MEPs take stock of solidarity and responsibility sharing in Europe as regards migration and asylum policy. The debate focuses on how to advance on the reform of the common EU migration and asylum rules, following the November 2022 action plan by the Commission for the Central Mediterranean route and the February extraordinary European Council. Opening statements by Jessika ROSWALL, Swedish Minister for EU Affairs and by Ylva JOHANSSON, European Commissioner for Home Affairs.

statement

Strasbourg

debate

plenary session

migration and refugees in Europe (T)

Immigration (T2)

death of migrants in the Mediterranean Sea (T)

JOHANSSON, Ylva (SE, EC)

ROSWALL, Jessika (SE)

Deaths at sea - a common EU response to save lives and action to ensure safe and legal pathways: opening statements by Jessika ROSWALL, Swedish Minister for EU Affairs and by Ylva JOHANSSON, European Commissioner for Home Affairs

SOUNDBITE (English), Jessika ROSWALL, Swedish Minister for EU Affairs, Madam President, Honourable Member, Commissioner, before we start, let me allow me to say that I am deeply saddened by the recent terrible shipwreck of the coast of Italy. That claimed the lives of over 70 people, including several children. I wish to extend my deep felt condolences to the families and friends of those who lost their lives in this tragic event. Sadly, this was not an isolated event. Over the past year, thousands and thousands of people, many of them young children, have lost their lives in attempts to reach Europe.

SOUNDBITE (English), Jessika ROSWALL, Swedish Minister for EU Affairs, This tragedy serves as a stark reminder that saving lives at sea is not only a legal obligation, but also a humanitarian and moral imperative. These tragedies also serve a brutal reminder of the need to take political action, moving forward on the migration pact and increased external action is imperative. Fighting trafficking and smuggling is a priority.

SOUNDBITE (English), Jessika ROSWALL, Swedish Minister for EU Affairs, A joint European response is necessary. This is a broad agreement at the Council that we need to adopt effect, that we need to adopt effective and lasting solutions to address the immediate and ongoing challenges on all routes, including the central Mediterranean route. In this regard, the European Council recognise and I quote, "the specificities of maritime borders, including as regards safeguarding lives". It also underlines the need for reinforced cooperation regarding search and rescue activities.

SOUNDBITE (English), Jessika ROSWALL, Swedish Minister for EU Affairs, Let me now say a few words and some of the main lines of action that the EU is persuading. We welcomed the relaunch of the European Contact Group on Search and Rescue by the European Commission. Several Member States are engaged in discussions to set up an enhanced cooperation framework for search and rescue amongst sectors, including international, humanitarian and maritime organisations.

SOUNDBITE (English), Jessika ROSWALL, Swedish Minister for EU Affairs, We also need to move forward with the work to partnership with third countries along the routes, increasing capacities in border and asylum management, providing financial support, technical and material assistance is ongoing in many partner countries. This work will continue and will step up where it is feasible. In this context, it is important to recall that the effective protection of the Schengen external borders is not contrary to respect of the for the values and fundamental rights in the EU.

SOUNDBITE (English), Jessika ROSWALL, Swedish Minister for EU Affairs, Indeed, our frontline Member States have not only the right, but also the duty to protect the European borders. This is a common responsibility and we manage, despite the considerable difficulties and challenges that we are faced with, naturally in-going carrying out these duties, changing borders codes must be applied in accordance with the European and international law.

SOUNDBITE (English), Jessika ROSWALL, Swedish Minister for EU Affairs, Honourable Members, safe and legal migration is also a central part of our comprehensive approach to migration. With almost 3,000,000 third-country nationals migration to the EU every year, the opportunities clearly exist. These legal pathways have the potential to benefit migrants countries of origin as well as countries of destination. Legal pathways also contribute towards reducing irregular departures and consequently saving lives at sea.

SOUNDBITE (English), Jessika ROSWALL, Swedish Minister for EU Affairs, When it comes to those most vulnerable, our Member States have shown that they are committed to stepping up their efforts, in particular by way of resettlement. Since 2015, successful EU sponsored resettlement schemes and humanitarian admissions programmes have helped more than 130,000 people in need of international protection to find shelter in our Member States.

SOUNDBITE (English), Jessika ROSWALL, Swedish Minister for EU Affairs, I should also mention the steps forward taken by the both co-legislators towards an agreement on the Union Resettlement Framework Regulation. As a result, we will finally be able to move from ad hoc resettlement schemes to be to a stable framework with greater sustainability and predictability for the protection for those who need.

