Save the Children called on the EU to "protect the rights of children who made the dangerous journey across the Mediterranean Sea", saying that major changes of EU rules are needed when it comes to migration.
"Robust changes of EU rules are needed when it comes to migration,'' Save the Children said in a statement on Friday, urging member states to do more to protect children who have crossed the Mediterranean. The request came as EU Ministers of Justice and Home Affairs convened to discuss the EU's migration policies''.
'Renewal of the EU Parliament and Commission an opportunity'
''With the renewal of the EU Parliament and Commission, an opportunity arises to break the current stalemate and agree on rules to share responsibility for migrants and refugees arriving at the EU's borders. Member States should also reiterate their commitment to protect human life at sea and prevent further loss of the lives of children, women and men escaping from Libya,'' the statement said.
''While fewer refugees and migrants cross the Mediterranean Sea, data shows that more of them are likely to drown - in 2018, 1 in 14 people who made the perilous journey died at sea, while in 2017 it was 1 in 38 people. In the meantime, disputes continue to arise about safe disembarkation of migrants, including many children,'' it added.
'Dublin regulation stalled for too long'
''Negotiations on which member state is responsible for asylum-seekers arriving to the EU, also known as the Dublin regulation, have been stalled for too long. We call on the new Parliament, Commission and the Council to restart negotiations and agree on a reform putting the rights of children at the centre. Now is the time for all EU Member States to agree on a sustainable way to share responsibility for incoming asylum seekers, ensuring a fair balance between frontline States such as Italy and Greece, and key asylum-seeker hosting states such as Germany and Sweden,'' Anita Bay Bundegaard, EU Director and Representative for Save the Children, said.