In light of finding's in Amnesty International's latest report that show the world is an increasingly dangerous place for refugees and migrants, GUE/NGL President Gabi Zimmer has described the EU's migration policy as “scandalous”.

“The closed-border policy of the EU costs the lives of thousands of migrants each year,” she said. “Asylum-seekers, migrants and refugees are the most vulnerable groups fleeing war, hunger or persecution and the EU has a responsibility to help these people and guarantee their human rights. We must save lives.”

The report strongly criticises many governments' border control measures and anti-immigration policies, as well as dangerous populist rhetoric that targets refugees and migrants.

Zimmer continued: “The EU must immediately stop fighting migration and constructing a 'fortress Europe'. Member states, like Greece, that receive the biggest share of migrants in the EU, are at the same time the most affected by the imposed EU austerity policies. They need the solidarity of all other EU countries. The EU has a common responsibility to guarantee decent conditions for the reception of migrants.”