Debate: Screening of third country nationals at the external borders - European Criminal Records Information System  - Third Country Nationals - Common procedure for international protection in the Union - Establishing a return border procedure, and amending Regulation  / - Asylum and migration management - Addressing situations of crisis and force majeure - Establishment of 'Eurodac' for the comparison of fingerprints for the effective application of Regulation  No , for identifying an illegally staying third-country national or stateless person and on requests for the comparison with Eurodac data by Member States' law enforcement authorities and Europol for law enforcement purposes  - Union Resettlement Framework - Standards for the qualification of third-country nationals or stateless persons as beneficiaries of international protection - Standards for the reception of applicants for international protection
Date: WEDNESDAY, 10 APRIL 2024
Speaker: Tomas Tobé
Country: Estonia
Language: EN

Most of us understand that if we have a common external border, we also need more common migration policy. The EPP Group will support the migration pact. We think that it is crucial that we start to take back control from the smugglers, because we need to decide who will actually enter the European Union. We need to strengthen our common border, because only so can we also ensure that we move towards a policy when we can give protection to those in need and not to irregular migrants. We also, in the migration pact, finally acknowledge that we need to cooperate also with third countries if we want to manage migration in a better way in the future. Finally, and perhaps even more important: in the migration pact, we make it clear that we need to cooperate better within the Union. It cannot be so that this comes to responsibility for a few Member States, where we try to find different ad hoc solutions. Now we make it clear that it is a responsibility for everyone to contribute. This is basically about building trust: building trust between the Member States, but also building trust from the citizens that the European politicians actually can deliver also when it comes to migration. Yes, the negotiations have been long – and let’s be honest, they have been hard, even within this House and together with the Council. But from the EPP Group, I would like to thank for the cooperation with the S&D Group and the Renew Group, and also with some responsible delegations in the ECR Group. But I still hear many colleagues in this House now that are ready to do whatever it takes to stop the migration pact. And I would like to turn to The Left Group and the Greens Group. You very often give speeches about the far right, but the truth is today you want to stop the migration pact together with Le Pen and AfD. That is the truth. You should instead vote in favour of the migration pact because then we could put a stop to the horrific numbers of deaths on the Mediterranean Sea. Don’t leave this in the hands of the smugglers. Colleagues, today we have an opportunity to send a clear message: Europe can agree also on divisive issues. Let’s move away from the political deadlock. Let’s move forward to a migration policy that actually works for everyone and that will, for certain, work better than what we have today. Vote in favour of the migration pact. Vote in favour for Europe.