On the evening of Tuesday 6 July, MEPs approved the new ‘Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund’ (AMIF) for the period 2021-2027, after a debate, but without a vote. They also adopted on Wednesday 7 July, by 496 votes to 84 and 111 abstentions, the instrument supporting border management and common visa policy - Border Management Fund.
MEPs discussed this with Commissioner Ylva Johansson on 6 July. For Slovenian MEP Tanja Fajon (S&D), responsible for reporting to Parliament on these two funds, the funding provided for these policies will allow the EU to “make its objectives a reality”, as she recalled that a total of €16 billion has been allocated to migration and asylum policy and border management, which is “three billion more than before”.
This money will help to “address the challenges” by better targeting frontline countries, going directly to local communities or helping to reintegrate people in their home countries.
The Slovenian also stressed how the current lack of agreement on new asylum and migration rules was putting the lives of “innocent people” at risk. The rapporteur on the state of the Schengen area (the results of the vote on this subject will only be known on Thursday 8 July - editor’s note), she stressed that the area of free movement was also “hostage” to these blockages.
The Commissioner welcomed funds that will allow for more “structured” assistance.
The Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund will amount to €9.882 billion. It should cover the common asylum policy, promote effective integration and social inclusion of third country nationals, and combat illegal migration. Its actions will also aim to ensure dignified readmission and reintegration in the country of origin.
Most of the funds (63.5%) should be allocated to programmes under shared management between the EU and the Member States. The allocations will vary according to the number of third-country nationals residing in the country, the asylum applications received, the return decisions taken, and the actual returns made.
The remaining 36.5% will be directly managed by the EU and will be dedicated to emergency aid, humanitarian admissions from third countries, and resettlement.
The funds could be allocated to local and regional authorities that implement measures to support integration. In respect of humanitarian admission, countries will receive €6,000 per person and €8,000 for vulnerable people.
The Integrated Border Management Fund provides for €6.24 billion. It will support European border and coast guards, the creation of reception centres, and the interoperability of information systems, such as the entry/exit system, the visa information system, or the Schengen information system.
Measures to identify vulnerable persons and unaccompanied minors are included in the Fund, which will also be able to finance actions in support of Member States issuing humanitarian visas.
Link to the adopted texts: https://bit.ly/2Uu9AkC (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)