SOUNDBITE (English), Jessika ROSWALL, Swedish Minister for EU Affairs, Honourable Members, the EU needs a comprehensive migration policy that to protect our borders, provide protection to those who need indeed and prevents the loss of migrants lives. I outlined today a number of areas on which we are working. It is the combination of these different strands of actions that will ultimately bring about results. Thank you very much for the attention. I am looking forward to the debate.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ylva JOHANSSON, European Commissioner for Home Affairs, Imagine you're a woman and all you want is a better life for your child. You think your only choice is to go on a very dangerous journey. Imagine how high the waves. How small the boat. How crowded. How ice cold the wind. The pouring rain. Imagine the fear. Imagine the terror. That you might not be saved. And all because you have not find a legal way of coming to the European Union.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ylva JOHANSSON, European Commissioner for Home Affairs, Since this Parliament put this debate on the agenda. Yet another tragedy at sea. 30 people missing, presumed drowned. Behind the numbers, that people, human beings. Like Shahida Raza. She was 27 years old from Pakistan. She was such a woman. All she wanted was to care for her disabled son, Hassan. She could not come legally, she thought. She's one of them. More than 80 people, as far as we know, who died in the waters of Calabria on February 26th.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ylva JOHANSSON, European Commissioner for Home Affairs, The price of her life, €8,000, the smugglers fee. Blood money. The shipwreck apparently happened when the smugglers steered the vessel onto shallow ground. The smugglers abandoned ship, leaving their passengers to their fate. This tragedy must be a call to action. Our first priority. Save lives. Our alternative safe and legal pathways. Our mission. Fight the smugglers who ruthlessly endanger people's lives.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ylva JOHANSSON, European Commissioner for Home Affairs, We must work relentlessly to bring them to justice. Be always one step ahead. Fighting smuggling is central to our action plan on the Central Mediterranean. We must step up the fight as team Europe with Member States. We are building partnerships to fight smuggling. Supporting joint investigations between Member States and North African partners. I will soon travel to Tunisia, where, as you know, the situation is of concern.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ylva JOHANSSON, European Commissioner for Home Affairs, To boost our joint fight against smugglers and strengthen our comprehensive migration partnership. And we must do more to prevent irregular departures, stop people getting into smugglers boats and risking their lives at sea. But we need migration, but in a regular way, safe ways, legal pathways. We must work as a team Europe with countries of origin, transit and destination to manage migration jointly with our partners along the routes, including the Central Mediterranean.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ylva JOHANSSON, European Commissioner for Home Affairs, To save lives, we also need to work better together. Coordination Is that a heart of the new European Integrated Border Management Strategy that the Commission adopted yesterday. Based on your valuable input from this House and we relaunched the European Contact Group on Search and Rescue, I welcome the active participation of Member States who are now working to improve situational awareness and cooperation at sea.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ylva JOHANSSON, European Commissioner for Home Affairs, But we need also to give people alternatives to smugglers, boats and trucks. Legal migration for those who want to work. Our societies and economies need skilled labour. Health care alone lacks 2 million professionals today, so we are setting up an ambitious new talent pool to help people enter into the EU safely and legally. And we are working on the talent partnerships so people can learn and work in key sectors in Member States.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ylva JOHANSSON, European Commissioner for Home Affairs, And we would provide legal pathways for refugees, safe journeys to safe homes, resettlement, the humanitarian corridors for 50,000 people in the next two years, supported by at least half a billion euros. We are linking community sponsorship of refugees to work by supporting companies with a targeted funding code to employ refugees now living in camps and in limbo.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ylva JOHANSSON, European Commissioner for Home Affairs, We have already successfully adopted the new blue card and I encourage that Co-legislators to make progress and adopt the two legislative proposal on the Single Permit Directive and the long term Residence Directive. In the letter from President Von der Leyen to the leaders, she outlined the key operational actions on migration we are taking already now. She will update the Council on progress next week.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ylva JOHANSSON, European Commissioner for Home Affairs, All of these policies and operations are important but will only be truly effective as part of the European migration policy. I am encouraged by the GSA Council last week where ministers from across the EU committed to adopt the whole pact on migration and asylum during this mandate. I am encouraged by the Swedish Presidency committed to start trialogues already in June on the central pieces on solidarity and responsibility, including the special category for search and rescue cases on relocation.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ylva JOHANSSON, European Commissioner for Home Affairs, And of course, by the progress this House is making by adopting the mandates on the key pact files. I hope already this month. So let these tragedies at sea remind us. Migration challenges need a European response to save lives, to manage migration, to fight smugglers, to open safe and legal pathways. I am fully aware that you in this House already know this. We need to work together to find solutions and to agree on the pact. Thank you.