EU focuses on repatriations and agreements with third countries on visas
Accelerate repatriations. It is the new strategy launched by European Commission which immediately aims at increase the rate of return to the countries of origin of migrants who have no right to remain in Europe. The theme was at the center of today’s informal council at Stockholm with the Ministries of the Interior. Only 16% of return decisions actually turn into readmissions. And the European Border Control Agency Frontex could play a decisive role in this. In fact, only five countries, reported the European Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ylva Johanssonturns to the agency for this type of operations, which should be more and more digitised. The situation is critical”according to the Commissioner. Last year there were more than 300,000 irregular arrivals and triple the asylum requests, almost a million. Most of these do not fall within the criteria of international protection, this means a overload of reception capacities, explains the commissioner. The other theme is to tie the visa policybut also trade preferences, partnership agreements with third countries, so that they are “mutually beneficial”, as stated in the draft conclusions of the summit of heads of state and government on 9 and 10 February, which will migration at the center of the agenda. All this while the Swedish EU presidency is busy advancing the legislative dossiers of the Pact on Migration and Asylum, the sector reform package that the European Commission aims to approve before the end of its mandate in 2024.
Today, the ceremony was held right here in the headquarters of the European Parliament in Brussels remembrance of the victims of the Holocaust. “To be anti-Semites means to be anti-Europeans“, remarked the president of the Eurochamber, Roberta Metsolaopening the event, which was also attended by the Israeli president, Isaac Herzog. “Europe could not be what it is today without the Jews,” said the president, who called on institutions to eradicate anti-Semitism in Europe.
On the front Qatargatethe hearing to validate the arrests was held today at the Court of Brussels for Francis Georgeformer assistant of Antonio Panzeri and partner of Eva Kaili, and of Niccolo FigĂ -Talamanca, head of the NGO ‘There is no peace without justice’. The judges decide whether to confirm the arrests or proceed with the release. Their lawyers did not want to make any statements, calling the situation “complicated”.
DiFabio Fantozzi