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The European Council (All 27 European Heads of State, Charles Michel and Ursula von der Leyen)
This petition is run by Safe Passage
Petition text
Dear Members of the European Council,
We request that you task the EU Commission and negotiating team with finding a replacement for family reunion under the ‘Dublin III’ regulation between the EU and the UK as part of EU-UK negotiations.
The UK has put forward a plan, but nothing will be negotiated unless EU countries provide the EU with a mandate to negotiate on this issue. The EU and UK must agree a replacement for family reunion under Dublin III that means no child refugees are worse off once the transition period ends.
Why is this important?
Refugees including children stuck in camps in Greece, France and elsewhere could lose one of their only routes to safety by the end of this year if the EU and UK don’t agree to keep allowing them to reunite with family in the UK.
As it stands, when the transition period ends on December 31st, refugees will no longer be able to reunite with their family members in the UK, or vice versa.
In Europe, there are thousands of unaccompanied child refugees living in the most appalling of conditions. Legal family reunion is a lifeline to these children who would otherwise risk their lives in boats or in the back of lorries in order to reach the UK and be with their families. By diminishing a child’s chances of reaching their relatives legally, the end of family reunion would be a blank cheque for people smugglers across the continent.
Currently, the EU Commission’s negotiation mandate does not include instructions for negotiating a replacement for family reunion. This means that, even though the UK is ready to negotiate a replacement, it will not happen unless EU member states provide the EU with a mandate.The clock is ticking and nothing is being done.
Add your name to this petition so that your political leaders take action. They can ask the EU to respond positively to the UK’s request to agree to continuing family reunion. But they need to do it as soon as possible, before the negotiations go too far and the chance could be lost.
The UK’s plan could be a lot better for child refugees, and the EU needs to use these negotiations to make sure no refugees lose any rights they currently have, but at least it’s a plan. Right now, refugees including children could be left with no legal possibility to join their families in the UK.
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EU: Let child refugees reunite with family
