unimelb-nlp/MultiEup-v2 huggingface dataset:
Debate: Preparation of the Special European Council meeting of February, in particular the need to develop sustainable solutions in the area of asylum and migration
Date: WEDNESDAY, 1 FEBRUARY 2023
Speaker: Roberta Metsola
Country: Poland
Language: EN

The next item is the Council and Commission statements on the Preparation of the Special European Council meeting of February, in particular the need to develop sustainable solutions in the area of asylum and migration ( Dear colleagues, next week’s Special European Council will be an important moment for us to discuss our economy and migration. Let us remember the open and global approach that has always been the European way. We need to bring back growth and focus on European competitiveness. We have always embarked and had an ambitious roadmap on our EU rules on migration and asylum, and this is what we are working on right now. In Parliament we expect the leaders to commit to completing the Migration and Asylum Pact with us before the next elections, because Europe has what it takes if we act together. I’ll give the floor – to open the debate for the Council – to the Minister for EU Affairs, Jessika Roswall.
Debate: Preparation of the Special European Council meeting of February, in particular the need to develop sustainable solutions in the area of asylum and migration
Date: WEDNESDAY, 1 FEBRUARY 2023
Speaker: Malik Azmani
Political group: Renew
Country: Netherlands
Language: EN

But I assure you that also migration will be on the top of their minds. We see this as a concern of many citizens, but I do not see the urgency to deliver. Colleagues, it’s time to wake up. This mismatch between what we need to do and what is being achieved is dangerous.  First, we need real progress on the Migration and Asylum Pact. Responsibility and solidarity must go hand in hand. A third element to come to an agreement is missing, however, and that is trust. Trust between Member States. And here lies also a role for the Commission.  The Commission has to step up to break the cycle of mistrust existing between Member States by enforcing also current rules towards the new package. Dublin rules do not seem to exist now, and because of it, trust has been eroding from the moment Commission has made its proposals.  Our focus should be on concrete results for our citizens to provide immediate relief to our external borders. We must do everything in our power to strike new agreements with third countries to counter irregular migration and increase returns, including by using our trade and visa policy as a leverage. This should be a top priority for the Commission.  Colleagues, when faced with a pandemic, Europe delivered. When faced with war, we act quickly together. Migration cannot be the Cinderella of EU achievements this mandate. Instead of rhetoric and fairy tales, we need real focus and concrete delivery. It’s time for action.
Debate: Preparation of the Special European Council meeting of February, in particular the need to develop sustainable solutions in the area of asylum and migration
Date: WEDNESDAY, 1 FEBRUARY 2023
Speaker: Terry Reintke
Political group: Verts/ALE
Country: Italy
Language: EN

Our competitiveness will depend on how well we can lead the Green transformation globally, supporting green industries, being the first when it comes to climate—friendly and environmentally—friendly technologies. Yes, for that we will actually need green and sustainable regulation to give planning security to our companies and, yes, for setting the scene globally to move ahead with the green transformation. Indeed, we will need money for that. We will not need random investment, but we will need very targeted green investment in order to make this possible.  I’ve read the letter that the Commission President sent to the Member States on migration and let me be honest, to me, it sounded – in a very technocratic and depoliticised language – like a plan to create a Fortress Europe. Not once was there was a mention of human rights, not once there was a mention of the suffering of those who are trying to find shelter in the European Union, and not once there was a mention of international law – international law that binds the European Union when it comes to asylum. But also, in the framing, we are talking about migration here – and migration is not only about asylum and returns. This whole initiative can only work if we look at migration in its entirety.  I negotiated recently a coalition agreement between the Conservative Party and the Greens in North Rhine-Westphalia, and I can tell you what the number one concern of the SMEs, of the care homes and the citizens was: it was the question of how we can attract trained workers, trained labour in order to fit the shortages in our labour market. If we are not looking at this, if we are not looking at what our citizens need, then we are falling short of what we actually need to address.  Don’t get me wrong. We all want orderly border management. We want legal provisions to be applied, but orderly border management, Mr Weber, also applies to border guards and we have seen in the past that there were illegal pushbacks. We have seen that this has been covered up. We have seen that there was no punishment for this. We have seen that there was no accountability. This, colleagues, is definitely unacceptable.  The European Union received the Nobel Peace Prize not for building walls, not for encircling this continent in fences, not for pushing back boats of people who are looking for shelter. We received the Nobel Peace Prize because this Union stands for a promise, and, for me, the responsibility and the duty that we have learned from the horrors of the past – from nationalist devastations, but also from the suffering that this continent has brought to the world; a promise that we will be a beacon of human rights and of shared values. This, Commission President, does not end at how we behave at our external borders.
Debate: Preparation of the Special European Council meeting of February, in particular the need to develop sustainable solutions in the area of asylum and migration
Date: WEDNESDAY, 1 FEBRUARY 2023
Speaker: Marco Zanni
Political group: ID
Country: Portugal
Language: IT

