“Irregular migration is a European challenge and we have to solve it at European level”, highlights the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen.
European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen presented a ten-point EU action plan to tackle the migration crisis during a visit to Lampedusa on Sunday. “Irregular migration is a European challenge and we have to solve it at European level,” said von der Leyen in a press release accompanied by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
According to the plan, the EU’s border protection agency, Frontex, should more actively support Italy in registering migrants. The EU also intends to conduct more negotiations with migrants’ countries of origin in order to stem migration flows. The negotiations will be led by the vice-president of the European Commission, Margaritis Schinas, explained von der Leyen. The return of migrants to their countries of origin, if they do not have the right to stay in Europe, must be facilitated. This must also be done through the harmonization of legislation in EU countries.
Aerial surveillance in the Mediterranean must be reinforced
The EU also intends to step up the fight against human trafficking with the help of Tunisia. Furthermore, aerial surveillance in the Mediterranean must be reinforced. The equipment of the Tunisian coast guard should be increased. Italy should also be supported in destroying migrant boats. Furthermore, Europe intends to facilitate legal immigration routes by creating humanitarian corridors. In this regard, the EU intends to promote greater cooperation with the International Organization of Migrants (IOM) and the United Nations refugee agency, UNHCR. The Italian-Tunisian migration agreement must be quickly transferred to other North African states.
Lampedusa is currently visited by numerous smuggler boats coming from North Africa. This week alone, more than 11,000 arrived on the island, which is home to 6,300 people. Since the beginning of the year, 127,000 migrants have arrived on the island after sea journeys across the Mediterranean. (APA)