Migrants, the EU Commission presents a 20-point action plan: what it foresees

The question of migrants remains at the center of the European debate. In view of the extraordinary Justice and Home Affairs Council to be held on 25 November 2022, the EU Commission has prepared and presented to the Council “un action plan of the divided EU in 20 points” designed to deal with “the immediate and ongoing challenges” along the Central Mediterranean route. The purpose is to “reduce irregular and unsafe migration”, find solution to problems in operations search and rescue and “reinforce” the mechanisms of solidarity between EU countries

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The Commission therefore proposes a series of operational measures, emphasizing however how “Structural solutions can only be found through an agreement on the whole set of asylum and immigration reforms” which are currently under negotiation. “We cannot handle migration on a case-by-case basisboat by boat”, said the vice president of the EU Commission, Margaritis Schinaswhich among its mandates has precisely that of migration

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INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATION – The Plan is based on three “pillars”. The first provides the “cooperation with partner countries and international organisations”. Brussels, the document reads, among other things “will strengthen the capabilities of Tunisia, Egypt and Libya to ensure better border and migration management; will strengthen the fight against the smuggling of migrants and will improve thediplomatic engagement on repatriationswhile intensifying i legal paths towards the EU”

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THE RESCUE OF MIGRANTS – The second pillar provides “a more coordinated approach to search and rescue” of migrants at sea. Also because, recalls the Commission, “ensuring assistance to any person found at sea in a difficult situation up to disembarkation in a safe point, regardless of the circumstances that led people to this situation, is a legal obligation for the EU states”

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It is proposed to strengthen cooperation between EU countries for “collect and exchange information on the rules applied by the Member States in relation to search and rescue”, promoting “closer cooperation” especially between Coastal states and those whose flag is beaten by vessels, also in order to facilitate better coordination “between the Member States and the vessels owned or managed by private entities”

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“The Commission, with the participation and support of the Member States, will relaunch the European Contact Group on Search and Rescueinviting, as appropriate, partner countries, international organizations and interested parties”, continues the document

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Frontexthe border control agency, “together with the Member States concerned, will carry out a targeted assessment of the situation in the Central Mediterranean to identify needs for enhanced support through joint operations, air and sea surveillance, capacity building and situational awareness for Member States beyond borders”

Commission plan

The EU will promote, cooperating with theUN High Commissioner for Refugees and theInternational Organization for Migration, the “dialogue” between the coastal countries of the Mediterranean on the “regional approaches” to be followed, always based on “solidarity”. The aim is then to start a discussion within the International Maritime Organization on the need for a “specific” structure of rules and guidelines for craft that focus on rescue operations and search at sea

THE SOLIDARITY MECHANISM – According to the Commission, it is also necessary to “accelerate” the implementation of the solidarity mechanism established last June and address the “bottlenecks” highlighted so far, improving their “flexibility” and “implementing the financing of alternative measures”. The Solidarity Platform will then review “le standard operating procedures for relocation” of migrants, “in order to obtain more efficient and faster proceduresalso to provide a swift support to Member States receiving arrivals by sea”

L’European Asylum Agency “will give the priority to support Member States in swift implementation of the voluntary solidarity mechanism through its tools and operational plans. The Solidarity Platform will continue to coordinate the implementation of the mechanism, identify ways to improve it and consider additional commitments, if necessary”

THE GOVERNMENT’S REACTION – It is said “fulfilled” of the contents of the plan the Minister of the Interior, Matteo Piantedosiunderlining that the text “places some important issues in terms of management of migratory flows at the center of the discussion and does so in the perspective already advocated by the Italian Government”

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