Dear Members of the European Parliament’s LIBE Committee,
It is with great sadness that we observed so many tragedies involving refugees and asylum seekers. We believe that to prevent future deaths of men, women and children, the EU needs to provide more safe and legal ways to protection to Europe. One of the instruments which can – and are – be used are humanitarian visa.
This is why we contact you as members of the European Parliament’s LIBE Committee. The European Commission’s proposal for a new EU Visa Code provides an opportunity to make sure that humanitarian visa schemes are used in every EU Member State. Such visas would allow individuals and groups of people to come safely and regularly to Europe, where they could start an asylum procedure.
Please find a letter of Christian organisations and agencies working on asylum and migration, where we explain:
- What humanitarian visas are;
- What the right place is for humanitarian visas in the EU Visa Code;
- How humanitarian visa would help to fight smuggling of people and potentially increase solidarity among EU Member States.
Please do not hesitate to contact us should you have further questions. We will be happy to meet with you to further discuss the subject of humanitarian visas.