Speeches

The right to seek asylum is a fundamental human right guaranteed by the 1951 Refugee Convention. It is based on fundamental humanitarian values and is a cornerstone of EU asylum law. Its principles, such as the principle of non-refoulement, have become part of customary international law, which means that countries that are not parties to it are obliged to comply with it. In the context of ongoing wars, conflicts and persecutions and record-breaking displacements, it has been effectively protecting the rights and lives of refugees for seventy years. However, I do not agree that today it is as relevant as it was in 1951. One of the factors driving millions of people to migrate is climate change. However, there are no categories of climate refugees in international law. Therefore, there is a clear legal loophole preventing the protection of this group of refugees. The definition of refugee in the 1951 Convention does not apply to persons displaced for environmental reasons. From a legal point of view, we are not ready for the coming waves of migrants. I therefore call for this anniversary to be a stimulus for the creation and international recognition of the definition of climate refugee, which will enable legislation to be adopted to facilitate the procedure for granting refugee status to those fleeing, inter alia, rising water levels.

The announcement of the state of emergency in Poland on 2 September was primarily an attempt to prevent legal action by lawyers, media, non-governmental organisations, as well as activists carrying out monitoring and documentation. The access to the area under the state of emergency is limited, even for activists trying to help immigrants. Polish Border Guard is breaching international and domestic law, and its own official procedures. Guards claim to ‘prevent from illegal crossings of border’. In reality, they force refugees who have already arrived in Poland and asked for international protection to return to the Belarusian border. We do not know in how many places extremely exhausted people die. If the situation does not change, after the lifting of the state of emergency, we will find mass graves of refugees in forests trying to get to Poland or other EU countries. We are no longer talking about the political crisis related to dictators and smugglers taking advantage of the lack of a safe path and operational mechanisms to international protection. We are dealing with a humanitarian crisis, where human lives are at stake. Our primary duty is to ensure that no one else is killed on the Polish border.

Madam President, I'm sorry. Article 14 of the European Charter of Human Rights prohibits discrimination based on sex, race, colour, religion, political opinion, other national or social origin, membership of a national minority, birth or other status. We know how it should be. However, historical examples show that racism is still present in our thoughts and actions and that these tendencies towards hate speech are increasing. After Hamas's attack on Israel's civilian population, when public opinion was shocked by the brutality and ruthlessness of the act, anti-Muslim sentiment began to rise. This trend began to reverse after the IDF bombing of the Gaza Strip and the increasing number of civilian Palestinian casualties. In many countries, including Israel, there are protests against Israel's aggression, which causes an increase in anti-Israel sentiment, not to be confused with anti-Semitic. A distinction must be made between racist acts and protests against the illegitimate actions of governments. I want to live in a society that condemns racism in all its forms. The European Union’s motto is ‘United in diversity’. Our task is to meet these words and fulfill their meaning.

Mr President, thank you very much. Members of Parliament! I expect from the Members of the European Parliament that this time they will no longer oppose an immediate permanent ceasefire. A humanitarian break is not enough, it will not prevent further deaths. While calling for an immediate ceasefire, I condemn Hamas' terrorist actions, which have caused many deaths and pain to the Israeli community. However, this pain does not justify the destruction and death caused by the Israeli army. It seems important to me to remind you that Palestine and its citizens are not Hamas, with which Israel is fighting. Israel has the right to defend itself and has the right and means to account to Hamas. But what about civilians who are victims of retaliation? I also call for the release of all hostages. Philippe Lazzarini, head of UNRWA, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Middle East, has warned of a famine in Gaza that is imminent and could result in additional casualties.

Mr President, thank you very much. I believe that we should seek a balance in talking about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, call for the release of all hostages, demand a ceasefire, criticize Israel for retaliating against the Palestinians, but strongly condemn Hamas and other terrorist organizations. This violence must be stopped as soon as possible. It's hard for me to forget a Palestinian girl who lost both hands and had an injured face, or the bodies of premature babies who died due to a lack of electricity. I will also not forget the sight of the bodies of the Jews murdered by Hamas. The vision of a stable peace must begin with forgiveness and dialogue.

Mr President, thank you very much. One thing I wanted to correct. When it comes to the migration crisis, it was not Angela Merkel who triggered the migration crisis, but the war in Syria, and Angela Merkel opened the door for these people so that they could find a place where they still live today. That's one thing. The second thing: I do not know where my ECR colleagues got the data from, but I would like to use Eurostat data. Eurostat clearly shows that in 2020 Poland issued more than 50% of all work visas in the European Union. The example of Germany was given here. In 2021, Germany issued 18,322 such visas. On the other hand, Poland issued 790,000 visas in 2021 at the same time – please do not interrupt me. This is Eurostat data. That's not the data I came up with. Respect Schengen borders and enjoy freedom, not restrict it!

