Fourteen Member States were to take part in a new technical meeting on Friday 8 November on the temporary disembarkation of migrants rescued at sea, with discussions continuing, inter alia, on the criteria for relocated persons between volunteer countries.
The last meeting was held after the Home Affairs Council on 8 October. 13 Member States had taken part in this technical meeting, reporting a higher level of interest than in Luxembourg: very few Member States had supported the mechanism established by the September Malta Agreement on the Central Mediterranean Route (see EUROPE 12344/6).
However, the participation of these countries in the meetings does not commit them to be involved in each landing operation.
On the other migration route from Turkey, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met on 7 November in Budapest. The Turkish President recalled that, without further action by the EU, migrants would continue to arrive in Europe.
“With or without support, we will continue to welcome our guests, but only to a certain extent (...) If we find that this does not work, we will have no choice but to open the doors” to Europe, said Mr Erdogan. Alongside him, the Hungarian Prime Minister added that “without Turkey, the EU cannot manage” the migration issue. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)