Cancun 2007
Whereas the core of liberal ideology is the freedom of the individual and the liberal world view is not one of governments or nations but one that puts the individual human being in the center,
whereas it is our aspiration to enable each individual to fulfill her or his dreams or when needed, to seek protection from persecution,
concerned with the growing number of people affected by violent conflicts in the world,
recognizing that more and more people from across the world leave their countries to seek asylum or opportunities in peaceful and democratic states,
recognizing the difficult challenge of countries neighboring conflicts in their efforts to receive refugees from conflict areas,
noting that several countries have tightened their rules on work permits and asylum as a response to the increasing flow of migrants, thus risking to compromise the universal right to seek asylum as set out in the Geneva Convention of 1951,
concerned that strict visa requirements and heavy carrier sanctions have made the use of traffickers the only remaining resort for reaching peaceful and democratic states, resulting in serious human tragedies,
whereas seeking asylum currently constitutes the only legal way for immigrants to enter most peaceful and democratic states, thus resulting in wrongful use of the asylum system and irregular immigration,
The Liberal International Congress
calls on all countries to pay full respect to the Geneva Convention of 1951, guaranteeing the universal right to seek asylum and to refrain from any legislation or measures that may restrict the right to asylum or international human rights standards,
urges all countries to refrain from applying carrier sanctions and penalties, forcing transportation companies to act as asylum authorities,
calls on all countries to implement visa requirements that enable free and easy travel as a rule rather than an exception,
calls on all governments not to use measures against traffickers as an instrument to make it even more difficult for asylum-seekers in need of protection to enter their territories,
urges all countries to further enable migration for other reasons than asylum-seeking in order to foster an inclusive economic globalization and secure individual opportunities for everyone.
