EU: Stop criminalising migration in the Facilitator’s Package law
SOLIDAR has been following the new Facilitation Directive to advocate for a text that does not lead to criminalising migrants, CSOs and HRDs. Below is a joint statement from over 100 organisations calling to end criminalisation.
EU: Stop criminalising migration in the Facilitator’s Package law
Civil society condemns Facilitation Directive’s failure to protect migrants and call for rejection of Europol Regulation.
When the European Commission published the Facilitator’s Package in 2023, its stated goal was to protect migrants from being exploited by “professional smugglers” and undertaking dangerous journeys to Europe.
In reality, the Package’s proposed Facilitation Directive criminalises migrants and human rights defenders instead of targeting organised crime networks, and the Europol Regulation unlawfully expands the agency’s powers and resources by capitalising on right-wing politicisation of migration.
It ignores the EU’s role in restricting regular routes for migrants, refugees and asylum seekers, and contributing to environmental, political and economic instability in their home countries – forcing them to seek life-threatening alternatives.
The EU must:
- AMEND THE FACILITATION DIRECTIVE TO PROTECT MIGRANTS BY INCLUDING
- A clear legal definition of smuggling as a for-profit activity aligned with existing international standards.
- An explicit and legally binding humanitarian exemption that protects migrants, refugees, asylum seekers, their families, and human rights defenders from being charged with smuggling.
- REJECT THE EUROPOL REGULATION IN ITS ENTIRETY
- Unlawful – the proposal expands the agency’s powers beyond its ‘cooperation’ mandate and above Member State competencies
- Unsafe – the proposed increase in Europol’s mass data collection mandate risks widespread violations of privacy and fundamental rights, as denounced by the European Data Protection Supervisor. It also pushes data sharing with known human rights violators Frontex and third countries
- Unsubstantiated – the proposal was presented without a proper impact assessment, going against the EU’s own Better Regulation Guidelines. The European Parliament’s substitute impact assessment calls into question the effectiveness and lawfulness of the proposal.
The Package is simply a continuation of the erosion of the right to seek asylum and the criminalisation of human movement laid down by the 2024 Migration and Asylum Pact. It feeds into right-wing fear mongering around migration and promotes a criminal law response to a social phenomenon.
The EU continues to pour millions into violent criminal law approaches to migration that do not work. Public resources must instead be reallocated towards a system that meets the care and protection needs of all people, rather than targeting the most vulnerable.
Quotes:
“EU border policies create the criminal conditions under which people resort to networks in order to move. Lawmakers of the Facilitators Package face a political choice. They can direct the powers of the criminal law, policy, funding and personnel toward the purpose of punishing people in need, or focus on protecting people on the move and those in solidarity with them. The choice is simple.”
– Sarah Chander, Director, Equinox Initiative for Racial Justice
“The fight against so-called ‘migrant smuggling’ is an insidious pretext to unlawfully expand Europol’s powers. Turning Europol’s NSA-style surveillance capabilities against migrants and human right defenders will only lead to more pushbacks, violence and deaths at the EU borders. So not only it is hypocritical, but also extremely harmful. The only solution is the rejection of this Europol reform proposal.”
– Chloé Berthélémy, EDRi
“The rage of European member states to punish people for seeking safety is out of control. Thousands are arrested and thrown in jail each year, often in trials that fail to uphold legal standards, simply for trying to exercise their right to asylum. But more repression won’t put an end to the dying at sea. The only way to avoid irregular entrance, is regular entrance and freedom of movement for all.”
– Dorothee Krämer, Advocacy Officer for Sea-Watch
Additional resources
Analysis and recommendations from:
#ProtectNotSurveil coalition
Equinox Initiative for Racial Justice
PICUM
Initiated by: Equinox Initiative for Racial Justice and #ProtectNotSurveil Coalition (Access Now, Algorithm Watch, Border Violence Monitoring Network (BVMN), EDRi, European Network Against Racism (ENAR), Equinox Initiative for Racial Justice, EuroMed Rights, European Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ECNL), Homo Digitalis, Platform for International Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants (PICUM), Privacy International, Statewatch)
Signed by:
- #DiasporaVote!
