The European Commissioner for Home Affairs reassured the members of the European Parliament's Civil Liberties Committee (LIBE) about the support given to the Greek authorities in the Aegean Sea camps, reported MEP Fabienne Keller (Renew Europe, France).
The latter, she said in a statement, was among the signatories of a letter sent to the Commissioner on 28 January inquiring about the Commission's actions in the Greek islands, which are also currently subject to violence between migrants and law enforcement agencies.
In her letter dated 25 February, Ylva Johansson assures that “the Commission supports the Greek authorities both operationally and financially. It also coordinates the assistance provided to Greece by other Member States, in particular with a view to improving current reception conditions. The Commission is fully aware that reception conditions need to be improved", the Commissioner writes.
In her letter, Ms Johansson also places greater emphasis on the principles she wants to include in the Migration Pact, "the first elements of which will be presented in the spring", she writes.
"The reform aims to find new forms of solidarity between Member States by working on a sustainable, reliable and permanent approach to search and rescue, to fully implement the European Border and Coast Guard Agency to ensure that the EU has strong external borders, to restore free internal movement at the EU's borders, to ensure legal channels of access to the European Union and to strengthen cooperation with countries of origin and transit".
With regard to asylum, "the cornerstone of the new Pact will be the principle of solidarity and the fair sharing of responsibilities. This means finding a solution that goes beyond purely national and geographical interests and guarantees significant support for Member States under pressure, such as Greece today". (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)