In the context of the high human toll of migrant casualties at sea and the recent tragic shipwreck off the Greek coast, MEPs discuss the EU’s capabilities for search and rescue operations of migrants at sea and prospect of more EU action to support rescue naval operations on the Mediterranean migration routes. They also debate the role of NGO sea rescue boats, disembarkations in designated places of safety, alleged pushbacks by Member States, the implementation of an action plan announced by Commissioner Johansson in November 2022, and cooperation with third countries like Tunisia and Libya. Opening statements by Pascual NAVARRO RÍOS, Spanish Secretary of State for the European Union and by Ylva JOHANSSON, European Commissioner for Home Affairs. The transcription is the result of an automatic process. Please, check against delivery.

statement

Strasbourg

debate

plenary session

migration and refugees in Europe (T)

death of migrants in the Mediterranean Sea (T)

JOHANSSON, Ylva (SE, EC)

NAVARRO RÍOS, Pascual Ignacio

The need for EU action on search and rescue in the Mediterranean: opening statements by Pascual NAVARRO RÍOS, Spanish Secretary of State for the European Union and by Ylva JOHANSSON, European Commissioner for Home Affairs

https://api.multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/documents/20125/71308199/1688976633146_I243825Chapters%5BSD-EN%5D.srt

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Pascual Ignacio NAVARRO R&Iacute;OS, Spanish Secretary of State for the European Union, President, Honourable Members, Commissioner, Madam Commissioner, I would like to begin by expressing my sadness for the latest disaster of the Greek coast and the unnecessary loss of human life that we see all too often in the Mediterranean Sea. This is an unsustainable situation that is unacceptable and it is an absolute priority for the European Union to prevent these deaths alongside its Mediterranean partners.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Pascual Ignacio NAVARRO RÍOS, Spanish Secretary of State for the European Union, Let me first turn to the issue of search and rescue. Saving lives is not optional. We have a duty to help vessels and people who are in distress at sea, to do this in the Coordination Centre for Maritime Rescue. And this is governed by international instruments on maritime law and frontline bodies are working on a daily basis to implement these instruments.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Pascual Ignacio NAVARRO RÍOS, Spanish Secretary of State for the European Union, However, although the search and rescue isn't under EU competence, the European Union must play a key role. Our frontline for action should always be the prevention of the perilous journeys across the Mediterranean Sea. The more people who do not begin this perilous, the fewer lives will be lost. And with this objective and in line with our general objective for migration, that I wish to stress the Council's commitment to the fight against trafficking gangs and smugglers.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Pascual Ignacio NAVARRO RÍOS, Spanish Secretary of State for the European Union, its And intention to dismantle the business model. These people are using the lives of migrants in order to obtain profit. Now, let me turn to the work that we have been doing together with third countries, both countries of origin and transit countries. In line with the action lines set out in the Extraordinary Council of February, initiatives have been launched at the highest possible level, with major partners such as Bangladesh, Iraq, Pakistan and Tunisia.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Pascual Ignacio NAVARRO RÍOS, Spanish Secretary of State for the European Union, And we provide support and we also cooperate with many partners in the Mediterranean to improve capacity and management of borders and asylum, and especially when it comes to search and rescue operations. And this work will continue and will be intensified as and when it is possible. I have so far focussed on the operational aspects of migration.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Pascual Ignacio NAVARRO RÍOS, Spanish Secretary of State for the European Union, But let me also mention just how much progress has been made when it comes to the Migration and Asylum Act, which will improve the efficiency of our procedures at Europe's external borders. I can assure you that the Spanish Presidency will work to pick up the work of previous presidencies, which I am grateful for, to ensure that the Council, together with Parliament, can reach an agreement on these very important legislative proposals.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Pascual Ignacio NAVARRO RÍOS, Spanish Secretary of State for the European Union, Amongst them the regulation on crisis situations. Alongside the Pact, we will continue our commitment to building up the EU rules on return and establishing safe and legal routes to the European Union.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Pascual Ignacio NAVARRO RÍOS, Spanish Secretary of State for the European Union, Finally, allow me to mention the reactivation of the Contact Group on Search and Rescue of the European Commission, which is seeking new forms of cooperation in the field, particularly when it comes to the exchange of information amongst Member States and improving the mapping of the search and rescue situations in the Mediterranean.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Pascual Ignacio NAVARRO RÍOS, Spanish Secretary of State for the European Union, Honourable Members, Let me conclude by saying that the European Union needs an overarching holistic migration policy that it can support those who need support and avoid migrants losing their lives. We have a number of lines of action for this work and bringing all of these actions together will yield the results that we all desire. Thank you for your attention.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ylva JOHANSSON, European Commissioner for Home Affairs, Thank you, President, Honourable Members, Secretary of State Navarro Ríos, de "Adriana" sank on 14th of June, the loss as many as 600 souls, making this one the worst shipwreck. Not just in the Mediterranean, not just of migrant vessels, but one of the worst shipwrecks this century worldwide.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ylva JOHANSSON, European Commissioner for Home Affairs, We must honour they dead, help the survivors establish the facts. What appars to have happened, the smugglers brought the victims to the trawler that was to be there to pack them like sardines. Like cattle, like cargo. Possibly 750 people, women and children down below. The boat, drifting, rocking.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ylva JOHANSSON, European Commissioner for Home Affairs, We can imagine the panic spreading in the middle of the night? The "Adriana" suddenly turned over and sank four kilometres down into the abyss, dragging all within down with her. None of the women and children survived.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ylva JOHANSSON, European Commissioner for Home Affairs, I immediately contacted Frontex Executive Director, Hans Leijtens, I also spoke with the Greek caretaker government and the head of the Hellenic Coast Guard, and with the newly appointed Greek ministers last week. Our agencies intervened also immediately.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ylva JOHANSSON, European Commissioner for Home Affairs, Frontex by air identified the vessel at the scene. The Frontex director was on the ground in Greece the next day to support. Frontex also launch a serious incident report. The EU Asylum Agency helps survivors in Malakasa. Just over 100 people were saved from the sea after the "Adriana" capsized.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ylva JOHANSSON, European Commissioner for Home Affairs, There are many unanswered questions here. Now, we need to establish exactly what happened. Every step of this fatal journey. Why did "Adriana" sank? The Greek General Prosecutor launched an investigation. The Prosecutor investigates the smuggling and the naval court, the Greek Coast Guards response. These investigations need to bring trust and confidence that the facts can be established, including the smuggling route followed.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ylva JOHANSSON, European Commissioner for Home Affairs, We know that the practice of irregular departures from eastern Libya have increased by 600% this year. Libya remains a very complicated situation, as again shown recently. And let me make clear. Coastguards have to carry out their responsibilities in full respect of international law. This means any demonstrations of violence is unacceptable.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ylva JOHANSSON, European Commissioner for Home Affairs, Let us remember our fundamental principle, our first duty is to save lives. This is what coastguards in countries entry are doing on a daily basis. The EU does everything in its power to support Member States on search and rescue. This year alone, Frontex helped to save 20,000 lives.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ylva JOHANSSON, European Commissioner for Home Affairs, The Commission relaunched the Search and Rescue Contact Group and pushes member to make progress, working towards a common framework on search and rescue. And in the pact, we have proposed a special solidi to measures for search and rescue

