Workshop recommendations – 13 April 2023 (pdf)
Workshop 1 : Safe pathways to Europe and access to protection in Europe for Afghans at risk – moderated by Olivia Sundberg, IRC
In the first part of the workshop, participants highlighted the severe risks that many Afghans continue to face in the country and the region, and the need for pathways to safety in Europe to be urgently expanded. Whereas several European governments have set up humanitarian admission schemes for Afghans in recent years, severe obstacles to accessing them remain. People experience difficulties in leaving the territory, delays in processing of their applications, untransparent and changing admission criteria, strict documentation requirements, and very narrow eligibility criteria.
Based on this, we put forward 3 key recommendations.
- EU institutions should continue calling on member states to expand and establish new resettlement, humanitarian visa schemes, and expanded family reunification, refugee resettlement from the region. They should call on governments to adopt flexible, humane, and pragmatic solutions to make existing pathways more accessible – such as easing documentation requirements, expanding eligibility criteria, and broadening the definition of the family.
- EU coordination and operational support should be strengthened, including through a reinforced role for the EU Asylum Agency. This could include joint operational support to process cases, shared admission lists, shared flights, and consulate capacity, as well as joint EU efforts to inform Afghans in the region of the different pathways to safety that exist and how to access them, providing official and verified information. This coordination would enable a truly European response to help Afghans at risk, modelling the strong EU-wide coordination of the Ukraine response.
- EU institutions should continue closely engaging the Afghan diaspora and refugees’ perspectives and expertise in policymaking, reflecting the partnership principle, as well as involving Afghan-led and refugee-led organisations
Die Europaabgeordneten Dietmar Köster, Tineke Strik, Pernando Barrena und Cornelia Ernst werden eine Afghanistan-Freundschaftsgruppe im Europäischen Parlament gründen.
Das Ziel dieser Gründung ist es, innerhalb des Parlaments eine Anlaufstelle für die Menschen in Afghanistan, Diaspora-Organisationen, Organisationen der Zivilgesellschaft und andere zu schaffen. Außerdem sollen die Geschehnisse in Afghanistan auf der Tagesordnung des Parlaments bleiben und die EU-Politik in Bezug auf Afghanistan beständig hinterfragt werden.… Weiterlesen
Dear colleagues,
as you are all aware, the humanitarian situation of the remaining population in Afghanistan is catastrophic in many ways. This is why we are reaching out to you in a letter (attached).
Afghanistan was already reeling from severe drought and decades of conflict, but the Taliban’s recent takeover hastened the country’s descent towards economic collapse. Afghanistan is facing its worst hunger crisis since records began, according to the latest UN figures. Nearly 23 million people, or 55 per cent of the population, are facing extreme levels of hunger – nearly nine million of whom are at risk of famine. This includes more than three million children who are at risk of severe hunger and the life-threatening consequences of malnutrition and at least one million children are at immediate risk of dying by the end of the year if there is no immediate treatment.… Weiterlesen
Nachdem die EU-Innenminister gestern Abend eine Erklärung zur Situation in Afghanistan abgeben haben, debattiert heute auch der Innenausschuss des Europaparlaments über das Thema. Im Vordergrund steht das Thema Migration. Cornelia Ernst, Koordinatorin der Linksfraktion im EP-Innenausschuss kommentiert: „Die Erklärung der EU-Innenminister ist eine Farce. Entscheidend ist doch der sofortige Schutz gefährdeter Afghaninnen und Afghanen und nicht, wie die EU-Innenminister es wollen, die Abschottung der Festung Europa. Für die jetzige Situation in Afghanistan ist Europa mit verantwortlich – die Afghaninnen und Afghanen wurden in den letzten Wochen den Taliban praktisch ausgeliefert. Die EU darf ihre Verantwortung hier nicht ignorieren und muss die Menschen aufnehmen. Es geht um ein Mindestmaß politischen Anstands. … Weiterlesen
Im Rahmen des 33. Evangelischen Kirchentages in Dresden diskutierten auf Einladung der Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung Andreas Zumach (Journalist, Genf), Pastorin Elfriede Begrich (Alt-Pröpstin, Erfurt/Berlin), Dr. André Brie (DIE LINKE, Wuster-Terhofen) und Dr. Cornelia Ernst (MdEP DIE LINKE, Dresden) zum Thema Friedenswege für Afghanistan.
Im Rahmen des 33. Evangelischen Kirchentages in Dresden diskutierten auf Einladung der Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung Andreas Zumach (Journalist, Genf), Pastorin Elfriede Begrich (Alt-Pröpstin, Erfurt/Berlin), Dr. André Brie (DIE LINKE, Wuster-Terhofen) und Dr. Cornelia Ernst (MdEP DIE LINKE, Dresden) zum Thema Friedenswege für Afghanistan.
Zum Videomitschnitt… Weiterlesen