NGO vessels: supporters of human trafficking in a humanitarian disguise

Press release by Kinga Gál

On Thursday afternoon, the pro-migration majority of the European Parliament proved again that they are doing their best in order to bring more illegal migrants to the Union. “This time, the European Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) tries to put pressure on the Member States by glorifying the work of NGO vessels, who frequently cooperate with the human smugglers under the guise of humanitarian assistance,” Fidesz MEP Kinga Gál said.

Kinga Gál voiced her regrets regarding the fact that the LIBE Committee hears representatives of organisations who are operating rescue boats and who have already brought thousands of illegal migrants to Europe. “According to a study commissioned by LIBE, this would help human smugglers and traffickers in their work under the aegis of humanitarian assistance. By reducing the powers of the Member States it would protect NGOs, some of which are under investigation for alleged co-operation with human smugglers. In practice these NGOs, bypassing the authorities, take over the migrants from human smugglers close to the Libyan and Turkish coasts and bring them to Europe instead of taking them back to North African shores,” she said.

“This is unacceptable. By doing this, NGOs support the business model of human smugglers, who can only put human lives at risk as long as they know for certain that there is somebody who will transfer the migrants to Europe. It is a widely known fact that illegal migrants are sent to sea in crowded life boats without any water, food or life jackets, expecting that they will be found shortly by NGO rescue ships. The activity of these vessels is one of the main obstacles to the effective protection of EU maritime borders,” the MEP added.