COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS Communication on migration  COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS Communication on migration
Date: 2011-05-04
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: admission of aliens, external border of the EU, foreign national, illegal migration, international security, return migration

EUROPEAN COMMISSION 

Brussels, 4.5.2011 
COM(2011) 248 final 

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN 
PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE 
AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS 

Communication on migration 

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TABLE OF CONTENTS 

1. 

2. 

2.1. 

2.2. 

2.3. 

2.4. 

3. 

3.1. 

3.2. 

3.3. 

3.4. 

4. 

5. 

5.1. 

5.2. 

Introduction .................................................................................................................. 3 

Crossing the borders..................................................................................................... 5 

Coping with the crisis: the short-term measures .......................................................... 5 

Border controls............................................................................................................. 7 

Schengen governance................................................................................................... 8 

Preventing irregular immigration................................................................................. 8 

Moving and living in an area without internal borders .............................................. 10 

Organised mobility..................................................................................................... 10 

A consistent policy on mobility including visas ........................................................ 10 

A properly managed legal migration.......................................................................... 12 

Building an inclusive society by integrating immigrants........................................... 13 

Providing international protection to persons in need................................................ 14 

Migration in External relations beyond the crisis ...................................................... 15 

The Global approach to migration ............................................................................. 15 

Beyond the crisis: the EU and the Southern Mediterranean in partnership ............... 16 

ANNEX 1................................................................................................................................. 18 

ANNEX 2................................................................................................................................. 21 

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1. 

INTRODUCTION  

The events in the Southern Mediterranean bring hope for a better life for millions of people in 
our neighbourhood, as well as for greater respect of human rights, pluralism, the rule of law 
and social justice. As is often the case for democratic uprisings, they may also entail, in the 
short and medium term, upheaval and uncertainty. Political unrest and military conflicts have 
led to the loss of human lives and the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people, not 
only from the countries directly concerned by the changes, for instance Tunisia and Libya, but 
also from other countries.  

These recent events of historic proportion in the Southern Mediterranean have confirmed the 
need  for  a  strong  and  common  EU  policy  in  the  field  of  migration  and  asylum.  Making 
substantial  progress  on  legislation,  operational  cooperation  and  in  our  relations  with  third 
countries is more necessary than ever. The purpose of this Communication is to set recent and 
future policy proposals in a framework that takes account of all relevant aspects and allows 
the  EU  and  its  Member  States  to  manage  asylum,  migration  and  mobility  of  third-country 
nationals in a secure environment. 

Some Member States, such as Italy, Malta, Greece and Cyprus are more directly exposed to 
massive  arrivals  of  irregular  migrants  and,  to  a  limited  extent,  of  persons  in  need  of 
international protection. This is not a national problem alone, but needs also to be addressed at 
the EU level and requires true solidarity amongst Member States. 

The  EU  must  ensure  quick  assistance  to  all  persons  in  need  -  as  it  has  done  notably  at  the 
Tunisian-Libyan  border  -  and  provide  shelter  to  those  in  need  of  international  protection. 
Whilst the EU must maintain and consolidate its tradition of granting asylum and protection it 
should  also  foresee  the  appropriate  tools  in  order  to  prevent  large  number  of  economic 
migrants crossing the borders irregularly. To reach these objectives effective management of 
the EU's borders is a condition of credibility inside and outside the Union.  

The continuously evolving situation in our Southern Neighbourhood requires rapid responses. 
Building  upon  the  European  Council  Conclusions  of  11  and  25  March,  the  European 
Parliament's Resolution of 5 April1, and, the joint Communication of the Commission and the 
High  Representative  of  8  March,  the  Commission  will  present  on  24  May  a  package  of 
proposals  to  ensure  a  coherent  EU  approach  in  the  area  of  migration,  mobility  and  security 
with the Southern Mediterranean countries. 

However,  the  need  to  address  this  challenging  and  evolving  situation  should  not  lead  to  a 
short-term  approach  limited  to  border  control  without  taking  account  of  long-term  issues. 
Dialogue and cooperation with countries of origin and of transit of these migrants is essential. 
Such collaboration needs to be built on security and good governance for the establishment of 
mutually beneficial policies in the field of legal migration. It also implies enhanced economic 
cooperation in order to develop the conditions for growth and employment in the countries of 
origin, to address the causes of irregular migration. Such cooperation should also build on the 
principle  of  conditionality  applied  to  migration  issues  in  order  to  encourage  effective 

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European Parliament resolution of 5 April 2011 on migration flows arising from instability: scope and 
role of EU foreign policy (2010/2269(INI)) 

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commitment  by  our  partners  in  preventing  irregular  migration  flows,  in  managing  their 
borders efficiently and in cooperating on the return and readmission of irregular migrants. 

A  comprehensive  migration  policy  for  non_EU-nationals  based  on  common  admission 
procedures,  which  treats  third-country  nationals  fairly,  will  moreover  contribute  to  the  EU's 
future  prosperity.  As  underlined  in  the  Europe  2020  Strategy,  one  of  the  most  pressing 
economic  challenges  faced  by  Europe  is  the  need  to  address  the  demographic  decline  in  its 
working age population coupled with significant projected skills shortages in certain sectors. 
To remain competitive and allow it to maintain its social model in a sustainable way, Europe 
needs  to  adopt  measures  to  improve  the  employment  rates  of  EU  residents,  but  must  at  the 
same time take concrete steps to meet its projected labour needs via targeted immigration of 
third country nationals. 

The EU should also ensure that it has in place safe and efficient asylum procedures for people 
in need of protection. Sixty years after the signature of the Geneva Convention on the Status 
of  Refugees,  it  is  time  for  the  EU  to  reaffirm  its  commitment  to  offer  protection  to  any 
persecuted  third  country  national  or  stateless  person  arriving  on  its  territory.  A  Common 
European  Asylum  System,  offering  a  high  level  of  protection  and  reducing  the  disparities 
among  Member  States'  asylum  systems,  must  be  completed  by  2012,  as  agreed  by  the 
European Council.  

Migration  issues  are  having  an  increasingly  significant  political  impact  in  the  EU.  The 
October 2008 European Council adopted a European Pact on Immigration and Asylum to give 
an impulse to the development of an EU common policy with five commitments: organizing 
legal  migration,  fighting  against  irregular  migration,  strengthening  the  external  borders, 
building  an  EU  asylum  system  and  creating  a  global  partnership  for  migration  and 
development.  Its  basic  assumption  remains  valid  and  should  continue  to  guide  our  action: 
whereas poorly managed immigration can affect social cohesion and the trust of citizens in an 
area  of  free  movement  without  internal  borders,  well  managed  migration  can  be  a  positive 
asset  for  the  EU.  These  commitments  were  reiterated  and  further  detailed  in  the  Stockholm 
Programme adopted by the Council in December 2009, and the entry into force of the Lisbon 
Treaty, which , has ensured a stable, comprehensive and more accountable legal framework 
for  the  development  of  EU  migration  policy,  notably  through  a  greater  participation  of  the 
European Parliament in the decision-making process. 

At the same time, as recent events have starkly illustrated, the EU continues to face serious 
challenges in the development of its migration policy. The vulnerability of some sections of 
the EU's external borders is a clear example, notably in the Southern Mediterranean and at the 
land  border  between  Greece  and  Turkey.  In  particular,  measures  must  be  taken  to  prevent 
large numbers of irregular migrants, often exploited by unscrupulous criminal networks, from 
arriving in the EU. The EU should accordingly pursue a migration policy based on ensuring 
that inward migration is effectively managed and ensure that the need for enhanced mobility 
does not undermine the security of the Union's external borders. While this Communication 
naturally focuses on regions of most immediate concern, the EU’s migration policy follows a 
geographically comprehensive approach.  

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2. 

