The home affairs ministers of Italy, Marco Minniti, Germany, Thomas de Maizière, and France, Gérard Collomb, along with European Migration Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos reached agreement at an informal meeting in Paris on Sunday 2 July on drafting an action plan to help Italy cope with the arrival of migrants from Libya, many of whom have been rescued by boats belonging to NGOs.
After Italy threatened last week to close its ports to the NGO boats (see EUROPE 11819), the ministers agreed to put in place a “code of conduct” for NGOs, which Rome will draft.
On Tuesday 4 July, the European Commission will discuss the initiatives envisaged in preparation for for the EU home affairs ministers’ discussion in Tallinn on Thursday 6 July. On Monday 3 July, the Commission said that it was going to discuss the section on the code of conduct for NGOs while making clear that it is for Italy to determine the broad thrust, with its support. Officially, the goal is to help NGOs implement international law on assistance and rescue and better coordinate their activities. The Commission is likely to insist on measures that can be put into effect immediately.
On Sunday evening, the ministers and the European commissioner reached agreement on a raft of measures to provide Italy with increased assistance and to help it stem the migration flows, said the French Home Affairs Ministry in a press release on Monday.
The measures are: - “working on a code of conduct for NGOs, to be prepared and presented by Italy in order to improve coordination among NGOs operating in the Central Mediterranean”; - increasing support for Libyan coast guards by offering more training and providing additional funding, while ensuring close monitoring of activities; - providing additional support for the IMO and the HCR to bring Libyan infrastructure up to international standards in terms of living conditions and human rights; - backing consideration of definite options that might be considered for tightening border controls in the south of Libya to curb illegal migration, in close cooperation with the countries neighbouring Libya; - strengthening the EU’ returns strategy, taking full advantage of the capabilities of the Frontex agency and the approved re-evaluation of visa policy towards third countries in order to increase readmissions rates when necessary; - making full use of and speeding up relocation of refugees.
France and Germany have pledged to step up their efforts on relocation, says the French ministry.
On Sunday, ahead of the Paris meeting, the Italian home affairs minister said in an interview that Italy was facing “enormous pressure”. The boats coming to the assistance of the migrants “are flying the flags of various European countries”, he said, adding that boats belonging to NGOs and vessels from the European anti-people smuggling naval operation Eunavfor Med Sophia and from the European Frontex agency were all involved alongside Italian coast guards.
“I’m a pro-European and I would be proud if even one boat, instead of coming to Italy, were to sail into another port. It wouldn’t solve Italy’s problem but it would send a massive message” that Europe wants to help Italy, the minister is quoted by AFP as saying.
Since the start of the year, Italy has recorded the arrival of more than 83,000 migrants, a rise of 19% on the same period in 2016. Most of the migrants travel from Libya. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)