Themen
25. September 2015

Interview: Budapest made clear: Dublin has failed!

From Thursday, September 3, to Monday, September 7, 2015, Terry visited Hungary. She met with  Migration Aid and went to see the transit zones at Nyugati Railway Station and Keleti Railway Station.

This interview was first published in Hungarian on index.hu


What did you see at the railway stations?

The situation is dramatic. Much worse than everything I would have expected. This is a humanitarian crisis. People who have lost everything, who fled from war and destruction and came to Europe hoping for help are completely left alone. Only Hungarian volunteers are providing them with very basic medical care, food and shelter.

Sadan CC Jardany BenceWas there anything particularly interesting, moving you encountered?

I saw a baby girl, Sadan, who was born in the train station six days ago. I will never forget that moment. We need to act now.

How do you feel the Hungarian government is handling the crisis?

The problem is: The Hungarian government is not handling this crisis. Instead of helping the people, they ignore the situation and politically instrumentalise it to put through their political agenda, taking basic rights away from Hungarian citizens. If Victor Orban really is a Christian – this is the time to show compassion!

Any ideas of how to handle it better?

There needs to be a humanitarian intervention. The refugees in Budapest need shelter, they need food, hygienic and medical supplies. The UNHCR offered help which was refused – this is unbelievable!

In the long term, we need a new EU asylum policy which respects the basic rights of the refugees. Budapest made clear: Dublin has failed!

Is it a Hungarian or a pan-EU problem? Who should solve it and how?

The refugee crisis is definitely a EU problem. But, the Orban government is responsible for the escalation of the situation in Budapest.

What could Germany do better to help refugees?

The German government needs to put pressure on Orban to let people leave. To suspend Dublin, a faulty policy from the start, was the right move. Now everything needs to be done to solve the situation in Budapest and, in the long run, to create a fair and welcoming EU refugee policy.

What is the Greens‘ take on German migration policy?

As Greens we have said this for a long time: The dysfunctional and inhuman Dublin system has to be replaced. We need a solution which insures a fair distribution of asylum seekers across all member states. The current crisis is in fact a direct result of the refusal by the EU member states to come to a common and coordinated immigration and asylum policy over the last years.

Any other thoughts, insights about your experience are welcome!

The EU flag at the Hungarian parliament has been taken down by the government, the refugees walking to the Austrian border from Budapest right now are holding it up. The message is clear: The EU will have to show now where we are heading. Towards a European Union of democracy, diversity and human rights. Or an authoritarian and short sighted Union driven by national egoism.

DPP_127Do you think Germany can be blamed for miscommunicating that they would take in all Syrian asylum seekers? The BAMF statement was interpreted first as if everyone can go from all over Europe. Merkel later specified that it’s only about those who are already there and she expects Hungary to adhere to Dublin. What do you think about the statements and their effect on the refugees stranded in Budapest train stations?

This situation and the chaotic communication just shows again that the Dublin system has failed. Now it is up to the EU leaders to take this chance, to bring down the fortress, take responsibility and develop a fair and welcoming asylum system.

Any comment on the fact that Austria let the migrants who walked into the country? Don’t you think this could lead to a situation where people will feel they can automatically get to Western Europe as soon as they reach the border?

In the situation at hand welcoming people in was the only option. If Europe really wants to be the place of human rights and democracy, now is the time to develop a new asylum system which permits legal and safe ways for people to come to Europe. The refugees who are coming are fleeing from war and destruction. They need protection and perspectives.

ÄHNLICHE THEMEN

MEHR NEWS

Unkategorisiert
Letter to Turkish Prime Minister Davutoglu on attacks of 10 October

Together with many other Members of the European Parliament Terry signed a letter to the Turkish Prime Minister Davutoglu on the attacks of 10 October in Ankara:   Dear Prime Minister Davutoğlu, First and foremost, we would like to offer our condolences to the families and friends of those who lost their lives and were […]

Unkategorisiert
Veranstaltung: Merging of man and machine – questions of ethics in dealing with emerging technology

Technology has fundamentally altered our lives and will continue to do so. Ethical considerations must remain guiding posts at all times. Undoubtedly, how we approach the regulation of emerging technologies will have wide implications for our definition of human dignity and the equality of individuals. With this and further discussions we would like to develop […]

Unkategorisiert
International Interns‘ Day: End the Exploitation of Interns!

PRESS RELEASE – Brussels, 10 November 2015 The European Youth Forum together with InternsGoPro and other youth-led organisations organised the first International Interns‘ Day taking place today in different countries across four continents. On this occasion, Terry Reintke, spokesperson for social and employment policy and Co-Chair of the Youth Intergroup, stressed: “We need to end […]

Unkategorisiert
Call for applications: Secretary Intergroup on LGBTI Rights

Deadline: 4th December 2017 THE INTERGROUP Founded in 1999, the European Parliament’s Intergroup on LGBTI Rights aims to advance the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people throughout the work of the European Parliament and the European Union. The LGBTI Intergroup is the largest of the European Parliament’s 28 Intergroups. It currently gather […]

Unkategorisiert
Call for Policy Assistant to the Youth Intergroup

Please send your application letter, accompanied by a detailed CV, to MEP Eider Gardiazabal Rubial, Vice-President of the Youth Intergroup, before 18 December 2015 at 11 am. Applications should be sent by email to eider.gardiazabalrubial@europarl.europa.eu with the subject: ASSISTANT YOUTH INTERGROUP. Job description Support the work of the Youth Intergroup Provide research and briefings on […]

Unkategorisiert
An EU budget in support of efficient youth policies

Strasbourg, 15 September 2016 In his speech on the state of the European Union Jean-Claude Juncker expressed the European Commission’s commitment to a continued fight against youth unemployment. A key means of achieving this is by implementing the Youth Employment Initiative, which will be boosted with an additional € 1 Billion, as foreseen by the […]