Mr President, thank you very much. The UN Assembly has recognized access to a clean environment, including air, as a universal human right, so let's have the courage to fight so that each of us can breathe clean air. Mrs Zalewska said that these are very high costs and that there is no money for this. On the contrary. In this financial perspective 2021-27, there is already €126 billion to support clean air actions, so the funds are. It only takes courage and also self-denial, and thinking about future generations who would also like to breathe clean air.

Madam President, I'm sorry. Dear Colleagues, I am pleased to have been able to work on this crucial report for human rights defenders. And I thank Hanna Neumann, rapporteur, and my fellow rapporteurs for their good cooperation. As the events of recent days have shown, the steadfastness of human rights defenders and the continued work to defend others require more attention and commitment, as well as better coordination between institutions and Member States. I strongly support the proposals in the report to update and expand the guidelines for human rights defenders to cover a wider range of groups and more innovative approaches, as well as to improve communication and transparency on their implementation. The report draws attention to the growing threats to which human rights defenders are undoubtedly exposed by national authorities or representatives of third countries in the Member States of the European Union. The report also calls on the European Commission and the Member States to prioritise, identify and combat these risks within the guidelines. I hope that these guidelines will guide the actors involved and that they will be implemented in the activities for this group, and we will see their results soon. Finally, I would like to thank all human rights defenders for their work. Thank you for being where they are persecuted and repressed, for defending those whom no one wants to defend, for saving those who need help, and for advocating for those whom many have already forgotten.

Madam President, I'm sorry. The purpose of this report is to assess the results achieved so far in the application of the PCD and to provide recommendations to the various European institutions. Without PCD, development activities lose their effectiveness and efficiency. I would like to thank all the Members involved in the drafting of this report and I look forward to working together to implement its demands.

Madam President, I'm sorry. Dear Colleagues, Policy coherence for the development of PCD is about minimising contradictions and creating synergies between different policy areas in a way that ensures their coherence. This means that we must avoid situations where helping someone, at the same time, harms them in a different way. The PCD is a key pillar of the Union’s efforts to increase the efficiency of development cooperation, although it is also a legal obligation for the Union institutions and the Member States. Unfortunately, its political visibility has decreased over the last few years. A classic example of the lack of such consistency is the irresponsible practices of some European companies operating in developing countries. Many clothing companies use the services of cheap labour, drastically violating workers' rights, often without taking into account environmental issues. Similar trends can be observed in strengthening border control and redirecting funding towards so-called security-related activities. This jeopardises development goals such as poverty eradication and human rights, which fall lower on the scale of public priorities. We also know positive examples of the use of PCD. One of these concerns the deforestation of agricultural products imported into the Union. This means that only coffee or soybeans whose cultivation has not contributed to deforestation can be imported into the European Union. The purpose of this report is to assess the results achieved so far in the application of the PCD and to provide recommendations for individual European institutions to improve the internal mechanisms for the application of the PCD. One of the demands to improve the coordination of law-making in the European Parliament is the creation of a cooperation network between the Committee on Development and the members of the committees involved in the law-making process. Such a PCD Mainstreaming Network would operate on principles similar to the Gender Mainstreaming Network already existing in Parliament. We want to be guided by the PCD's priority in our work for sustainable development. My assessment shows that there is a need to re-establish a dedicated PCD team within DG INTPA to coordinate the work of the PCD thematic units. Moreover, I also believe that it would be of the utmost importance to resume the publication of the annual report on the accountability of the European Union and its Member States, the results of the implementation of the development policy commitments that the PCD covers. The report calls for a new Commission Communication by 1 July 2024 on the PCD with an action plan, a clear methodology and specific quantitative and qualitative indicators to measure the implementation of the PCD by the European Union and the Member States. Friends and colleagues! We need to start with individual institutions to implement PCD, but we also need to ensure coordination at interinstitutional level. This can be achieved by ensuring a better flow of information between the EU Delegations that operate on the ground, as well as by including the PCD in the plans of each Presidency. Without PCD, development efforts will lose their effectiveness and efficiency.

Madam President, I'm sorry. Three days ago, activists helping on the border of Poland and Belarus found the body of a 28-year-old Ethiopian woman who died as a result of freezing. She was lying on the ground curled up. Next to it is a Christian prayer book with pictures of saints. She died in a forest in a country that claims to be Christian. At least 34 people died at the border. What are we going to tell their families? That we allowed them to die because Polish border guards did not allow them to submit applications for international protection, to which they were entitled? Let us not allow ourselves to be persuaded that the protection of external borders should contradict humanitarianism. Where in the values that make up the European Union is there room for walls or, as the EPP wants, physical infrastructure? In the fortress of Europe we have one thousand eight hundred kilometers of walls. That's 13 times more than the Berlin Wall. We are responsible for the increase in migration. We take land from people, we have a devastating impact on the environment and poverty in developing countries, we cause conflicts. I think I know what to do with migration, but there's no time for that. I miss a real debate on migration, an exchange of views and experiences. Let's look at this empty room.

