DRC statement on the recent events in Ceuta and the death of 140 migrants

The Danish Refugee Council is saddened at the death of over 140 people who were recently seeking to reach Ceuta and we are alarmed at the political discourse that followed this tragic incident.

We urge the EU, the EU’s Member States and all relevant European and international organisations to ensure a measured and evidence-based response that is in line with EU and international legal obligations.

Policies aimed solely at deterring irregular arrivals and simplistic media narratives designed to demonise refugees and migrants only serve to undermine solidarity and escalate risks for the most vulnerable among us.

Regardless of their ultimate status, asylum seekers and migrants have human rights and are legally entitled to robust protection mechanisms, safe and regular pathways, and reliable information regarding the risks they face along increasingly dangerous routes.

This incident illustrates the need for EU solidarity around rights-based approaches to asylum and migration that ensure access to protection at the EU's borders.