EP committed to complete the necessary reforms on migration and asylum policies

USPA NEWS - European Parliament debated on Tuesday with the Czech Council Presidency and the Commission on the way forward on migration and asylum policies and ensuring humane treatment of migrants. The European Commission proposed the New Pact on Migration and Asylum in September 2020 in order to improve the procedures and reach an agreement to share responsibility fairly among member states and act in solidarity when dealing with migration flows. On September 7, 2022, the European Parliament and five rotating Council Presidencies signed an agreement regarding the conduct of negotiations between the co-legislators committing to work together to adopt the reform of the EU migration and asylum rules before the 2024 EU elections.

Mikuláš Bek, on behalf of the Czech Presidency, announced that the work in the Council will focus on addressing the situations of instrumentalisation of migrants and to take forward discussions on the new pact on migration and asylum, including on a legally binding solidarity mechanism, with a view to adopt the reform before the end of term of the European Parliament. He underscored that member states faced with allegations of human rights violations of migrants should conduct the necessary investigations.

Commissioner Ylva Johansson recalled the activation of temporary protection for Ukrainian refugees and various forms of support to member states provided by the EU to improve the situation of migrants and refugees. She underscored the EU asylum rules always have to apply and called for agreeing on sustainable solutions in a comprehensive migration pact.

During the debate, the MEPs called for completing the long overdue reform of the EU asylum and migration system, agreeing on an EU wide solidarity mechanism, to improve procedures to identify persons in need of international protection, reception conditions, integration, as well as returns of those not allowed to stay in the EU. Several MEPs warned of the problematic situations at external EU borders were pushbacks and inhuman treatment undermined the rule of law as well as of insufficient reception capacities in some member states. They deplored this downwards competition. On the other side, some wished to see more restrictive migration policies and focus on humanitarian aid abroad.