TRIPOLI November 22-23, 2006 -European Council on Refugees and Exiles (ECRE) was today the only NGO to be present at the conference between EU and African ministers on migration and development.

"We welcome this opportunity as representatives of civil society to be able to share our experience with governments of African and the European Union. We hope that Europe uses this opportunity also to protect people in need and not only their own interest. The protection of migrants and refugees must be a priority in co-operation between Africa and Europe", said Bjarte Vandvik, ECRE Secretary General.

The European Council on Refugees and Exiles represents 80 refugee-assisting NGOs in 30 European countries, and is concerned with the needs of all individuals seeking refuge and protection within Europe. ECRE representative at the conference, Richard Williams, was able to make an intervention during the conference, where he welcomed some initiatives in the draft conference declaration, whilst warning against others:

"We have heard little about local integration of refugees and nothing at all about resettlement, which is a means to show solidarity in a very practical way between Africa and Europe by protecting some of the most vulnerable refugees. We have heard a lot of talk about returns, but no mention of any kind of monitoring mechanism to ensure that returns or asylum seekers whose claims have been rejected are sustainable."

"It's clear that there is a willingness to offer migrants legal routes into Europe, but nobody has talked about providing refugees with an alternative to putting themselves into the hands of smugglers and traffickers. Instead we see increasing pressure on the EU's neighbours to prevent irregular migration into the EU, with the risk that Staes might take action that could interfere with the human right to leave any country.

Mr. Williams further stated: "People fleeing persecution and gross violations of their human rights form a proportion of the mixed flows which are of concern to us all. They need to be identified and offered protection. The question is, who identifies them, with what procedures and safeguards, and where will they be protected?

"The ultimate test of any society is how it treats those to whom it owes nothing. We have heard surprisingly little about refugee, the people to whom we owe nothing except respect of the fundamental human right, when all else fails, to flee for life and liberty."