The Deputy Chairwoman of the Committee on Home Affairs, Ms Marina Nikolaou (in the lead) and the Member of the Committee on Foreign and European Affairs, Mr. Chrisis Pantelides participated in an Inter-Parliamentary Conference on Migration Challenges, organised by the French Senate in Paris, as part of the parliamentary dimension of the current six-month French Presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU).
In her intervention during the debate on the lessons learned from the migration crisis, especially in the light of the war in Ukraine, Ms Nicolaou pointed out that the Republic of Cyprus has been experiencing for years the unacceptable instrumentalisation of asylum seekers by Turkey, resulting in it being the Member State with the highest number of asylum seekers in proportion to its population. She also stressed the need to show more solidarity and ensure a more balanced distribution of responsibility between EU Member States, through the creation of a common and fair European Asylum System.
Ms Nikolaou welcomed the EU's immediate response to the humanitarian crisis, a consequence of the war in Ukraine, and the provision of temporary protection status to refugees and support to host Member States. She criticised, however, the selective sensitivity shown depending on the origin of the refugees, but also the selective tolerance towards countries that violate international law and human rights, such as Turkey. In conclusion, Ms Nicolaou underlined the urgent need to invest in integration policies and in addressing the root causes of migration and refugee flows, including wars and armed conflicts in which the EU is involved or tolerates. Pantelides, in a discussion on measures to be taken for a more effective management of the EU's external borders, pointed out that Cyprus also faces disproportionately significant migration challenges and that the number of asylum seekers and beneficiaries amounts to 5% of the country's total population. Pantelides criticised the instrumentalisation of migration by Turkey, which is demonstrably responsible for the arrival of the vast majority of irregular migrants in Cyprus through areas not controlled by the Republic of Cyprus, stressing that, for this reason, it is necessary to take stricter measures for the surveillance of the Green Line.
Regarding the return of irregular migrants, Mr Pantelides stressed the need for the establishment of a common European coordination mechanism, as well as the importance of the European Commission's contribution to the conclusion of relevant agreements with third countries. Finally, Mr Pantelidis hoped that an agreement on a European Pact on Immigration and Asylum would soon be reached, which would defend the interests of all Member States and take into account the concerns of the first host countries, on the basis of solidarity and fair sharing of responsibility.
(Text as sent by the House of Representatives)
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