Kristof Bender participated at an online debate about concrete perspectives for the Western Balkans. He presented ESI’s proposal to make membership in the EU’s Single Market a credible and reachable interim goal in the accession process.
Gerald Knaus participated in an online debate on the rule of law, where he addressed the fragility of the EU's institutions and the need for cooperation between member states.
Gerald Knaus gave a presentation for CARE Austria on irregular migration, asylum, pushbacks and borders. He also addressed the EU-Turkey Statement and private sponsorships of refugee resettlement as in Canada.
Gerald Knaus was invited to give an online lecture at the Oxford University Austrian Society on "Can ideas change the world?", where he addressed the current challenges in migration policy,
Gerald Knaus was invited to explain in a short video clip what makes EU “return sponsorships” the German “un-word” of the year. Gerald explained that the EU Commission invented this term to conceal the crisis of solidarity at the EU’s external borders and showed that it will never work in practice.
Gerald Knaus spoke with Dutch MEP Kati Piri about the dire situation of refugees on the Greek Islands, the New Pact on Migration and Asylum and the responsibility that EU member states have, and the renewal of the EU-Turkey Statement.
The 2016 Statement has been successful in reducing the number of irregular crossings by sea from Turkey to Greece but it was never implemented as envisaged and de facto ceased to exist last year. The pushbacks happening now are inhumane, morally despicable, and blatantly violate EU and international law.