CROSSING THE BORDERS  

2.1. 

Coping with the crisis: the short-term measures  

Since the beginning of the year, there has been a massive displacement of populations from 
several  North  African  countries,  and  in  particular  from  Libya.  According  to  the  latest 
estimates,  more  than  650 000  persons  have  left  the  territory  of  Libya  to  flee  the  violence 
there. These people have found hospitality in neighbouring countries, primarily in Tunisia and 
Egypt,  and  many  have  since  managed,  or  been  assisted,  to  return  to  their  respective  home 
countries. This reception and repatriation effort has been handled by a massive mobilisation 
of resources by the host countries, the EU, NGOs and the international community. Through 
its  humanitarian  financing  and  the  provision  of  means  of  transport,  the  EU  has  so  far 
contributed to the repatriation of approximately 50,000 third country nationals. 

Thousands  of  people  have  recently  sought  to  come  to  the  EU,  putting  the  protection  and 
reception  systems  of some  of our  Member  States under increasing strain. More  than 20 000 
migrants,  mainly  from  Tunisia  and,  to  a  lesser  extent  from  other  African  countries,  have 
managed  to  enter  the  Union  irregularly,  reaching  the  shores  of  Italy  (most  to  the  island  of 
Lampedusa) and Malta, both of which are under strong migratory pressure. Most of these are 
economic migrants and should be returned to their countries of origin. In addition to displaced 
people  and  migrants,  a  considerable  number  of  refugees  of  different  nationalities,  including 
Somalis, Eritreans and Sudanese, have left Libya, some of whom have managed to reach Italy 
and  Malta.  These  significant  flows,  which  include  unaccompanied  minors  requiring  child-
specific  reception  measures,  have  also  put  additional  strain  on  the  health  systems  of  the 
Member States most concerned, in order to provide health care to migrants who need it and to 
ensure proper medical screening and prevention. 

It is important to differentiate between irregular migrants (economic migrants trying to cross 
EU  borders  illegally),  refugees  or  persons  who  may  seek  asylum,  and  people  who  are 
temporarily  displaced  (such  as  foreign  workers  in  Libya  driven  out  by  the  conflict  and 
wishing to move back to their country of origin). The legal status of these people, as well as 
the help the EU can provide to them, is different. 

The  EU  has  responded  to  all  these  challenges  swiftly  and  pro-actively.  Funds  have  been 
mobilised  by  the  Commission  and  the  Member  States  to  help  manage  the  humanitarian 
emergency generated by the sudden inflows of refugees and displaced persons in the countries 
neighbouring  Libya.  This  made  it  possible  to  offer  temporary  shelter  to  refugees  and 
displaced  persons,  to  meet  their  basic  needs  and  to  assist  their  return  to  their  countries  of 
origin. So far, the total EU contribution stands at €100 million in humanitarian aid, of which 
almost  half  -  €48,8  million  -  was  provided  by 
the  Commission.In  addition,  the  EU  Civil 
Protectin Mechanism has been mobilised to faclitate repatrition of both EU and third country 
nationals. To this end, 15 Member States have  provided means  of transport, coordinated by 
the  Commission's  Monitoring  and  Information  Center.  It  is  clear  that  this  collective  effort 
must continue. To respond to the start of the irregular and mixed migration flows across the 
Mediterranean Sea, FRONTEX launched the Joint Operation EPN Hermes Extension 2011, to 
help Italy control vessels that embark migrants and refugees. EUROPOL has deployed a team 
of experts to Italy, to help its law enforcement authorities to identify possible criminals among 
the irregular migrants having reached the Italian territory.  

Those  Member  States  that  are  most  exposed  to  the  growing  flows  of  refugees  and  irregular 
migrants have been helped with the financial consequences of the displacement. To this end, 

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around  € 25  million  which  were  identified  under   the  External  Borders  Fund  and  European 
Refugee Fund.  

However, while the current crisis confirms the need for increased solidarity at the European 
level  and  better  sharing  of  responsibility,  it  must  be  recognised  that  the  EU  is  not  fully 
equipped to help those Member States most exposed to massive migratory movements.  

The financial resources available under the General programme "Solidarity and Management 
of  Migration  Flows"2  are  inadequate  to  respond  to  all  requests  for  assistance.  First,  these 
funds can not be mobilised easily; they are designed to intervene in a stable situation and not 
to tackle emergencies and crisis. Secondly, the magnitude of the problems largely exceeds the 
existing facilities.  

In the context of the next Multi-Annual Financial Framework, the European Parliament, the 
Council and the Commission, will have to draw lessons from the current crisis. For the EU to 
react  quickly  and  effectively  in  the  case  of  unforeseen  events  or  emergencies,  EU  funding 
should  be  adapted  so  that  it  can  be  mobilised  much  more  rapidly  and  flexibly,  including  in 
third  countries.  Furthermore,  in  the  context  of  the  ongoing  revision  of  the  EU  financial 
regulation,  the  European  Parliament  and  the  Council  should  support  the  Commission's 
proposal to enable the EU to create its own trust funds, which would be able to pool donors' 
contributions  notably  in  case  of  crisis  and  post-crisis  situations.  In  principle,  other  forms  of 
solidarity exist to respond to the dramatic events taking place in the region. Building on the 
experience  gained  so  far  with  the  current  pilot  project  on  relocation  from  Malta,  the 
Commission will support an extension of this project in view of the current influx of migrants 
seeking international protection there, to be implemented in close cooperation with the United 
Nations  High  Commissioner  for  Refugees  and  the  International  Organisation  for  Migration. 
However,  the  currently  available  instruments  fall  short  of  fulfilling  all  the  needs  and 
providing a comprehensive response. They can only be resorted to in an ad hoc manner, and 
are  entirely  dependent  on  the  will  of  Member  States  to  voluntarily  offer  assistance  –  in 
whatever form – at a given point in time. This in turn exposes the EU to criticism and risks 
undermining the trust of the citizens in the EU.  

The Commission will closely monitor the continuously evolving situation and may decide, if 
the  relevant  conditions  are  met,  to  trigger  the  Temporary  Protection  Directive3  to  provide 
immediate and temporary protection to displaced persons from third countries that are unable 
to return to their country of origin.  

The Commission will make further proposals during 2011 on delivering solidarity in a holistic 
manner  and  how  concretely  such  assistance  can  be  delivered.  A  number  of  different 
approaches are currently being studied, with a view to developing alternatives that will allow 
urgent  needs  to  be  responded  to  in  a  more  rapid  and  structured  fashion.  This  initiative  will 
build on the appropriate legal basis of the Lisbon Treaty, such as Articles 80 and 78 paragraph 
3, and will draw lessons from the situation in Greece, particularly at the land border between 
Greece and Turkey, and the crisis in the Southern Mediterranean; it will include possible ad 
hoc  measures  to  be  resorted  to  in  case  of  particular  temporary  pressure  on  one  or  several 
Member States, as well as more structural means of ensuring solidarity, both financial and in 

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The General Programme encompasses four Funds that are relevant in this context, the External Borders 
Fund, the European Return Fund, the European Refugee Fund and the Integration Fund.  
Council Directive 2001/51/EC of 20 July 2001.  

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the form of practical cooperation and technical assistance (e.g. via FRONTEX, EASO, joint 
operations). 

Finally, as an important gesture of solidarity towards the North African countries (especially 
Tunisia)  which  are  currently  hosting  large  number  of  persons  in  need  of  international 
protection  who  cannot  be  returned  to  their  countries  of  origin,  and  in  order  to  maintain 
'protection space' in these countries, it is important for EU Member States to accept to resettle 
some of these persons. 

2.2. 

