Brussels, 23/10/2013 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday 23 October in Strasbourg, several European Parliament (EP) group leaders called for a shift from platitudes to concrete action, in an effort to build an effective asylum policy and prevent any more boats sinking in the Mediterranean. This appeal was made the day before the European Summit begins and it also emphasised the need for a European response to the tragedies off Lampedusa.
On the subject of migration, the Council “regrets” the losses of life (Ed: more than 350 migrants perished on 3 October off the Italian island of Lampedusa) and, raged Hannes Swoboda (S&D, Austria), “what is the conclusion? That we return to the issue in June 2014!” “Is that”, he asked, “the speed of action in the Mediterranean?” He said that the proposed timetable was unacceptable.
In the provisional conclusions (see Twitter @AgencEurope and EUROPE 10944), the European Council indicated that it would tackle the question of immigration policies comprehensively in June 2014 at a specific summit on the future of justice and home affairs policies. Until then, the task force announced in Luxembourg on 8 October last would be meeting for the first time on Thursday morning and would have the task of identifying what concrete measures should be taken, such as strengthening the Frontex agency, improving co-operation with third countries and the fight against illegal immigration and human trafficking (see EUROPE 10938). The Council will look at these initiatives in December.
The EP did not find this very reassuring. Guy Verhofstadt (ALDE, Belgium), said that the Council had to make a commitment to real funding for the Frontex agency and “legal immigration” in the EU and pointed out that some member states needed people. Swoboda also said he wanted these people, “Syrian refugees, for example”, to have a chance. Ultimately, it is always going to be the “neighbouring countries” (Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Turkey) that will bear the biggest burden when taking in these refugees.
Daniel Cohn-Bendit (Greens/EFA, Germany) said that the European Council should take concrete action on legal immigration and the right of asylum, at the risk of an increase in populist agendas and those rejecting the EU.
Speaking on behalf of the EPP, Manfred Weber from Germany pointed out that there should be no attempt to make out that legal immigration in Europe did not exist, “when thousands of people are coming legally”. He wanted to know how many people the EU should be expected to take in and pointed out that there were millions of people in Africa who wanted to come to Europe.
In his letter of invitation to heads of state and government, the president of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy, envisages that the European Council will, on Friday 25 October, hold “an exchange of views on the situation following the recent tragic events in the Mediterranean Sea”. (SP/transl.fl)