Nutriamo grandi speranze nelle parole che abbiamo sentito anche oggi sia dalla presidenza svedese, che in queste prime settimane si è espressa molto chiaramente sui suoi obiettivi, sia dalla Presidente della Commissione von der Leyen, che finalmente mi pare abbia messo a fuoco qual è il problema e quali sono le soluzioni reali che dobbiamo mettere in campo per risolvere il problema dell'immigrazione. Parlare esclusivamente di redistribuzione e di porte aperte, come abbiamo fatto in questi anni, vuol dire non voler risolvere il problema perché la redistribuzione qui, con questi numeri, non la vuole nessuno: non l'ha voluta il governo di Macron, non l'hanno voluta i governi socialisti in Spagna o in altri paesi, non l'ha voluta nessuno in Europa. Quindi continuare oggi a parlare di redistribuzione e di responsabilità senza ridurre i numeri vuol dire non risolvere il problema. I punti sono stati delineati anche da chi mi ha preceduto, il focus deve essere messo sulle frontiere esterne e sulla protezione delle nostre frontiere esterne; questo è quello che fanno gli Stati civili, questo è quello che fanno gli Stati evoluti, questo è quello che fanno gli Stati in cui vige lo Stato di diritto e penso che l'Unione europea dovrebbe far parte di questo gruppo. Condivido la proposta che è stata fatta spesso in passato, dal mio paese e dal mio partito: abbiamo la necessità di processare le domande di asilo fuori dai confini dell'Unione europea, perché la percentuale delle domande che vengono accettate è bassissima e il resto rimane in capo ai paesi che condividono un confine esterno dell'Unione europea. Lo possiamo fare, perché diamo un sacco di finanziamenti a tanti paesi terzi alle nostre frontiere esterne e penso che quando facciamo accordi per distribuire questo denaro possiamo anche chiedere delle strutture per processare le domande, dove le istituzioni dell'Unione europea si assumono il compito di controllare il rispetto dei diritti umani delle persone che vi transitano. L'ultimo punto fondamentale: le ONG. Non possiamo, un'autorità pubblica non può appaltare il controllo dei suoi confini esterni a delle organizzazioni private e su questo, molto spesso, abbiamo rilevato profili di potenziale illegalità. Questo dobbiamo fare: ridurre le partenze. Solo riducendo le partenze ridurremo i morti in mare e avremo un'Unione europea più civile.
Debate: Preparation of the Special European Council meeting of February, in particular the need to develop sustainable solutions in the area of asylum and migration
Date: WEDNESDAY, 1 FEBRUARY 2023
Speaker: Charlie Weimers
Political group: ECR
Country: Luxembourg
Language: EN

Last week, EU migration ministers declared there is an urgent need to strengthen the external borders, increase returns and prevent irregular migration. How? The Commission claims there isn’t money for walls in the EU budget. But there is taxpayers’ money to waste on a EUR 387 000 Metaverse party that had less attendance than a July after-ski party in Denmark. What about increasing returns? The Commission loves to dangle those development aid carrots, but it’s afraid to stop funding countries that refuse to take back their own citizens. Here’s some advice: finance border barriers, cease funding countries who refuse returns and stop talking about ‘irregular’ migrations. When citizens hear you talk about ‘illegal’ migration, that’s when they will believe you’re sincere on border protection.
Debate: Preparation of the Special European Council meeting of February, in particular the need to develop sustainable solutions in the area of asylum and migration
Date: WEDNESDAY, 1 FEBRUARY 2023
Speaker: Manon Aubry
Political group: The Left
Country: France
Language: FR

