Yesterday, on the 7 November 2016, the Open Society Foundation held a meeting on the topic “Migration and asylum: 1.000 testimonies of torture en route”. The Foundation presented new findings concerning trafficking routes and gave a thorough insight on the traumatising experiences of migrants subjected to torture during their journey.
Politicians and the media alike speak about the “refugee crises”, “the high influx of migrants” as well as the need to stop this “inflow” and to find ways to combat migration by tackling the “root causes”. The current narrative in politics within the Union undeniably has a negative character and the message seems to be clear: migration is a threat. It is a problem that has to be solved.
On Tuesday, the 11th October, the committees on foreign affairs and development held a joint meeting to discuss European Union’s external action in view of migration and refugee movements. The meeting provided the chance for participants of the European Youth Event to express their views on the current refugee crises and to present their ideas for constructive solutions. Speakers of this event were Matthäus Fandrejewski, Linda Slapakova and Andrea Gabriela.