On Wednesday 2 April, the EPP group in the European Parliament adopted a comprehensive nine-point action plan to halt “uncontrolled migration”.
“The Migration Pact is just the beginning. To safeguard our borders, we must enforce return decisions for migrants without a right to stay, strengthen our external borders and protect the Schengen Area, dismantle the smuggling networks and counter the instrumentalisation of migrants by hostile actors”, said Tomas Tobé (Swedish) in a press release.
Lena Düpont (German) also stresses “the importance of enforcing return decisions” with “stricter measures are urgently needed to ensure that those without the right to stay here are sent home”, such as the obligation for Member States to take all necessary measures to ensure that the authorities are informed of the whereabouts of the person to be returned and that the person remains at their disposal until their actual departure, and a long-term or even permanent ban on entry to EU territory for those posing a threat to security.
The EPP Group also welcomes the Commission’s proposal for establishing return hubs outside the EU, in line with international standards. “But we must go further. Cooperation agreements with African countries and other partners are needed to prevent irregular departures”.
The two MEPs have been asked to act as shadow rapporteurs on the ‘Returns’ regulation presented by the Commission on 11 March.
Link to the document: https://aeur.eu/f/g8u (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)