The European Parliament confirmed on Thursday 20 April the mandates defined in the European Parliament Committee on Civil Liberties on 28 March on the ‘Pact on Migration and Asylum’ regulations on asylum and migration management (‘RAMM’), crisis management and sudden influxes of people (‘Crisis’) and screening of migrants (‘Screening’) (see EUROPE 13151/6).
This confirmation was given by 413 votes to 142 with 20 abstentions, 419 votes to 129 with 30 abstentions and 419 votes to 126 with 30 abstentions respectively.
MEPs also confirmed the mandate on the long-term residents directive by 391 votes to 140 with 25 abstentions.
The ECR and ID groups had succeeded on Tuesday 18 April in obtaining votes to confirm these mandates and again criticised the solutions proposed in these various texts, which will not, according to them, make it possible to reduce the arrival of migrants in the EU, but, on the contrary, “organises” their reception by imposing quotas on the Member States, commented Swedish MEP Charlie Weimers ahead of the votes.
However, MEPs largely confirmed the direction taken by the Committee on Civil Liberties, which had itself very comfortably approved these various reports.
The report on Regulation on Asylum and Migration Management (RAMM), or ex-Dublin Regulation, provides for a compulsory solidarity mechanism for countries under pressure, with all Member States having to contribute either through relocations of asylum seekers or through material or financial assistance. The report by Tomas Tobé (EPP, Swedish) also adds an important section on cooperation with third countries, the idea being to prevent departures and increase returns.
The report by Fernando Lopez Aguilar (S&D, Spanish) on the crisis regulation organises solidarity with the only measure being the compulsory relocation of migrants, for the benefit of Member States faced with exceptional and sudden influxes and whose infrastructure could no longer cope with the number of arrivals. The Regulation also provides for derogations from European asylum law to speed up the processing of these people’s cases, but for shorter periods. These provisions were not supported by groups like the Greens/EFA.
The regulation, proposed by Birgit Sippel (S&D, German), makes it compulsory to carry out identity checks on migrants arriving irregularly at external borders within five days, which can be extended under certain conditions. Such persons may be detained and considered not to have arrived on EU territory if Member States apply a border procedure to them.
The report obliges Member States to create an independent monitoring mechanism for the respect of migrants’ rights in these border procedures. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)