Mais de tout cela, nous n’en parlerons pas aujourd’hui, car, quand tout va mal, le bouc émissaire est toujours le même: l’étranger. L’extrême droite nous impose une nouvelle fois son agenda xénophobe, face à une invasion migratoire qui n’existe pas. Il suffit de voir la mine ravie de Marco Zanni, qui vient ici, avec le tapis rouge déroulé, en disant: «Chouette, un nouveau débat sur l’immigration!», alors que nous connaissons aujourd’hui la crise d’inflation la plus grave de notre histoire, et que des gens galèrent à terminer leurs fins de mois. Je ne suis pas surprise des horreurs que l’extrême droite propose – ce n’est pas nouveau –, mais je m’inquiète qu’elles soient désormais reprises par la droite, par vous, Monsieur Weber, mais aussi par de plus en plus de libéraux. Je me souviens qu’il y a quelques années nous dénoncions tous ici les délires dangereux de M. Trump. Mais voici qu’une majorité de cet hémicycle s’inscrit aujourd’hui directement dans ses pas, jusqu’à Mme von der Leyen, qui n’exclut plus de soutenir ces murs de la honte en Europe. Alors non, pardon: pas les murs, mais tout ce qui sera autour – légère nuance, vous l’aurez compris. La forteresse, elle existe pourtant déjà: 1 000 kilomètres de murs actuellement, et des milliers d’autres en projet, des cages à migrants en Bulgarie, des ONG qui sont criminalisées, Frontex qui viole quotidiennement les droits de l’homme et ceux des exilés. Voilà cette réalité que la Commission européenne, comme une partie de cet hémicycle, ici, veut cacher, ces vies humaines dont Mme von der Leyen n’a pas dit un seul mot. Alors, je voudrais ici vous lire des témoignages d’exilés maltraités qui sont issus de ce «Black Book», recueillis dans le «Livre noir des refoulements», que notre groupe a édité, en lien avec les ONG. Je lis: «Après nous avoir violemment battues pendant trente minutes avec une matraque en métal, ils ont fait une pause pour fumer. Un officier a écrasé sa cigarette sur la tête de mon amie. Il m’a retiré mon foulard, frappée et crié dessus, a déchiré ma robe et continué à me fouiller en me touchant le corps devant mon enfant.» Que voulez-vous de plus? Des tirs à balles réelles contre ceux qui tentent de traverser? Des naufragés qu’on laisse se noyer? Des réfugiés fuyant la guerre à qui on refuse le droit d’asile? Tout cela a déjà été fait, et vous voulez le généraliser. Alors, pour conclure, l’Europe peut encore reprendre ses esprits, respecter ses soi-disant valeurs. Mais, ici, nous n’aurons de cesse de le dire: organisons enfin l’accueil digne des exilés comme il se doit et comme il est possible de le faire.
Debate: Preparation of the Special European Council meeting of February, in particular the need to develop sustainable solutions in the area of asylum and migration
Date: WEDNESDAY, 1 FEBRUARY 2023
Speaker: Laura Ferrara
Political group: NI
Country: Poland
Language: IT

Signora Presidente, onorevoli colleghi, il Consiglio europeo sia occasione per ribadire che in Europa non abbiamo bisogno di muri, di filo spinato e di finanziamenti per erigere nuove barriere fisiche ai confini esterni e interni. Abbiamo bisogno di solidarietà ed equa ripartizione delle responsabilità, così come previsto dall'articolo 80 del trattato sul funzionamento dell'Unione europea. Per alleviare gli oneri sproporzionati ricadenti sugli Stati in prima linea, maggiormente sotto pressione, non si può prescindere da un meccanismo di solidarietà obbligatorio basato su ricollocamenti tra tutti gli Stati membri dell'Unione europea. Cooperazione con i paesi di origine e di transito e vie legali di accesso all'Unione europea rimangono necessari per contrastare il traffico di migranti e la tratta di esseri umani, tutelare le vite e tutelare i diritti fondamentali. In tale contesto bisogna rafforzare gli accordi in materia di rimpatrio e di reinserimento e migliorare le opportunità occupazionali nei paesi terzi. Dopo due anni dalla presentazione del nuovo patto sulla migrazione e l'asilo e dopo circa sette anni dalle precedenti proposte di riforma del sistema comune europeo di asilo, l'Unione europea non sprechi altro tempo per dare un nuovo corso alla gestione dei flussi migratori.
Debate: Preparation of the Special European Council meeting of February, in particular the need to develop sustainable solutions in the area of asylum and migration
Date: WEDNESDAY, 1 FEBRUARY 2023
Speaker: Paulo Rangel
Political group: PPE
Country: Germany
Language: PT

