Right-wing majority jettisons compassion & common sense for xenophobia

Today, a majority of Members of the European Parliament have just voted in favour of the Returns Regulation, which will lead to widespread and arbitrary detention and deportation, including to camps outside the EU where the rights of those affected cannot be guaranteed. The Greens/EFA Group strongly oppose this regulation and laments the structural cooperation on this file between the EPP and the far-right in order to pursue populist and morally bankrupt migration policies.

Mélissa Camara MEP, Greens/EFA shadow rapporteur for the Returns Regulation, comments:

“MEPs from the right have teamed up to jettison compassion and common sense for the sake of populism and xenophobia. The Returns Regulation will lead to potentially deadly deportation camps offshore, lifetime entry bans and will result in mass detention, including children. It completely undermines fundamental rights, increases the length of time people are locked up and will create ICE-style practices by allowing authorities to conduct home raids.

“It was particularly shameful to see members clapping this draconian and disgusting law. The EPP has proven with this vote that it has no shame in working with the far-right against fundamental rights, EU values and human dignity. By endorsing practices and provisions that are no less degrading and inhumane than those of ICE in the US, the EPP and part of Renew have shown that they would rather initiate the far-right than support the EU’s fundamental values and rights.

“The regulation will be challenged before national courts and the European Court of Justice due to violations of the Charter of Fundamental Rights, as well as EU and international treaties. We will support these legal challenges with all the tools we have in the name of human dignity.”