R06: FORTRESS EUROPE? NO, THANKS! BUILDING BRIDGES, BREAKING DOWN WALLS, EXPLORING BORDERS (Alexander Langer)

Meanwhile, more and more EU countries have already announced, started or completed plans to build walls and fences along their outer borders to keep out migrants and asylum seekers. Lithuania, one of the letter signatories, had already decided to build a 508-kilometre-long fence on the border with Belarus to stop the arrival of migrants, mainly from Iraq. Latvia also announced that it would build a 134-kilometre-long barbed-wire fence at the border with Belarus. Poland has announced a 2.5-metre-high wall modelled on that built by Hungary on its border with Serbia in 2015. Greece has built a 40-kilometre fence on its border with Turkey to keep out potential Afghan refugees. Former Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz (and his successor Alexander Schallenberg shares his views) has pushed for the policy of closing the borders to migration flows, especially from the Balkan route, thereby showing their proximity to the sovereignist position taken by the Visegrad Group countires.

In this respect, Commissioner Johansson stated that: “Member States have the right and responsibility to protect their borders. And they are in the best position to decide how to do this, as long as they comply with Union rules. If a Member State believes that a fence needs to be built, it can do and I have nothing to object to.” Furthermore, she added: “Using Union funds to finance fences instead of financing other very important activities is a different matter, but here we talk about how to spend the limited resources. But Member States have the possibility and the right to build these fences and they are at the best position to decide whether this is necessary or not.” She reiterated: “I agree that we need to strengthen the protection of our external borders. I must say that some Member States have built protection structures and I can understand it. If EU funds must be used to do this, I must say no.”

Incumbent Chancellor of Austria, Alexander Schallenberg, who governs in coalition with the Greens, shares with former Chancellor Sebastian Kurz the policy of closing the borders to migration flows, especially from the Balkan route, thereby showing their proximity to the sovereignist position taken by the Visegrad Group countries. Indeed, Austria is one of the 12 Member States asking the European Union to finance the construction of walls and structures to stop the arrival of “illegal migrants”.

Incumbent Chancellor of Austria, Alexander Schallenberg, who governs in coalition with the Greens, shares with former Chancellor Sebastian Kurz the policy of closing the borders to migration flows, especially from the Balkan route, thereby showing their proximity to the sovereignist position taken by the Visegrad Group countries. Indeed, Austria is one of the 12 Member States asking the European Union to finance the construction of walls and structures to stop the arrival of “illegal migrants”.

Four years ago, European leaders reproached former US President Donald Trump for his plan to build a wall on the country’s southern border with Mexico. “We have a history and a tradition that we celebrate when walls are brought down and bridges are built,” admonished Federica Mogherini, the EU’s foreign policy chief at that time.Having overcome and torn down borders between former enemies is one of the EU's great achievements, one that we must not roll back and one that hast to inform our stance towards those who come to us in need.

Four years ago, European leaders reproached former US President Donald Trump for his plan to build a wall on the country’s southern border with Mexico. “We have a history and a tradition that we celebrate when walls are brought down and bridges are built,” admonished Federica Mogherini, the EU’s foreign policy chief at that time.

We have a long EU-tradition in condemning the building of walls and creating segregation, such as the Israeli West Bank Barrier.

1. Calls on the Greens in each Member State, in particular those in the 12 countries which signed the letter in early October, to promote migration, political asylum, reception and integration policies,
   1. Calls on Greens everywhere to promote a fair and humane approach to migration, political asylum, reception and integration policies, governed by the rule of law - as established in the Statute, in the Charter of Values, and reaffirmed by past resolutions.

2. Calls on EU institutions to strongly condemn the construction of walls and the inhuman treatment to which migrants are subjected at all external borders of the Union, also considering the dramatic situation in the Mediterranian.

2. Calls on EU institutions to strongly condemn the construction of walls, the militarization of border management, including through Frontex, and the inhuman treatment to which migrants are subjected at all external borders of the Union.

2. Calls on EU institutions to strongly condemn the construction of walls and the inhuman treatment to which migrants are subjected at all external borders of the Union, like the illegal pushbacks and pullbacks.

2. Calls on EU institutions to strongly condemn the construction of walls and the inhuman treatment to which migrants are subjected at all external borders of the Union. We need an urgent solution for the situation at the Polish and Belarusian border.

3. Calls on EU institutions not to reinforce or finance policies for the externalisation of borders, as this type of policy has already proved ineffective since the endtheir fortification or reestablishing of the 1990sborders within.

3. Calls on EU institutions not to reinforce or finance policies for the externalisation of borders, as this type of policy has already proved ineffective since the end of the 1990s. The EU and its Member States must refrain from creating deals like the ones with for example Libya, Turkey, etc. .

3. Calls on EU institutions not to reinforce or finance policies for the externalisation of borders, as this type of policy has already proved ineffective since the end of the 1990s.

4. Calls on the EU institutions to abolish Frontex and to reallocate its budget and resources towards policy and appropriate institutions based on the human security framework. Their main objective is to create political, economic, social, cultural, and environmental conditions in which peoples’ vital rights and freedoms are secure.

4. Calls for a more inclusive and fairer approach to the reception of asylum seekers and migrants among all Member States., also establishing legal and safe pathways

4. Calls for a more inclusive and fairer approach to the reception of asylum seekers and migrants among all Member States. Pushbacks and other human rights violations, like the situation at the Polish-Belarusian border, need to be condemned and stopped

5. Calls on the Member States to defend the right to asylum and welcome people in need of international protection and create additional humanitarian corridors to the EU.

5. Calls on the Member States to welcome people in need of international protection and create additional humanitarian corridorssafe and legal passage to the EU.

6. Calls on EU institutions to condemn those actions that limit the freedom of movement for migrants within the Schengen area.

7. Calls on all governments in EU- external border countries to secure adequate reception conditions, including adequate conditions in refugee camps and to support rather than obstruct the work of humanitarian organisations as well as to allow access to independent monitors and media to assess the situation.

6. Calls on EU institutions to condemn those actions that limit the freedom of movement for migrants within the Schengen area.

7. Calls on Eu to promote decriminalization of the NGOs that support migrants and/or recue them in the sea.

8. Calls on EU to discuss at UN level the tactics of "weaponization" borders using flow of migrants as a negotiation/diplomatic pressure, (i.e Bielorrussia).

6. Calls on EU institutions to condemn those actions that limit the freedom of movement for migrants within the Schengen area.

7. Calls on the EU to step up its efforts in reducing the causes of forced migration through, among others, a preventive foreign and security policy, cross-sectional cooperation with destabilised and fragile areas and societies, climate policy and technological implementation of a Green Transition, and fair trade.

6. Calls on EU institutions to consider freedom of movement as a human right and to condemn those actions that limit the freedom of movement for migrants within the Schengen areathis right.

6. Calls on EU institutions to condemn those actions that limit the freedom of movement for migrants within the Schengen area.

7. Calls on the Member States to protect human rights activists involved in rescue operations, from being charged with heinous crimes.