Brussels, 06/04/2011 (Agence Europe) - The AFP news agency, quoting French government sources, explained that on Sunday 3 April, the Italian government had announced that the Franco-Italian summit on immigration is due to take place on 22 April in Rome. This summit is expected to discuss the immigration situation facing Italy, which over the past few weeks, has taken in more than 20,000 migrants. The summit will also discuss the situation in Libya.
Over the past few days, tension has increased between the two countries with regard to Tunisian migrants that France has been sending back to Italy. The Italian government has announced that it will soon grant temporary residency permits to some of the migrants, so that they can freely move around the Schengen area.
Despite a number of difficulties, hundreds of people are arriving on the shores of the Italian island of Lampedusa on an almost daily basis. On Friday morning 6 April, the Italian authorities rescued more than 150 migrants from a small boat that had sunk. Fifteen bodies were recovered, 48 people were saved and more than 10 migrants were reported missing off the coast of Lampedusa.
On Tuesday in a resolution, the European Parliament called on the Council to activate the solidarity clause included in the Lisbon Treaty on asylum and immigration, as well as a directive granting temporary protection to refugees in the event of waves of mass immigration. Rui Tavares MEP (GUE/NGL), rapporteur on the relocation of refugees in the EU programme (blocked at the Council), said that this would help prevent “new tragedies” occurring.
On Wednesday, in a letter sent to the member states, the European Commissioner responsible for this question, Cecilia Malmström, called on member states to take the Libyans fleeing the conflict in their country, into care. The Swedish commissioner underlined that “the continued influx of refugees from Libyan territory requiring international protection could further increase” and was a real cause of concern. Malmström is also proposing that the activation of temporary protection procedures be given consideration, which would grant immediate protection to these people by granting them access to European territory if the situation demanded it but according to one source, this is still not yet the case.
Under this mechanism, it is up to the Commission to put forward a proposal activating Directive 2001/55 if it deems that the situation demands it. The Council would then have to make a decision at qualified majority voting. The distribution of refugees between the different EU countries, under this directive, also remains optional. Nonetheless, our sources claim that no real will exists at the Council to activate this instrument. In addition to this instrument, there are other refugee relocation programmes in a number of EU countries, which differ from Directive 2001/55, explained one of our sources, who furthermore said that the Commission and the HCR are also encouraging thousands of refugees currently blocked in Libyan ports to be taken charge of.
All these different possibilities of taking action will be explored during the JHA Council on 11 April. The Commission is also expected to hold discussions with ministers on possible short-term measures, such as the strengthening of Frontex's Hermes mission in Lampedusa, as well as longer term measures planned by the June European Council, namely, proposals for working with the authorities of the countries concerned, particularly Tunisia and Egypt, with regard to migration management and future mobility partnerships. (S.P./transl.fl)