The European Commission has said that the meeting held in Geneva on Monday 30 July between the EU, the International Migration Organisation (IMO) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), as well as the Mediterranean rim countries concerned, had been “open” and “positive” It had also highlighted the “challenges” to be faced and “practical solutions” regarding the concept of “migrant disembarkation platforms” developed by the European Commission on 24 May and approved by the European Council on 29 June.
The target fixed by the different parties is to achieve better “predictability” when it comes to search and rescue operations. There is a “general consensus” for “strengthening cooperation” and a will to pursue discussion, the Commission said but without giving further detail. The meeting was also aimed at building confidence on both sides given that the number of rescue operations has been reduced in recent weeks due, inter alia, to obstacles raised by Rome and the increasing number of deaths at sea. The Commission went on to add that it also allowed the EU to “clarify the fact that we are seeking collective solutions with all partners around the Mediterranean, on an equal footing”.
In the meantime, the Commission and the European External Action Service will continue to “work closely together with the HCR, the IMO and the member states to further develop how we can provide an offer of targeted support for third countries”.
According to the IMO, 1,514 people have lost their lives since the beginning of 2018 in their attempt to cross the Mediterranean Sea (57,571 people have reached the EU by this route). When contacted, the IMO office in Brussels did not wish to comment on the content of the in camera meeting, and those attending the meeting were vowed to discretion.
Furthermore, the IMO and the UNHCR were unable, on Tuesday, to indicate how the meeting would be followed up, as the timetable for future meetings will be decided after the summer break. The meeting in Geneva, at any rate, was a very first discussion intended to evoke concerns but not to result in concrete commitments. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)