Εύα Καϊλή: Ο ΣΥΡΙΖΑ να πάρει θέση για την επιστολή της Σπινέλι

H ευρωβουλευτής της Ελιάς Εύα Καϊλη ζητά από τον ΣΥΡΙΖΑ, με αφορμή την επιστολή της Ιταλίδας Μπάρμπαρα Σπινέλι, του ψηφοδελτίου του Αλέξη Τσίπρα, να πάρει θέση σχετικά με το χαρακτηρισμό που απέδωσε η Σπινέλι στην Ελλάδα.

Ένα στέλεχος του πολιτικού Group GUE, η Barbara Spinelli, μας αναφέρει τους λόγους που πρέπει να απορριφθεί ο Έλληνας Επίτροπος για το χαρτοφυλάκιο της Μετανάστευσης.

Θυμίζουμε πως o Σύριζα ανήκει σε αυτό το Group στην ΕΕ και ελπίζουμε σύντομα να πάρει θέση, καθώς είναι ζήτημα Εθνικής Συνείδησης πρωτίστως να απαντηθεί ο χαρακτηρισμός της χώρας μας ως «Ξενοφοβικής»..

Και δευτερευόντως, οι γενικεύσεις που γίνονται από την επιθετική επιχειρηματολογία που επιλέχθηκε,  απαιτούν μια σοβαρή πολιτική απάντηση.

Σημειώνουμε πως ο επαναπατρισμός μεταναστών από τον ΔΟΜ σε συνεργασία με το Υπουργείο Δημόσιας Τάξης, γίνεται οικειοθελώς, τα κονδύλια που διασφαλίζουν την υγειονομική περίθαλψη των ανθρώπων που εισέρχονται στην χώρα μας, αν και δυσβάσταχτα εν μέσω κρίσης, ποτέ δεν έλειψαν, ενώ παρά το μέγεθος του προβλήματος που δυσανάλογα επιβαρύνει την Ελλάδα με τα χιλιόμετρα ακτογραμμής, γίνονται προσπάθειες για την καλύτερη δυνατή και ανθρώπινη αντιμετώπιση.

Παρακάτω το e-mail  που στάλθηκε σε όλους τους Ευρωβουλευτές πριν την ακρόαση-σήμερα στις 13.30, ώρα Βρυξελλών:

DIMITRIS AVRAMOPOULOS, THE “FORTRESS EUROPE” COMMISSIONER, MUST BE REJECTED

Barbara Spinelli, September 30, 2014

The designation of Dimitris Avramopoulos, the Greek Minister of National Defence, as European Commissioner for Migration and Home Affairs (the very combination of those portfolios sounds worrying) actually suggests that migrants are labeled as a danger from which Europe must protect itself. From Jean-Claude Juncker’s point of view Avramopoulos may well be the right man, since his strategic goals include fighting illegal immigration, controlling the EU’s external borders via the strengthening of Frontex and of coastguards, consolidating cooperation with non-member States on the fight against terrorism and the readmission agreements with the countries of origin. But Dimitris Avramopoulos can’t possibly be the right choice for those, in the European Parliament, who fight for a new migration policy, in compliance with the Charter of Fundamental Rights and with the Treaty of Lisbon.

The mission letter addressed to the new Commissioner-designate contains no mention of the mass drownings that have turned the Mediterranean into a sea of death, nor does it make any reference to the opening of humanitarian corridors for the protection of those who seek safety from wars and famine entrusting their lives to smugglers and local mafias. The establishment of legal migration channels is envisaged only for regular migrants with skills and talents that would benefit the European economy. No mention of the European Directive on Temporary Protection (2001/55/CE), which offers immediate protection to refugees even when the asylum system can’t manage the increasing arrivals. No mention of the much-needed amendments to the Dublin III regulation. No mention of the possibility to cease cooperation with countries which do not ensure respect for human rights. In his answer to the questionnaire of the European Parliament, Avramopoulos declared that his main priority will be the fight against smuggling, not the opening of safe routes to Europe for those who flee famines or wars.

Let us remember the facts that underlie our rejection of President Juncker’s choice.

On January 3, 2011 – during George Papandreou’s government – the Greek Ministry of Public Order and Citizen Protection announced the construction of a razor-wire-topped fence in the Evros region, at the 12.5 km land border with Turkey, to stop the flow of irregular migrants and asylum seekers. The barrier, which was criticized by EU authorities and built without EU funding, was completed in December 2012. [1]

The erection of the 12.5 km barrier led to a dramatic drop in the number of illegal land border crossings: previously, the Evros region had become one the main hubs of migration into Europe, with an average daily number of 250 people (mainly originating from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Armenia, Kurdistan, Iraq, Syria, Somalia, Egypt, and North Africa) trying to enter into Greece.

Before his designation as Commissioner for Migration, Avramopoulos – who was appointed Minister of National Defence in 2011, assumed the office of Minister of Foreign Affairs in 2012 and was again appointed Minister of Defence in 2013 – repeatedly stated that the barbed-wire fence is a necessary measure to “protect our society and borders from irregular immigration”.

Greece has been repeatedly condemned by the European Court of Human Rights for exposing migrants to degrading treatment, in blatant violation of several articles of the European Convention on Human Rights (and of articles 18 and 19 of the Charter of European fundamental rights on asylum rights and collective expulsions).

Many NGOs and other organisations denounced the harmful and discriminatory practices against migrants and asylum seekers.

In 2013, Human Rights Watch exposed a wave of unprecedented xenophobia in Greece. In August 2012 Greek authorities launched a massive crackdown against suspected illegal immigrants. The operation, code-named Xenios Zeus (after the Greek god of guests and travellers) led to the arbitrary detention of thousands of migrants on the basis of ethnic discrimination, according to human rights lawyers.

Avramopoulos has never made a secret of equating refugees with illegal migrants that must be refouled.

In 2013, during an official visit to Bulgaria which focused on cross-border surveillance operations, he said: “During the past years in Greece we have faced a big problem due to the vast flow of illegal immigrants. The way this issue has emerged is well-known. In fact recently, due to the developments in Syria, the situation has worsened. We had to take measures. A part of these measures has already yielded fruits. The wall at the northern part of Evros has yielded fruits. The entry of illegal immigrants in Greece by this side has almost been eliminated. Yet the problem has not been resolved since, as you know, Greece has sea borders which also are Europe’s borders. This is why Frontex has been developed. Despite all these measures, the problem still exists because it is not possible to control the entire width of our maritime borderline. […] We understand both the human and the social side of this problem, yet we have to protect our societies and borders. This is not a task for the Ministry of National Defence, we cooperate with the apposite Ministries, but this issue has preoccupied us because one of its extensions relates to our national security. Behind all these flows, there might be hiding and developing nests that reproduce violence and, I do not hesitate to say, sometimes also terrorism”. [2]

Several human rights organisations have pointed out that the construction of barriers and barbed-wire fences to seal off Greek external borders has enormously increased the number of sea-crossings,rerouting the flow of fugitives and migrants to the middle of the Mediterranean and to the Italian coastline.