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- Ελληνικά
The work of the 13th meeting of the Europol Joint Parliamentary Control Group (JPC) started yesterday in Brussels, with the participation of MEPs Mr.Mr Dimitris Demetriou (leader), Mr Nikos Ketteros, Mr Chrysanthos Savvidis and Mr Elias Myrianthous.
In the context of a discussion with the Executive Director of Europol, Ms Catherine De Bolle, Mr Dimitris Demetriou (leader), Mr Nikos Ketteros, Mr Chrysanthos Savvidis and Mr Elias Myrianthous. Demetriou expressed satisfaction with Cyprus' participation in the Schengen Information System, which, as he noted, provides significant capabilities to national law enforcement authorities, enhances cross-border security and strengthens the efforts of the authorities in the fight against crime.
Noting reports by the Europol Executive Director on the importance Europol attaches to the Balkan and Channel migration routes, Mr Demetriou stressed that the Eastern Mediterranean migration route should also be a priority. In this regard, he pointed out the need for Europol to make use of the Strategic Agreement it has concluded with Turkey, thus contributing to the fight against the instrumentalisation of migration from this country to the detriment of Cyprus. In this context, Mr Demetriou deplored the continuous channelling of asylum seekers by the trafficking rings operating in Turkey, through the occupied territories, to the areas under the control of the Government of the Republic of Cyprus. She asked whether there was evidence of a link between terrorism and the current migration flows from Africa and Asia.
Ms De Bolle replied that Europol is trying to contribute to the fight against illegal immigration in all migration routes through intelligence analysis, but also by sending guest officers to hotspots in a number of countries, including Cyprus. Regarding Turkey, Ms De Bolle said that there is a Strategic Agreement, but not an Operational Agreement and therefore Europol relies on the willingness of the Turkish authorities to cooperate when there is information on the departure of irregular migrants, noting that the operational response of the Turkish authorities is limited. Regarding the link between terrorism and current migration flows, the Europol Executive Director said that although there is sometimes a link between the two, it is not systematic, noting that visiting Europol officers check whether the terrorism databases contain data on asylum seekers arriving in the EU.
In his intervention, Mirianthous noted that the absence of EU Readmission Agreements with third countries has hampered efforts to repatriate asylum seekers whose asylum applications have been rejected. He recommended that similar agreements be concluded with other third countries along the lines of the agreement reached with Tunisia.
(Text as sent by the House of Representatives)
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