Europe’s justice and home affairs ministers yesterday called on the Commission to study Malta’s proposals on burden sharing in immigration and to examine measures to address the pressures faced by member states.
The European Council yesterday addressed the reinforcement of the EU’s southern maritime borders and called on the Commission and member states to pay particular attention to the development of asylum expert teams at arrival points and explore solutions in situations during where reception capacities are under particular pressure.
The Council said in its conclusions that member states should provide support on return operations, reception conditions, and case working expertise for asylum seekers and refugees on a bilateral basis to individual states facing pressure due to their geographical location.
It also called on the Commission and member states to follow-up on the contacts recently initiated with third countries to reinforce concrete cooperation on border control, search and rescue and return.
It sent a clear message to encourage member states to share best practices and experiences gained through bilateral cooperation with third countries, and called for better coordination and sharing of information with regard to support to third countries provided at European and national level respectively.
It said member states should explore possibilities for mutual support in making return operations more effective, including by making use of existing bilateral agreements and diplomatic channels with third countries concerned where appropriate.
It also encouraged member states and the Commission to ensure that the new funds made available in the areas of borders, return and asylum, as well as the funds now available for action in this area in third countries, are exploited to the full for the purpose of giving a concrete expression to the principle of solidarity through a targeted and coordinated approach.
The Council said member states should cooperate with the UNHCR and the International Organisation for Migration to further develop an integrated approach to border control and surveillance operations, especially in high-risk areas, and the fight against illegal immigration.
It said measures should take account of not only interception but also protection needs and repatriation, and with due respect of international law and migrants’ rights to dignified treatment and to seek international protection.
It also said FRONTEX should be equipped with the necessary resources and called on states to provide the necessary participation, including with technical means, to make such measures a reality in 2008.