On November 7th, 2017, a delegation of Members of the European Parliament welcomed Omelkhir Ouertatani, from the association for relatives of missing Tunisian migrants Almassir Des Jeunes Mediterranée, and Boubekeur Sabouni, from the Collectif des Familles des Harragas, an organisation that brings together the relatives of Algerian migrants victims of enforced disappearance during their journey to Europe.

Unfortunately, Feric Charden Datchoua, who represents the association Solidarité et Sensibilisations des Familles des Migrants du Cameroun, could not be present, because the Italian Consulate in Cameroon denied him the visa to enter Europe, despite the official invitation by the European Parliament. The meeting in Brussels was made possible by the invitation of MP Miguel Urban Crespo, member of the Sub-Committee on Human Rights of the political group European United Left/Nordic Green Left (GUE//NGL).

Thanks to the accounts of the migrants' families, the Members of Parliament were able to better understand the injustice befalling the south of the Mediterranean Sea, which is a direct consequence of the policies of borders externalisation implemented by the European Union and by single member states.

The families present at the meeting have repeatedly stated that their relatives were forced to board the dinghies of death because the European member states deny regular entry into the EU. The participating MPs pledged to share what they had learnt from the migrants' relatives with the relevant parliamentary committees and to organise a second meeting, at the end of 2018, with the families of migrants who are missing, deceased, or victims of enforced disappearance.