Paul Murphy: Condemns 'Fortress Europe' After Mediterranean Deaths
Paul Murphy spoke on World Refugee Day about recent Mediterranean shipwrecks and condemned the policies of "Fortress Europe", arguing they are responsible for thousands of deaths. He accused the European political establishment of having "blood on its hands" and raised allegations of Greek coast guard non-assistance and illegal pushbacks.
World Refugee Day gathering
He noted people will gather at 5.30pm at the Garden of Remembrance to celebrate the contribution of refugees to society and to express sadness and anger at the policies of Fortress Europe.
Scale of the tragedy
He said Fortress Europe policies are responsible for the deaths of almost 30,000 people over the last 10 years in the Mediterranean and referred to the latest victims as the apparently hundreds of people who drowned less than 100 kilometres from the Greek coast.
Allegations against Greek authorities
He accused the victims of, at the very least, a conscious policy of the Greek state and the Greek coast guard of non-assistance and suggested they may be victims of illegal pushbacks. He cited a remark by the Greek health minister that "border security cannot exist if there are no casualties, and to be clear, if there are no dead," calling the policy murderous.
Call to abandon Fortress Europe
He directly challenged the political establishment, asking "Will you abandon the policy of Fortress Europe?" and declared that the European political establishment "has blood on its hands."
Response from a fellow deputy
A responding deputy expressed horror at the tragedy and offered condolences to the families. The responder argued it was unfair to simply blame European governments or the EU and said the primary responsibility lay with human traffickers and criminal organisations who put people on unseaworthy vessels.
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Teachta, today is World Refugee Day. People will gather at 5.30pm at the Garden of Remembrance today to celebrate the contribution of refugees to our society, but also in sadness and in anger at the policies of Fortress Europe, which are responsible for the deaths of almost 30,000 people, human beings, men, women and children over the last 10 years in the Mediterranean. The latest victims of that policy are the apparently hundreds of people who have drowned less than 100 kilometres from the Greek coast. They are the victims at the very least of a conscious policy of the Greek state, the Greek coast guard of non-assistance. They may even be the victims of the illegal pushbacks carried out by the Greek authorities. The Greek health minister, a member of your sister party in Greece a few years ago, said, border security cannot exist if there are no casualties, and to be clear, if there are no dead. This is a murderous policy. The European political establishment has blood on its hands. Will you abandon the policy of Fortress Europe? I am very shook to respond. Deputy, I read about the tragedy that happened in the Mediterranean, and saw the pictures, and I think everyone is horrified by what occurred in the Mediterranean and that people have lost their lives at sea, and of course my condolences go to the families of those who were lost. Deputy, I don't think it's fair to simply blame the European governments or the European Union. The people who are most responsible for these deaths are the human traffickers, the criminals and criminal organisations that put people on sea-worthy vessels and don't care or not whether they arrive alive, so long as they get the money. They are the people who you should be turning your fire on. Thank you.
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