MED5: The joint declaration of the ministers from the Conference in Paphos

The fourth meeting of the Ministers of Interior and Immigration of the Med5 group (Greece, Spain, Italy, Cyprus, Malta) was held in Paphos, Cyprus.

The aim of the meeting was to optimally coordinate the positions of the group of five EU member states for the new European Pact on Migration and Asylum.

In their joint statement, the ministers of the five countries ask, among other things, the European Commission and the European Council “to finally recognize the increased tasks assigned to frontline Member States and the additional tasks that arise in the field of migration management, reception , asylum and integration, quickly and effectively introducing fair burden-sharing measures for the whole EU, thus ensuring a right balance between solidarity and fair sharing of responsibilities”.

They also call for an “effective predictable and mandatory solidarity mechanism that reflects the needs on the ground” and to emphasize “border management, through enhanced surveillance at the origin and prevention of irregular crossings”.

Finally, a special mention is made of the Green Line of Cyprus and specifically it is noted that “greater emphasis should be placed on border management at the external borders of the Union, through enhanced pre-border surveillance along all migration routes and prevention of irregular crossings, including the Green Line in case of Cyprus, which must be dealt with adequately, due to the special conditions that apply, despite the fact that the “Green Line” is not an external border of the EU.

The following is the text of the Joint Declaration:

We, the Ministers of the Interior, Immigration and Asylum of Cyprus, Greece, Malta and Spain, on the occasion of the fourth Ministerial session in Paphos on 7-8 October 2022, have concluded the following in relation to the internal and external dimension of European migration policy, as part of a holistic approach to an effective asylum and migration management:

We express our appreciation for the joint Roadmap of the rotating Presidencies of the Council and the European Parliament to reach a comprehensive and balanced agreement on the Pact on Migration and Asylum, in coordination with the Commission, and we reaffirm our readiness to strengthen cooperation to promote the common values ​​and principles of the Union, including the principle of solidarity and the fair sharing of responsibilities.

We reiterate our unwavering commitment to fulfilling our obligations under international law and the European acquis, in particular in relation to our responsibilities regarding the Union’s external borders.

We call on the Commission and the Council to finally recognize the increased tasks assigned to front-line Member States and the resulting additional tasks in the area of ​​migration management, reception, asylum and integration, by putting in place swift and effective fair-sharing measures of burdens for the whole of the EU, thus ensuring the right balance between solidarity and fair sharing of responsibilities.

We expect the Commission and other Member States to take due account of specificities arising from geographical conditions and geopolitical developments in relation to frontline Member States, including the impact of maritime borders, landings and search operations and rescue. In this context, it is important to have an effective, predictable and mandatory solidarity mechanism, which will reflect the needs on the ground. Assurances are required that identified needs will be met through solidarity contributions. Emphasis should be placed on border management, through enhanced surveillance of origin and prevention of irregular crossings.

Greater emphasis should be placed on border management at the Union’s external borders, through enhanced pre-border surveillance along all migration routes and the prevention of irregular crossings, including the Green Line in the case of Cyprus, which must be addressed sufficiently, due to the special conditions that apply, despite the fact that the “Green Line” is not an external border of the EU.

In view of the continued aggression against Ukraine, but also of the overall instability in the enlarged region, the Union’s external borders must be protected against hybrid threats and instrumentalization tactics from some neighboring countries.

The EU must remain consistent with all our partners, investing in developing meaningful and long-term partnerships, in particular with key countries of origin and transit, in order to work with them to prevent irregular migration flows, and to carry out effective returns of those nationals who no longer meet the conditions of residence in the Member States. We recall the importance of addressing all migration routes, including emerging new routes from the Middle East, in an integrated approach based on the whole route.

There is also an urgent need to assess the actual conditions in countries of origin and transit that are currently considered unsafe and from which large migration flows to the EU originate. In this way, we should ensure that available reimgs are channeled to those who actually they need protection.

We encourage all stakeholders to engage in a frank dialogue with the aim of creating a truly common European asylum and immigration system, based on the real and required balance between solidarity and fair sharing of responsibilities, as enshrined in the founding Treaty on the functioning of the European Union Union. Having confirmed the political will to work towards an agreement on the Pact before the end of the current parliamentary term, as agreed in the joint roadmap with the European Parliament, we should ensure that the progress of the negotiations takes a balanced approach.

We welcome the discussion initiated by the Presidency on fair sharing and flexible liability and call for tangible progress on this issue.

In this regard, the MED5 countries look forward to the meeting of the EU Home Affairs Council on 14 October, which is also about assessing current developments and challenges in the field of asylum and migration.

Source: News Beast

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