaração do estado de emergência para acelerar a expulsão de imigrantes, os muros defendidos pelo Senhor Weber, jamais conseguirão travar a travessia marítima de gente em desespero. A solidariedade não é uma opção. É um dever. Se não formos capazes de lançar uma operação europeia de busca e salvamento baseada na solidariedade obrigatória, no acolhimento e na proteção daqueles que procuram uma oportunidade de vida em condições de segurança e dignidade, todos seremos culpados.
Debate: The need for European solidarity in saving lives in the Mediterranean, in particular in Italy
Date: TUESDAY, 18 APRIL 2023
Speaker: Carina Ohlsson
Political group: S-D
Language: SV

Herr talman! Fler än 500 människor, varav 50 barn, har mist livet på Medelhavet i år. Det är människor som du och jag, men som fötts i en annan del av världen. Människor som riskerar sina liv för att alternativet är otänkbart. Vem skulle riskera att aldrig få se sitt barn le igen om du hade ett bättre alternativ?  Italiens migrantförläggning på Lampedusa är byggd för cirka 350 personer, men i dag befinner sig 3 000 migranter där, främst kvinnor och barn. Det visar på behovet av en ny gemensam migrationspolitik och en gemensam mottagning.  Dagens situation är ohållbar. Alternativet är inte att avskräcka människor som överväger att fly till Europa genom att tömma havet på räddningsinsatser. Om vi tar bort ambulanserna från gatan så sker det inte färre olyckor, men färre överlever. Att rädda liv och motverka människosmuggling är inga motsatser, utan måste gå hand i hand. Vi kan gemensamt ta vårt ansvar. Så låt oss också ta det.
Debate: The need for European solidarity in saving lives in the Mediterranean, in particular in Italy
Date: TUESDAY, 18 APRIL 2023
Speaker: Tomislav Sokol
Political group: PPE
Country: Italy
Language: HR

Poštovani predsjedavajući, hvala lijepa. Zahvaljujući angažmanu Europske unije na Sredozemlju od 2015. spašeno je više od 629 000 života.  Nažalost, u posljednje vrijeme broj ilegalnih migranata snažno raste, a pritom se procjenjuje da 90 % njih plaća krijumčarima kako bi pokušali stići do Europe. Kriminalci od toga ostvaruju godišnji promet koji se mjeri u milijardama eura.  Dakle, europska politika mora biti usmjerena na borbu protiv nezakonitih migracija najstrožim mogućim kažnjavanjem krijumčara ljudima. Osim toga, moramo još više učiniti na zaštiti vanjskih granica Unije od ilegalnih prelazaka te surađivati s trećim državama kako bismo smanjili broj migranata koji se pokušavaju domoći Europe.  Europska unija nije dužna primiti na svoj teritorij sve one koji se Europe žele domoći samo zato što je kvaliteta života ovdje bolja nego u njihovim državama. Prihvaćanje masovne nekontrolirane migracije značilo bi kraj europskog načina života i protiv toga se moramo boriti svim sredstvima.
Debate: The need for European solidarity in saving lives in the Mediterranean, in particular in Italy
Date: TUESDAY, 18 APRIL 2023
Speaker: Georgios Kyrtsos
Political group: Renew
Country: Germany
Language: EN

Mr President, I had the impression that Ms Meloni was able to deal with the migration and the asylum issue. That was her promise to the Italian people. She was criticising pro-European political forces as being ineffective. The situation has worsened in Italy, thus proving that Meloni’s promises were baseless. At the beginning Meloni had a national solution, and now that this solution has been proven non-existent, she tries to Europeanise her own failure. She tries to create the impression that it is again the European Union that creates problems in Italy due to the lack of solidarity. Mr Weber and the EPP tried to accommodate her in search of a right-wing majority in the European Parliament. They should not count on our cooperation. We do not support anti—European reactionary policies. After all, their policies have nothing to do with Merkel’s legacy.
Debate: The need for European solidarity in saving lives in the Mediterranean, in particular in Italy
Date: TUESDAY, 18 APRIL 2023
Speaker: Pierrette Herzberger-Fofana
Political group: Verts/ALE
Country: Spain
Language: FR

