While Greece and Samaras government took at the beginning of the month, the presidency of the European Union, inhumane acts were performed in the waters of the North Aegean Sea. Afghan and Syrian migrants fleeing conflicts that bloodied their countries were repelled by the Greek authorities toward the Turkish coast. The operation - already shameful as such - was carried out with such violence that 12 people, including 9 children, were drowned.

Once again, the “Fortress Europe” murders refugees. The EU must stop the massacre. Thanks to the action of the group GUE- ​​NGL at European Parliament, the issue will be debated next week in plenary session in Strasbourg.

Alexis Tsipras, left candidate for the Presidency of the European Commission, has published an open letter to Herman Van Rompuy denouncing the aberrations of the Frontex system and called to “review the overall EU institutional framework for immigration and asylum, in the direction of ensuring the protection of fundamental human rights on the entire European soil”.

For him, and for all the Party of the European Left, “It is absolutely necessary to immediately plan efficient measures to rescue migrants on the open sea, to set up reception centers at the entry points, and adopt a legal procedure and a new legal framework, which would efficiently and justly settle access of immigrants to all EU countries, in a fair and proportional fashion, taking into consideration, as far as possible, their own wishes”.

Party of the European Left

January 31, 2014

Letter of Alexis Tsipras to the Council