External border controls  

Effective and credible external borders are essential. The EU must be capable of managing the 
flows of persons who wish to travel for a short period or to migrate legally to the EU while 
preventing from entry those who are not entitled to enter. Border control also makes a major 
contribution in the fight against crime, as explained in the Internal Security Strategy presented 
by the Commission in 20104. The Union's dual aim must therefore be to maintain high levels 
of security whilst also making border crossings simpler for those who should be admitted, in 
full respect of their fundamental rights. 

Controlling  access  to  its  territory  is  one  of  the  core  functions  of  a  State  or  area  without 
internal borders. In the Schengen area, each participating state is co-responsible for exercising 
this function in a reliable manner. Each state manages its external borders not only to control 
access  to  its  own  territory  but  also  to  control  access  to  the  Schengen  area  as  a  whole;  it 
therefore acts in the interest of the others Member States and it carries out a service on behalf 
of  the  EU.  Likewise,  the  situation  of  those  Member  States  that  are  confronted  with  high 
pressure  at  their  external  borders  must  be  recognised  and  tackled  in  full  respect  of  the 
principle of solidarity.  

The  control  of  the  EU's  external  border  must  be  continuously  improved  to  respond  to  new 
migration  and  security  challenges.  Recent  events  have  shown  how  quickly  a  section  of  the 
external  border  considered  as  low  risk  can  quickly  become  subject  to  critical  migratory 
pressure. Organised crime is responsible for trafficking human beings or facilitating irregular 
migration and it constantly adapts its methods and routes. At the same time the overall trend is 
for travel flows to increase and for people to expect fast and easy border crossings. 

Weaknesses at some sections of the external border undermine confidence in the credibility of 
the Union's ability to control access to its territory, and undermine mutual trust. Citizens also 
need  to  feel  reassured  that  external  border controls  are  working  properly.  A  common  set  of 
rules already exists, but it is also necessary to further develop a shared culture among national 
authorities.  To  this  end,  the  Commission  will  adopt  in  May  an  amended  version  of  the 
SIRENE  Manual  and  in  June  it  will  update  the  Common  Practical  Handbook  for  Border 
Guards. Furthermore, the feasibility of creating a European system of borders guards should 
be considered. This would not necessarily imply the establishment of a centralised European 
administration,  but  the  creation  of  a  common  culture,  of  shared  capacities  and  standards, 
supported by practical cooperation. 

Similarly, it is necessary to adopt a risk-based approach and to ensure greater use of modern 
technology at land as well as sea borders. Daily cooperation between national authorities must 
be  improved;  operational  information  about  any  incident  at  the  external  border  should  be 

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exchanged  in  real  time  between  neighbouring  Member  States.  This  is  the  purpose  of  the 
European Border Surveillance System (EUROSUR), which is being progressively developed 
since 2008. The Commission will present a legislative proposal during 2011 to allow Member 
States' authorities carrying out border surveillance activities to share operational information 
and to cooperate with each other and with FRONTEX.  

FRONTEX's role is key in channelling resources to places where the border is under pressure, 
as shown by the deployment - for the first time ever - of rapid border intervention teams to the 
Greek-Turkish land border in 2010 and the deployment of the joint naval operation HERMES 
to support Italy in 2011. FRONTEX's legal framework needs be updated to allow it to be 
more  effective  in  terms  of  its  operational  capacity  to  act  at  the  external  border.  The 
Commission  proposed  the  necessary  changes  in  February  last  year5  and  it  is  now  urgent, 
especially  in  the  light  of  recent  events,  that  the  Council  and  the  Parliament  approve  this 
proposal before the end of this semester, as called for by the European Council.  

2.3. 

Schengen governance  

The  creation  of  the  Schengen  area  is  one  of  the  most  tangible,  popular  and  successful 
achievements of the EU. To safeguard this achievement and pave the way for its continuous 
development,  further  steps  must  be  envisaged  to  strengthen  external  borders,  as  outlined 
above. In addition, a clear system for Schengen governance is needed. Currently the Union 
still  relies  on  an  intergovernmental  system  of  peer  reviews  to  ensure  the  application  of  the 
common rules. The current revision of the Schengen evaluation mechanism should be based 
on a Community approach with participation of experts from Member States, FRONTEX and 
lead  by  the  Commission.  The  proposed  mechanism  would  ensure  more  transparency  and 
improve  the  follow-up  of  shortcomings  identified  during  the  experts'  evaluations.  The 
Commission will also issue guidelines to ensure a coherent implementation and interpretation 
of the Schengen rules. 

A mechanism must also be put in place to allow the Union to handle situations where either a 
Member State is not fulfilling its obligations to control its section of the external border, or 
where a particular portion of the external border comes under unexpected and heavy pressure 
due  to  external  events.  A  coordinated  Community-based  response  by  the  Union  in  critical 
situations  would  undoubtedly  increase  trust  among  Member  States.  It  would  also  reduce 
recourse tounilateral initiatives by Member States to temporarily reintroduce internal border 
controls  or  to  intensify  police  checks  in  internal  border  regionswhich  inevitably  slow  down 
the  crossing  of  internal  borders  for  everyone.  Such  a  mechanism  may  therefore  need  to  be 
introduced,  allowing  for  a  decision  at  the  European  level  defining  which  Member  States 
would  exceptionnally  reintroduce  internal  border  control  and  for  how  long.  The  mechanism 
should  be  used  as  a  last  resort  in  truly  critical  situations,  until  other  (emergency)  measures 
have  been  taken  to  stabilise  the  situation  at  the  relevant  external  border  section  either  at 
European  level,  in  a  spirit  of  solidarity,  and/or  at  national  level,  to  better  comply  with  the 
common rules. The Commission is exploring the feasibility of introducing such a mechanism, 
and may present a proposal to this effect shortly.  

2.4. 

Preventing irregular immigration  

By  its  very  nature,  irregular  immigration  is  a  phenomenon  which  is  difficult  to  quantify. 
However, certain indicators may provide guidance. In 2009, the number of irregularly staying 

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third  country  nationals  apprehended  in  the  EU  was  about  570  000  (7%  less  than  in  2008). 
Member States returned about 250 000 persons (4.5% more than in 2008)6.  

Dealing  firmly  and  effectively  with  irregular  migration  is  a  precondition  for  a  credible 
migration and mobility policy. A low probability of return for irregular migrants who are not 
in need of international protection is a pull factor and undermines public trust in national and 
European authorities. A more coordinated use at European level of relevant tools and policies 
must be achieved.  

The existence of an informal labour market is also a pull-factor for irregular immigration and 
exploitation  of  third  country  nationals.  This  is  why  the  full  and  timely  transposition  by 
Member States of the Employer Sanctions Directive7 is essential. 

Several hundred thousand people are trafficked into the EU or within the EU every year. The 
recent  adoption  of  the  Directive  on  trafficking  in  human  beings  will  keep  the  EU  at  the 
forefront  of  the  international  fight  against  this  form  of  slavery  by  punishing  such  criminals 
more  severely,  as  well  as  addressing  prevention,  protection  and  assistance  and  support  to 
victims, with an emphasis on the most vulnerable.  

The  EU  is  also  placing  more  emphasis  on  the  external  dimension  of  its  policy  on  human 
trafficking. The appointment of an EU anti-trafficking coordinator will help step up efforts on 
anti-trafficking.  

To  contribute  to  a  coherent,  balanced  and  effective  EU  return  policy  the  Commission  will 
present  a  Communication  in  2012  to  take  stock  of  progress  and  make  proposals  on  how 
further  progress  can  achieved.  This  should  involve,  i.a.,  promoting  voluntary  return, 
enhancing  capacity-building  in  Member  States,  fostering  mutual  recognition  of  return 
decisions, and addressing the situation of irregular migrants who cannot be returned. 

