Brussels, 25/09/2014 (Agence Europe) - A defence minister in charge of migration to the EU and, moreover, from a country that has been found guilty by the European Court of Human Rights of maltreatment of asylum seekers. This is the image, albeit caricatural, that Greek commissioner designate Dimitris Avramopoulos will have to correct or, alternatively, project when he faces MEPs on the European Parliament's civil liberties committee on Tuesday 30 September. Avramopoulos, who has been handed the migration and internal affairs portfolio by Jean-Claude Juncker, at least has the benefit of experience: born in 1961, the current Greek minister of defence was the mayor of Athens between 1995 and 2002 and has, since then, occupied a number of ministerial posts - tourism between 2002 and 2006, health from 2007 to 2009, defence in 2011 and foreign affairs between 2012 and 2013.
He has huge challenges facing him: nominated when shipwrecks and loss of lives in the Mediterranean are increasing and when the number of illegal immigrants has reached record levels since 2008, Avramopoulos will embody the promise made by Juncker to create the post of commissioner specifically responsible for migration in order to bring migration greater clarity. He will also have to meet expectations that are as many as they are varied: the EPP Group has indicated, principally through the comments of French MEPs Rachida Dati and Brice Hortefeux, that it expects him to conduct a strong policy against illegal immigration and even to reform the Schengen area. The Social Democrats and the Greens, however, want the EU to ditch the fortress Europe image and to work more on legal migration.
Juncker's announcement on 10 September of the areas of responsibility he was attributing to Avramopoulos did not fully reassure French Socialist MEP Sylvie Guillaume who wrote on her website on 12 September: “… the post of commissioner for migration was created to set the priorities of a new migration policy to tackle illegal immigration effectively while at the same time making Europe an attractive destination for the finest talents”, according to Juncker. “How can an ambitious, comprehensive migration policy be limited to balancing efforts to tackle illegal immigration and admission only to highly qualified workers?” “How will Mr Avramopoulos give substance to the principle of solidarity which, thus far, remains no more than words?” (our translation), she wondered, sceptical of the message sent out with the selection of a defence minister for this post.
The mission statement addressed to Avramopoulos, drafted by Juncker, does not at any rate necessarily support the idea of fortress Europe. While it makes management of migration a priority for filling skills gaps and making borders secure, it will also be important to implement the asylum package, which has considerably improved the fate of asylum seekers in Europe. Juncker also proposes that the EU develop responses to emergencies, such as currently with Syrian refugees.
The moment of truth will be on Tuesday, however. The MEPs will probe, asking Avramopoulos inter alia if he feels the current armoury is sufficient to respond to the many challenges, between migration and terrorist threats. Other pressing questions will also have to be answered, according to the draft list of questions prepared by the coordinators; for example, in relation to the directive on data retention, the future of which is uncertain after the Court of Justice ruled against it. Avramopoulos can expect much more, the MEPs having three hours to ask a total of 45 questions. (SP)