On Wednesday 19 May, MEPs adopted an own-initiative report by Dutch MEP, Tineke Strik (Greens/EFA) calling for human rights to be placed at the heart of cooperation agreements with third countries regarding migration and for priority to be given to genuine readmission agreements rather than informal ones.
The resolution was adopted by a narrow majority of 358 votes to 309 with 26 abstentions, which exemplifies the sensitivity of the issue. Only about 20 EPP members supported the text, 4 abstained, and all other members voted against it.
In this text, the European Parliament criticises the Commission and some Member States for “ abusing informal agreements on the return and readmission of illegal migrants”. Even though, since 2006, the EU and some Member States have been entering into informal bilateral agreements and arrangements with third countries on strengthening their border control and management capacities, combating human trafficking and the return and readmission of illegal migrants. This is the case, for example, with the 2016 EU-Turkey Statement or the informal agreements with Afghanistan on the readmission of migrants, which do not take the form of international agreements.
The European Parliament considers such arrangements “worrying”, as they are “concluded without democratic, parliamentary or judicial control”. It also believes that the EU still lacks a “global and public vision” of the funds granted to those third countries with which the EU cooperates.
The European Parliament calls on the Commission to provide an overview and detailed information on all support measures provided by EU agencies such as the European Border and Coast Guard Agency.
The report also calls for more vulnerable refugees to be welcomed in the EU through UN resettlement programmes.
Link to the adopted text: https://bit.ly/2RyJOKP (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)