The  Return  Directive8  has  put  in  place  a  solid  and  fair  framework  for  ensuring  effective 
returns,  in  full  respect  of  fundamental  rights  of  the  migrants  and  the  rule  of  law.  This 
instrument ensures that a person is either legally present in the EU or is issued with a return 
decision. The low level of implementation of the Directive is a source of serious concern and 
the Commission urges all Member States to ensure that the necessary national provisions are 
adopted and applied without delay.  

In  its  recent  comprehensive  evaluation  of  the  EU's  readmission  policy9,  the  Commission 
concludes that EU readmission agreements are useful for repatriating irregular migrants. Such 
cooperation with third countries should be further reinforced. However, it is equally clear that 
readmission negotiations with several countries, including with the most important countries 
of  origin  and  transit  of  irregular  migration  are  difficult.  Moreover,  Art.  13  of  the  Cotonou 
Agreement between the EU and ACP countries is still poorly implemented. In particular, the 
fact that incentives are often not offered by the EU to its third country counterparts, such as, 
for  example,  visa-related  measures  or  financial  assistance  to  strengthen  the  capacity  of  the 
third  countries  to  correctly  apply  the  agreement,  impedes  the  EU's  ability  to  effectively 

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See Annex 1 - Table on apprehension, removal and returns.  
Directive 2009/52/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 June 2009. 
Directive  2008/115/EC  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  16  December  2008.  The 
deadline for implementing the Directive passed in December 2010.  
COM(2011) 76, 23.2.2011. 

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conclude and implement these agreements. It seems clear, therefore, that it no longer makes 
sense  to  seek  stand  alone  mandates  for  readmission  negotiations.  Readmission  agreements 
should moreover be looked  at from a broader perspective  of the overall relations of  the EU 
with  the  particular  partner  country.  To  this  end,  the  incorporation  of  enhanced  readmission 
obligations into the framework agreements concluded with third countries is to be favoured.  

3. 

MOVING AND LIVING IN AN AREA WITHOUT INTERNAL BORDERS  

3.1. 

Organised mobility  

The EU's external borders serve to protect and to ensure a smooth passage for EU citizens and 
their  family  members,  and  for  all  third  country  nationals  who  come  to  the  EU  under  the 
agreed rules. With 650 million border crossings per year for the Schengen area as a whole, the 
daily work of checks at border crossing points must be acknowledged10.  

A  maximum  use  must  be  made  of  the  resources  available  at  the  border  crossing  points, 
ensuring  economies  of  scale  while  avoiding  overlaps.  Close  interagency  cooperation 
(FRONTEX,  EUROPOL,  national  customs  and  police  authorities)  is  essential  for  this 
purpose,  especially  between  border  guard  authorities  who  control  persons  and  customs 
authorities  in  charge  of  control  of  goods.  To  better  coordinate  the  checks  at  the  external 
borders the Commission will present proposals in 2012, suggesting best practices to Member 
States.  

Attention should be paid also to reinforcing border checks while at the same time speeding up 
border crossings for regular travellers. Some Member States are already developing national 
systems for entry-exit systems. A European entry-exit system would ensure that data on the 
crossing  of  the  border  by  third  country  nationals  would  be  available  for  border  control  and 
immigration  authorities,  completing  the  VIS  scheme  for  visa  holders.  This  would  help  to 
control  better  the  stay  of  visa  holders  and  avoid  over-stay,  which  is,  contrary  to  common 
perception, the main source of irregular immigration in the EU. Simultaneously, a registered 
traveller  programme  would  allow  third  country  nationals  to  use  automated  border  control 
making access to the EU easier for frequent travellers.  

These systems would lead the way towards a next generation of border checks relying on new 
technologies,  while  building  in  lessons  learnt  from  current  large  scale  IT-projects  under 
development. They would require substantial investment by the EU and the Member States in 
terms of IT development and public expenditure and efforts to ensure high level standards for 
the  protection  of  personal  data.  Before  presenting  specific  proposals,  therefore,  the 
Commission will consult further in the coming months with the European Parliament and the 
Council and stakeholders on how to move forward. 

3.2. 

A consistent policy on mobility for third country nationals, including visas  

The  EU's  common  visa  policy  is  one  of  the  flanking  measures  which  obviate  the  need  for 
internal  borders.  Beyond  this,  the  visa  policy  is  an  influential  instrument  for  a  forward-

10 

According  to  a  data  collection  exercise  at  all  EU  external  border  crossing  points  organised  from  31 
August  to  6  September  2009:  12,6  million  persons  cross  regularly  the  border  per  week.  73,5  are  EU 
citizens  or  persons  enjoying  the  Union  right  of  free  movement  (9,1  million/week),  15,2%  are  third 
country nationals who do not need a visa (2,1 million/week) while 11,3 % are third country nationals 
holding a visa (1,4 million/week).  

EN 

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looking policy on mobility. It has a huge impact on third countries which consider mobility of 
their  citizens  a  top  priority  of  their  foreign  policy.  In  2009,  around  11  million  visas  were 
delivered by the Member States issuing Schengen visas11.  

In recent years, the EU has concluded several visa facilitation agreements and undertaken visa 
liberalisation dialogues. In some cases, and once all relevant pre-requisites were met, the EU 
decided to lift the visa obligation for citizens of specific third countries.  

These  experiences  are  largely  positive  and  demonstrate  that  it  is  possible  to  ensure  a  well 
managed mobility in a secure environment. Preventing irregular migration and maintaining 
public  security  are  compatible  with  the  objective  of  increased  mobility.  The  right  balance 
between  enhanced  mobility  of  bona  fide  travellers  and  the  risks  of  irregular  migration  and 
threats  to  public  policy  and  security  should  always  be  ensured.  Whenever  appropriate, 
whether  this  balance  has  been  struck  should  be  verified  via  a  post-visa  liberalisation 
monitoring mechanism, such as the one set up by the Commission in January 2011, covering 
five countries in the Western Balkans' region which were accorded a visa-waiver in 2009 and 
2010 (Albania, Bosnia - Herzegovina, former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro 
and Serbia).  

If  a  visa-waiver  leads  to  large-scale  irregular  migration  or  abuse,  or  endangers  security,  the 
EU  should  have  at  its  disposal  appropriate  tools  to  promptly  remedy  these  problems.  To 
ensure  this,  the  Commission  will  shortly  propose  a  modification  of  the  Visa  Regulation12 
establishing a safeguard clause that would allow, under certain conditions, for the temporary 
re-introduction of the visa requirement for citizens of a third country. 

The  EU  must  remain  open  to  cultural,  economic  and  trade  exchanges,  for  the  sake  of 
enhancing its role as a global player, and promoting the interest of its business community, 
the university sector and cultural stakeholders. More coherence is needed between visa policy 
and other EU policies, such as trade and research policies.  

The potential offered by the Visa Code - applicable since April 2010 - should be used to the 
fullest. There is still reluctance e.g. to issue multiple entry visas with a long period of validity 
to  frequent  travellers  despite  the  fact  that  their  reliability  is  fully  proven.  To  this  end,  the 
Commission  will  present  in  the  coming  months  its  first  annual  report  on  Local  Schengen 
Cooperation.  In  this  report,  the  Commission  intends  to  make  concrete  proposals  for  the 
benefit  of  Member  States'  consulates  and  the  visa  applicants,  on  the  functioning  of  Local 
Schengen  Cooperation  e.g.  with  regard  to  the  harmonisation  of  the  lists  of  supporting 
documents  to  be  submitted  by  the  visa  applicants  and  the  optimisation  of  the  issuing  of 
multiple entry visa to bona fide travellers. 

The accessibility of consular services is also of the utmost importance. The Commission will 
present  later  this  year  a  Communication  on  regional  consular  cooperation  programmes.  In 
particular, it will examine how the setting up of common visa application centres could be 
facilitated.  In  the  longer  term,  cooperation  between  Member  States  on  short  stay  Schengen 
visas could be extended to long stay visas. 

