De Croo: “It’s something we have to deal with and the only way to do it is to do it in a coordinated way.” With him the Swedish Prime Minister and Ursula von der Leyen
In the terrorist attack that took place on Monday evening in Brussels “one of the decisive elements is that the person who carried it out was a person who came from illegal immigration”. He says it Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo, declaring to the press in Brussels alongside Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. “It’s something we have to deal with and the only way to do it is to do it in a coordinated way,” she adds.
EU member states need “more tools” to repatriate those who request asylum and do not obtain it, because they are not entitled to it. For this reason, “more repatriation agreements” are needed with the countries of origin, without which it is impossible to repatriate people. The EU “is second to none for aid to our neighbourhood”, but this aid cannot be “without conditions”, Prime Minister De Croo underlines.
“We do not give up our values. Standing firm on democracy, openness and freedom requires standing firm on security. We must raise security measures to protect free and democratic societies. And we must be able to protect our borders, knowing who is present legally and who is present illegally”, said the Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristerssonalongside the Belgian Prime Minister and the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen.
The two victims of the terrorist attack perpetrated by a Tunisian citizen on the evening of Monday 16 October in Brussels, in the Canal area, near Molenbeek, were Swedish citizens, targeted by the attacker, who used a long gun, probably because they were wearing the yellow and blue shirt (they had come to the Belgian capital to watch a match of the national football team).
“Too often each member state, alone, begins to negotiate repatriation agreements with the countries of origin and transit”, while “as the European Union we have much more leverage”. In exchange for the investments that the EU is ready to make, “the countries of origin and transit must take responsibility for their citizens, which means that they must take them back”, when they do not have the right to asylum in the EU, he said. then said the president of the European Commission von der Leyen at the press conference. “The third thing we need to work on – he adds – is the operational side: we need many more joint operations, for example through Frontex, which is a common European instrument”.
Media: “Attacker convicted in Sweden for drug-related crimes”
Abdesalem L., a 45-year-old Tunisian who committed the attack, was convicted in Sweden in 2012 for drug charges: the man was arrested in Malmo in September 2012 for alleged drug trafficking. He was subsequently sentenced to two years and two months in prison for possession of 100 grams of cocaine and had to leave the country. A sum equal to 38 thousand Swedish crowns, over 3300 Euros, was also confiscated from him. The news was reported by the Swedish broadcaster SVT Nyheter quoted today by the Belgian media. According to a person close to Abbdesalem L. that the broadcaster met, despite being deeply religious, the man was not radicalised. In November 2019 he requested asylum in Belgium but his request was rejected. Since then he had been untraceable.
Source-www.adnkronos.com