With the latest discovery of 71 suffocated bodies in an abandoned truck in Austria and the death of 150 people that drowned off Libya in their effort to cross the Mediterranean and reach Europe, the European immigrant and refugee crisis has escalated during indicating the need for immediate response to migration and refugee issues.

In response to the truck tragedy and the constant loss of refugees’ and immigrants’ lives, Secretary General Ban KI-Moon asked for collective action to be taken and “[appealed] to all governments involved to provide comprehensive responses, expand safe and legal channels of migration and act with humanity, compassion and in accordance with their international obligations”.

According to the United Nations (UN), in 2015 more than 300,000 migrants and refugees have tried to reach Europe risking their lives in this perilous journey. Based on UN estimations, the figures show a significant increase in the number of people that tried to cross the Mediterranean to reach Europe compared to 2014 (when the number of people was 219,000 for the whole year).

International Organization for Migration (IOM) estimates suggest that since January 2015 almost 2,000 people have died at sea.

Every day, waves of refugees are forced to flee their countries to avoid war, violence and enormous human rights violations and land in Greece, Italy and Hungary.

The beginning of this year marked approximately 200,000 arrivals in Greece and 110,000 in Italy, notes Melissa Fleming, spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) highlighting that “despite the concerted efforts of the joint European search and rescue operation FRONTEX (Frontières extérieures), […] the Mediterranean Sea continues to be the deadliest route for refugees and migrants”.

So far the European response has been weak and disappointing, unable to tackle effectively the crisis – recently Hungary, which is considered by many refugees a gateway to EU, following Bulgaria’s example raised a barricade along its southern border with Serbia to stop the flow of immigrants and refugees while Slovakia stated that it would only accept Christians in their country.

The outburst of xenophobic and racist reactions to the ongoing refugee and immigrant crisis is a matter of high concern. Germany, which in 2015 will accept approximately 800.000 asylum seekers, faced recently a burst of violent anti-immigrant protests.

UN’s estimations have shown that despite the significant number of impoverished immigrants who mitigate in hope for better life and job conditions, the majority of people trying to reach Europe are coming from countries such as Syria, Eritrea and Afghanistan who try to flee war and extreme violence.

After Germany, France and Britain called for an EU meeting to be held on the current refugee crisis; talks will take place in Brussels on 14 of September.

Citizens Rights Watch (CRW) raises its concerns over the ongoing crisis and claims that policies that countries such as Hungary and Slovakia have adopted to tackle the ongoing refugee and immigrant crisis are offensive to human dignity, a clear discrimination and human rights violation. We have watched the violent treatment by military and police of our fellow human beings in the borders of FYROM, where they were "welcomed" with tear gasses and violence. This is inhumane, and it cannot be tolerated. Human rights are rights that belong to everyone, everywhere and forever. The host countries have duties towards these people, although they are not their citizens. International law of aliens, and international human rights law, are not there to be applied selectively and we will not stop advocating for these peoples rights.

We ask all European states and especially the 28 member-states of the European Union (EU) to take responsibility and work collectively and coordinately to provide the most effective response to this crisis according to their international obligations!

Anyone can become an immigrant or a refugee – We should all make an effort to provide assistance towards a common better future, and Welcome their Courage!

Contact: Ms. Athanasia Zagorianou,

LLM CRW Researcher & Trustees’ Council Member nassia@citizensrw.org

Sources:

“Emergency EU meeting called to tackle refugee crisis” (2015) AlJazeera. Available at: http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/08/eu-hold-crisis-talks-refugees-150830194202033.html

“Europe’s response to migrant crisis is not working, warns UN rights expert” (2015) UN News Centre Available at: http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=51713#.VeWUAPlViko

“More than 300,000 make perilous Mediterranean crossing in 2015 – UN refugee agency” (2015) UN News Centre. Available at: http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=51748#.VeWT3vlViko

Arvinth K,(2015) “EU migrant crisis: Emergency talks called to tackle 'unprecedented' situation” IBTimes Available at: http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/eu-migrant-crisis-emergency-talks-called-tackle-unprecedented-situation-1517781

Daily Mail Reporter (2015) “How Bulgaria keeps migrants out - with 50 miles of razor wire: Fence along Turkish border that is 15ft tall and 5ft wide said to have kept out 500 people in a month” DailyMail Available at: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3183352/How-Bulgaria-keeps-migrants-50-miles-razor-wire-Fence-Turkish-border-15ft-tall-5ft-wide-said-kept-500-people-month.html

Frantziou E, et al.UCL Policy Briefing – May 2014. Available at: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/public-policy/public-policy-briefings/Refugee_protection_FINAL.pdf

International Organization for Migration (IOM) Official Website Available at: http://www.iom.int/

Mesco M, et al (2015) “At least 150 Bodies Recovered as Two Migrant Boats Capsize off Libya” WSJ. Available at: http://www.wsj.com/articles/dozens-feared-dead-as-two-migrant-boats-capsize-off-libya-1440758091