11 
12 

See Annex 2 table 1 on Total Visa statistics 2009  
Regulation (EC) No 539/2001 of the European Parliament and the Council. 

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3.3. 

A properly managed legal migration  

As emphasised in the Europe 2020 Strategy, a rational migration policy should recognise that 
migrants  can  bring  economic  dynamism  and  new  ideas  and  help  create  new  jobs.  Migrants 
also  help  fill  gaps  in  the  labour  market  that  EU  workers  cannot,  or  do  not  wish  to  fill,  and 
contribute to addressing the demographic challenges that the EU faces. To keep the ratio of 
working-age population to total population at its 2008 level, it is estimated that the EU would 
need  significant  net  immigration.  Long  term  demographic  trends  show  that  reliance  on  a 
workforce coming from labour flows between EU Member States may become limited over 
the next decade13.  

Receiving migrants with the skills that correspond to EU needs can be a response to labour 
and skills shortages in certain sectors. Future employment growth will be concentrated in 
service  activities  and  many  of  these  jobs  will  be  connected  with  public  services  as  well  as 
household related services. To give some examples, the Commission's Agenda for new skills 
and jobs14 estimates that by 2020 there will be a shortage of about one million professionals in 
the  health  sector  -  and  up  to  two  million  taking  into  account  also  ancillary  healthcare 
professions.  It  is  estimated  that  by  2015  shortages  of  ICT  practitioners  will  be  between 
384 000  and  700 000  jobs15.  The  EU  also  requires  a  very  large  increase  in  the  number  of 
researchers active here, some of who will need to come from third countries, if the economy 
is  to  become  as  dynamic  and  innovative  as  is  necessary  to  remain  competitive  in  a  global 
economy. 

More  work  is  needed  to  anticipate  labour  and  skills  shortages  and  to  identify  the  role  that 
migration could play in filling such shortages, whilst taking care to avoid "brain drain" from 
developing countries.  

An  EU  legal  framework  on  migration  is  being  developed,  while  Member  States  remain 
responsible for the numbers of third-country nationals they admit for employment purposes. 
Enabling the people with the right skills to be in the right place at the right time, is key to the 
success  of  business,  research  and  innovation  in  Europe.  Simplifying  administrative 
procedures  and  reviewing  the  restrictions  on  the  possibilities  for  third-country  national 
migrants to be mobile within the EU and between the EU and third countries, without losing 
acquired rights of residence and employment would help make labour markets function better. 
Moreover, a third of migrants are overqualified for the jobs they occupy, a waste of human 
capital that Europe cannot afford.  Therefore,  the  EU  must  make greater  efforts to recognise 
the formal qualifications of migrants, whether already legally present or newly arrived.  

The on-going jobs crisis in many Member States means EU labour markets are under pressure 
at  present.  The  Commission  is  currently  putting  in  place  a  number  of instruments to  review 
the matching of skills and supply and to identify economic sectors and occupations currently 
facing  recruitment  difficulties  or  skills  shortages.  The  results  of  this  analysis  will  help  the 
Commission to examine the emerging bottleneck occupations and skills gaps which could be 
filled  with  well-targeted  migration  strategies.  The  Commission  is  considering  presenting  by 
2012  a  Green  Paper  on  addressing  labour  shortages  through  migration  in  the  EU  Member 
States. The time has come to find an agreement on the 2007 proposal on the "Single permit" 

13 
14 
15 

Labour market polarization in Europe. Cedefop research paper n. 9 2011. 
COM(2010) 682. 
Monitoring e-Skills demand and supply in Europe – current situation, scenarios & future development 
forecasts until 2015, DG ECFIN. 

EN 

12 

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which will simplify administrative procedures for migrants and give a clear and common set 
of rights. At the same time, to remain competitive, Europe must be an attractive destination 
for highly skilled migrants, as global demand for high skilled workers will increase. The EU 
Blue Card scheme puts in place a package of measures that would facilitate the recruitment of 
these  persons  in  the  EU.  The  Commission  urges  all  Member  States  to  intensify  efforts  to 
properly transpose the Directive. Moreover, in order to plug identified gaps in the EU legal 
framework, the Commission put forward proposals on seasonal workers and intra-corporate 
transferees in 2010. As regards future legislative initiatives in the legal migration field, the 
Commission  is  continually  evaluating  the  current  framework  in  order  to  see  whether  the 
existing  instruments  are  correctly  implemented,  can  be  improved  or  whether  new  ones  are 
needed. Reports on the Directives dealing with third-country long-term residents, students and 
researchers will be presented in 2011. 

Potential  migrants  need  information  on  the  EU  and  national  legal  frameworks,  language 
requirements, visas and work permits. The EU immigration portal, a website to be launched 
at the end of 2011, will be a one-stop-shop for clear and accessible information. 

In  the  early  2000s,  in  Member  States  providing  reliable  data,  migration  for  family-related 
reasons seemed to account for more than 50% of total legal immigration. This percentage is 
progressively decreasing and today about one third of all immigration to the EU is related to 
family  reasons.  As  opposed  to  labour  migration,  Member  States  cannot  pre-define  the 
volumes  of  such  persons  to  be  admitted.  Indeed,  the  Charter  of  Fundamental  Rights,  along 
with many instruments of international law, and the EU Directive on family reunification16 
of third-country nationals recognise the obligation to respect family life. The Commission will 
discuss this issue with the Member States, the European Parliament and stakeholders and will 
issue a Green Paper by the end of the year.  

3.4. 

Building an inclusive society by integrating immigrants  

Integration  of  legally  resident  third-country  nationals  remains  a  key  and  sometimes 
controversial  issue.  Successful  integration  is  essential  for  human  and  cultural  reasons.  It  is 
also  necessary  for  maximising  the  economic  and  social  benefits  of  immigration,  for 
individuals as well as societies. There is no single means of ensuring successful integration. 
But  it  is  clear  that  more  efforts  are  needed  both  at  the  EU,  the  national  and  local  level  to 
achieve better results. Every migrant should feel at home in Europe, respecting its laws and 
values, and should be able to contribute to Europe's future.  

Integration requires efforts by the migrant and the receiving society. Migrants must be given 
the opportunity to participate in their new communities, in particular to learn the language of 
the receiving country, to have access to employment, education and health systems, as well as 
to  have  the  socio-economic  capacity  to  support  themselves.  Migrants  should  become 
acquainted  with  the  fundamental  values  of  the  EU  and  its  Member  States  in  order  to 
understand the culture and traditions of the country they live in. Migrants' integration implies 
a  balance  between  enjoying  the  rights  and  respecting  the  laws  and  cultures  of  the  host 
countries.  

In  this  context,  the  Commission  will  shortly  present  a  Communication  on  a  European 
Agenda for the Integration of third-country nationals, focusing on migrants' participation in 
receiving countries, action at the local level and the involvement of countries of origin in the 

16 

Council Directive 2003/86/EC. 

EN 

13 

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integration  process.  This  Agenda  will  be  a  contribution  to  the  debate  on  how  to  understand 
and support integration.  

A  'toolbox'  of  approaches  which  have  proved  successful  in  integrating  migrants  is  being 
developed, to facilitate the exchange of best practice enabling national authorities to learn from 
each other and choose the measures which are most likely to prove effective in achieving their 
particular integration objectives. So-called 'European  modules'  are being  designed  to support 
policies and practices which can be adapted to the needs of individual Member States, regions 
and  cities.  In  particular,  the  Commission's  Communication  will  advocate  a  strengthening  of 
the involvement of local and regional actors in the definition of integration policies, including, 
for example, through a strategic partnership with the Committee of the Regions and European 
networks of cities and regions.  

4. 

