In the wake of the EU election results, the Platform for International Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants (PICUM) and other rights groups are urging politicians to stand firm against the rising influence of the extreme right, which poses a significant threat to human rights and the rule of law in Europe.
Michele Levoy, Director of PICUM, voiced a call to action: “We refuse to accept a cynical EU that undermines its own values and interests by funding regimes that harm people seeking safety and opportunity and takes resources away from social investment and pours them into border management. Together we must join forces for a compassionate Europe that addresses the many genuine emergencies we face collectively, from deepening inequalities to a looming climate disaster. It is time for all of us across the continent to direct our energies towards building a society we all can live and thrive in.”
Giulia Messmer, spokesperson for Sea-Watch, a search and rescue NGO, expressed grave concerns: “European migration politics is already more right-wing than it has ever been. The individual right to asylum is effectively abolished and human rights violations at the external borders are a legalized system. The new EU Parliament will capitalize on this and have unseen opportunities to deprive people on the move of their rights. If liberal parties such as the Social Democrats do not want to be mere stooges for the new European fascism, right now is the time for a change of course.”
Isabelle Chopin, Director of the Migration Policy Group, highlighted the potential dangers: “The new reality of a stronger presence of far-right forces in the EP means noticeable threats towards advancing policies of inclusion and respect for human rights. The new European Parliament must reiterate its commitment to the fundamental values and principles of equality and non-discrimination and ensure they are given a central place in the work programme of the new European Commission.”