SOUNDBITE (English), Ylva JOHANSSON, European Commissioner for Home Affairs, Any serious attempt to saving lives has to be also include developing legal pathways and information campaigns along irregular routes to alert people of deadly dangers. We are supporting such campaigns in Morocco, in Tunisia, in Niger, in Senegal, in Mauritania, in the Gambia.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ylva JOHANSSON, European Commissioner for Home Affairs, But we also need to fight the smugglers, the smugglers who sold people tickets not to Europe, but to their deaths. Last week, Europol announced a dismantling by Spain of a smuggling gang which spanned nine countries. We have set up operational anti-smuggling partnerships with Niger, with Morocco, with Tunisia.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ylva JOHANSSON, European Commissioner for Home Affairs, I welcome Pakistani Prime Minister, Sharif's order to crack down on smugglers right after the disaster. And we are working with Senegal on the Atlantic route, a route that again this week revealed how deadly it is.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ylva JOHANSSON, European Commissioner for Home Affairs, Last month, we proposed a toolbox to address misuse of commercial transport for irregular migration. We must change smuggling from a low risk, high profit crime into a high risk, low profit crime. And we need EU laws for purpose. I've already issued guidance on non-criminalisation of genuine humanitarian assistance. And now the Commission is also assessing the facilitators package, which is over 20 years old.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ylva JOHANSSON, European Commissioner for Home Affairs, Last Tuesday, I was in Lampedusa with Italian Minister Matteo Piantedosi. 4000 people had arrived over the weekend. The majority immediately transferred, only 500 were left. The facilities were dignified and respectful. I met a young man from Chad, a young woman from Ivory Coast. There was so follow and full of energy, of plans and ambition. They were already learning Italian.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ylva JOHANSSON, European Commissioner for Home Affairs, Our economies need young people like these. They told me they had walked two months through the desert before paying the smugglers, taking the boat from Tunisia. This is not the way to come to Europe. We need to continue to work on legal pathways, we will implement Talent Partnership for Labour Migration. And in October, I will propose an EU Talent Pool to match talent with employers.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ylva JOHANSSON, European Commissioner for Home Affairs, I have also asked Member States to pledge generously on the resettlement for refugees. Only with a comprehensive approach preventing irregular departures, fighting smugglers, improving legal pathways, working in close partnership with countries of origin and transit, we can manage migration safely and effectively.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ylva JOHANSSON, European Commissioner for Home Affairs, And of course, we need an agreement on the pact. We are making good progress, and I welcome the message from the Spanish Minister of State, on the good progress that the Spanish presidency is now doing. I call on you all to seize the opportunity to reach agreement within this mandate.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ylva JOHANSSON, European Commissioner for Home Affairs, Above the "Adriana", the water are now silent. No tombstone, no marker, nothing to remember the names. Let our action be our monument. Thank you.