PROVIDING INTERNATIONAL PROTECTION TO PERSONS IN NEED  

One of the main purposes of the Common European Asylum System is to reduce the wide 
divergence in the outcome of asylum applications lodged in different countries of the EU, and 
to ensure a common set of procedural and substantive rights which can be relied on across the 
Union,  while  ensuring  full  compliance  with  the  1951  Geneva  Convention  on  refugees  and 
other relevant international obligations. 

In 2010, there were some 257 800 asylum seekers registered in the EU, or 515 applicants per 
million inhabitants. Ten Member States accounted for more than 90% of applicants registered 
in the EU17. 

It  is  time  to  complete  the  Common  European  Asylum  System  by  reaching  agreement  on  a 
balanced package by the 2012 deadline agreed by the European Council in December 2009. 
To  that  end,  the  Commission  will  shortly  put  forward  modified  proposals  on  the  Reception 
Conditions and the Asylum Procedures Directives. A balanced agreement on the revision of 
the Dublin Regulation must be reached, including on a  last resort  emergency mechanism in 
case of exceptional pressures, and on the revised Eurodac system.  

Together with the Qualification Directive and the extension of the scope of the Directive on 
the  Long  Term  Residence  Status  to  beneficiaries  of  international  protection,  the  common 
asylum  system  should  provide  for  (a)  the  fair  treatment  of  and  appropriate  guarantees  for 
asylum seekers and beneficiaries of international protection; (b) procedural devices that will 
help national authorities to properly and quickly assess asylum claims, in a more convergent 
way and with tools to deal with abusive claims; (c) the appropriate level of approximation of 
rights  for  beneficiaries  of  international  protection  which  will  contribute  to  cost  savings  in 
administrative processes and to limiting secondary movements and asylum shopping, while at 
the same time improving integration prospects; (d) the improvement of the efficiency of the 
'Dublin system', while catering for situations of exceptional pressures which may be faced by 
individual  Member  States;  and  (e)  a  EURODAC  database  which  continues  to  support  the 
efficiency  of  the  Dublin  Regulation,  whilst  also  meeting  other  needs  of  law  enforcement 
authorities but under very strict conditions. 

17 

France,  followed  by  Germany,  Sweden,  Belgium,  the  United  Kingdom,  the  Netherlands  Austria, 
Greece, Italy and Poland. See Annex 2, table 5 

EN 

14 

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Strengthened  practical  cooperation  must  accompany  EU  legislation  and  its  proper 
implementation. The European Asylum Support Office will become fully operational in June 
this year and its activity will lead to increased confidence and cooperation among European 
partners.  

Solidarity and cooperation with third countries in managing asylum and refugee flows is also 
important.  In  particular,  Regional  Protection  Programmes  must  continue  to  be  operated. 
These  provide  for  a  broad  partnership  with  countries  and  regions  of  origin,  in  close 
cooperation  with  UNHCR,  combining  dialogue  and  support  for  capacity-building  measures, 
for  access  to  durable  solutions,  improvements  in  national  asylum  legislation,  reception  of 
asylum seekers and refugees, repatriation measures and resettlement.  

In  the  course  of  2010,  about  5 000  refugees  were  resettled  in  the  EU  as  a  whole.  This 
compares to the approximately 75 000 refugees resettled in the US the same year. Indeed, EU 
Member  States  altogether  currently  accept  fewer  resettled  refugees  than  Canada  alone. 
Resettlement  must  become  an  integral  part  of  the  EU  asylum  policy.  It  represents  a  life-
saving measure for genuine refugees who might otherwise be obliged to a dangerous journey 
to a place of permanent refuge. It is also an important responsibility-sharing gesture towards 
countries  of  first  asylum,  most  of  which  are  developing  countries,  it  helps  to  maintain 
'protection space' in hosting countries, and it contributes to dialogue and cooperation on other 
issues of migration and border management. The European Parliament and the Council should 
adopt the EU joint resettlement scheme proposed by the Commission18 without further delay.  

5. 

MIGRATION IN EXTERNAL RELATIONS BEYOND THE CRISIS 

5.1. 

A global approach to migration  

The EU needs to strengthen its external migration policies. There is a need for partnerships 
with  third  countries  that  address  the  issues  related  to  migration  and  mobility  in  a  way  that 
makes cooperation mutually beneficial. In developing such a policy, migration issues should 
be  integrated  into  the  overall  EU's  external  relations  to  promote  EU's  interest  and  needs. 
Special attention should be given to the relationship between migration and climate change. 
Consistency between internal and external policies is essential to produce sound results as is 
coherence and complementarity between Union and Member States' actions. 

The Commission will present a Communication on the Global Approach to Migration later 
this  year.  After  the  first  five  years  of  implementation,  it  is  time  to  enter  a  new  phase  and 
explore ways to make this strategic approach more efficient and coherent, with more clearly 
defined  objectives.  This  policy  framework  needs  to  better  reflect  the  strategic  objectives  of 
the  Union,  both  external  and  internal  and  to  translate  them  into  concrete  proposals  for  the 
development  of  our  key  partnerships  (notably  EU-Africa,  Eastern  Partnership,  EuroMed 
Partnership and the enlargement countries).  

There should be a better thematic balance between the three main areas of policy intervention: 
a)  organizing  legal  migration;  b)  reinforcing  the  fight  against  irregular  migration;  and  c) 
maximizing the mutual benefits of migration for development.  

The  external  dimension  could  play  a  more  important  role  in  reaching  out  to  third  countries 
that  should  be  seen  as  partners  when  it  comes  to  addressing  labour  needs  in  the  EU,  whilst 

18 

COM(2009) 447, 2.9.2009.  

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respecting  EU  preference  for  EU  citizens.  In  an  effort  to  better  connect  labour  supply  and 
needs and to facilitate for EU industry in recruiting the right skills, important work could be 
done in third countries in areas such as recognition of foreign qualifications and pre-departure 
vocational and language training. 

The work on migration and development needs  to be deepened and refined. The EU should 
step  up  its  efforts  to  address  the  drivers  of  migration  with  a  special  focus  on  employment 
issues, governance and demographic developments. New initiatives to encourage the positive 
impact on development from the transfers of migrants' remittances need to be taken.  

The  human  dimension  of  migration  and  development  policies  will  also  be  strengthened 
through  the  introduction  of  a  migrant-centred  approach.  In  this  context  the  role  of  diaspora 
should get more attention. Initiatives geared to enabling members of the diaspora to contribute 
to  their  country  of  origin  should  be  considered,  including  the  promotion  of  the  temporary 
return of qualified migrants. Building upon the first positive experiences, the possibilities of 
circular migration need to be further developed.  

Until now the main focus of the Global Approach has been on Africa and the east and south-
east  of  Europe.  In  strengthening  the  EU's  external  migration  policies,  the  geographical 
priorities should be revisited, based on EU and third country interests and common challenges 
particularly in the light of recent developments in the Middle East and North Africa. 

5.2. 

Beyond the crisis: the EU and the Southern Mediterranean in partnership 

The European Council meetings on 11 and 25 March reaffirmed the commitment to develop a 
new partnership with the countries of the Southern Neighbourhood. The European Parliament 
also  underlined  in  its  recent  Resolution19,  the  need  to  have  a  balanced  and  comprehensive 
approach  to  these  issues.  Building  on  these  contributions,  in  the  coming  weeks,  the 
Commission  will  present  a  revised  European  Neighbourhood  Policy  and  a  package  of 
proposals concerning the EU approach in the area of migration, mobility and security with the 
Southern Mediterranean countries. 

In  this  framework,  work  shall  be  carried  out  with  the  Southern  Mediterranean  countries  to 
improve the recognition of migrants' skills and educational levels.  

