2023-05-25 15:44:00
The EU parliamentarian demands “consistent steps” from EU Interior Commissioner Johansson and infringement proceedings against Greece. His party, the ÖVP, on the other hand, distanced itself sharply from Karas, who represents an “isolated individual opinion”.
after the Allegations of illegal pushbacks by migrants hat EU– Parliamentarian Othmar Karas (ÖVP) called for the opening of EU infringement proceedings against Greece on Thursday. The First Vice President of the European Parliament appealed in a letter to the EU Interior Commissioner Ylva Johansson for “consistent steps against illegal pushbacks at the external borders of the EU”. Several ÖVP officials stressed that they did not share this opinion. Support the Neos Karas.
“This sabotages the serious negotiations on the migration pact both in Parliament and in the Council. It torpedoes the way to a proper and humane European migration policy. This is an isolated individual opinion that in no way represents Austria’s position. We will not participate in such an approach, but seek European cohesion,” said ÖVP Secretary General Christian StockerEU-ÖVP Head of Delegation Angelica Tiny and the ÖVP security spokesman in the EU Parliament Luke Mandl in a joint statement.
Karner referred to “appropriate steps”
“It has been known for years that the law is broken every day at the EU borders. Our motion has been on the table for years, calling for fundamental rights monitoring at the EU’s external borders and effective access to constitutional asylum procedures in every member state. We have been calling for a long time Infringement proceedings against those member states that do not treat asylum seekers humanely, but rather break the law,” explained Neos’s asylum and migration spokeswoman Stephanie Krisper. “The Austrian federal government should finally hear what feels like the hundredth wake-up call and work towards it, even if the constructive voice from the ÖVP is now committed to this path for order and security.”
Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP) did not go straight to the point at a meeting with his German counterpart Nancy Faeser Karas-Force one. Rather, he pointed out that both Greece and the EU Commission “taken the appropriate steps”. “That’s the norm. If there are incidents like this, then they have to be properly investigated, but that’s neither Austria’s nor Germany’s job, but both the Greek government and the Commission have announced that they will do that, and that is also necessary,” he said in response to a journalist’s question. With a view to possible consequences for police cooperation between Vienna and Athens, the Ministry of the Interior in Vienna said that “three document consultants are currently on duty at Greek airports”. “This operation will of course be continued,” said a spokesman.
Karas: “Illegal pushbacks are systematic failure”
According to Karas, the Greek border guards are systematically violating internationally agreed rules. “The gruesome pictures of the EU’s external borders show that illegal pushbacks are not isolated cases, but a systematic failure. That’s why I call on the European Commission to take full action against these human rights offenders. Violation proceedings are needed against all those who use illegal pushbacks systematically violate our rights and values,” Karas said in a statement to APA. Karas has suggested an extraordinary meeting of the responsible EU parliamentary committee to deal with the problems.
The MEP also calls for the transfer of competences for EU external border protection to the European level – “financed, controlled and organized by the EU.”
released video
The “New York Times” published video material provided by Austrian human rights activist Fayad Mulla over the weekend. This is to show how the Greek coast guard abandons asylum seekers on a raft. The people are said to have been rescued by Turkish authorities afterwards. The government in Athens has not yet commented on the allegations. Turkey, but also aid organizations and European media, repeatedly accuse Greece of so-called pushbacks – i.e. the illegal pushing back of migrants. Greece had previously denied this
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