The Permanent Representatives of the Member States to the EU held a discussion on Monday afternoon, 7 January, on the situation of migrants rescued during the Christmas period off Libya, some of whom are still being held on two German NGO rescue boats, the Sea-Watch 3 and the Professor Albrecht Penck a situation that affects 49 people waiting for a reception solution. Malta had rescued 249 other people during this period at the end of the year.
At the request of the European Commission, which will also be doing a more global review of the migration situation in the EU on Wednesday 9 January, together with Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos, Member States were therefore invited on Monday to offer reception capacities for surviving migrants, which a dozen Member States have "agreed to participate in", the head of DG Migration and Home Affairs, Paraskevi Michou, explained to MEPs from the Civil Liberties Committee on Monday afternoon.
According to a diplomatic source, nine countries have indicated their openness to take care of rescued migrants on their territory: France, Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal, Luxembourg, but also Ireland and Italy, although in a less committed way, as well as Romania, which holds the rotating presidency of the EU Council. Malta has reportedly indicated its readiness to dock these two vessels, according to two sources. However, according to the Director General, the appeal to Member States would still affect 80 other migrants.
The person in charge recalled that these ad hoc solutions were not sustainable and that it was necessary to work now on a "sustainable mechanism" which would make it possible, in the event of a "probable" failure, according to her, of the ‘asylum’ package (and its 7 texts) by the end of this mandate, to have "temporary solutions" implementing the philosophy of the texts of the ‘asylum’ package. Alternative but also sustainable solutions that would at least make it possible to make progress on the revision of the Dublin Regulation, still in a deadlock and blocked on issues of solidarity and responsibility by the refusal to move forward of certain countries, which consider that this Regulation and the relocation of asylum seekers would constitute a call for air for migrants. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)