MEP Marlene Mizzi is currently in Montreal, where she is attending the annual World Social Forum (WSF) 2016. MEP Mizzi has also been invited to participate in the World Parliamentary Forum.
The WSF brings together between 50,000 and 80,000 people from local and global civil society organizations, to participate in over 1,500 activities. The Forum seeks to find solutions to the problems of our time by building concrete alternatives to the neoliberal economic model and to politics based on the exploitation of people and human rights.
“It is an honour to be entrusted to represent the Socialists & Democrats Group at the World Social Forum this year. This is the world largest gathering of civil society members discussing solutions to today’s pressing issues such as , social development, solidarity and human rights among others,” MEP Marlene Mizzi said.
MEP Marlene Mizzi was a guest speaker at McGill University, in one if the most important workshops of this event , dedicated to the global refugee crisis . The workshop was attended by academics and members of the civil society. “The current migration crisis will not disappear any time soon. Migration movements from Africa will continue to increase and transform our societies. Migration debate has been tearing Europe apart, creating deep divisions, strong tensions and social polarisation within our society. European citizens are scared and unless we address those fears, we risk to seriously undermine the very basis of the European project” MEP Mizzi said.
In her intervention, MEP Mizzi spoke about the inadequacy of the existing solutions at European and International level, such as the obsolete Dublin regulation putting burden on the border countries. She also spoke about proper implementation and enforcement on the ground and the importance of safeguarding the principles of the rule of law in line with the fundamental values of the European Union and respect for human rights.
Marlene Mizzi called for a global response, cooperation, responsibility sharing and solidarity - not only from European countries. “We need more investment in creating jobs and improving living conditions and the standard of living in African countries, where many migrants come from. We have to ensure that the billions of euros being pumped into African countries are really benefitting the people, and are not ending up in the pockets of the few. We must give them a future in their own country so that citizens of these countries will not have to leave their homes and their families, risking life and limb in search of a decent future in Europe .” MEP Mizzi said.