Toespraak Amsterdam Migration Summit - Hoofdinhoud

We are here - as a family - to discuss migration. The urgency is paramount.

Dear friends,

Welcome to Amsterdam. Thank you for being here.

We are here - as a family - to discuss migration. The urgency is paramount:

Andrea Nahles, our SPD colleague would have loved to be here but has to remain in Germany as a government crisis is unfolding - on migration.

The next European council is to discuss the issue but no signs of progress are visible.

Uncontrolled migration and inhumane human trafficking pose a challenge to our ideal of a free and inclusive society.

And as a stark illustration of the lack of a common approach a week ago, a ship with 629 refugees on board was refused access to Italy and Malta. Floating around in peril, with no way to go.

This ship reveals not only global inequality but also a fractured Europe. A fracture in our societies. Few topics are so divisive as migration and how to handle it. Where arguments have become attacks. Where we are no longer talking, but screaming.

At this moment, 65 million people are on the move. War, inequality, poverty and climate change will continue to force people to relocate. This challenge is here to stay, and it will be a defining challenge for the decades to come.

How do we meet this challenge? We have to rise above the day to day discussions. Wanting to help does not make you naïve. Wanting to protect our welfare state does not make you a bad person.

The challenge that migration poses can only be addressed together. We have to unite our social democratic family. We have to unite our societies. We can overcome this.

Most of us want to do both: help people, and protect our welfare state. It is our duty to help people seeking refuge. At the same time, it is clear that we cannot help everyone here in Europe and in our countries. Uncontrolled migration and inhumane human trafficking pose a challenge to our ideal of a free and inclusive society.

The challenge that migration poses can only be addressed together. We have to unite our social democratic family. We have to unite our societies. We can overcome this.

Social democrats have faced and overcome major challenges before. Not by turning a blind eye but by finding solutions that improve people’s lives. By providing access to health care for the sick, by providing a pension for the elderly, by providing education for every child and affordable homes for all citizens.

We can deal with this challenge too, but we need to make clear choices. Our common policy must be based on social democratic values:

Social democrats have built the welfare state so everybody can participate, has access to education and healthcare and nobody is left behind in poverty. To protect this we need to have control over the number of people entering our countries. We social democrats must show how to give groups of refugees a place in our society in a controlled manner, while fighting irregular migration. Controlled, so that our schools, employment and housing can keep up. Controlled, so that newcomers can learn the language, find jobs and adapt to our societies. Nobody should have to risk their life to seek asylum.

More help in the region: Our aim must be to ensure safe and humane protection in the region itself. At this moment, the people that are most in need of protection - those who are unable to flee or cannot afford to do so - are left to themselves. This is unfair. We need to help refugees to find protection and a dignified life in their own region - close to their homes. The refugee camps of today can become the cities of tomorrow. People deserve a future. The EU should provide financial, technical and logistical support to countries and organizations that receive the majority of refugees, ensuring a secure and safe environment with proper health care, housing and education.

Fight the causes: Tackling the root causes of migration is necessary to manage migration flows and provide for perspective in the region. This means we need to step up our efforts to fight climate change, to combat inequality and to provide for peace, security and perspective. Free press and respect for human rights are essential in this regard, and special attention needs to be given to those who are most vulnerable such as women, LGBTI and children.

We social democrats stand by a migration policy that is realistic and fair.

We social democrats stand by a migration policy that is realistic and fair. A migration policy that ensures that we are in control, and enables us to do more for those in need.