Debate contributions by Damien CARÊME

Madam President, Commissioner, the far right dreamed of it; you did. In 2024, revelations about the AfD’s planned remigration scandalised and put one million Germans on the streets. Today, when all eyes are on the defence and rearmament of Europe, you are presenting us with a draft regulation that is nothing more or less than the legislative concretisation of this xenophobic delirium: deportation. The Pact on Migration and Asylum, the pact of shame, which contains very harsh provisions on return, is not yet implemented, as it is already reinforced by more inhuman and unworthy proposals. In recent weeks, European leaders have been waving at European values in the face of a Trump who would trample on them. But what European values are we talking about? The violation of the fundamental rights of the most vulnerable? Detention of refuge seekers, including young children? Forced eviction of people fleeing war or misery in return centres? Outsourcing our human and legal obligations to third countries, which will be described as ‘safe’ according to our own interests? Who in the end tramples on these European values, Commissioner? From Dublin to the proposed return to the Pact on Migration and Asylum, European asylum policy has nothing to envy of Donald Trump’s massive deportation delusions.

Mr President, Commissioner, today the PPE imposes on us yet another debate on security at our borders and the strengthening of Frontex, as if migration were the mother of all evils in Europe. It shares this sickly obsession with the Commission and the Member States. So let's stop this unnecessary as well as inefficient overbidding. Instead, let us worry about what has become of Frontex in 20 years. Frontex embodies the failure, but above all the excesses, of our ultra-safe and deadly migration policy. With an annual budget of 959 million euros, Frontex is a monster agency. Its activities and resources have developed as exponentially as its serious dysfunctions. We have allowed Frontex to break free from the rule of law with impunity and to escape almost all control. This agency is unable to prevent the worst human rights violations, when it is not itself directly involved in these violations. We must put an end to this flight forward and this Parliament must play its full part in this necessary start. As for the agreements with third countries, Commissioner, they are shameful, whether with Libya or Tunisia. All the reports of the NGOs, but also of the UN denounce them. So, with all due respect to the EPP and its allies, we will never compromise to ensure that human rights are respected.