Meeting on the occasion of the 9th meeting of the Association of Mediterranean Ombudsmen (AOM), on 9 and 10 March 2016 in Valletta, Malta, the Ombudsmen and Mediators have adopted a solemn declaration, at the end of their work on the issue of migrants and refugees. At the end of this meeting, which was attended by Jacques Toubon, Defender of Rights and Secretary General of the AOM, they asked that:
- States guarantee refugees and migrants effective access to rights, including asylum procedures, without discrimination;
- National and international partners combat hate speech and xenophobia, which undermine the rights of refugees as well as the fundamental values and principles of diversity, tolerance and coexistence of our societies;
- States adopt a human rights-based approach, so that responses to the migration crisis and security concerns do not jeopardize fundamental guarantees of individual freedoms in countries of transit and destination;
- States urgently develop integration policies that enable migrants and refugees to better contribute to the economy of host countries and to provide real added value in terms of diversity.