On 12 June, the EU decided to further restrict the rights of refugees. Before this agreement was reached, they had already been subjected to discrimination and dehumanization by a system that claims to protect their rights yet continues to take more and more away.

Under the guises of 'security' and 'overhauling' the asylum system, the EU Asylum Pact seems to serve only one purpose: to enable EU member states to control and profile refugees, and to manipulate politics in a way that disadvantages them even further when seeking asylum, something to which they should have uninterrupted access.

Refugees who have already been forced to recount their traumatic experiences in front of an officer who ultimately decides their fate are now being forced to do so in an even shorter time frame. For some refugees, it means not being allowed into a safe country, instead being forced to remain in countries that are no less dangerous, especially if they are LGBTQIA+, religious, or political activists.

The process should be transparent, just and fair. However, it is becoming even more of a nightmare for refugees. This only benefits those who do not view refugees as human beings. They see refugees only as statistics that generate positive publicity, viewing them purely in political terms rather than as people who must have equal rights. Those that chant "Send them home".

We urge the international community to oppose this deeply inhumane legislative nightmare. We are certain that it is merely a trial run for harsher crackdowns on anyone who does not fit the far-right agenda. We apologise to the refugees for not preventing this nightmare from reaching the EU Parliament, but would continue to stand with them, even in darkest hours.

There are no illegal humans.

Refugee rights matter. Human rights matter.