EP calls on Europe to adopt human rights approach in dealing with refugee crisis

BRUSSELS, Aug 31 (KUNA) -- The chair of the European Parliament's Subcommittee on Human Rights, Elena Valenciano, urged Europe on Monday to adopt a human rights response to migration crisis instead of the dominant security perspective.
"In the last few days we have seen in horror the escalation of the crisis with a surge in the number of refugees, mainly Syrians, trying to get in to the EU through the Western Balkan route", she said in a statement.
The official also noted the terrible case of the 71 people who suffocated to death in an abandoned truck found in Austria, saying that it's just the latest addition to a dreadfully long list of tragedies happening right in front of our eyes, whether in the Mediterranean or on European soil.
"Instead of the so far dominant security perspective in dealing with the current refugee crisis, which is turning Europe into a fortress full of walls and thorny fences, and spurring neo- fascist movements, the EU institutions and governments have yet to develop a fully-fledged human rights-centered response to the biggest refugee emergency since WW II", she stated.
"We keep repeating to ourselves that the European Union is a project built on solidarity but nevertheless the EU and its member states have been dragging their feet since the onset of this crisis. Providing a humanitarian response to the crisis must be the EU's top priority", she stressed.
Valenciano called for an emergency summit of EU leaders to adopt a coordinate plan to tackle this situation, including the creation of a humanitarian corridor and the facilitation of processing of asylum requests at the places of origin.(end) nk.ag