Monsieur le Président, la situation dans la Méditerranée atteint une phase critique et frise une tragédie humaine. Si nous n'agissons pas, vu que les naufrages en mer se succèdent à une cadence inouïe, ne laissons pas la Méditerranée devenir un cimetière maritime pour tous les réfugiés. Les personnes qui se trouvent en situation de détresse ont le droit d'être sauvés. C'est une obligation morale qui incombe à tous les États membres de l'Union européenne, le caractère sacré de la vie devant prendre le pas sur toute autre considération.  Il revient donc aux États membres, dans le cadre du nouveau pacte sur la migration et l'asile, de mettre en place une politique cohérente qui repose sur les valeurs que nous prônons et non pas de laisser périr en mer des milliers de personnes. Les arrestations, les centres de rétention et toute sortes de dérives en Italie sont contraires à notre politique qui se veut teintée d'humanisme. Nous ne pouvons pas cautionner une telle politique.  Le pacte sur l'immigration et l'asile consacre une large partie à la protection des frontières de l'espace européen. L'Union européenne doit apporter une solution, une réponse commune qui démontre notre solidarité envers ceux que nous accueillons dans le respect de leur dignité. Il est urgent de mettre en place une politique humanitaire. Sauvons des vies humaines!
Debate: The need for European solidarity in saving lives in the Mediterranean, in particular in Italy
Date: TUESDAY, 18 APRIL 2023
Speaker: Sara Skyttedal
Political group: PPE
Country: Spain
Language: SV

Herr talman! Döden på Medelhavet är egentligen ett resultat av ett EU som misslyckats med att formulera en migrationspolitik som håller för framtiden.  Sedan migrationskrisen 2015 har egentligen alla medlemsländer hittat tillfälliga lösningar som inte löser problemet i grund och botten, där människor känner att den enda lösningen är att söka sig via de irreguljära vägarna, vilket gör att vi förlorar människor på Medelhavet.  Varje dag som EU misslyckas med att ta fram ett nytt hållbart system som är anpassat efter framtidens migrationsströmmar och som säkrar en snabb prövning vid EU:s yttre gräns blir det ett misslyckande för det europeiska samarbetet, men det är också det som gör att människor offrar sina liv på Medelhavet.
Debate: The need for European solidarity in saving lives in the Mediterranean, in particular in Italy
Date: TUESDAY, 18 APRIL 2023
Speaker: Barry Andrews
Political group: Renew
Country: Ireland
Language: EN

Mr President, Commissioner, minister and colleagues, one of the central arguments that is ventilated by the far right is that NGO boats create a pull factor. So these debates can be very ideological and they can be very partisan. So let’s look at the facts.  Researchers in the European University Institute in Florence in Italy looked at data going back to 2014 to examine this very question, and they concluded, and I quote, ‘No relationship exists between the presence of NGOs at sea and the number of migrants leaving Libyan shores’.  In fact, the only thing that changes when NGO boats are not present is that fatalities increase. So, for me, in situations like that, sometimes we shouldn’t look at the secondary consequences of something. Sometimes it is intrinsically the right thing to do. And as far as I’m concerned, I don’t think it’s controversial to say that it is intrinsically right to save lives at sea.
Debate: The need for European solidarity in saving lives in the Mediterranean, in particular in Italy
Date: TUESDAY, 18 APRIL 2023
Speaker: Grace O'Sullivan
Political group: Verts/ALE
Country: Greece
Language: EN

Mr President, Commissioners, colleagues, you know, just this week, we found out that Greece has decided to continue its endless persecution of Séan Binder, Sara Mardini and more than 20 other search and rescue workers who gave of their time selflessly to rescue migrants at sea in the Mediterranean. The Greek prosecution says that the humanitarians had no right to access case documents in their own language. It says the search and rescue workers should be prosecuted as spies. So I ask you: where is EU solidarity in supporting and protecting search and rescue workers? Greece continues to breach the rule of law. Greece must be held to account and the charges against these search and rescue workers must be dropped once and for all.
Debate: The need for European solidarity in saving lives in the Mediterranean, in particular in Italy
Date: TUESDAY, 18 APRIL 2023
Speaker: Ana Miranda
Political group: Verts/ALE
Country: Italy
Language: PT

