Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2011-02-15-Speech-2-464-000"
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"en.20110215.27.2-464-000"2
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"Mr President, thank you for this very timely debate on a situation that deserves all our attention.
With these concrete actions I have now mentioned, we are ready to meet and to engage with representatives of the Italian authorities to agree on details of each of these actions and the next steps.
Of course, a medium-term strategy must also be further developed. In the particular context of migration flows, we need a combination of effective border management and a strategy for supporting democratic and economic transition. In the short term, the Tunisian authorities should efficiently patrol the frontiers of their own country, at sea and along the coasts, to prevent smugglers, human traffickers and criminals who have escaped from prison from taking advantage of the situation. It is also important that Tunisia takes back those who have reached the territory of EU Member States and are not in need of international protection.
Looking at a more structured intervention, we should also explore the possibilities of better targeting EU assistance by promoting projects that are able to support income- and job-generating activities in the different regions of Tunisia, and I refer particularly to the southern parts of the country.
More broadly, a coherent approach supporting political and economic development in Tunisia needs to include possibilities for these people to come to the EU legally, as well as the exchange of goods, services and know-how.
There is a wind blowing over the Mediterranean as a result of these popular revolutions. This wind can bring many positive developments to Tunisia, to other countries, and to the EU. The current situation in Lampedusa should not undermine our intention to offer assistance and support to these emerging democracies and the young generation that so passionately and peacefully has been able to achieve fundamental political changes.
The Commission is following the situation very closely and Frontex has sent two experts to the scene. Approximately 5 500 Tunisian migrants are reported to have reached Italian shores in the last couple of days, but the numbers have dropped a little bit in the last 24 hours. Those arriving are mostly men in their thirties, but there are also 34 women and 108 children; 27 facilitators of trafficking were identified. These people arriving on Italian shores are causing exceptional pressure on the reception facilities of Italy, particularly in Lampedusa.
Last Saturday, we already started to have contact with the Italian Ministry of the Interior and we have also received a formal request for EU assistance. We are ready to assist both Italy and Tunisia. This is a matter of importance for the whole EU, not just a bilateral issue. Even before the last developments, the Commission, together with Frontex, started to identify what can be done in the short and medium term. The EU common response should be based on the principle of EU solidarity between Member States; and we are ready to assist Italy.
But our approach should also be based on solidarity with Tunisia and its democratic transition. This was also expressed by Lady Ashton when she visited the Tunisian authorities in Tunis yesterday, offering them political and financial support.
To assist Italy in these circumstances, we have identified a comprehensive series of concrete measures as well as quick financial assistance. Financially, we are ready to mobilise extraordinary assistance, under the European Refugee Fund for 2011, in addition to the funding already earmarked for Italy. This should cover payments for accommodation, infrastructure, material aid, medical care, social assistants, counselling with judicial administrative asylum procedures, legal aid, language assistance, etc.
We can also mobilise quite quickly resources from EU funds such as the External Borders Fund and, if necessary, Italy can ask the new European Office for Asylum in Valetta to deploy teams of support to the national authorities dealing with the asylum requests.
Concerning the surveillance of external borders, a joint Frontex operation could be set up and I am in contact with Frontex. I know preparations at technical level are being made.
As usual, such a joint debate will depend on Member States’ voluntary contributions of equipment. I invite all Member States to show their support. But let me reassure you on one point, referring to the debate we had just a few minutes ago: due to the different nature of sea/land border operations and a request to Member States to participate in a new joint operation, this will not compete with their contribution to the operation that we now have at the Greek land border. This is, of course, also a priority.
I would like to underline that we must pay specific attention to vulnerable categories of persons in need of international protection. Their needs must be taken into account and they must be able to access the special protection that they are entitled to, as provided by national and EU law."@en1
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