"How many times does the European Parliament have to call on the heads of states and governments that we have had enough of words, we want bold action based on solidarity from all member states!" said Labour MEP Marlene Mizzi during her intervention in Brussels at a Parliamentary debate on the measures to deal with the migration and refugee crisis.

In her work as an MEP Marlene Mizzi has repeatedly stressed that migration is a symptom not a cause and in the long run Europe needs to address the cause at its origin".

 Addressing European Commission First Vice-President Frans Timmermans and Luxembourg's Minister for Immigration and Asylum Jean Asselborn, Labour MEP Marlene Mizzi expressed her deep disappointment at the outcome of Monday’s Justice and Home Affairs Council meeting and urged the Member States to show true collective ownership and strong political leadership and with concrete actions and specific measures to respond to the global refugee crisis. 

"On Monday all eyes and expectations were on the EU justice and home affairs ministers waiting for the EU leaders to finally show true solidarity, collective responsibility and unity. But for an umpteenth time, our citizens were deeply disappointed at the ministers’ failure to take tough decisions and come up with a common solution to the refugee crisis," said Marlene Mizzi during her address in the European Parliament. 

“The European Parliament has done its job”, said MEP Mizzi, “Now it is up to the Member States to address the situation without any further delay, but instead, Member States are suddenly reintroducing border controls threatening the 20-year-old Schengen passport-free zone and questioning one of the core principles of the European Union – free movement.” 

In a comment shortly after her speech in the plenary Marlene Mizzi said: This crisis is no longer a single country problem, indeed it is no longer a uniquely European problem, it is in an international problem affecting everyone both inside and outside the Union. Europe needs to join efforts and together with its International partners, provide Global response to the crisis and focus on solving the root cause of migration, tackling the violence in Libya, Syria, the Middle East and sub-Saharan Africa and solving the causes that are forcing people to flee their homes, otherwise we would set ourselves up for even greater problems in the future.