29 May 2015
UN Secretary-General: Europa has collective responsibility to act to address challenge of migration
The UN Secretary-General emphasised the importance of addressing the challenge of migration, in the Mediterranean and in Southeast Asia, in his speech to the European Parliament in Brussels. Around 1,800 had drowned in the Mediterranean this year already, which was a 20-fold increase on 2014. He stressed that ‘Europe has an important role to play and a collective responsibility to act.’ ‘Saving lives should be the top priority’, he said, adding ‘[a]nd while we need to see more effective law enforcement actions against traffickers and smugglers, we also need safer alternatives to dangerous voyages, as well as legal channels such as resettlement, family reunification and work and study visas.’
He welcomed the European Commission’s new migration policy and the proposal for the relocation of 40,000 of asylum-seekers, as ‘a step in the right direction’, and he said the that the UN, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the International Organization for Migration would continue to work with European leaders to address the crisis in a way that upholds human rights and international law.
Source: UN News Centre | Ban tells European Parliament to work together to address challenge of migration
Source: UNSG | Statement | Secretary-General's remarks to the European Parliament | Brussels | 27 May 2015