The position that Cyprus, as the Member State facing the greatest migratory burden for the fifth consecutive year, needs the solidarity of its European partners, was expressed by Interior Minister Nikos Nouris in a statement on Saturday after the MED5 Interior Ministers' Meeting in Venice.
According to a ministry statement, Mr. Nouris pointed out that in recent years the MED5 countries, which are the frontline member states facing a number of problems from irregular migration, have been working together and joining forces, adding that a number of initiatives have been taken, such as in the case of the development of the European Asylum Service, "in order to arrive at a Common European Pact on Asylum and Migration. In this direction we will continue to be constructive."
"All our efforts are based on the need for solidarity. Solidarity that will not be a mere slogan, nor is it without substance, but is essential if we want to have an effective and robust common European policy that effectively addresses all the problems that Europe is facing today. It is precisely for this reason that solidarity cannot be voluntary," the minister stressed. Nouris expressed the government's full support for the French presidency's initiative, "a strong basis for negotiating a step-by-step process, in an effort to overcome obstacles and move forward with the pact", while thanking French Interior Minister Gerard Darmanin for his commitment and initiative, as well as the incoming Czech presidency, which assured that it would continue to work in the same direction.
"Cyprus[/B], as the member state facing the highest migratory burden for the fifth consecutive year,[/B] needs the solidarity of its European partners. No state can manage the situation on its own, the decisive support of Europe[/B] is required," the Interior Minister stressed, adding that "this solidarity must be translated into action with the immediate relocation of migrants from our island if we do not want to see dramatic demographic changes soon. At the same time, the European Commission needs to proceed with bilateral return agreements with a number of third countries. If these simple but vital elements are not part of the new common European pact on asylum and migration, unfortunately no agreement will be able to solve the problem, especially considering that Estimates suggest 150.000 new migrants in frontline member states for the current year alone."
In conclusion, Mr. Nouris said that Cyprus will continue to participate in the constructive debate with the perspective of creating a new, strong and fair asylum and migration system based on the fair sharing of responsibility. "This is the only way to effectively manage migration pressures," he concluded.
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