As Europeans, #WeApologise on behalf of our national and European leaders for their inexcusable lack of coordinated humanitarian aid to the situation you and thousands of others are in while crossing our borders to escape war, persecution and poverty.

We understand that making this journey was not an easy decision for you and may have involved putting the lives of your loved ones at risk, or worse. We will continue to urge our decision-makers to provide safe and regular channels to the EU, so that your wellbeing does not rest in the hands of people smugglers.

Civil society organisations and thousands of people across the EU are taking a stand despite many governments’ inaction by opening their homes, sharing their food and donating their clothes. We will keep pressuring our politicians to fulfil their humanitarian obligation to ensure the provision of such services rather than leaving it up to individuals or organisations to provide them without support.

The decision you made that led you here to Europe required a lot of courage. We implore our leaders to demonstrate the same courage by coming together to find a pan-European response that respects each individual’s human rights regardless of their status

While several of our leaders seem to have forgotten the EU’s core values of solidarity and human rights, we have not. The EU has the capacity to welcome you with open arms, and the unwillingness to do so is an embarrassment to us. We acknowledge your right to seek refuge in safer regions and to be treated with dignity. We also recognise the contribution that you can make and we will fight to give you this opportunity.

In solidarity,

Social Platform

AEGEE-Europe
AGE Platform Europea
ATD Fourth World
Autism-Europe
CECOP-CICOPA Europe
Eurochild
European Anti-Poverty Network (EAPN)
European Association of Service Providers for Persons with Disabilities (EASPD)
European Citizen Action Service (ECAS)
European Civic Forum
European Council on Refugees and Exiles (ECRE)
European Disability Forum (EDF)
European Environmental Bureau (EEB)
European Federation of Older People (EURAG)
European Federation of Parents and Carers at Home (F.E.F.A.F)
European House Budapest (Hungary)
European Network Against Racism (ENAR)
European NGO Confederation for Relief and Development (CONCORD)
European Social Action Network (ESAN)
European Students’ Forum
European Network of National Civil Society Associations (ENNA)
European Network of Social Integration Enterprises (ENSIE)
European Parents Association (EPA)
European Platform for National Non-Profit Umbrella Organisations and for National Associations of General Interest (CEDAG)
European Platform for Rehabilitation (EPR)
European Roma Information Office (ERIO)
European Volunteer Centre (CEV)
European Youth Forum (YFJ)
ILGA-Europe
Inclusion Europe
International Council on Social Welfare Europe (ICSW)
International Union of Tenants (IUT)
Mental Health Europe
Pax Christi International
Platform for International Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants (PICUM)
SMES-Europa
SOLIDAR
The Salvation Army
Transgender Europe (TGEU)