The European Commission reported on Thursday 25 April that it had received a letter from the Italian Foreign Minister, Enzo Moavero, asking the institution to draw up an action plan in the event of new inflows of migrants from Libya, hit by armed conflict between rival factions.
“We will formally respond to this letter" said Mina Andreeva, the institution's spokeswoman, who added that it was not the Commission that had been “the obstacle to finding a balance between responsibility and solidarity in migration” or the obstacle to finding a “better management of migration”. “So perhaps this letter should be addressed to the other Member States”, the spokeswomen continued.
The Italian Minister stated that he had sent the letter at a press conference in Rome on 24 April with the United Nations envoy for Libya, Ghassan Salamé, the latter had qualified the risks of a new sizeable wave towards the EU.
Member States have not yet been able to validate the reform of the asylum package proposed in mid-2016, including the revision of the Dublin Regulation. They have been working for several months on an alternative system for temporary disembarkation of migrants rescued at sea, the summary of which should be presented towards the end of May by the Romanian Presidency of the Council of the EU in the guidelines.
The European Parliament for its part did not approve any text of the asylum package at first reading, postponing all decisions to the next parliamentary committee. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)