Plenary quiz the Czech Presidency and the Commission about guaranteeing solidarity and burden sharing in the management of migration flows into Europe. Extracts from the debate.

statement

Strasbourg

debate

plenary session

WEBER, Manfred (EPP, DE)

migration and refugees in Europe (T)

LAMBERTS, Philippe (Greens/EFA, BE)

GARCÍA PÉREZ, Iratxe (S&D, ES)

asylum procedures in the EU (T)

Asylum policy (T2)

SCHINAS, Margaritis (EPP-DE, EL, EC)

SÉJOURNÉ, Stéphane (Renew, FR)

KANKO, Assita (ECR, BE)

new pact on asylum and migration (T)

BEK, Mikuláš (CZ)

The need for a European solution on asylum and migration including search and rescue: extracts from the debate

Title: The need for a European solution on asylum and migration including search and rescue: extracts from the debate (I-233609)

SOUNDBITE (English), Mikul&#225;&#353; BEK, Czech Minister for European Affairs, Providing assistance to people in distress at sea is a humanitarian imperative and a duty of all states and shipments under international law.

SOUNDBITE (English), Mikul&#225;&#353; BEK, Czech Minister for European Affairs, The Pact on Migration and Asylum is the European solution to these challenges. Therefore, we need to continue our legislative work, which we have advance under our presidency. The agreement on the roadmap that was signed with the Parliament is an important step in this direction.

SOUNDBITE (English), Margaritis SCHINAS, Vice-President of the EC in charge of promoting our European Way of Life, This debate is a great occasion to renew our calls on Parliament as well on council to advance on the roadmap towards the adoption of all the pending proposals of the Pact, starting most urgently with the qualifications and Resettlement Framework Regulations and Reception Conditions Directive.

SOUNDBITE (English), Margaritis SCHINAS, Vice-President of the EC in charge of promoting our European Way of Life, Where we already have political compromises, as well as the screening and Eurodac proposals, where we already have council mandates and where trilogues should now begin at earnest.

SOUNDBITE (English), Margaritis SCHINAS, Vice-President of the EC in charge of promoting our European Way of Life, We will support Tunisia, Egypt and Libya to ensure better border management and migration management. We will boost the fight against migrant smuggling. Step up our diplomatic engagement on returns and improve legal pathways to the EU. We will maximise the impact of all these actions by launching a Team Europe initiative before the end of this year. Other than working with partners, we also need a more coordinated approach on search and rescue with stronger cooperation between our member states and all actors involved.

SOUNDBITE (German), Manfred WEBER (EPP, DE), What we need to do, first of all, is to secure our borders. I mean, in your own home, you decide who you open your door to. Equally, member states have to be allowed to decide who to let through their borders. Now we've got our border officials and our Frontex officials who are doing an extremely difficult job trying to find out who's entitled to enter and to make sure that the law is applied.

SOUNDBITE (German), Manfred WEBER (EPP, DE), We got the Danes, for example, socialist government in Denmark, who are suggesting that we should set up reception centres in Africa. And we've got to determine those who are genuinely entitled to asylum and they can then lodge their applications in Africa

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Iratxe GARC&#205;A P&#201;REZ (S&amp;D, ES), According to this year's figures, nine out of ten immigrants arrive on Europe's coast without assistance from NGOs, and they would have arrived anyway without any assistance. So the message is clear. We've had enough already of criminalising those who are saving lives. We have to strengthen our cooperation with countries of origin and transit, but this has to be based on mutual respect.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Iratxe GARC&#205;A P&#201;REZ (S&amp;D, ES), We can no way can we externalise migratory policy only when we treat the others on an equal footing. Our partners on equal footing can bring about a situation where the Mediterranean is a bridge of cooperation and aid for development instead of being a common grave.

SOUNDBITE (French), St&#233;phane S&#201;JOURN&#201; (Renew, FR), The countries of arrival need to be able to count on the solidarity shown by other countries where in favour of financial solidarity, but also human solidarity amongst member states. Yes, we are in favour of responsibility because there are too many irregular migrants and we need to make sure that we help those who don't fulfil the asylum and migration criteria.

SOUNDBITE (French), Philippe LAMBERTS (Greens/EFA, BE), We would like to hear you saying to Member States. How much longer are you going to shirk your humanitarian responsibilities? How long are you going to outsource all of this to NGOs? Are you not going to open up your doors to save those who are in fear of their lives? We need to have a system which shows solidarity between member states.

SOUNDBITE (English), Assita KANKO (ECR, BE), We have abandoned the real refugees. We have given power to human smugglers. We turned our shores into silent cemeteries of people's children's mothers or fathers and their dreams. This must change. First, compassion and actions that actually lead to war situation is not enough. The open borders and the current chaos are a threat to Schengen and an invitation to die. The question is not how to save a boat in Italy. The question is why could this boat even depart from the first harbour?