Senhor Presidente, a linha dura da Presidente do Conselho de Ministros Meloni é imoral. Ela é a face da extrema—direita, das políticas reacionárias e xenófobas da Europa que mais se opõe à solidariedade. Não podemos fechar os olhos ao elevado número de pessoas que morrem à porta da Europa. Não podemos fechar os olhos aos vergonhosos acordos com a Líbia, com a Turquia ou Marrocos.  A recusa de ajuda humanitária aos refugiados por parte de muitos Estados—Membros, como faz a Itália, é uma violação de direitos humanos. Ninguém merece ser castigado por estender a mão a um ser humano em risco de vida. Quando as políticas humanitárias da União Europeia falham, quando muitos fecham os olhos, a ultradireita ocupa o seu lugar, como em Itália. A Presidente Meloni proíbe salvamentos múltiplos, com altas penas e apreensão de navios – que situação vergonhosa para a Europa! Denunciamos esta fúria desumana contra os migrantes. É urgente pôr fim a estas mensagens não solidárias e racistas que se ocultam na Europa, e também no Parlamento Europeu.
Debate: The need for European solidarity in saving lives in the Mediterranean, in particular in Italy
Date: TUESDAY, 18 APRIL 2023
Speaker: Johannes Hahn
Language: EN

The legal and moral obligation to rescue and to ensure the safety of life at sea is clear. Irrespective of the situation that led people to be in a situation of distress at sea.  Recent incidents showed that we need to advance on both. First, immediate operational measures. Second, as well as the renewal of the EU’s legislative framework in the form of the Pact on Migration and Asylum.  We must coordinate our actions to prevent irregular departures, tackle the criminal business of smugglers and save lives at sea.  We all know the stakes. We must give immediate responses. We must first work closer together at the European level, making full use of the relaunched search and rescue group, and we must also work jointly and closely with our partner countries. For a comprehensive and sustainable solution, the pact is the only answer with its effective solidarity mechanism catering specifically for search and rescue cases, we cannot keep improvising every time we are confronted with complex migration challenges.  The pact includes the key measures to manage migration better, to prevent loss of life in the Mediterranean, to step up legal pathways, resettlement and labour migration, to reassure the citizens of the most affected areas by properly managing migration, to prove that we can do better, that we are stronger united, and this is the only way forward.
Debate: The need for European solidarity in saving lives in the Mediterranean, in particular in Italy
Date: TUESDAY, 18 APRIL 2023
Speaker: Jessika Roswall
Language: EN

As I have already underlined, the Presidency intends to continue pursuing a holistic approach to migration and balance between solidarity and responsibility. This should also be the basis for future legislation to be agreed with you in within the framework of the Pact on Migration and Asylum. I can only stress once again that the importance that both legislators work very closely together in this effort. And I think recent progress in the Parliament, as well as our negotiations in the Council, show that we are going in the right direction together. We all need to compromise. That is nothing new. But that will be the key to having a new package in place by the end of this term, and I am hopeful that we can still reach that. Thank you very much for your attention and thank you for the debate.
Debate: EU relations with Iraq
Date: TUESDAY, 18 APRIL 2023
Speaker: Johannes Hahn
Language: EN

Understandably, important challenges remain, including in the area of human rights. Today, the European Union has an ambition to do more in and with Iraq to support the positive momentum in the country and in the region. After a year-long, post-electoral political stalemate in Iraq, the European Union swiftly seized the opportunity to re-engage institutionally with the new government of Prime Minister al-Sudani. The EU supports his ambitious reform agenda and fight against corruption as he tries to provide better services to all Iraqis. We certainly welcome his first successes at home, including progress on the budget and on the gas and oil issue between Baghdad and Erbil and his extending of hand towards all neighbours. On 19 March, after a seven-year pause, High Representative Borrell succeeded in resuming the work of the EU-Iraq Ministerial Cooperation Council, together with Foreign Minister Hussein, accompanied by an extensive ministerial delegation. It was the first such meeting after the entry into force of the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement, which was concluded in 2018. This meeting helped to revive our dialogue on important regional and security issues and to set together a new ambition through a joint declaration on sustainable development, green transition, governance, regional connectivity and sustainable finance. At the Cooperation Council, we discussed openly more sensitive issues, such as migration. In particular, we talked about returns and readmissions, including involuntary returns, protection and forced displacement, anti-trafficking and sustainable reintegration. The EU welcomed Iraq’s ban on flights to Belarus – still in force – which effectively stopped migratory flows orchestrated by Belarusian regime in summer 2021 along its borders with the European Union. The Union will continue to help Iraq in coping with the remnants of its tumultuous past, such as the reintegration of its still 1.1 million internally displaced people, the handling of the returnees from the ad hoc camp in northern Syria, or addressing multiple challenges to its unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity. We will remain active members of the anti-Da’esh coalition. We will continue to support security sector reform in Iraq through the European Union advisory mission. We will also keep participating in regional de-escalation initiatives, such as the Baghdad Conference process, and the newly established Sub-Committee on Development Cooperation will certainly improve coordination and dialogue on assistance. Honourable Members, I am aware of your considerations to strengthen interparliamentary cooperation after a successful visit to Iraq earlier this year, and I have no doubt that such dialogue could strengthen Iraq’s democracy and promote deeper understanding between the European Union and Iraq.
Debate: EU relations with Iraq
Date: TUESDAY, 18 APRIL 2023
Speaker: Sara Skyttedal
Political group: PPE
Country: Spain
Language: EN

