International Migrants Alliance (IMA)-Europe chapter
25 June 2014
The International Migrants Alliance ( IMA) expresses its firm solidarity for the March for Freedom of asylum seekers, refugees and migrants, activists and advocates which culminates tomorrow 26th of June with a protest demonstration in Brussels, Belgium against the inhumane laws and policies on asylum and migration of the European Union.
The case of 300 men, women and children who died when their boat sank off the Sicilian coast of Lampedusa in October 2013 should be the latest wake-up call for the EU to reconsider its unjust laws and policies on asylum and migration. Since 2000 , 23,000 migrants and refugees have died in the borders of Europe according to the study done by the group “Migrant Files”.
Refugees and migrants flee their countries because of wars, conflicts, persecution, environmental disaster, poverty and hunger. However, in the last two decades we have seen the mass exodus of people fleeing their countries because of wars of aggression and conflicts waged or instigated by Western governments on Third world countries and peoples. The US led wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the US-NATO led war against Libya and the attacks and destabilisation against Syria supported by the EU have caused the loss of millions of lives in the countries which are victims of wars, destroyed their economies and livelihood, resulted in massive displacement of peoples and created a mass of refugees fleeing from war and destruction.
With Western governments therefore lie the obligation and responsibility to provide asylum to refugees coming from these countries which they have ravaged with their wars and e call on them to respect international laws and conventions on refugees and on human rights. However, the EU seems to be continually at -war-, this time with asylum seekers in their backyards.The system of prisons/ detention centres, removal centres, lagers (refugee camps) is essentially oppressive. The human rights of asylum seekers and refugees are violated incessantly.
The International Migrants Alliance (IMA) joins you in protest against the inhumane treatment of asylum seekers and refugees by EU governments, against the conditions of prison-like regimes of detention centres , against the Dublin regulations which deny the freedom of movement and the freedom to stay of refugees, against FRONTEX - the border control agency - which shows the merciless and cold-blooded face of EU policy against asylum seekers and refugees.
Stop NATO led wars of aggression!
Junk the Dublin regulations. Stop deportations of refugees.
Close detention centres for asylum seekers.
Stop the imprisonment and detention of refugees in EU countries.
No to FRONTEX.
Junk the EU Return Directive.
Statement by the International Migrants Alliance (IMA)- Europe chapter
Postbus 15687, 1001 ND Amsterdam
email: ima.europe@gmail.com
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The International Migrants’ Alliance (IMA) is the first-ever global alliance of organizations of grassroots migrants, refugees and displaced peoples.
Established in June 2008, the IMA aims to strengthen and put forward the voice of the grassroots migrants and refugees on issues affecting them and their families. From issues of remittance, to rights and welfare, to the resolution of forced labor migration and other issues,
the IMA lays down its analysis from the grassroots migrants/refugees’ point of view and challenge the current system and its mechanisms .
Currently, the IMA has more than 120 member organizations from more than 30 countries worldwide. Its membership is made up of organizations and institutions that support the causes of migrants and refugees.