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- Ελληνικά
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mrs Anita Demetriou, today sent a letter of appeal to the Speakers of the Parliaments of the Member States of the European Union regarding the increasing migratory pressures that Cyprus is facing.
In her letter, the President of the Parliament expresses concern about the dramatic increase in migratory flows from the coast of Lebanon to Cyprus in recent weeks and their expected further increase due to the flare-up in the Middle East and the favourable weather conditions in the Mediterranean. Demetriou notes that Cyprus receives the highest number of asylum seekers per capita among European Union (EU) Member States and has exceeded the limits of its capacity, while facing serious security and demographic challenges.
The President of the Parliament stresses the importance of full implementation of the EU Action Plan for the Eastern Mediterranean Route and the strengthening of partnerships with countries of origin and transit. On Lebanon in particular, she stresses the need for greater EU support to that country, including the conclusion of an agreement similar to those the EU has concluded with other third countries, so that Lebanon is able to prevent mass migratory flows from its shores. In this context, Demetriou stresses the need to speed up the discussion on the reassessment of the status of Syria and the definition of safe areas in the country.
The bet on the effective management of migration with unity and solidarity, Demetriou stresses, must be won, as it will be the cornerstone of the Union's credibility and effectiveness as a global security actor, first and foremost vis-à-vis its citizens. Particularly, as Ms Demetriou points out, in the light of the rise of populism and hate speech, which are likely to leave a strong imprint in the forthcoming European elections.
In conclusion, the President of the Parliament calls on her counterparts to unite their voices and stress the imperative need for a collective and effective response to the issue of migration, looking forward, she says, to the discussion of this crucial issue at the Conference of Speakers of the Parliaments of the EU Member States in Spain this month.
(Text as sent by the House of Representatives)
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