Help Britons Overseas
Monday 28th February
GMB SEEKS MORE HELP FOR UK NATIONALS INJURED OVERSEAS AS
CAMPAIGNER MEETS WITH EU COMMISSIONER’S OFFICE ON 2ND
MARCH 2011 AS EU DRAFTS NEW RULES
At the moment its no one’s job to help UK nationals
injured overseas, and so at one of the most dreadful and worrying
times of someone’s life it is almost impossible to get any
information let alone help says campaigner Maggie
Hughes
GMB is working with union member Maggie Hughes to lobby the
European Union to secure new rules which ensure that UK nationals
who are the victims of crimes or accidents while abroad receive
proper support. Sutton resident Maggie Hughes’s son Robert was
seriously injured when he was attacked whilst on holiday in Greece
in 2008.
GMB wants to see the EU rules requiring decision makers,
agencies and companies, working together to ensure that victims of
crime or accidents abroad get the advice, information, support, and
counseling they need automatically and preferably through a single
point of contact or helpline. Maggie, her family and GMB also want
to see measures to support effective access to justice in such
cases.
GMB’s Brussels office has organised a meeting on 2nd
March 2011 at 16.00 (European Time) between EU Commissioner
Reding's Cabinet and Maggie who will be accompanied by her daughter
Alaina. Aware that the European Commission is about to bring
forward proposals for EU rules on the rights of support to
victims of crime in Spring 2011GMB’s long established Brussels
Office felt it was crucial for Maggie’s campaign and her advice and
experiences to inform and influence these proposals in a practical
way.
Maggie will be accompanied by Arlene McCarthy MEP, Claude Moraes
MEP and Kathleen Walker, GMB's European Officer.
Since Maggie’s son Robert was attacked in Greece she has
campaigned tirelessly at every level to make politicians, decision
makers and the general public aware of the unacceptable lack of
help available for the victims and families of people injured or
attacked while abroad and to set up a Help Service as none
currently exists.
Robert’s experience is not an isolated issue. A GMB analysis of
the Foreign & Commonwealth Office - Consular Assistance
Statistics shows the following number of deaths and injuries of UK
nationals abroad in selected countries.
|
Number of British Nationals requiring consular assistance - 1
April 2009 and 31 March 2010
|
|
|
deaths
|
hospitalizations
|
|
|
|
Total Worldwide
|
5,930
|
3,689
|
|
|
|
Total European Union
|
3,970
|
2,049
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Spain
|
1,786
|
831
|
|
|
|
Greece
|
149
|
471
|
|
|
|
France
|
527
|
217
|
|
|
|
Cyprus
|
323
|
112
|
|
|
|
Italy
|
106
|
101
|
|
|
|
Portugal
|
218
|
92
|
|
|
|
Germany
|
563
|
45
|
|
|
|
Malta
|
62
|
28
|
|
|
|
Bulgaria
|
44
|
23
|
|
|
|
Poland
|
29
|
21
|
|
|
|
Czech Republic
|
17
|
17
|
|
|
|
Netherlands
|
46
|
17
|
|
|
|
Austria
|
13
|
14
|
|
|
|
Belgium
|
26
|
10
|
|
|
|
Sweden
|
19
|
8
|
|
|
|
Republic of Ireland
|
12
|
7
|
|
|
|
Romania
|
1
|
7
|
|
|
|
Slovakia
|
5
|
7
|
|
|
|
Hungary
|
8
|
5
|
|
|
|
Denmark
|
13
|
4
|
|
|
|
Estonia
|
|
4
|
|
|
|
Slovenia
|
1
|
3
|
|
|
|
Finland
|
1
|
2
|
|
|
|
Latvia
|
1
|
1
|
|
|
|
Lithuania
|
|
1
|
|
|
|
Luxembourg
|
|
1
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Others
|
|
|
|
|
|
Egypt
|
71
|
235
|
|
|
|
Thailand
|
292
|
199
|
|
|
|
USA
|
148
|
126
|
|
|
|
India
|
148
|
99
|
|
|
|
China
|
46
|
89
|
|
|
|
Australia
|
77
|
42
|
|
|
|
UAE
|
56
|
31
|
|
|
|
South Africa
|
70
|
21
|
|
|
|
Canada
|
35
|
17
|
|
|
|
New Zealand
|
21
|
11
|
|
|
|
Pakistan
|
19
|
7
|
|
|
Maggie Hughes said, “What is needed is a well publicised
helpline where all the agencies and companies that families need to
get hold of to enable them to reach their injured loved one and get
them back home safely come together with compassion and offer the
necessary practical and administrative support to families at this
extremely traumatic time.
At the moment its no one’s job, and so at one of the
most dreadful and worrying times of someone’s life, for maybe
a parent or a spouse or a grandparent, it is almost impossible to
get any information let alone help. The British Embassies do their
best but do not have the resources to do more than the bare
minimum. British police cannot intervene if a UKcitizen has been a
victim of violent crime aboard.
In my case, my son was nearly killed but luckily
survived. Since then I have come across families who’s children
have been killed or gone missing. We all have had the same
experience. There is no help. You have to do everything yourself in
the dark. There is then another mountain to climb to ensure justice
for the crimes committed abroad, which we have found to be
impossibly complex. The Commission’s proposals will also need to
address this unacceptable situation.
I am going to ask the EU Commission to give us a central
help service with a universally publicized number that embassies,
police forces, health services, translators, mobile phone
companies, banks, hotels, air lines and every other possible agency
that is needed signs up and where this wealth of contacts and
information can be co-ordinated effectively through a central point
to provide the necessary support to families”
London MEP Claude Moraes is backing his constituent's campaign
saying,“It is impossible to understand what Maggie must
have been going through. It is every parent's worst nightmare: to
know that your child is in a life-threatening condition in a
country that is over a thousand miles away from home.
Of course we hope that these things will never happen to
us, and for most people trips abroad are problem free. But sadly
many people are affected by crime while they are abroad and at
present the EU isn't doing enough to assist these vulnerable
victims."
Labour's Arlene McCarthy MEP has been campaigning for many years
for the rights of British victims in other EU countries said,
“Too often victims and their families are denied critical
information and support. They are often too distressed to
understand the complex procedures of another country's justice
system.
We urgently need a fast and simple EU system which
explains their rights, gives information in their own language and
provides essential support to families and victims. Over the coming
months we will be looking closely at the European Commission's
proposals to see whether Maggie's message has been
heard."
Kathleen Walker Shaw, GMB European Officer said, “GMB is
proud to be able to help Maggie bring her ‘Please Enjoy Don’t
Destroy’ campaign to the EU Commission, and will continue to
support her in ensuring her advice and experience positively
influences the forthcoming rules for victims of crime. This is the
EU Commission’s time to put words in to action and show that it
cares about EU citizens. GMB is very grateful to the MEPs and
colleagues in the European Economic and Social Committee who have
so willingly pledged their support.”
Ends
Contact: Kathleen Walker Shaw, GMB European
Officer on 07841 181549 or Maggie Hughes on 07932 757873 and
Stephen Pearse, European Parliamentary Labour Party press officer
on 0032 479 790053 stephen.pearse@europarl.europa.eu
or GMB Press Office: Rose Conroy on 07974 258123.
Notes to Editors: Maggie Hughes and Kathleen
Walker Shaw are available for interview.