On Friday 28 November, the Maltese Minister for Home Affairs, Security and Employment, Byron Camilleri, hosted the new ministerial meeting of the so-called MED5 group, which brings together the ministers for interior, migration and asylum from Cyprus, Greece, Italy and Spain until Saturday 29 November.
The European Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration, Magnus Brunner, will also be taking part, along with a representative of the Danish Presidency of the EU Council.
“Although Malta has successfully reduced irregular arrivals by 93% over the past five years, our country continues to play an active and responsible role within the European Union and within the MED5 group. It remains essential that we work together to reach consensus and drive concrete action to stop irregular migration, dismantle the criminal networks that profit from it, and ensure a fair and balanced migration policy”, commented the Minister.
The meeting will focus on issues relating to irregular migration and “with a particular emphasis on the implementation of the European Pact on Migration and Asylum. Central to these discussions will be the establishment of the annual solidarity pool - an essential step towards creating a coherent, fair and resilient migration framework across the EU”, adds the Maltese government.
Second and final Solidarity Forum. The solidarity pool, provided for in the Pact, was the subject of a second and final Solidarity Forum on 27 November in Brussels. After a short plenary session, the meeting took the form of bilateral exchanges on the respective needs and commitments, which remain confidential.
The Danish Presidency of the EU Council is now expected to make a proposal to the Committee of Permanent Representatives on 3 December, notably regarding the quantified commitments. The Pact provides for a minimum annual commitment of 30,000 people to be relocated or financial aid of €600 million instead. Some Member States have expressed a desire that these figures should be revised downwards, given that the Pact will not enter into force until June 2026. In any case, the Presidency is aiming for an agreement on 8 December at the level of the EU27 Home Affairs Ministers.
Link to the invitation letter: https://aeur.eu/f/jr3 (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)