- Ação Pela Identidade – API
- Access Now
- Action Aid
- Africa Advocacy Foundation
- All African Women’s Group
- ALMA Community Therapies
- Almena Cooperativa Feminista
- Àltera APS
- Alternatif Bilisim
- APDHA-Asociación Pro Derechos Humanos de Andalucía
- Apna Haq
- Ariadni AMKE
- Asociación Por Ti Mujer
- BePax
- Biznegra
- Boat Refugee Foundation
- Border Violence Monitoring Network
- CADO-Advocacy and Human Rights Center
- Changemakers Lab
- Comitato 3 Ottobre – Accoglienza ETS
- Community Rights in Greece
- CompassCollective
- Coordinadora Obrim Fronteres
- CPT – Aegean Migrant Solidarity
- Creación Positiva
- de:criminalize
- Digitale Gesellschaft (Germany)
- DIOTIMA (Greece)
- Equal Legal Aid
- Equinox Initiative for Racial Justice
- European Anti-Poverty Network (EAPN)
- European Civic Forum
- European Network Against Racism (ENAR)
- European Sex Workers’ Rights Alliance (ESWA)
- Fédération des tunisiens citoyens des deux rives (FTCR)
- Filipino Women’s Council
- Flüchtlingshilfe Iran e.V
- forRefugees
- Fuga.coop
- German NGO Network against Trafficking in Human Beings – KOK
- Global Asylum Seeker Human Rights Defenders Committee (GASHDC)
- Global Women Against Deportations
- Greek Council for Refugees (GCR)
- Greek Forum of Migrants
- Hermes Center
- Hoatzin
- Hoffnung leben e.V.
- Homo Digitalis
- Human Rights Legal Project
- Humanity Diaspo ONG
- ILEX- Acción Juridica
- Intereuropean Human Aid Association
- International Coalition for People of African Descent ICPAD
- International Service for Human Rights
- International Women* Space
- INTERSOS HELLAS
- Islamic Human Rights Commission
- Kif Kif vzw
- Lafede.cat – Organitzacions per la Justícia Global
- Legal Centre Lesvos
- Love Without Borders
- Migrant Tales
- Migration Consortium
- Mobile Info Team
- Movement of Asylum Seekers in Ireland (MASI)
- New Bulgarian University
- New Women Connectors
- No Name Kitchen
- Northern Ireland Council for Racial Equality
- Northern Lights Aid
- Northern Police Monitoring Project
- Ona bros
- Platform for International Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants (PICUM)
- Podlaskie Ochotnicze Pogotowie Humanitarne
- Politiscope
- Privacy International
- QueeriséEs
- Racism and Technology Center
- Refugee Legal Support (RLS)
- Refugees in Libya
- Revibra
- Romnja Feminist Library
- Samos Volunteers
- Saplinq, o.z.
- SARAH gUG
- Sea-Eye e.V.
- Sea-Watch e.V.
- Seebrücke
- SOLIDAR
- Solidary Wheels
- SOS Humanity e.V.
- Spazio di Mutuo Soccorso
- SPECTRUM
- Statewatch
- SUPERRR Lab
- The Channel Monitoring Project
- The Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC)
- The Institute for Technology in the Public Interest (TITiPI)
- Transgender Europe (TGEU)
- Transnational Institute
- Tunisian Forum for Social and Economic Rights FTDES
- Über den Tellerrand e.V.
- UHURU VALENCIA
- UNESCO Inclusive Policy Lab- People of African Descent & SDGs E-Team
- United African Women Organization
- Up
- Utopia 56
- Vasilika Moon – La Luna di Vasilika NPO
- WeMove Europe
- WIDE+ (Women In Development Europe+)
- Women of Colour in the Global Women’s Strike
- Women World March Belgium
Individuals:
Vinya Mehta
Afrika Inkindi
Anna Gruber
Anouar El Hajjami-Jarri
Asher Serrana
Asli Telli
Astrid Schreiber
Astrid Schreiber
Blanca Callén Moreu
Carlos José Marques Salgado
Charito Basa
Daniela Schneider
Diana Podar
Doreen Olivia Williams
Dorrie Wilson
Dr Adi Kuntsman
Elisa Damaso
Emma Martín Díaz
Ewa Trojanowska
Felix Diaz Martinez
Georgia Brooks
Glenn Leihner-Guarin
Ivana Stojanova
Iyo Bisseck
Jara Henar
Jessica Machacova
Karolina Mazurek
Katarina Baltar
Katarzyna Anna Augustynek
Kayra vee Martinez
Laïla B
Lamar Bailey Karamañites
Laurenz Koppenhagen
Leonie Mensel
Luka Mester
Lutz Bucklitsch
Mafe Moscoso
Maisy Vincent
Marek Męczyński
Marga Burgui Artajo
Mariam Camilla Rechchad
Mher Hakobyan
Misamu Nzabi
Mouhieddine Cherbib
Olga Lubicz
Ona Bros
Osman Vatansever
Paulino Gonzalez
Piotr Fijałkowski – Obywatele RP
Prof. Jan Tobias Muehlberg
Robert Krzysztoń
Romdhane Ben Amor
Selamauyt Tesfaye
Stella Nyanzi
Susana Mariano Anastácio
Tamara Rubin
Terri Beswick
