Silence is not enough: Green proposals for a European migration and asylum strategy

The document argues that the EU must address the root causes of migration—such as poverty and armed conflict—rather than just symptoms. It proposes four main pillars: establishing a permanent European search and rescue operation to proactively save lives; increasing resettlement places and providing safe, legal access to the EU to bypass smugglers; safeguarding the right to spontaneous asylum applications at external borders while opposing the militarization of migration policy; and replacing the Dublin system with a solidarity-based responsibility-sharing mechanism for asylum seekers.

• The EU should establish a permanent, co-funded European search and rescue operation that proactively saves lives in the high seas, distinguishing it from Frontex, which only reacts to rescue calls.
• To reduce reliance on criminal smugglers, the EU must increase refugee resettlement places and implement a common resettlement programme with binding obligations based on a fair distribution key. The document notes a significant gap in current efforts, stating that while the UNHCR called for 370,000 Syrian refugees to be resettled, EU Member States provided only 37,000 places, with 13 Member States providing none.
• The right to spontaneous asylum applications at EU external borders must be protected. The document opposes the creation of asylum centres in third countries, Italy's proposal to use North African countries to intercept refugees, and the European Council's suggestion to link migration policies to military operations under the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP).
• The Dublin system should be replaced by a fair system of solidarity and responsibility-sharing. This new system would allow asylum seekers to apply in Member States where they have family ties or employment prospects to improve integration and reduce irregular secondary movements, while using a distribution key for those without specific preferences.

APA

Keller, S. (2015). Silence is not enough: Green proposals for a European migration and asylum strategy. Green European Journal. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/silence-is-not-enough-green-proposals-for-a-european-migration-and-asylum-strategy/

Chicago

Keller, Ska. Silence is not enough: Green proposals for a European migration and asylum strategy. Green European Journal, 2015. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/silence-is-not-enough-green-proposals-for-a-european-migration-and-asylum-strategy/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Keller |first1=Ska |title=Silence is not enough: Green proposals for a European migration and asylum strategy |publisher=Green European Journal |date=20 June 2015 |url=https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/silence-is-not-enough-green-proposals-for-a-european-migration-and-asylum-strategy/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{keller2015silence, author = {Keller, Ska}, title = {{Silence is not enough: Green proposals for a European migration and asylum strategy}}, publisher = {Green European Journal}, year = {2015}, month = jun, url = {https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/silence-is-not-enough-green-proposals-for-a-european-migration-and-asylum-strategy/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }