A Mediterranean Task Firce set up in the wake of migrant tragedies off Lampedusa and Malta this morning proposed measures which need to be taken to stem the migration tide and avoid a repeat of those tragedies.
Task Force Mediterranean (TFM) was set up following a proposal made in October by nine EU Member States including Malta.
The Task Force was mandated to prevent loss of life at sea and was guided by the principle of solidarity and fair sharing of responsibility.
The proposals were launched in a Communication by Cecilia Malmstrom, EU Commissioner for Home Affairs, during a press briefing in Brussels.
She spoke of measures taken since then, including increased funding and better coordination from Cyprus to Spain.
She said the measures were based on solidarity and responsibility. At their core was action and cooperation with third countries including information on the danger of starting the journey across the Mediterranean, legal ways to cross to Europe and a call for member states to take migrants.
"Only 11 countries have signed up to resettlement, 17 still need to," the commissioner said, adding that this could be the most important short-term measure that could be taken.
Other measures including fighting the organised crime of human trafficking.
The proposed measures will be discussed by the Home Affairs Council of the EU tomorrow.
The main proposals are:
- Strengthening the work and co-operation of the EU with third countries in North Africa and the Sahel region, including targeted political dialogue as well as assistance and incentives from the EU to ensure a stronger engagement by these third countries, especially Libya;
- increasing recognition of the EU travel document and the stepping up of Frontex return flights for the return of irregular migrants and failed asylum-seekers;
- using the EU’s leverage and incentives vis-à-vis third countries to ensure cooperation on readmission;
- efforts to facilitate the procedure of return and reintegration of migrants stranded in North Africa;
- holding a comprehensive discussion on migration at the EU-Africa Summit in April 2014;
- enhancing the asylum capacity of third countries of transit, so as to enable those who need protection to obtain it without undertaking long and perilous journeys;
- the establishment of regional protection programmes to complement those already in place, such as in North Africa and the Horn of Africa, to assist countries in the region to receive migrants, determine protection needs and afford that protection where appropriate;
- stepping up cooperation in the fight against organized criminal networks engaged in smuggling and trafficking;
- solidarity with the frontline Member States, including through intra-EU relocation.
- enhanced cooperation with third countries including to combat smuggling networks at the point of origin; to improve the control of their land and sea borders; and to establish mechanisms for the safe return of irregular migrants to the nearest and safest departure point;
- assistance to third countries to establish their own asylum capacities, in conjunction with international organizations such as the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
- an undertaking by the Commission to explore further possibilities for legal access to the EU for asylum-seekers and migrants;
- EU support for capacity-building programmes to fight smuggling and trafficking in North Africa, other transit countries, and key countries of origin;
- enhanced border surveillance;
- financial assistance and assistance from EASO and Frontex as measures of solidarity with the frontline Member States;
- urging Member States, particularly those with low migration pressure, to commit to more intra-EU relocation of beneficiaries of international protection. EU funding is made available under the Asylum and Migration Fund to encourage Member States to relocate beneficiaries of protection.
Malta government reaction
The Malta government noted that the task force had incorporated the proposals made by Malta and other countries.
This, it said, was a step forward after the strong pressure made by the Maltese prime minister and minister of home affairs in European fora in coordination with other member states.
The prime minister's call in the EU summit for operation decisions had no resulted in a document for coordinated action on migration.
Among Malta's proposals were concrete assistance to countries such as Libya where most of the migrants leave from, assistance to ensure that there was legal, rather than illegal migration, coordination of frontex repatriation flights and assistance to African countries to assist in repatriation.
Malta was satisfied with the progress made by the task force, but now was the time for firm commitments by the European Union. These proposals needed to be implemented.
"Malta expects action," the government said.
Prime Minister Joseph Muscat welcomed the proposed measures saying they were a positive step forward.
He noted that the Libyan government was also taking action and said that the European Commission was taking concrete action to address the migration problem.