Recommendations on migration and asylum in the EU
Migration can pose both challenges and opportunities for development and can be a win-win situation for both countries of origin and destination. Yet EU external action tends to focus on measures to prevent migration. EU countries often base their assistance on the capacity and/or willingness of countries of origin and transit to help in migration control.
Migration is one of the major humanitarian challenges that the EU and the world currently face.
For many years, National Red Cross Societies in the EU have worked with and for migrants, because many of them are among the most vulnerable people in society.
We believe in the many benefits of migration and the contribution that migrants can make to all the countries involved.
We wish to highlight the following priorities for leaders and policy makers of the EU, in order to better protect and support all migrants:
- Respect and protect the rights of migrants – whatever their legal status;
- Support migration policies guided by the principle of humanity and respect for dignity;
- Promote the positive contribution of migrants;
- Set up legal channels for asylum seekers to access international protection;
- Share responsibility in applying a Common European Asylum System;
- Respect the dignity and rights of all migrants in border management policies;
- Make detention of migrants a ‘last resort’ measure.
