From Parliament to the streets

Young European journalists have been meeting in the European Parliament for Youth Media Days

Filippo, Marina, Andrew, Alasdair, Ina-Gabriela, Oana, Oscar, Katarina, Åsa, Philippe and Dani broke into the workshop today. The first immigration wave hit them at 10.30, when the MEP Simon Busuttil told them what an immigration rate of 2400 people in a year means for Malta: almost 500.000 people for Germany. And how people from Northern African countries break into Europe in boats.

The second wave came in at 12.00: immigration is on the news not only at the European Youth Media Days, but also in the media reporting from the EU Council, which is taking place just a few streets away from the EYMD. While young journalists from all over Europe report on the immigration issue, heads of state and governments are discussing the European Pact on Immigration and Asylum. What is this all about? Philippe de Bruycker came to explain more. And he definitely knows a lot of things on the topic, as he is a lawyer specialised in immigration and asylum law.

The third wave was maybe the most impressive: Gjovalin Nonaj, a talented accordion player, told the story of his life: how he came to Belgium in the ’90s because of the Albanian civil war, how he started singing in the metro station Botanique so he can be able to survive, how the public opinion saved him from being deported in Albania by the authorities.

The waves decreased now. Katarina and Åsa almost finished editing their interview with Simon Busuttil, Filippo and Ina are in the press room, editing some vox pops, Oana and Oscar are working on a commentary on the immigration issue, Andrew and Marina are writing their scripts (they’re going to be the host of the show, yes!) and Philippe and Al are most probably out getting people’s opinion on immigration (should Europe be a fortress, should it be more open to the people?).