Madam President, I'm sorry. Mr. Commissioner, I'm sorry. I want to call in particular for help for the victims of the earthquake in Syria, where aid is hampered not only for logistical but also political reasons. The areas where the disaster occurred are divided between the government in Damascus and a group of rebels. Here is the testimony of a medical organization working in Aleppo. People are afraid of more buildings collapsing, so many families sleep outside. Sometimes in cars, in public parks, on the streets or in large fields. In some cases, families were displaced by social shelters and local schools. Since many families share one room, there is often very little privacy, and the rooms are moist and penetratingly cold. Few people have blankets or mattresses. Many have to sleep directly on the icy floor. Many collective shelters lack access to soap and running water, and so far lack food and blankets to warm people. All sides in the Syrian civil war should immediately allow humanitarian aid to be delivered where it is needed. Regardless of who controls the area.

Mr President, thank you very much. The European Union says it builds bridges instead of walls. Yes, now walls and all sorts of partitions are being built around Europe. I have the impression that we are building a rich fortress of Europe. There are currently one thousand eight hundred kilometres of walls in Europe – twelve Berlin walls. 320,000 refugees or migrants, even illegal ones, or 0.06% of the total population of the European Union. Does 0.06 percent bother us so much? After all, it is possible to receive these people, examine whether they should stay in Europe, and then send them back, and not keep them in centers where they sometimes spend up to three years in very difficult conditions. This is happening in my country, for example. We all want to enjoy freedom of movement. Why do we say that migration is illegal? Everyone has the right to travel and no one is illegal.

As it was told, last year there were 330 000 migrants who enter to Europe. Do you know what percentage is 330 000 of migrants to the number of inhabitants of European Union?

Mr Vice-President, thank you very much. First of all, I support the words of my predecessor, I do not want to repeat myself. I am the person who created the first Polish humanitarian organization and for 30 years I worked in various countries, I do not want to list here. I want to say that helping is legal and that if we had a measure of how governments succumb to corruption and compared it to NGOs, I'm sure the outcome would be in the organization's favor. Because they are usually very ideological people and accusing and criminalizing them, as the Polish government does criminalizing organizations on the Belarusian border, that is, denying the fundamental values of the European Union.

speech signalled by the raising of a blue card. – Mr Vice-President, I would like to thank you very much. I have a question about the Polish-Belarusian border. At this border, 212 people went missing and 34 people died, mostly young people, most recently even a man with a doctorate in medicine. I would like to ask you if you think this is border protection? Do you think this is safe and legal migration? How about building a wall on that border?

Madam President, I'm sorry. Mr. Commissioner, I'm sorry. The Iranian revolution has the face of a young woman who burns a headscarf as a sign of oppression against women. Today marks the 123rd day of the Iranian revolution initiated by the brave Iranian women. Her demands have gone far beyond women's rights. Protesters are demanding the removal of the regime's religious government and the introduction of economic reforms. The protests have already covered 282 cities in Iran. I would like to introduce you to 18-year-old Arshi Takdastan, who has been sentenced to death under my political patronage. Arshia was arrested together with a group of young people in September 2022 during anti-regime protests in Nouszahr. In the first stage of the investigation, mutual incriminating testimonies were forced on the whole group by torture. Later, the same method was used to obtain a confession of guilt. The judgment is not yet final. Each of you can take such patronage, unfortunately, there will be no shortage of victims. I am convinced that the fate of the Iranian revolution can change the fate of the Middle East and the whole world. It's up to us, too. Solidarity with Iran.

Madam President, I'm sorry. Just as Putin changed his plans and gave up his plan to democratize Russia for fear of maintaining power, Lukashenko will agree to occupy his own country to protect his dictatorship. Another proof of Lukashenko's active role in this war are hundreds of missiles fired from Belarusian territory towards Ukraine. Putin continues to put increasing pressure on Lukashenko to actively join the land war. I urge you not to identify the Belarusian regime with the Belarusian people. Do you remember their daily protests against rigged elections? I am ashamed that there is a wall of disgrace between my country, Poland and Belarus. Every nation wants to live in freedom and the regimes in Belarus and Russia will eventually fall, the wall too.

Mr President, thank you very much. I express my condolences to the families of the victims of the floods and I regret the destruction of so many homes, the loss of what is precious and what is closest, and the huge losses in infrastructure. What more can I say after all the words that have been said here? Today we voted in favour of the report on access to water as a human right. During floods, although there is plenty of water everywhere, drinking water is needed. Solidarity is not only about helping on one issue or another, it is also about fighting climate change, taking care of our environment so that it does not negatively affect the environment of our neighbours. We cannot predict which country will be next and will suffer from the consequences of climate change, such as drought, earthquake, eruption or, as in the case of Pakistan, flooding. I expect that not only will we support the people of Pakistan, but we will find ways to reduce these disasters in the future. Now Pakistan, and tomorrow it could be the country of any of us.

