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: 

  1. #DiasporaVote!
  2. Ação Pela Identidade – API
  3. Access Now
  4. Action Aid
  5. Africa Advocacy Foundation
  6. All African Women’s Group
  7. ALMA Community Therapies
  8. Almena Cooperativa Feminista
  9. Àltera APS
  10. Alternatif Bilisim
  11. APDHA-Asociación Pro Derechos Humanos de Andalucía
  12. Apna Haq
  13. Ariadni AMKE
  14. Asociación  Por Ti Mujer
  15. BePax
  16. Biznegra
  17. Boat Refugee Foundation
  18. Border Violence Monitoring Network
  19. CADO-Advocacy and Human Rights Center
  20. Changemakers Lab
  21. Comitato 3 Ottobre – Accoglienza ETS
  22. Community Rights in Greece
  23. CompassCollective
  24. Coordinadora Obrim Fronteres
  25. CPT – Aegean Migrant Solidarity
  26. Creación Positiva
  27. de:criminalize
  28. Digitale Gesellschaft (Germany)
  29. DIOTIMA (Greece)
  30. Equal Legal Aid
  31. Equinox Initiative for Racial Justice
  32. European Anti-Poverty Network (EAPN)
  33. European Civic Forum
  34. European Network Against Racism (ENAR)
  35. European Sex Workers’ Rights Alliance (ESWA)
  36. Fédération des tunisiens citoyens des deux rives (FTCR)
  37. Filipino Women’s Council
  38. Flüchtlingshilfe Iran e.V
  39. forRefugees
  40. Fuga.coop
  41. German NGO Network against Trafficking in Human Beings – KOK
  42. Global Asylum Seeker Human Rights Defenders Committee (GASHDC)
  43. Global Women Against Deportations
  44. Greek Council for Refugees (GCR)
  45. Greek Forum of Migrants
  46. Hermes Center
  47. Hoatzin
  48. Hoffnung leben e.V.
  49. Homo Digitalis
  50. Human Rights Legal Project
  51. Humanity Diaspo ONG
  52. ILEX- Acción Juridica
  53. Intereuropean Human Aid Association
  54. International Coalition for People of African Descent ICPAD
  55. International Service for Human Rights
  56. International Women* Space
  57. INTERSOS HELLAS
  58. Islamic Human Rights Commission
  59. Kif Kif vzw
  60. Lafede.cat – Organitzacions per la Justícia Global
  61. Legal Centre Lesvos
  62. Love Without Borders
  63. Migrant Tales
  64. Migration Consortium
  65. Mobile Info Team
  66. Movement of Asylum Seekers in Ireland (MASI)
  67. New Bulgarian University
  68. New Women Connectors
  69. No Name Kitchen
  70. Northern Ireland Council for Racial Equality
  71. Northern Lights Aid
  72. Northern Police Monitoring Project
  73. Ona bros
  74. Platform for International Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants (PICUM)
  75. Podlaskie Ochotnicze Pogotowie Humanitarne
  76. Politiscope
  77. Privacy International
  78. QueeriséEs
  79. Racism and Technology Center
  80. Refugee Legal Support (RLS)
  81. Refugees in Libya
  82. Revibra
  83. Romnja Feminist Library
  84. Samos Volunteers
  85. Saplinq, o.z.
  86. SARAH gUG
  87. Sea-Eye e.V.
  88. Sea-Watch e.V.
  89. Seebrücke
  90. SOLIDAR
  91. Solidary Wheels
  92. SOS Humanity e.V.
  93. Spazio di Mutuo Soccorso
  94. SPECTRUM
  95. Statewatch
  96. SUPERRR Lab
  97. The Channel Monitoring Project
  98. The Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC)
  99. The Institute for Technology in the Public Interest (TITiPI)
  100. Transgender Europe (TGEU)
  101. Transnational Institute
  102. Tunisian Forum for Social and Economic Rights FTDES
  103. Über den Tellerrand e.V.
  104. UHURU VALENCIA
  105. UNESCO Inclusive Policy Lab- People of African Descent & SDGs E-Team
  106. United African Women Organization
  107. Up
  108. Utopia 56
  109. Vasilika Moon – La Luna di Vasilika NPO
  110. WeMove Europe
  111. WIDE+ (Women In Development Europe+)
  112. Women of Colour in the Global Women’s Strike
  113. 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

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