We, the Ministers of Interior, Migration and Asylum of Cyprus, Greece, Malta and Spain, on the occasion of the fourth Ministerial meeting in Paphos on 7-8 October 2022, have reached the following conclusions on the internal and external dimension of the European migration policy, as part of a holistic approach for an effective management of asylum and migration:
[*]We express our appreciation for the joint Roadmap of the rotating Presidencies of the Council and the European Parliament to reach a comprehensive and balanced agreement on the Pact on Immigration and Asylum, in coordination with the Commission, and reaffirm our readiness to strengthen cooperation to promote the common values and principles of the Union, including the principle of solidarity and fair sharing of responsibilities. [*]We reiterate our full commitment to fulfil our obligations under international law and the European acquis, in particular with regard to our responsibilities regarding the external borders of the Union. [*]We call on the Commission and the Council to finally recognise the increased tasks assigned to frontline Member States and the additional tasks arising in the area of migration, reception, asylum and integration management, by establishing swift and effective burden-sharing measures for the whole EU, thus ensuring an appropriate balance between solidarity and fair sharing of responsibilities. [*]We expect the Commission and other Member States to take due account of the specificities arising from geographical circumstances and geopolitical developments in relation to frontline Member States, including the impact of maritime borders, landings and search and rescue operations. In this context, it is important to have an effective, predictable and mandatory solidarity mechanism, reflecting the needs on the ground. Assurances are required that identified needs will be met through solidarity contributions. Emphasis should be placed on border management, through enhanced surveillance of origin and prevention of irregular crossings. [*]More emphasis should be placed on border management at the external borders of the Union, through enhanced pre-frontier surveillance along all migration routes and the prevention of irregular crossings, including the Green Line in the case of Cyprus, which should be adequately addressed due to the specific circumstances that apply, despite the fact that the Green Line is not an external border of the EU. [*]In view of the ongoing aggression against Ukraine, but also of the overall instability in the enlarged region, the external borders of the Union must be protected from hybrid threats and instrumentalisation tactics by some neighbouring countries. [*]The EU must remain consistent with all our partners, investing in developing meaningful and long-term partnerships, in particular with key countries of origin and transit, in order to work with them to prevent irregular migration flows, and to carry out effective returns of those nationals who no longer meet the conditions of stay in Member States. We recall the importance of addressing all migration routes, including emerging new routes from the Middle East, in an integrated approach based on the whole route. [*]There is also an urgent need to assess the real conditions in countries of origin and transit currently considered precarious and from which large migratory flows to the EU originate. In this way, we should ensure that available resources are channelled to those who really need protection. [*]We encourage all stakeholders to engage in a frank dialogue with a view to creating a truly common European asylum and immigration system, based on the real and necessary balance between solidarity and fair sharing of responsibilities, as enshrined in the founding Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. Having confirmed the political will to work towards reaching an agreement on the Pact before the end of the current parliamentary term, as agreed in the joint roadmap with the European Parliament, we must ensure that the progress of the negotiations respects a balanced approach. We welcome the discussion launched by the Presidency on fair sharing and flexible liability and call for tangible progress on this issue. [IN THIS RESPECT, THE MED5 COUNTRIES LOOK FORWARD TO THE MEETING OF THE EU HOME AFFAIRS COUNCIL ON 14 OCTOBER, WHICH WILL ALSO ASSESS CURRENT DEVELOPMENTS AND CHALLENGES IN THE AREA OF ASYLUM AND MIGRATION.
(EF/EC/IC)
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