“The sheer distress and need for help of those who come is met with a strange helplessness from politicians“, criticised EM Germany President Dr. Rainer Wend in his euro-political statement on refugee policy. “Nation states are simply overwhelmed“, said Wend.

In reference to Juncker’s State of the Union speech on 9 September about a European effort for refugee policy, he said: “let the Juncker administration finally ‘act big’! The EU needs strong coordination in refugee policy in the sense of fair burden sharing and the necessary instruments for this“. Since some EU countries have reduced their responsibility, it is crucial to do away with nimbyism: “Otherwise Europe will do away with itself“.

The new EM Germany telegram with its central theme asylum policy – current developments and more statements from the network EM Germany – will be published shortly.

Wend’s euro-political statement in full:

The influx of thousands of refugees is a test for Europe. The sheer distress and need for help of those who come is met with a strange helplessness from politicians. The mood is heated, not just in Germany – and those responsible are clueless? This must come to an end. Current events were foreseeable. Where were and are the emergency plans for the absorption of millions of refugees? Let’s not kid ourselves. There are none.

I predict that the next refugees will head off on the dangerous journey to Europe – for example, in an increasingly unstable Lebanon. We can see it, we know it. No fence will stop people in need! More than ever, it is clear: the ever so self-confident nation states will not manage the problem by themselves. A big collective European effort is necessary.

“Act big on big things and act small on small things”, Commission President Juncker is absolutely right with his demand for how the EU should act. However, we are seeing something else: the EU should withdraw from the small scale, yes. But where is the answer to the large scale? We abolish cucumber directives, while people are dying in the Mediterranean. It is high time to “act big”. The common EU domestic and external policy remains a blank sheet of paper. And from Greece, of all countries, we expect border control and processing first asylum applications?

We Germans are world champions in calling for subsidiarity. Currently, the EU is not allowed to react. Nation states do not support the European Commission in doing the job. Press appearances and summits by heads of state and government just will not do. We need a collective refugee and immigration policy with real solidarity between states and between communities.

Germany was not always one for the common quotas. Also Germany mistrusted collective coordination. To unilaterally repeal the Dublin Regulation for Syrian refugees is a good sign, but it comes too late and it is not enough.

Let the Juncker administration act on a large scale! The EU needs strong coordination in its refugee policy. But mainly, nimbyism should be abolished in Europe! Otherwise Europe will abolish itself.