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.’ (more…)
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