Members of the European Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties questioned EU Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson on Wednesday 16 June on the EU strategy on voluntary return and reintegration of migrants presented at the end of April (see EUROPE 12707/11).
They also raised concerns. Some have asked how assistance to strengthen voluntary returns of failed asylum seekers in the EU can be delegated to the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex), which is the subject of much criticism and investigations into allegations of pushback.
Some elected representatives also questioned how to concretely help reintegration in the country of origin if these same countries do not want to admit their nationals. Tineke Strik (Greens/EFA, The Netherlands), who is leading discussions in the European Parliament on the revision of the Returns Directive (see EUROPE 12700/4), said that only by offering legal channels for migration in exchange could these countries be encouraged to cooperate more.
On behalf of the Renew Europe group, Fabienne Keller (France) suggested that the EU should help set up local reception centres for returnees who may not be accepted by their families on their return.
The MEP and other elected representatives also wanted to know more about the training of staff responsible for organising and carrying out the return of migrants.
Sylvie Guillaume (S&D, France) asked for details on how respect for the fundamental rights of these people is ensured when they return home, mentioning the lack of transparency in many of the migration cooperation agreements the EU has signed with third countries. In her view, the “quality of returns” should be prioritised, “rather than quantity”.
On 27 April, the Commission proposed to Frontex agents and Member States that assisted voluntary return should be strengthened and should be “the preferred option” as “the most sustainable”, and should also be “accompanied by reintegration support measures”, Johansson explained. She highlighted the low rates of enforcement of return decisions: on average one third of them are enforced but the figures are “approximate”, as not all Member States report on them.
Based on her experience in third countries, most recently in Tunisia, the Commissioner stressed the need to also help returnees find training locally. “It’s not just about financial incentives” she argued. She assured MEPs that pushbacks, i.e. returns, to unsafe countries, were prohibited, with case-by-case reviews of return decisions. She thus agreed with the call of several elected officials concerning the fate of LGTBI migrants. See the proposal : https://bit.ly/2S0RplF (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)