[attach id=371519 size="medium"]European Migration and Home Affairs Commissioner-designate Dimitris Avramopoulos of Greece in Brussels, yesterday. Photo: Yves Herman/Reuters[/attach]

The need for member state solidarity when it came to burden sharing in migration was highlighted yesterday by Migration Commissioner designate Dimitris Avra­mopoulos in his presentation to the European Parliament’s Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs committee.

Avramopoulos said he would order a study into the need for new changes to the Dublin Treaty, under which migrants are returned to the EU state that first received them.

He said that as a European Union committed to upholding human rights, it was Europe’s duty to offer protection and respect human rights and one had to make sure that Europe would support the smooth integration of migrants in society.

However, the EU had to improve its capacity to handle the crisis and support those facing pressures on their systems.

More solidarity was needed and this was only possible if member states trusted each other and carried out their responsibilities.

The EU, he said, could only be credible if it tackled irregular migration in full respect of fundamental rights. Rejected applications, he added, had to be treated with efficient return.

The Union also had to reinforce cooperation with countries of origin as well as international and non-governmental organisations. It needed to implement resettlement programmes as much as possible and have a secure legal framework.

It had to have efficient border control without making Europe a fortress. Frontex, he said, should be used to ensure European solidarity. Avramopoulos noted that migratory pressure at the border was steadily increasing and the EU’s work should be to address the problem.

We have to bring those who exploit the needs of people in distress to justice

“We have to bring those who exploit the needs of people in distress to justice,” he said.

Maltese MEP Roberta Metsola asked Avramopoulos whether the EU Commission was willing to discuss and promote a fair system of distribution and a better mechanism for the fairer sharing of responsibility among member states.

Avramopoulos said Frontex was doing a very good job, as was the Mare Nostrum programme.

“I don’t know what will happen in the future, but Operation Triton will further help Frontex in its work and we will work to help them. It is also true, as you said, that we do not have enough financing, but we have €90 million that have been accepted and there will be another €20 million.” He said he would demand more money and help to reinforce Frontex and international cooperation in the area.

On asylum, Metsola asked the Commissioner-Designate for his views on a potential review of the Dublin Regulation and on the Commission’s willingness to discuss and promote systems that would ensure a fairer sharing of responsibility among member states.

Avramopoulos said the countries that faced the most pressure must be helped and the EU should show more solidarity towards these countries.

To do this there was need for a very good study, very good preparation and very good cooperation among the member states.

On the Dublin Regulation, the Commissioner-Designate gave his commitment to review aspects of this regulation. “We have to see how it works everywhere in Europe,” he said, adding that the basic prin-ciple of solidarity had to be respected by all.

Later, in reply to a question by new MEP Miriam Dalli, the Commissioner-designate said his intention was to strengthen Frontex. At present it did not have the resources it needed.

He said there was a need for closer collaboration between the services of member states about the danger posed by Isis, including the Europeans who went to Syria and Iraq to fight with the group and then returned.

The starting point was that the migrants were not potential terrorists but people fleeing danger who were seeking solidarity and respect for democracy.

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