Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2011-04-04-Speech-1-161-000"
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"en.20110404.19.1-161-000"2
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"Madam President, some honourable Members may be getting tired of me but I think this joint debate on migration flows is very timely. This will be both a general discussion of the role and scope of EU foreign policy, as outlined in Mr Provera’s report, and an opportunity for me to inform you about how the EU is responding to the crisis in the Southern Mediterranean.
Several measures need to be taken in the short term. On the continuous and possible increase of flows of refugees coming from the Libyan territory, the following actions will be considered: an adequate level of funds needs to remain available to support the provision of humanitarian assistance. In this context, funds will have to be earmarked to meet the basic needs of the refugees, to facilitate their return to their countries of origin, when appropriate, and to support their successful social and professional reintegration back home.
Moreover, an increasing number of refugees fleeing Libya are third-country nationals who were residing in Libya as refugees or asylum seekers. These people, a few thousand, cannot be returned to their countries of origin. Resettlement needs to be considered. The Commission is ready to facilitate this process and calls upon the Member States to take responsibility and to engage in such resettlement efforts. There will be financial support for this, from the European Refugee Fund in particular. In this context, it is imperative that the Council and the European Parliament make an effort to rapidly achieve an agreement on the European Resettlement Programme. All three institutions are in agreement on the political aim of this; we must find a way out of this institutional deadlock.
It is also urgent to develop a regional protection programme encompassing Egypt, Libya and Tunisia. Under the thematic programme for cooperation with third countries, the Commission has plans to allocate EUR 3.6 million to support such a programme. The deployment of EASO teams to the Member States affected by these flows will also be considered, with a view to helping the authorities screen the asylum seekers.
Finally, in the event of a massive influx of displaced persons and if the conditions foreseen in the directive are met, the Commission would be ready to consider making use of the mechanisms foreseen under the 2001 Temporary Protection Directive so as to provide immediate protection for these people on the territory of other EU Member States. The intention would be to give breathing space to the national asylum systems and to promote voluntary solidarity measures between Member States.
With regard to the continuous inflows of irregular migrants coming from the Southern Mediterranean, which could increase, the Commission believes that Joint Operation Hermes, coordinated by Frontex, should receive additional resources from Member States. Frontex will stand ready to provide logistical and financial support to assist the Member States concerned, to organise return flights, and to deploy Rapid Border Intervention Teams if they wish.
It is essential that the competences of Frontex are strengthened rapidly and more effective tools are put at its disposal. The amended regulation establishing the Frontex agency should be adopted by the Council and the European Parliament as soon as possible.
Specific projects are also being prepared by EU services and will shortly be launched, in partnership with the countries concerned, starting with Tunisia and Egypt. The aim is to enhance their capacity to control their borders – in cooperation with the relevant authorities – to fight against criminal organisations promoting the smuggling of migrants and people trafficking, to facilitate readmission and social and professional reintegration, and to identify and register migrants entering the territory and treat them in accordance with international standards by offering asylum to those in need of international protection.
These measures represent the immediate answer to the situation. However, we also need to implement long-term, sustainable programmes. With my partners in Tunisia and Egypt, we discussed bringing in working arrangements on a variety of issues covered under the Mobility Partnership. This could take the form of a new tailor-made EU approach, considering each country on its own merits, and taking into account the EU’s overall foreign policy with a given country.
Partnerships could cover everything from visa facilitation, under certain conditions and for specific categories, labour migration, preventing irregular migrant flows, setting up asylum systems, readmission, law enforcement, return, etc. We agreed with the two countries’ interior ministers to set up a working arrangement and to start identifying what we can do together.
I am convinced that this coherent EU foreign policy approach will help to set up a long-term system to address migration flows and this brings me to Mr Provera’s report. Protracted, long-standing conflicts and humanitarian crises in regions, such as the one we are talking about, are important factors fuelling South-South migration and migration towards the EU. Our main global challenges, such as migration, fully underline the importance of developing a comprehensive approach linking security, stability, crisis management and development.
Let me start by thanking Mr Provera for his excellent report which I read with great interest. It is a very timely subject for discussion, as is the role that EU foreign policy should play with regard to the very complex and multi-faceted nature of migration.
