Through its actions of lack thereof, the European Union was clearly promising asylum seekers death, the European Association for the defence of Human Rights (AEDH) said this afternoon.

It said in a statement that to cope with the daily and growing tragedies, the European Commission did nothing more than announce the upcoming publication of a “European agenda on migration”.

“The European Union cannot say more clearly that the Sudanese, Eritreans, Syrians who want to save their freedom – and their life- by trying to reach the coasts of Europe are promised death,” it said.

AEDH said “We are angry because year after year, we have repeated that immigration should not be dealt with this way. It is inefficient and counter-productive... Year after year, we have seen the member states erect walls, barriers, and barbed wire to provide the illusion of security at their borders.

It called on ministers to stop their monthly meetings and deplore the tragedies of migrants. It also called on them to stop refusing to implement a reception policy for refugees that was worthy of the European Union.

Solutions and means existed to ensure secure access of migrants and refugees and these had to be immediately implemented.

This, it said, required a major revision of the visa policy and easier access to humanitarian visas or asylum. It also meant that maritime and land spaces of access to the EU had to be secured, not to intercept migrants but to ensure their safety.

“If Frontex cannot commit to this path, we demand that the means currently allocated to the agency are transferred to surveillance organisation such as Mare Nostrum.”

AEDH also called for the elimination of the Dublin III regulation for the burden to be shared among member states.