The Mediterranean states of the EU have asked for more solidarity on behalf of the Union in addressing the disproportionate mass immigration flows caused by the dramatic developments in the Southern Mediterranean region.
In a joint communique they issued at the end of a Meeting they held in Nicosia, they state that current emergency situation with regards the massive illegal immigration flows and movements of possible beneficiaries of international protection brings upon the Mediterranean member states additional social, economic, administrative and demographic burden to that already prevailing.
Present at the Meeting where Cypriot Minister of the Interior Neoclis Sylikiotis, Greek Minister for the Citizen Protection Christos Papoutsis, Italian Under Secretary of State at the Ministry of the Interior Alfredo Mantovano, Minister of Justice and Home Affairs of Malta Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici, Spanish Director General for International Relations and Immigration Arturo Avello Diaz Del Corral, French Ambassador in Cyprus Jean Marc Rives, as well as other high ranking representatives from all the above states responsible for immigration issues.
In their joint communique they also emphasise that the possible prolongation of such influxes of illegal immigrants and asylum seekers to the Mediterranean member states, can not be managed without the concrete and substantial support and solidarity from the rest of the EU’s member states.
In addition, the Ministers reaffirm the urgent necessity for the EU to provide concrete and immediate support to member states on the EU southern external borders.
In his statements after the Meeting, the Cypriot Minister said that the EU Mediterranean states faced with disproportionate mass immigration flows should not and cannot be left alone in dealing with the challenges caused by the recent political developments in the region.
He pointed out that the Nicosia Meeting is part of the initiatives undertaken by the Mediterranean EU states to strengthen their common positions within the EU.
Sylikiotis said that this second joint communique includes more detailed proposals for the implementation of their common positions agreed during their previous Meeting in Rome last February.
Concluding, he emphasized that the crisis in the region should not disorientate us from the principles and values of the EU, which are democracy, solidarity and respect of human rights and said that the EU should immediately proceed with the implementation of a Good Neighborhood Policy with the countries in the region to better address the real causes of mass immigration flows.
In his statements, the Greek Minister for Citizen Protection noted the need for a common European immigration and asylum policy as well as for the clarification of the legal framework of FRONTEX.
The Minister of Justice and Home Affairs of Malta said that mass immigration flows do not constitute a national problem but a European one, which needs European mechanisms to better address the problem, based on the principle of solidarity.
The Italian Undersecretary of State of the Ministry of the Interior said that the Mediterranean EU countries do not want to transfer the responsibility to the other member states, but they rather express the need for burden sharing by all EU member states. He also said that in three months, 30,000 immigrants arrived to Italy from Tunisia.
In their joint communique, the Ministers urge the EU to urgently present and implement proposals on the Global Approach to Migration as well as on Mobility Partnerships in a spirit of genuine cooperation with the countries of the Southern Neighborhood Region also to effectively control and manage the current and the anticipated mass migration flows as well as situation – specific schemes on return and readmission.
They also call on FRONTEX to immediately implement the provisions set out in section 5 of the JHA Council conclusions of April 11 2011 to sped up negotiations with the countries of the region and in particular with Tunisia with a view to concluding operational working arrangements and organizing joint patrolling operations in cooperation with Tunisian authorities and in application of all relevant international conventions.
The Ministers call on FRONTEX to intensify the monitoring of the situation based on risk analysis and encourage member states to provide the Agency with further human and technical resources so as to continue its ongoing operations in the light of the emerging situation. Furthermore, they call on FRONTEX to expand its operations, where and when necessary to prevent illegal flows in the eastern Mediterranean area of Egypt and Syria.
In addition, they urge the EU to promote practical cooperation with the countries of origin or transit of illegal migrants in the region in preventing and fighting illegal migration flows inter alia by concluding readmission agreements.
They urge the EU to encourage member states to expedite discussions on the proposal for recasting the Dublin II Regulation, including a mechanism to suspend the transfers to member states facing particular pressure on their national asylum systems.
They urge the EU to urgently mobilize all available financial assistance through the external borders fund and European refugee fund and activate supplementary funds that can be made available to member states or FRONTEX at short notice when needed.
They urge the EU to commit to the work on establishing a Common European Asylum System with a view to respect the 2012 deadline.