Moreover,  people-to-people  contacts  across  the  Mediterranean  should  support  burgeoning 
democratisation in North Africa. Enhanced mobility will increase mutual understanding and 
boost  trade  relations.  The  EU  needs  to  offer  its  partners  in  the  neighbourhood  a  dynamic 
mobility policy, including visas, which is also solidly anchored within the EU external policy. 
Liberalised provision of services, enhanced exchanges of students and researchers, intensified 
contacts  bringing  civil  society,  businessmen,  journalists  and  human  rights  organisations 
together are instrumental to achieving the goals of the European Neighbourhood Policy. They 
can only take place if proper channels for regular migration and visa facilitation are in place. 

As a first step , the EU has proposed to the Southern Mediterranean countries to establish a 
structured  dialogue  on  migration,  mobility  and  security  in  view  of  establishing  related 
Mobility Partnerships on the basis of the specific merit of each and every country. 

The  dialogue  should  have  the  aim  of  establishing  Mobility  Partnerships  with  appropriate 
conditionality, and of helping the partner countries to reinforce capacity building in the areas 

19 

European Parliament resolution of 5 April 2011 on migration flows arising from instability: scope and 
role of EU foreign policy (2010/2269(INI)) 

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of management of migrations flows. Mobility partnerships should cover, among others, ways 
to  facilitate  and  better  organise  legal  migration,  effective  and  humane  measures  to  fight 
irregular  migration,  and  concrete  steps  towards  reinforcing  the  development  outcomes  of 
migration.  Their  implementation  will  be  conditional  upon  a  genuine  commitment  from  the 
third-countries  concerned  to  readmit  irregular  migrants  who  are  not  entitled  to  stay  in  the 
territory  of  the  Member  States  and  take  effective  action  aimed  at  preventing  irregular 
migration,  establishing  integrated  border  management,  document  security  and  to  fight 
organized crime, including trafficking in human beings and smuggling of migrants. 

Partner  countries  that  are  ready  to  work  with  the  EU  on  asylum,  migration  and  border 
management, as well as on more effective enforcement of the rule of law, will be supported in 
strengthening their capacities to that end. This cooperation will also help to set the conditions 
for  stability,  respect  for  human  rights,  democracy  and  good  governance.  It  will  likewise 
enable the EU to offer further initiatives to facilitate mobility for third country nationals, in 
parallel  with  measures  in  the  area  of  visa  policy,  as  part  of  a  more  general  overhaul  of  the 
EU's relationships with these countries.  

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ANNEX 1 

Commission's initiatives linked to the Communication 

Reference N° 

Full title 

CHAPTER 2 
Crossing the external borders and mobility  

2011/HOME/040 

Commission Decision on local Schengen cooperation 

June 2011 

2011/HOME/182 

Recommendation amending COM Recommendation 
establishing a common Practical Handbook for Border 
Guards 

June 2011 

2011/HOME/045 

Commission Decision amending the Visa Code Handbooks 

June 2011 

2011/HOME/050 

Commission Decision amending the SIRENE Manual 

May 2011 

2011/HOME/041 

Commission proposal to amend EP and Council Regulation 
539/2001 on visas 

24 May 
2011 

2011/HOME/044 

Communication on programmes for regional consular 
cooperation and setting up of common application centers 

November 
2011 

2011/HOME/088 

Legislative proposal defining the objective, scope and the 
technical and operational framework of the European Border 
Surveillance System (EUROSUR) 

December 
2011 

2011/HOME/.. 

Communication on Smart Borders (Entry Exit System and 
Registered Travellers Programme) 

September 
2011 

2011/HOME/016 

Communication on enhanced Intra-EU solidarity 

November 
2011 

CHAPTER 3  
Moving and living in an area without internal borders  

Schengen:  a  mechanism  for  a  coordinated  and  temporary 
reintroduction  of  controls,  to  be  added  to  the  Commission 
proposal on evaluation of Schengen  

June/July 
2011 

2011/HOME/037 

2011/HOME/017 

Migration  and  Asylum  in  the  EU  in  2010  (Second  annual 
Report  on  the  Immigration  and  Asylum  Pact),  accompanied 
by a Commission Staff Working Paper  

Communication  on  an  EU  agenda 
accompanied by a Commission Staff Working Paper 

for 

integration, 

24 May 
2011 

24 May 
2011 

EN 

18 

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2010/HOME/085 

2010/HOME/086 

Report from the Commission to the European Parliament and 
to  the  Council  on  the  application  of  Directive  2003/109/EC 
on  the  status  of  third-country  nationals  who  are  long-term 
residents 

September 
2011 

Report from the Commission to the European Parliament and 
to  the  Council  on  the  application  of  Directive  2004/114/EC 
on the conditions of admission of third-country nationals for 
the  purposes  of  studies,  pupil  exchange,  unremunerated 
training or voluntary service.  

September 
2011 

2011/HOME/039 

Report  on  Directive  2005/71/EC  on  admission  of  third 
country  nationals  for  the  purpose  of  scientific  research  and 
possible follow-up  

December 
2011 

2009/HOME/057 

Green paper on Directive 2003/86/EC on the right to family 
reunification 

November 
2011 

Communication on EU Policy on Return  

Green  Paper  on  Addressing 
migration in the EU Member States 

labour  shortages 

through 

CHAPTER 4 
Providing international protection to persons in need 

2011/HOME/186 

Modified proposal on the Asylum Procedures Directive  

2011/HOME/187 

Modified proposal on the Reception Conditions Directive  

Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of 
the  Council  establishing  the  criteria  and  mechanisms  for 
determining the Member State responsible for examining an 
application  for  international  protection  lodged  in  one  of  the 
Member  States  by  a  third-country  national  or  a  stateless 
person 

2012 

2012 

1st June 
2011 

1st June 
2011 

Already 
tabled  

Amended  proposal  for  a  Regulation  of  the  European 
Parliament  and  of  the  Council  on  the  establishment  of 
'EURODAC' 

Already 
tabled  

Proposal  for  a  Directive  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of 
the Council on minimum standards for the qualification and 
status  of  third  country  nationals  or  stateless  persons  as 
beneficiaries  of  international  protection  and  the  content  of 

Already 
tabled  

EN 

19 

   EN 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
the protection granted 

Commission's proposal on a EU Joint Resettlement Program 

Already 
tabled  

CHAPTER 5 
The Global Approach to Migration 

Communication  "A  dialogue  for  migration,  mobility  and 
security with the Southern Mediterranean"  

24 May 
2011 

2010/HOME+/01
1 

Commission  proposal  for  the  Council  decisions  concerning 
the  signature  and  conclusion  of  the  agreement  between  the 
European  Community  and  the  Republic  of  Cape  Verde  on 
mobility and readmission  

November 
2011 

2011/HOME/001 

Communication on the evaluation and future development of 
the Global Approach to Migration 

November 
2011 

2011/HOME/022 

CSWP on Migration and Development 

2011/HOME/023 

CSWP on Migration and Climate Change 

November 
2011 

November 
2011 

2001/HOME/019  

Action  Plan  on  cooperation  with  Eastern  Partnership 
countries  

September 
2011 

Commission  proposal  for  the  Council  decisions  concerning
signature and conclusion of the agreement between the Europ
Community and Armenia on visa facilitation and readmission 

July 2011 

Commission  proposal  for  the  Council  decisions  concerning 
the  signature  and  conclusion  of  the  agreement  between  the 
European Community and Azerbaijan on visa facilitation and 
readmission 

July 2011 

EN 

20 

   EN 

 
 
 
 
ANNEX 2 

Table nr 1 : Total Visa statistics 2009 

Schengen States

Schengen visas 
(Airport transit visas, transit visas, short-stay visas)

