On Friday 29 April, the students of The Phoenix Café, the Human Rights Student Association, the Central Eastern European Society and the Student Association on Gender Equality (SAGE) organized a closing conference titled "NGOs in the Mediterranean: How to protect the rights of migrants at sea?".
The event took the format of a panel discussion about migration in the Mediterranean with Ms. Maria ARENA (MEP, S&D), Ms. Monique PARIAT (Director-General of DG Home), Ms. Mirka SCHÄFER (Advocacy Officer at SOS Humanity), Mr. Peter GEORGE XUEREB (Judge at the CJEU). The conference was moderated by the Human Rights Student Association.
The panellists discussed the assessment and perspectives of EU policies in the field of S&R missions in the Mediterranean and their interlinkage with Human Rights. The discussion allowed a reflection on European values, touching upon cases of criminalization of humanitarian aid, pushbacks at sea, their legal framework, issues relating to the New Pact on Migration and Asylum, and its impact on gender (in)equality.
At the end of the closing event, the student volunteers of The Phoenix Café of the Éliane Vogel-Polsky Promotion officially donated the money they raised throughout the academic year to SOS Humanity. A total amount of 4.000 euros, the collected proceeds from October 2021 to April 2022, will be used to fund water for rescued people on SOS Humanity's vessel for a year.
Earlier this year, our socially engaged students also raised 450 euros for the Ukrainian Red Cross. The Phoenix Café involved over 120 (!) students volunteering as baristas and bakers in the foyer rooms of Verversdijk and Dijver.