Senhor Presidente, Conselho, Senhores Comissários, a verdade é que a questão das migrações testa o nosso sistema democrático e o nosso sistema de direitos fundamentais, mas o Grupo PPE, caros colegas dos Verdes, S&D, não recebe lições sobre direitos fundamentais de ninguém, nem sobre o tratamento digno das pessoas porque as nossas raízes cristãs são claras e estão presentes em todas as nossas políticas.  O problema aqui é saber como é que se protegem melhor os direitos humanos daqueles que são vulneráveis, e são verdadeiramente vulneráveis, e não daqueles que, muitas vezes, estão a tentar entrar de uma forma ilegal e irregular.  Nós, se tivermos fronteiras mais fortes, sobre as quais temos verdadeiro controlo, verdadeiro domínio, estaremos em muito melhores condições de respeitar os direitos humanos dos mais vulneráveis, de organizar a migração legal para os trabalhos de que nós necessitamos aqui, dada a nossa queda demográfica, e estaremos também em condições de ajudar os países terceiros a desenvolverem-se e a terem um menor fluxo migratório.  Essa sim é que é uma política humana, essa sim é que é uma política que respeita os direitos fundamentais.
Debate: Preparation of the Special European Council meeting of February, in particular the need to develop sustainable solutions in the area of asylum and migration
Date: WEDNESDAY, 1 FEBRUARY 2023
Speaker: Gabriele Bischoff
Political group: S-D
Country: France
Language: DE

Herr Präsident, Frau Ministerin! Enttäuschung und Hoffnung liegen ja bei dem Thema Migration sehr eng beieinander. Wenn man noch einmal zurückguckt auf die Zukunftskonferenz, kann man sehen, dass die Bürgerinnen und Bürger extrem enttäuscht sind, dass Europa nicht handlungsfähig ist in dem Feld Migration, und dass viele Probleme dadurch entstehen, dass Europa nicht handlungsfähig ist. Und deshalb ist es wirklich extrem wichtig zu sehen, dass es hier nur mit europäischen Lösungen geht. Ich denke, die Hoffnung ist in der Tat die Roadmap hier und dass das Parlament mit fünf Ratspräsidentschaften sich auf einen Fahrplan verständigt hat. Aber wenn ich hier so zuhöre und dem Tempo zugucke, dann frage ich mich, ob man das so in der Zeit, die uns noch bleibt, überhaupt erreichen kann. Und wenn ich sehe, dass man hier immer Rosinen rauspicken will – einzelne Punkte, die einen das Screening, die anderen andere Punkte: Das wird nur funktionieren, wenn es ein Paket ist, das wirklich auf internationalem Recht, unseren Werten, Menschenrechten basiert. Und eins möchte ich nochmal sagen: Ich komme aus der Mauerstadt. Mauern zu bauen und Zäune, war immer eine Bankrotterklärung, nie Teil der Lösung.
Debate: Preparation of the Special European Council meeting of February, in particular the need to develop sustainable solutions in the area of asylum and migration
Date: WEDNESDAY, 1 FEBRUARY 2023
Speaker: Sophia in 't Veld
Political group: Renew
Country: Poland
Language: EN

Mr President, the debate on migration at the next Council summit is most necessary and not a day too soon, because after seven years of complete stagnation on the asylum and migration package in the Council, it’s time for action. Seven years  Government leaders have indeed agreed a very timid, voluntary relocation mechanism. But as President von der Leyen pointed out, so far it has resulted in no fewer than 8 000 pledges and 400 actual relocations – hardly impressive. We need effective and credible policies, but always in line with our values. I hear colleague Weber say ‘Yeah, human rights, sure, but ...’. I say ‘human rights’. Full stop. No buts. As to walls, colleagues, many have been built throughout history. None of them were successful. None. It’s a distraction and not a solution as Ms Bischoff also said. Council and Parliament are currently working in a spirit of good cooperation following the joint roadmap towards the common goal of adopting the entire asylum and migration package by 2024 at the latest. And I therefore call on the government leaders to not disrupt or derail the process, but to throw their weight behind the roadmap.
Debate: Preparation of the Special European Council meeting of February, in particular the need to develop sustainable solutions in the area of asylum and migration
Date: WEDNESDAY, 1 FEBRUARY 2023
Speaker: Jordi Solé
Political group: Verts/ALE
Country: Bulgaria
Language: EN

