The Med5 group, comprising the interior, migration and asylum ministers of Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Malta and Spain, met in Malta on 28 and 29 November to reaffirm its commitment to the faithful and effective implementation of the ‘European Pact on Migration and Asylum’, which offers a “framework [...] that strengthens solidarity, streamlines asylum procedures, and enhances border management, while upholding fundamental rights”, according to the final declaration.
“As frontline Member States, we underscore the importance of maintaining, throughout the implementation phase, the essential balance and coherence with the guiding principles of the negotiations - particularly the principles of effective solidarity and fair sharing of responsibility as enshrined in the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union”.
The group is therefore calling for action to ensure “that the mandatory solidarity mechanism delivers on its promise – providing timely, effective, and needs-based support to Member States facing migratory pressure”.
In addition, the Med5 are calling for “reinforced allocations to both the internal and external dimensions of asylum, migration, and border management in the current and the next Multiannual Financial Framework”.
They also call on the Commission to continue implementing “existing partnerships, while also working on establishing new comprehensive partnerships and enhanced cooperation with other key third countries”, citing, among other things, the full and non-discriminatory implementation of the EU-Turkey Statement.
Pilot projects for innovative solutions. They also stress “the importance of pursuing new solutions to address the complex challenges linked to irregular migration. We call on the European Commission to intensify its collaboration with interested Member States to explore the establishment of pilot projects, in full alignment with applicable EU and international legal frameworks, as additional tools to strengthen the Union’s migration management capacity”.
At a final press conference on 29 November, Italian interior minister Matteo Piantedosi stated that the frontline states remain the most exposed to irregular arrivals and must receive effective solidarity from the other EU countries, according to Maltese media. He also encouraged projects aimed at improving pre-departure training and legal migration pathways.
Spanish minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska also said that the Med5 alliance was essential to ensure that EU policy combines solidarity and responsibility, while Cypriot deputy minister Nicholas Ioannides insisted on the need for the pact to be translated into concrete action, including rigorous border controls, effective returns and credible cooperation with countries of origin.
“We want to help people who are really in need. But when someone abuses the system, we have to be firm and remove them”, concluded the host minister, Byron Camilleri.
Link to the statement: https://aeur.eu/f/jrq (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)