Madam President, I'm sorry. I thank the shadow rapporteurs for more than half a year of negotiations and almost a year of hard work on this report, and at the same time I very much regret that the debate is scheduled at such a late hour, which unfortunately prevents some stakeholders from hearing it live. Especially since the topic is very, very serious. With climate change approaching, access to or lack of water will have a huge impact on millions of people around the world. Conflicts over water, land and a place to live are and will continue to occur more and more frequently, and migrations caused by climate disasters will increase significantly. The last 26 years of my life have been spent working in a humanitarian organization. From the Second Chechen War to subsequent conflicts, countries and continents have been building access to water. This is the basis of aid for many countries. I have been to many countries where people suffer from lack of access to drinking water. To a large extent, it is we who, through the excessive use of water resources and pollution caused by the abuse of industrial activities, as well as inefficient management of resources, negatively affect the exercise of human rights to water and sanitation. I am therefore pleased that the report reaffirms the right to safe drinking water and sanitation as a human right and underlines that both rights are complementary and necessary for public health and human development. Despite allocating such significant resources, as mentioned by the Commissioner, I call on the European Union to increase funding for the construction of access to water.

Madam President, I'm sorry. The countries of the Horn of Africa face the same problems of government instability, climate change and ethnic conflicts. These problems have intensified in particular following the outbreak of conflict in the Tigray area, and in addition to violence between local societies, floods in Sudan, the 2002 drought and the locust plague, the humanitarian situation has deteriorated dramatically. It should also be borne in mind that the scale of food security has deteriorated as a result of Russia’s war against Ukraine, as food and fuel prices have increased – this only exacerbates the problem. It is therefore very important that the Union remains committed to supporting the region, and in particular to its stabilisation, as well as to further development and peace cooperation and the prevention of civil conflicts, especially since the countries of the Horn of Africa include some of the main countries of origin and transit of migrants in the region, including to the European Union. I support the call for a holistic approach to migration that takes into account the specificities of conflicts and their context.

Dear President, Commissioner, Ladies and Gentlemen, You can say that you are waiting for the results, but you had to act before. Just as important as what has poisoned is who has poisoned. Big bets are suspicious, and there aren't as many. As you can see, the government does not care about clarifying the situation or drawing conclusions for the future. Insufficient procedures have been initiated, which would help not only to identify the specific causes of the event, but above all to improve actions in the future. This environmental catastrophe occurred, inter alia, because the approach to rivers is not sustainable. Many problems could have been avoided if there had not been so many permits for the discharge into rivers of post-industrial waste, discarded substances, etc., and if it had been better controlled what exactly is discharged. Unfortunately, it wasn't. Unexplaining who the perpetrator is, his impunity creates fears that such a catastrophe could happen again. I want to remind you that any violation of the ecosystem by man not only destroys the environment, but works to the detriment of all humanity.

Madam President, I'm sorry. Dear Colleagues, The quoted information about both Ukrainian citizens forcibly deported to Russia, as well as the number of children who shared the same fate, is frightening and, unfortunately, brings to mind exiles to the gulags of members of different nations in the 40s of the last century. In the 21st century, Russia has consistently pursued its plan to destroy the Ukrainian people and its future generations. Imagine that it is your son or daughter, granddaughter or granddaughter that will be taken away from you today. If you are more fortunate, you will be deported to Siberia, to the border with Kazakhstan or even further into Russia, but together. For those less fortunate, years of separation and life in a foreign place await. It's Europe! The Russians are destroying the nation in front of you and deporting your children who, like you, wanted freedom, equality and independence. Who's going to talk about it, if not you?

Mr President, thank you very much. The renewed Cotonou Agreement is a pillar of the partnership between the European Union, the Member States of the European Union and the ACP countries. It aims to eradicate poverty, guarantee the rule of law, promote the sustainable economic and social development of partner countries and progressively integrate their economies into the world economy. The global situation and new global challenges, such as migration crises or climate change, meant that the basic assumptions of the partnership had to be redefined, which does not mean that we should give up the migration pact and legal migration and the Green Deal, which will allow us to live in a safer world.

Madam President, I'm sorry. I listen carefully to this debate and it undoubtedly concerns one of the most important problems we can face, namely the food crisis. And I am somewhat surprised by such little interest among Members, and it depends, among other things, on our interest in solving this problem. And I have an appeal to my fellow Members, let us devote more time to this problem and let us be aware that a lot depends on us.