The President of the European Council, Charles Michel, was firm on Friday 6 October about the fight against illegal migration within the EU.
“Irregular migration needs to be immediately addressed in a determined manner. We will not allow smugglers to decide who enters the EU”, he warned in a declaration in his name, “which reflects very broad support” from the Member States.
Recalling that migration was a European challenge requiring a European response, Mr Michel promised that the Europeans would continue to implement all their decisions “effectively and speedily”.
During their debate in Granada, the leaders focused on the external aspects. “We will pursue a comprehensive approach to migration which combines increased external action, mutually beneficial comprehensive partnerships with countries of origin and transit, addressing the root causes of migration”, the President of the European Council detailed in his declaration.
Mr Michel and the President of the Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, emphasised the opportunities for legal migration. “We don’t want people to risk their lives and lose a fortune paying smugglers and criminals, but to choose regular migration routes”, Ms von der Leyen explained.
The declaration by the President of the European Council also highlights the need for more effective protection of the EU’s external borders, a resolute fight against organised crime, human trafficking, migrant smuggling and instrumentalisation as a hybrid threat, as well as insisting on speeding up returns.
In addition, several leaders hailed the agreement reached at EU ambassadorial level on the ‘Crisis’ Regulation of the Pact on Migration and Asylum earlier in the week (see EUROPE 13264/13). Mrs von der Leyen welcomed the fact that inter-institutional negotiations with the Parliament were now underway, indicating that there was “chance of crossing the finishing line” with this text.
On their arrival at the summit, the Hungarian and Polish leaders had expressed their dissatisfaction with the decision-making on the agreement by qualified majority.
Faced with the refusal of their counterparts to add a sentence to the draft declaration on decision-making by consensus on migration policy, the section devoted to migration was not included in the Granada declaration (see other news).
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said his country had been “raped”. “If you are raped, legally, forced to accept something you don’t like, how would you like to have a compromise and agreement? It’s impossible”, he said.
“We are not afraid of diktats from Brussels and Berlin”, warned Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki. “This plan consists of taking in illegal immigrants and imposing draconian sanctions on countries that don’t want to take them in”, he denounced.
However, several leaders have insisted on the need for greater coordination between States to manage migratory flows and counter illegal immigration. These discussions took place at a time when more than 500 migrants had arrived on the Spanish archipelago of the Canaries in the space of 24 hours.
“Today, migration is virtually unorganised and we find ourselves in a situation that is very difficult to manage at the level of European countries and which has a major impact in the countries of origin”, said Belgian Prime Minister Alexander de Croo.
The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, stated that it was important to look at structural improvements. “In the short term, we have the Lampedusa 10-point plan, but also a more structured medium and long-term approach with the agreement with Tunisia” (see EUROPE 13264/3), she insisted.
To see the declaration: https://aeur.eu/f/8y7 (Original version in French by Pauline Denys and Camille-Cerise Gessant)