JRS: Europe must install safe and legal access to refugees

(Vatican Radio) The European Union has announced emergency talks on 14 September to deal with the escalating refugee and forced migration crisis.

Austria has begun expanding checks on lorries near its eastern borders, after Europe was shocked by the discovery of 71 dead migrants last week in a lorry near the border with Hungary.

Hundreds more people also drowned in the Mediterranean last week, as they tried to reach Europe from Libya. 

A record number of 107,500 migrants reached the EU's borders last month.
Jesuit Refugee Service Europe Director, Jesuit Father Jean-Marie Carriere told Linda Bordoni his organization welcomes the high-level talks:

Listen to the interview: 

Fr Jean-Marie Carriere points out that more time passes more unacceptable are the deaths of fleeing people. He says it is a very good time for European policy-makers to come together to seek solutions.

“The first point I would like to make is that it is very good that there is a meeting at this level in Europe because what we need now to face and confront this refugee crisis is a kind of a global governance of the conditions for welcoming refugees into Europe, and not let each state be alone in its responsibility in welcoming refugees” he says.

Regarding Pope Francis’ reiterated calls for action on behalf of refugees and forced migrants, Fr Carriere says the Pope’s statements clearly indicate that he is very concerned that we should not let people die when coming to Europe. What’s more – he explains – the Pope’s concern is not only of a moral nature but points to precise political responsibilities.

“We have strong support from the Pope and what he says is very helpful to us. Now it is our responsibility to try to develop his suggestions for the policy-makers” he says.

Our main suggestion – Fr Carriere says – is that “Europe is able to install safe and legal access to Europe for those people who need protection.

He says that JRS hopes that the European Ministers of Interior who are scheduled to meet will not focus solely on questions of security and controlling borders “because this is not the problem”.

Fr. Carriere says that “when you control the borders you cause more deaths”

He expresses his hope that EU policy-makers will shift their focus from security problems to the question of safe access to Europe.

He states that all refugees - in this moment those coming from Syria, Somalia and Eritrea – need protection and he says Europe has the possibility to open legal and safe access to Europe.

Fr. Carriere says that although long-term solutions will have to be found and that policies for integration will have to be implemented, he does not think many European nations are prepared for doing so yet.

He says that Hungary, for example, does not have a history of welcome and integration, but in other nations such as Portugal, Italy, the UK and Ireland, JRS staff is working around the clock on various programmes to promote integration.

One of the main points JRS is trying to get across to policy-makers is the need for safe and legal access to Europe for refugees.

He explains that JRS has a very good policy paper that foresees a specific visa “the humanitarian visa” that would allow people to come to Europe legally and apply for asylum. He says that if this was adopted by all European States it would do much (to save lives and fight trafficking).