Mr President, we have had to tear down many walls, both physical and psychological, to make the Union that Europe is today. It is therefore regrettable that some Member States and some political families are again insisting upon building new walls and fences and financing them with EU money to seal off Fortress Europe. They say walls will better help stop migration. But what they will stop is our European values. We know how quickly they fade away in outrageous episodes like the one at the Melilla wall, on the beaches of Lesbos and in so many other places. We need safe and legal pathways for migrants, amongst other reasons to ensure that we tackle the demographic and labour market challenges that we face. We need to guarantee the right to asylum for those who need shelter so they are not shamefully piled up in refugee camps or illegally pushed back or drowned in the Mediterranean Sea. The far right and a complacent reaction to them must not dictate the fundamentals of our common migration and asylum policy.
Debate: Preparation of the Special European Council meeting of February, in particular the need to develop sustainable solutions in the area of asylum and migration
Date: WEDNESDAY, 1 FEBRUARY 2023
Speaker: Jean-Paul Garraud
Political group: ID
Country: Italy
Language: FR

Monsieur le Président, les années passent, et la pression migratoire continue d’asphyxier l’Europe. En 2022, l’agence Frontex a comptabilisé 330 000 franchissements irréguliers des frontières extérieures de l’Union européenne. Ces chiffres alarmants devraient réveiller l’Union européenne et lui faire prendre conscience de la gravité de la situation actuelle.  Alors que nous vivons une véritable submersion migratoire, qui nécessiterait des mesures fortes, Mme la commissaire Johansson refuse toujours de financer des murs et des barrières aux frontières de l’Europe, sous prétexte que l’Union européenne n’aurait pas de fonds à dépenser pour cela. La Commission est pourtant beaucoup moins regardante sur les moyens financiers lorsqu’il s’agit de subventionner certaines associations et des campagnes de promotion sur l’avenir de l’Europe avec le voile islamique. Quelle crédibilité accorder aux mesures annoncées par Mme von der Leyen pour faire face à la crise migratoire, alors qu’elle maintient dans le même temps une position pro-immigration?  En voulant intensifier les corridors qualifiés d’«humanitaires» pour encourager l’immigration de masse et en désirant attirer davantage de travailleurs prétendument qualifiés, Bruxelles continue de créer des appels d’air, des pompes aspirantes, que beaucoup de candidats à la migration suivront.  L’Union européenne doit pourtant contrôler ses frontières, arrêter de financer les ONG de bateaux-taxis pour migrants, cesser de légaliser l’immigration illégale, renvoyer dans leurs pays d’origine tous ceux qui doivent partir et ne plus donner un euro aux États qui ne reprendraient pas leurs ressortissants. C’est une question vitale pour l’avenir de l’Europe.  Il est grand temps de faire preuve de bon sens et de fermeté car, si l’Europe ne peut être repliée sur elle-même, elle doit protéger ses nationaux, ses entreprises, son identité. L’Europe ne sera forte que si les États qui la composent le sont. C’est exactement l’inverse qui est en train de se produire. Nous nous y opposons résolument.
Debate: Preparation of the Special European Council meeting of February, in particular the need to develop sustainable solutions in the area of asylum and migration
Date: WEDNESDAY, 1 FEBRUARY 2023
Speaker: Assita Kanko
Political group: ECR
Country: France
Language: NL

Voorzitter, morgen stemmen we over de opheffing van de onschendbaarheid van collega Nadine Morano, die in eigen land, Frankrijk, aangeklaagd wordt, omdat zij durft te zeggen dat het redden van illegale migranten in de Middellandse Zee en hen vervolgens naar Europese bodem brengen, gelijkstaat aan medeplichtigheid aan mensensmokkel. Ik geef haar gelijk en ga zelfs een stapje verder. Als we dit toelaten, zijn we niet alleen medeplichtig, maar doen we zelf aan mensensmokkel. Europese reddingsboten die illegale migranten overbrengen naar de EU zijn het verlengstuk van de schamele bootjes van de smokkelaars.  Vorig jaar kwamen bijna honderdduizend asielzoekers de EU binnen. Dat is de helft meer dan in 2021. Een meerderheid kan geen beroep doen op internationale bescherming. Dat zijn de letterlijke woorden van commissaris Johansson zelf. Deze situatie is niet alleen onhoudbaar, maar ook onmenselijk. Johansson zei ook dat aan onze plicht om mensen te redden niet mag getornd worden. Dat is zo. We redden hen en brengen hen vervolgens terug van waar ze zijn vertrokken, en dus niet naar de EU. Zo pakken we illegale immigratie aan bij de bron: illegale migranten ontmoedigen en mensensmokkel geen kans geven. Daar begint het.