AT
BE
CH
CZ
DE
DK
EE
EL
ES
FI
FR
HU
IS
IT
LT
LU
LV
MT
NL
NO
PL
PT
SE
SI
SK

Number of visas issued
285.196
165.474
351.578
440.360
1.491.784
77.142
93.464
598.883
748.466
783.340
1.415.886
272.972
779
1.053.354
236.299
5.364
118.436
28.915
313.534
105.430
579.424
107.224
172.595
97.690
62.287

Non issuance rate
5,23%
17,38%
8,70%
3,74%
9,06%
5,40%
2,49%
4,68%
9,97%
1,58%
12,35%
4,14%
4,18%
5,02%
1,77%
2,38%
3,48%
9,31%
7,37%
0,75%
3,29%
6,87%
7,62%
4,19%
3,78%

Number of national
long-stay visas 
issued 

27.169
24.588
37.975
17.109
139.640
1.037
399
40.686
135.568
-
167.108
8.530
88
155.286
2.824
27
1.450
4.168
9.032
16.502
210.292
15.800
527
391
1.982

UE Member States not 
applying yet fully the 
Schengen acquis

Airport transit visas, transit visas, short-stay visas

Number of visas issued

Non issuance rate

BG
CY
RO

Totals

595.914
113.205
175.956

1,05%
2,63%
3,24%

Airport transit visas, transit visas, short-stay visas

Number of visas issued

Non issuance rate

Sub-total Schengen
Sub-total non Schengen
Total

9.605.876
885.075

10.490.951

7,11%
1,70%

6,68%

Number of national
long-stay visas 
issued 

8.575
-
12.831

Number of national
long-stay visas 
issued 

1.018.178
21.406

1.039.584

Source: General Secretariat of the Council of the European Union 

EN 

21 

   EN 

 
Indicators of irregular immigration- Apprehensions, removals and returns.  

Effective returns  

2009 2008 

2009 

Removal orders 
issued 

2008
32680
1405

23900
1465

3770

3805

Apprehensions 
2009 
2008 

13800 
1415 

13710 
1465 

3335 
610 
53695 
1050 
3185 

3955 
640 
49555 
860 
5035 
106715  108315 
90500 
76355 
53440 
8030 
245 
1495 
260 
8970 
1690 
7565 
17145 
4520 
11130 
4365 
1065 
1715 
6660 
22230 

92730 
111690 
68175 
7000 
310 
910 
: 
4845 
3015 
7505 
14500 
5430 
28605 
3790 
1555 
2320 
5375 
440 

69840 

69745 
611840  570660 

Belgium 
Bulgaria 
Czech 
Republic 
Denmark 
Germany  
Estonia 
Ireland 
Greece 
Spain 
France 
Italy 
Cyprus 
Latvia 
Lithuania 
Luxembourg  
Hungary 
Malta 
Netherlands 
Austria 
Poland 
Portugal 
Romania 
Slovenia 
Slovakia 
Finland 
Sweden 
United 
Kingdom 
EU 

14595
150
1615
126140
103010
88565
53440
3205
70
1210
185
4850
1690
43360
10625
8520
10295
5125
1065
1180
3125
17820

11985
185
1285
146335
82940
97515
68175
3355
265
910
:
4205
3015
31700
8870
8145
8185
3695
1555
1655
1775
12555

69840
606000

3965
275

585
825
14295
95
690
68565
29785
19470
7140
3480
270
855
:
1190
305
9350
5855
8595
1345
3820
1995
1295
910
9015

4060 
285 

850 
800 
11900 
115 
830 
62850 
28865 
18400 
5315 
4520 
200 
925 
105 
2245 
530 
8980 
6410 
6945 
1220 
4670 
2220 
900 
1720 
11980 

Ratio between 
removal orders 
issued and 
effected returns 
2008 

2009 

12,1 
19,6 

17,0
19,5

15,5 

22,3

119,3 
51,4 
53,7 
46,9 
35,9 
20,0 
10,5 
103,7 
101,9 
94,0 

28,3 
10,1 
29,5 
66,0 
105,5 
16,4 
103,4 
128,3 
78,2 
51,3 
71,8 

67,9 
39,8 

81,5
76,7
51,4
49,8
28,0
20,8
9,9
141,0
285,7
76,4
56,8
46,3
31,4
20,7
60,3
81,5
11,9
91,1
208,5
76,3
55,0
67,2

93,1
42,2

69745
598755

47455
241425

64945 
252785 

Table nr 2 : Table on apprehensions, removals and returns.  

Source: Eurostat 

EN 

22 

   EN 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
 
Table nr 3 : Non EU-population in the Member States, 2010 

Non-EU population in Member States, 2010 

Citizens of non-EU countries (000's)) 

EU27 

Belgium  

Bulgaria 

Czech Republic  

Denmark  

Germany  

Estonia 

Ireland  

Greece  

Spain  

France  

Italy  

Cyprus  

Latvia 

Lithuania  

Luxembourg  

Hungary  

Malta  

Netherlands  

Austria  

Poland  

Portugal  

Romania  

Slovenia  

Slovakia  

Finland  

Sweden  

United Kingdom 

20 126.1 

: 

20.3 

287.4 

214.3 

4 584.7 

201.7 

67.9 

791.7 

3 335.7 

2 451.4 

2 993.7 

43.8 

382.4 

34.6 

29.5 

81.1 

11.3 

341.3 

548.0 

30.7 

363.1 

25.3 

77.6 

24.2 

98.5 

324.7 

2 445.1 

Source: Eurostat 

% 

4.0 

: 

0.3 

2.7 

3.9 

5.6 

15.1 

1.5 

7.0 

7.3 

3.8 

5.0 

5.5 

17.0 

1.0 

5.9 

0.8 

2.7 

2.1 

6.5 

0.1 

3.4 

0.1 

3.8 

0.4 

1.8 

3.5 

3.9 

EN 

23 

   EN 

 
Migration Flows – Numbers of resident permits issued  

Table nr 4 : Number of residence permits issued in 2008 and 2009  

EN 

Source: Eurostat 

24 

EN 

 
  
 
Table nr 5 : First instance asylum decision by outcome and Member States, 
2010 

European Union 
Belgium 
Bulgaria 
Czech Republic 
Denmark 
Germany  
Estonia 
Ireland 
Greece 
Spain 
France 
Italy 
Cyprus 
Latvia 
Lithuania 
Luxembourg 
Hungary 
Malta 
Netherlands 
Austria 
Poland 
Portugal 
Romania 
Slovenia 
Slovakia 
Finland 
Sweden 
United Kingdom 

Total 
decisions 
223370 
16665 
515 
510 
3300 
45400 
40 
1600 
3455 
2785 
37620 
11325 
2440 
50 
190 
475 
1040 
350 
17145 
13780 
4420 
130 
425 
115 
295 
4880 
27700 
26720 

Total 
positive 
decisions 
55100
3510
140
175
1345
10450
15
25
105
610
5115
4305
425
25
15
70
260
220
7565
3450
510
55
70
25
90
1595
8495
6440

Refugee 
status 
27050
2700
20
75
660
7755
10
25
60
245
4095
1615
30
5
0
55
75
45
810
2060
80
5
40
20
5
165
1935
4445

Subsidiary 
protection 
20400
805
120
75
520
545
5
5
20
350
1020
1465
370
20
15
15
115
165
4010
1390
195
50
30
0
55
1240
5955
1850

Source : Eurostat 

Humanitarian 
protection 

7650 
: 
: 
20 
170 
2145 
: 
: 
30 
15 
: 
1225 
25 
: 
: 
: 
70 
15 
2745 
: 
230 
: 
0 
: 
30 
190 
605 
140 

Rejection  
168270  
13160  
375  
335  
1950  
34955  
25  
1575  
3350  
2175  
32505  
7015  
2015  
25  
175  
410  
785  
125  
9575  
10330  
3910  
75  
355  
95  
205  
3285  
19205  
20280  

EN 

25 

   EN