At this meeting, we took an historic decision for our interparliamentary relations by establishing a joint parliamentary committee, and thereby reaffirmed the mutual interest in upgrading the relationship between the European Union and Iraq. Iraq is an important strategic partner in the Middle East, and the EU must continue to support all the Iraqi efforts to fight terrorism and improve security. In particular, I want to underline the importance of the EU’s commitment to protect religious and ethnic minorities, not the least Christians in Iraq. During the mission, we did the first official parliamentary visit to the war-torn city of Mosul, which highlighted the oppression that the Christian community in Iraq had to endure, especially during the years of Daesh control over the city. Better cooperation is also crucial on the issue of migration. We believe it is of mutual interest to ensure Iraq’s territorial integrity and sovereignty and thereby establishing control over the country’s borders. We have hopes that the new reform-oriented al-Sudani Government will continue the democratic process and combat widespread corruption. The EU has to support many of the pressing challenges facing the Iraqi Government, such as finding a sustainable understanding with the Kurdish Regional Government and build a diversified economy integrated in the national system. We believe, through this path, the partnership has every opportunity to grow stronger.
Debate: EU relations with Iraq
Date: TUESDAY, 18 APRIL 2023
Speaker: Domènec Ruiz Devesa
Political group: S-D
Country: Malta
Language: ES

Es verdad que la satisfacción —tengo que decirlo a título personal— no es completa, porque hubiera sido deseable que este debate no se limitara a ser un intercambio de opiniones entre los parlamentarios y la Comisión, sino que también hubiera venido acompañado de una Resolución; no olvidemos que la última Resolución de este Parlamento sobre Irak es del año 2018. Ha llovido mucho —como se dice en castellano— desde entonces en Irak y en Europa. Y también nos encontramos en el vigésimo aniversario de la intervención de los Estados Unidos en Irak. Dicho esto, aprovechemos el tiempo que tenemos para fijar algunas posiciones, al menos a título de los diputados y de los grupos.  Irak es un país que trata de avanzar en su transición democrática, en una región convulsa que ha sufrido la falta de libertades y el azote del Estado Islámico. Sin duda, es una democracia imperfecta, pero uno de los pocos casos y ejemplos que tenemos en la región y, por tanto, tenemos que dar todo el apoyo posible. En este sentido, creo que una prueba de nuestra cooperación conjunta debe ser el establecimiento, todavía pendiente, de la comisión interparlamentaria mixta entre este Parlamento y el Parlamento iraquí, en la que estamos trabajando desde la delegación.  Asimismo, no quiero dejar la oportunidad de dirigirme a la Comisión porque creemos —por lo que nos dicen— que la comisaria Urpilainen no es una gran fan de mantener el apoyo financiero a la iniciativa de la Unesco «Revivir el espíritu de Mosul». Puede que usted no sepa ahora mismo si es así, pero quizá se lo pueda preguntar cuando acabe el debate. Los miembros de la delegación parlamentaria tuvimos la ocasión de conocer esta iniciativa y creemos firmemente que es necesaria para recuperar una joya del patrimonio universal y dar esperanza a la gente.