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- Ελληνικά
The readiness of the Republic of Cyprus to work with its European partners on the revision of European legislation to combat migrant smuggling was expressed by the Minister of Justice and Public Order Anna Koukkidi-Prokopiou.
The Minister's statement was made in the context of her participation in the first International Conference organised by the European Commission in Brussels yesterday under the chairmanship of the Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ms Ylva Johansson. The Conference was the inaugural meeting of the global alliance to intensify cooperation with partner countries inside and outside the European Union to tackle this internationally evolving crime.
In her address to the Conference, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stressed that the creation of the Global Alliance as a mechanism to establish a formal process of exchange of views on the issue and the new legislative proposal put forward by the European Commission are seen as necessary initiatives in the light of the increasingly pressing need to effectively combat the serious and organised cross-border crime of smuggling of migrants.
As Ms. Von der Leyen explained, the partners of the alliance will define a new legal, operational and international framework for cooperation against migrant trafficking for the coming years, using all the tools at the disposal of the European Union.
The Minister of Justice and Public Order participated as a speaker in a panel discussion on the prevention of illegal immigration, in which the European Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement, Mr. Olivér Várhelyi, the Secretary General of the Council of Europe Ms Marija Pejčinović, the Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime Mr John Brandolino, the Executive Director of Frontex Mr Hans Leijtens, as well as relevant ministers from Italy, Belgium, Montenegro, Montenegro, Colombia, Lithuania, Egypt and Nigeria.
In her intervention, the Minister referred to the importance of close international cooperation between all countries, be they countries of origin, transit or destination, in order to effectively and comprehensively prevent this serious crime which is driven by organised criminal networks, which are very often linked to terrorism and/or the commission of other serious crimes.
The Minister also referred to the instrumentalisation of illegal migration flows and the challenges faced by Cyprus due to the Turkish She presented to the participants the manner and extent to which Cyprus is affected by the illegal trafficking of migrants, both through the Turkish-occupied areas and by sea from Syria and Lebanon.
As a preventive measure, Ms Prokopiou suggested an emphasis on severe criminal consequences for traffickers and the use of the support offered by Eurojust. She also made particular reference to the need to use technology, as it has been repeatedly proven that trafficker networks use it for communication purposes and to "promote" their illegal services.
At the same time, technology can be a means to properly inform potential victims of trafficking by preventing dangerous journeys. In conclusion, the Minister of Justice and Public Order stressed the readiness of the Republic of Cyprus to work with its European and international partners to combat migrant smuggling.
(NZ/EP)
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