madam president a few days ago eu leaders announced that they stand ready to show concrete solidarity with those member states most affected by migratory pressures
well that time has come because the mass movement has now hit the european union
we now call on the european council to honour its word
and for solidarity to be concrete it must mean that all member states shoulder responsibility for the displaced people who are fleeing libya towards europe
we have a tool already we just need to use it
it is the solidarity mechanism envisaged in directive two thousand and one fifty-five ec which does two things
firstly it gives temporary protection to all displaced people who reach the eu
secondly it puts the responsibility to host them on all member states and not just on the country that they happen to arrive in
the mechanism is triggered by a council decision stating that the mass influx exists
however it must come on a proposal from the commission from you madam commissioner
there is no doubt that there is a mass exodus leaving libya
more than four hundred zero people have fled libya mostly to tunisia and egypt but also now to eu countries
last week more than eight hundred people mostly somalis and eritreans arrived in malta in just twenty-four hours
proportionally speaking this has the same impact as one hundred and twenty zero arriving in france in just one day
surely this would qualify as a mass influx
so it is not the numbers in absolute terms that we need to look at but the numbers in relative terms their relative impact on the country of arrival
i really appeal to you madam commissioner to take the political leadership and make this proposal
i also appeal to the council to honour its word and show concrete solidarity
