EU turning into ‘Fortress Europe’, Amnesty warns

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The EU’s immigration policies are turning the continent into ‘Fortress Europe’ and putting lives at risk, Amnesty International has warned.

Migrants from Africa or the Middle East often make the journey by boat; many of them die at sea.

In the past 14 years 23,000 have perished in the Mediterranean, according to the human rights group.

The 28-member bloc spent almost two billion euros protecting its external borders between 2007 and 2013.

That compares with 700 million euros to help refugees and asylum seekers over the same five period. Nearly half of those trying to enter the EU come from war-torn Syria, Afghanistan, Eritrea, and Somalia. Many of those leaving Africa try to enter Europe via the Italian island of Lampedusa.

Italy’s search and rescue operation, Mare Nostrum, picked up more than 50,000 people last year.

Amnesty says, however, in countries such as Bulgaria and Greece, refugees and migrants risk being pushed back. Italy has asked for help in sharing the burden, but member states have so far been unwilling to agree to an EU-wide asylum policy.