ePetition details

After a year of difficulty for the whole world in 2020, we want to shine a little perspective on the juxtaposition of our leaders ideas of suffering and the real suffering of those fleeing for their own safety and finding them stuck in inhumane camps during a global pandemic. Lets change that for 2021. Lets give a little hope to the families, children, men and women that find themselves in the Greek camps. In the end if you put yourself in their shoes, you would also want a lifeline at a time like this. Some people far away in a town called Bristol deciding that they will take you or your family in and allow you to start a life here, in safety and comfortable conditions.

There is a humanitarian crisis taking place at Europe’s borders. Hundreds of thousands of people are currently trapped on the Aegean islands, forced to live in overcrowded camps with limited medical services, inadequate sanitary facilities and as winter approaches, the cold sets in and people are forced to survive in flooded tents in the mud, exposed to the elements. These inhumane conditions are the result of 5 years of neglectful EU policies.

Even in light of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Moria Camp fires, EU leaders have remained indifferent or hesitant to act. The EU Commission's new Pact on Asylum and Migration legitimises the expansion of a closed border camp system. It is nearly impossible to claim and defend the right to asylum in such camps. The Pact is a human rights violations en masse. We are calling for a policy based on respect for human rights and human dignity.

The horrendous conditions in the Aegean camps make all inhabitants, regardless of age or health, extremely vulnerable. EU leaders need a wake-up call that these are human lives and not pawns in a political chess game.

Europe cannot stand by and leave behind these children, women and men in such camps.

We have the moral obligation to act: Europe Must Act!

In order to save lives, the camps on the Aegean islands must be completely evacuated. On the 30th of March, the Mayor and citizens of Berlin pledged to take in 1,500 refugees. Now we are asking cities and towns across Europe to join Berlin in offering sanctuary to the refugees stuck in overcrowded camps on the Greek mainland and islands.

Will Bristol join with other European cities to demonstrate its commitment to basic human rights by pledging to resettle an exact number of refugees in their jurisdiction?

Pledges from cities across the UK and Europe cannot be ignored by Westminster or EU leaders. Together, we can send a clear signal that Europe is willing and able to act on its humanitarian values and provide shelter to those who seek refuge from war and persecution.

Started by: Mary Finn (Europe Must Act)

This ePetition ran from 01/01/2021 to 31/03/2021 and has now finished.

14 people signed this ePetition.