The extraordinary Council of Home Affairs Ministers in Brussels concluded late last night, during which the Action Plan for the Central Mediterranean presented by the European Commission was discussed, in the light of the latest developments and the new migrant trafficking routes that have emerged.
Cyprus welcomed the submission of the Plan, indicating that it can be a basis for discussion for concrete actions towards third countries in order to curb migratory flows, noting however that it should not replace efforts for a common European Pact on Asylum and Migration. At the same time, we expressed our concern about the new methodology that traffickers seem to be opting for with the transport, by commercial vessels, of irregular migrants, which the proposed Action Plan must manage effectively.
In the framework of the Council, the European Commission was requested to immediately prepare a similar targeted Action Plan for the Eastern Mediterranean and in particular for Cyprus and Greece, with concrete measures to stem the flows from Turkey which, in the case of Cyprus, continues to methodically and systematically channel irregular migrants through the Green Line.
In addition, Vice-President of the European Commission Margaritis Schinas pointed out, among other things, that the Commission has already made a number of representations to Turkey asking it to comply with the EU-Turkey Declaration of 2016 and to ease the pressure on Cyprus.
The discussion on the Action Plan will continue during the work of the upcoming regular Internal Affairs Council scheduled for 8 December 2022 in Brussels.
(MX)
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