As the report suggests, such an approach must be based on a strong human rights approach, notably with regard to migrants’ rights. Special attention must be given to the situation of vulnerable groups. We share the view that it is crucial to put in place more long-term, sustainable cooperation programmes to address migration, mobility and security, in combination with the promotion of democracy, the rule of law and good governance with third countries.
This approach should be tailor-made, as I have described, looking at each country on its individual merits. This comprehensive approach fits in with other policy processes such as the nexus between security and development, which is mentioned in both the European Security strategy and the European Consensus on Development.
We have to mobilise the full range of policies and instruments at our disposal with regard to poverty eradication, early-warning systems and preventive diplomacy, humanitarian aid, crisis response actions, including sanctions, crisis management missions and post-conflict reconstruction and peace building.
This report is therefore very timely, as the EU currently has to deal with a crisis. But it also represents a possibility to start something new, the possibility to support the fantastic new democratic forces that are emerging: there is a great willingness to reform countries, especially in Tunisia but also in Egypt.
The Global Approach to Migration, as an external dimension of the EU’s migration policy, is to be based on a genuine partnership with third countries. This is mentioned in the Stockholm Programme and the Stockholm Action Plan and we will provide further initiatives in the Global Approach to Migration presented this autumn. The aim is to define the objectives of the approach more clearly and in more strategic terms. It will propose priorities, principles and concrete measures but will also look more closely at the link between migration and development and between migration and climate change, for instance.
I know that you are all willing to discuss different elements of this. It is a complex and very difficult issue which demands a great deal of time and effort to assess properly. It is also very event-driven and it changes almost by the hour. So far, the Commission has tried to be constructive and to address this in a very comprehensive and inclusive way. I look forward to taking your questions.
Let me start by outlining some elements of the EU response to the crisis in the Southern Mediterranean and then move to the more general role of EU foreign policy. As you all know, we are faced with a situation in the Southern Mediterranean that has become very critical in recent weeks with regard to the migration flows involved. More than 400 000 people have been displaced since the outbreak of the changes in Northern Africa and in Libya. Most of these people are third-country nationals who have come to Tunisia or to Egypt. A majority of them have been repatriated to their countries but a few thousand are still there and I will come back to them in a little while.
Around 20 000 migrants, mainly from Tunisia and, to a lesser extent, from other African countries, have managed to enter the European Union irregularly, reaching the shores of Lampedusa and Malta. Both of these islands are therefore under strong migratory pressure. The European Union has already responded to these serious, but different, challenges in an effective and rapid manner, taking three concrete actions. Firstly, the Commission has mobilised EUR 30 million to manage the humanitarian emergency generated by the sudden inflows of migrants and refugees in the countries neighbouring Libya. With the assistance of funds provided on a bilateral basis by the Member States and other international donors, it has been possible to offer temporary shelter to migrants and refugees, to meet their basic needs, and to return them to their respective countries of origin.
Secondly, we have reacted to the irregular and mixed flows across the Mediterranean Sea. Frontex, with the assistance of several Member States, launched Joint Operation Hermes, aimed at assisting Italy in controlling vessels that carry migrants and refugees. What is more, Europol has deployed a team of experts to Italy with the aim of helping the law enforcement authorities to identify possible criminal networks involved in trafficking.
Thirdly, the Commission has tried to ensure that, in the very short term, the Member States exposed to the growing flows of refugees and irregular migrants could cope with the financial consequences of this displacement. We have rapidly identified EUR 25 million which could be mobilised under the External Borders Fund and European Refugee Fund if and when specific requests are made by the Member States. Only one request has been made so far, but we are ready to consider further urgent requests.
I believe that this first response has been comprehensive; it is clear, however, that we need to do more. We need to set up a more structured, sustainable plan able to cover the various dimensions of this phenomenon, based on solidarity between Member States and in full respect of the European Union’s international obligations.
I have visited Egypt with the Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Martonyi, and Tunisia with my colleague, Commissioner Füle, who is responsible for neighbourhood policy. This was partly in response to the conclusions of the European Council, which asked the Commission to liaise very actively with these two countries.
In the run-up to our June JHA Council, I intend to propose a package of proposals to the Commission in May that will address the EU approach in the area of migration, mobility and security with the Southern Mediterranean countries."@en1
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