25^th SESSION

Strasbourg, 29-31 October 2013

CG(25)19
30 October 2013

Motion for a resolution[1] on

“Emergency on the Mediterranean Sea: the tragedy of Lampedusa”

Presented by:

	NAME	First name	Country
1	MARZIANO	Bruno	Italy
2	RAFIK-ELMRINI	Nawel	France
3	UGUES	Agnese	Italy
4	MARRAS	Leonardo	Italy
5	TOCE	Barbara	Italy
6	SFIRLOAGA	Ludmila	Romania
7	TOSCANI	Matteo	Italy
8	VALAGUZZA	Luciano	Italy
9	MUZIO	Angelo	Italy
10	MONESI	Marco	Italy
11	CATARRA	Valter	Italy
12	BROGI	Enzo	Italy
13	PIRREDA	Maruska	Italy
14	DOGANOGLU	Gaye	Turkey
15	KHATUN	Syeda	United Kingdom
16	BROCCOLI	Vittorio	San Marino
17	TORRES PEREIRA	Artur	Portugal
18	TESTUD	Jean-Testud	France
19	LIOUVILLE	Jean-Pierre	France
20	CADORET	Xavier	France
21	VERRENGIA	Emilio	Italy

The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe

noting:

 

-               that for years, the Mediterranean has been a place of death for thousands of human beings, mostly from Africa and the Middle East, fleeing their respective countries, which are often the scene of civil wars, persecution, disease and famine, in an attempt to escape from death, build a future or join friends and close family members living in a European country;

-               that local and regional communities are often called upon to intervene as a matter of urgency without possessing the necessary technical and economic resources;

-               that tragedies are now taking place with depressing frequency on and near the coasts of Lampedusa;  that the tragedy which occurred a few weeks ago and which cost the lives of 370 people was the fruit of despair, one of many similar, increasingly intolerable events, and that the number of migrants who have perished in the Strait of Sicily in the last ten years is estimated at 6 200;

-               that Europe must shoulder collective responsibility in this area by implementing Community policies providing for solidarity between member states and guaranteeing funds for the countries most affected by these arrivals, and policies for the reception and integration of those who are granted asylum;

-               that the coastal countries from which migrants set out should be approached in order to ensure that international institutions are able to work on the spot in consultation with the local authorities to guarantee the possibility of requesting asylum;

-               that, in addition to the creation of an essential “humanitarian corridor”, action should be stepped up to counter, firmly and continuously, the transnational criminal organisations which grow rich on this human “trafficking”;

-               that it is time to rewrite the laws governing migratory movements towards Europe, a destination for which the coasts of Lampedusa in Italy are the first point of entry, that a common immigration strategy and policy are urgently needed, given the impossibility, under the existing rules, of responding to what is a real humanitarian emergency; 

-               that migration from the coasts of North Africa is a European problem and that Italy cannot be left alone to manage this problem or to guarantee full respect for dignity in the way migrants are treated. It is more necessary than ever that Europe should share this responsibility;

expresses:

-           its profound condolences for the victims and its solidarity with the survivors of the tragic sinking off the coasts of Lampedusa;

-           its full solidarity with the mayor and inhabitants of Lampedusa;

calls on the local and regional authorities of the countries that are facing the drama of landings:

-           to co-ordinate their activities and reception initiatives in favour of migrants and refugees;

-           to intensify direct contacts between the towns of departure of migrants and refugees in order to prevent the occurrence of tragedies such as those which have occurred recently along the coast of Sicily.

calls on the local and regional authorities of all the Council of Europe member states:

-               to intensify direct contacts between local authorities and regions, including on a cross-border and transnational basis, in order to offer possibilities of reception to the populations of migrants and refugees facing the tragic events of recent days.