On Wednesday 23 November, MEPs called on Member States in Strasbourg to adopt the ‘Pact on Migration and Asylum’ and to implement long-term solutions as the only way to address the issue of migration to the EU, including the problem of rescue operations at sea.
But they were divided on how to achieve this, with some groups, including the EPP, stressing the need to rescue people at sea, but also to prevent departures and automatically return illegal immigrants to their countries, while the left-wing groups called on Member States to develop legal channels and not to leave rescue and relief operations at sea to NGOs or merchant ships.
In particular, the EPP supported the creation of centres in Africa to process asylum applications on the spot, as EPP leader Manfred Weber (German) said. The German also called for a renewed definition of migrant pushbacks, especially at sea, to give more clarity to border guards and allow the EU to decide “who comes and who does not come to Europe”.
This debate took place 2 days before the extraordinary meeting of EU interior ministers, convened by the Czech Presidency of the EU Council for 25 November, partly because of the contention between Paris and Rome 10 days ago over the reception of SOS Méditerranée’s boat, the Ocean Viking.
On Monday 21 November, the Commission presented a 20-point action plan, which does not contain anything new, but calls on Member States to strengthen existing policies, such as cooperation with countries of return to prevent departures, and to commit themselves more clearly to the mechanism for voluntary relocation of migrants set up to help frontline countries.
However, in the view of Commission Vice-President Margarítis Schinás, Member States can no longer continue with “piecemeal” solutions and there is no substitute for an agreement on the reform of the European asylum and migration system.
The Vice-President recalled that more than 90,000 people have arrived this year via the central Mediterranean migration route and other routes, such as the Western Balkans, which is also a concern for Member States. “We have all the instruments on the table, but we can’t use them”, he commented, calling on the co-legislators to quickly begin trilogues on several texts of the ‘Pact on Asylum’ or the former ‘Asylum Package’ of 2016, for example on the Eurodac regulation, which could be the subject of a first trilogue in December or early January.
Iratxe Garcia Perez, Chair of the S&D group, recalled that “9 out of 10 migrants arrive in the EU without NGOs, so we must stop criminalising them”. Furthermore, the EU must show solidarity with the countries of the South, which cannot bear alone the responsibility for the arrivals.
The President of Renew Europe, Stéphane Séjourné (French), believes it is necessary to move towards a reform combining solidarity and responsibility, but there must also be European rules to quickly return irregular migrants with “identical procedures and common criteria” always respecting fundamental rights.
Belgian Greens/EFA Co-President Philippe Lamberts deplored the fact that Member States “do not respect their international commitments”, including the Geneva Convention and international maritime law, and “criminalise NGOs”.
The organisation of “safe routes and fair distribution among Member States” remains “the only solution”.
Unsurprisingly, the ID group felt that NGOs play into the hands of “smuggler mafias”, said Jordan Bardella (French), who also supports the idea of organising asylum applications from third countries in the embassies and consulates of Member States. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)