Debate: Externalising asylum applications and making funding to third countries conditional on the implementation of return agreements
Date: WEDNESDAY, 10 MAY 2023
Speaker: Janusz Wojciechowski
Language: EN

This underscores the necessity to continue working more actively and more efficiently with countries of origin and transit. We aim at long-lasting solutions. Migration management with our partners only works with mutual long-term engagement and ownership on both sides.  The European Union and its Member States continue to invest in the social and economic development of partner countries and on the response to climate and environmental events to reduce the root causes of irregular migration.  We are also investing EUR 0.5 billion in border management and the fight against migrant smuggling in North Africa and the Western Balkans to strengthen a comprehensive migration partnership.  We are supporting Türkiye through a new EUR 220 million project of surveillance equipment to prevent irregular migration.  We have launched an anti-smuggling operational partnership with Morocco, Niger and the Western Balkans.  Another has just been agreed in principle with Tunisia, and we hope to agree further partnership with other partners soon. Last week, Commissioner Johansson travelled to Tunisia to reinforce our migration partnership, notably as regards the prevention of irregular departures, strengthening anti-smuggling cooperation, supporting returns from Tunisia to sub-Saharan Africa, and strengthening return and reintegration, as well as labour migration cooperation. As with all our partners, European Union migration cooperation with Tunisia is part of our border strategic partnership with Tunisia.  For truly comprehensive partnerships, we are accelerating discussions with Member States to launch talent partnerships on legal migration with Morocco, Tunisia and Egypt, as well as Pakistan and Bangladesh.  The European Union and its Member States also work closely with countries of origin in the framework of comprehensive partnership to return those who do not have the right to stay in the European Union in an effective, safe and dignified way.  The European Council in February called for swift action to ensure effective returns using as leverage all relevant EU policies, instruments and tools including diplomacy, development, trade and visas, as well as opportunities for legal migration.  We cannot engage on returns in isolation. Cooperation on returns is part of the overall relationships with the EU. We have already put in place this approach in the visa policy, establishing a formal link between readmission, cooperation and possible restrictive visa measures. As a part of our trade policy, we propose that failing to cooperate on readmission would be a ground of withdrawal in the generalised scheme of preferences.  Moreover, the regulation on the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument — Global Europe sets now an indicative spending target for migration and introduces a flexible, initiative approach. This is not conditioning funding to the implementation of return arrangements, but encourages cooperation. It is recognising that in every partnership there are interests on both sides.  Ladies and gentlemen, last year, the European Union Member States received nearly 1 million asylum applications – about 50 % more than in 2021, and the highest number since 2016. In addition, 4 million people fleeing Ukraine registered for temporary protection.  Providing protection to those in need and upholding the right to asylum is a legal and moral obligation to which the European Union is strongly committed. EU Member States should share this task in a spirit of solidarity and fairness and full respect of international and Union law.  EU asylum law applies only to asylum applications made at the border of and in the territory of a Member State. The Commission has consistently maintained that the external externalisation of asylum processing is incompatible with EU law and we share the UNHCR’s concerns about the compatibility of such schemes with international obligations as well.  The Commission proposals for a comprehensive pact on migration and asylum do not provide for external processing. Increased cooperation with partner countries in the fulfilment of joint and global responsibilities for managing migration is, however, a clear and top priority. We will continue to pursue intensified partnerships in this respect.  The Commission also fully supports, however, resettlement efforts. We will provide EUR 0.5 billion in funding for resettlement and humanitarian admission for 2023–2025, offering support to resettle around 50 000 persons.  We will continue to prioritise safe and legal pathways for those in need of international protection from Libya via Niger and Rwanda by strengthening the emergency transit mechanisms. The Commission discussed these solutions with Member States at the high-level EU Resettlement Forum meeting on Monday.  Thank you and I look forward to the discussion.