Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2017-03-16-Speech-4-365-000"
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"en.20170316.30.4-365-000"2
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"Mr President, an article published by the Financial Times on 15 December 2016 contained several excerpts from leaked Frontex reports and claimed a high level of cooperation between smugglers and NGOs. The newspaper has since retracted claims that Frontex had accused NGOs of collusion with smugglers. No doubt about it, but this is a very troubling accusation in an already distressing human rights situation. Rescue missions are conducted with great valour, bravery and spirit on the part of those people involved in them, whether they are the European Border and Coast Guard, Frontex, Member States or non-governmental organisations.
In this regard, I would like to sincerely sympathise with the families of Captain Dara Fitzpatrick and the crew of the Irish coastguard helicopter that tragically crashed this week, illustrating the point.
The European response to various crises has been adopted in the spirit of solidarity and cooperation on which the European Union was founded. I would hope that this approach will continue to guide our action in this area and that we will move forward. I would like to highly commend all those who work in the sector. 5 000 people died at sea last year. From an Irish point of view I am disappointed with such claims, given the European and my own government’s commitment to relieving the humanitarian crisis as it has developed in recent years.
In September 2015, as a direct response to this humanitarian crisis, the Irish Refugee Protection Programme was established. In a gesture towards the most vulnerable individuals of this migration crisis, Ireland pledged to accept the quota asked of it by the EU. I wish to take this opportunity to stress our deep commitment to delivering our decision to accept these refugees and asylum seekers. At present, more than 12 500 refugees have been rescued from Mediterranean waters by Irish naval forces. We have dispatched countless naval service vessels and our commitment to continue doing so still remains undisputed.
However, suggestions of collusion between human traffickers and NGOs provide yet another obstacle to the roll-out of Europe-wide rescue and resettlement efforts. It is thus paramount that no cloud should hang over the human rights agencies and NGOs which are entrusted in these areas."@en1
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