Speech: Opening Statement by First Vice-President Timmermans at the European Parliament Plenary Debate on the European Agenda on Migration
Following the terrible loss of life in the Mediterranean last month the European Council stood for a minute's silence. Leaders made a firm commitment to solidarity amongst Member States to address the common migratory challenges Europe faces.
The European Agenda on Migration is about turning the words into action. It provides for the measures that are urgently needed to deal with the crisis in the Mediterranean and to build a structured response that can be used in cases of extreme pressure on other parts of our shared external border.
The input and support this House gave us in your resolution last month was very important to us in finalising the Agenda. We have reacted with more funding and resources for Triton to help it manage borders and save lives. We are taking measures to disrupt the brutal people smuggling trade, and we are proposing 'hotspot' teams to give support on the ground in Member States where the pressure is worst - to help identify, register and fingerprint incoming migrants.
And the Commission agrees with this House that we must do more to make a reality of the commitment to solidarity and to open up legal channels for those who are most in need of international protection.
Next week the Commission will propose a temporary relocation mechanism by triggering the emergency clause in Article 78(3) of the Treaty to help relieve the immediate and exceptional pressure on frontline countries. This Parliament will be formally consulted and we count on your support. And later on we will come back to you to co-decide a standing mechanism for relocation that is automatically triggered whenever there are these extreme crisis situations.
Under the relocation scheme, people of identified nationalities who are most desperately in need of sanctuary will be distributed to other Member States who will then take care of their reception and asylum processing.
The Commission has tabled a distribution key showing what this intra-EU solidarity means in concrete terms for each Member State and the Union as a whole.
In parallel, we want to create safe and legal channels for those who really need protection to get to Europe without risking abuse, exploitation and their very lives in the hands of smugglers. We are therefore proposing a humanitarian resettlement scheme, working with the UNHCR. We are putting an extra €50 million into this scheme, which should result in resettling an additional 20000 people into the EU over two years.
Beyond the immediate crisis we are setting out a longer term strategy to address the more fundamental issues of migration in a comprehensive way. These are complex matters and we need to act on all aspects to be effective.
That means tackling irregular migration at its source and all along the routes. It means securing our borders and saving lives. But it also has to mean applying our common asylum rules properly. Solidarity in hand with responsibility.
Everyone who needs sanctuary should find it in Europe. But those who have no justified claim should be quickly identified and returned to their home country. Effective action on return and limiting the scope for abuse are crucial for the credibility and societal acceptance of migration policies.
Getting these rules working correctly is also a necessary precondition for the serious debate we need to have on the legal migration Europe will need in the future. We will only have citizens' support for this if we get all of the aspects of a comprehensive migration policy working together.
Honourable Members,
This European Agenda on Migration mobilises all the tools at the EU's disposal. Our internal policies and our various European agencies. But also development policy to address the root causes of migration, and a coherent and united foreign policy to bring migration management onto the agenda in our relations with key third countries. The Agenda is holistic - an example of the benefits of the new working methods under the Juncker Commission.
These are bold proposals and they are already attracting debate, including among the Member States. But it is not acceptable for people to say 'yes, stop people drowning' but at the same time stay silent on where these people should go once rescued.
What the Commission is doing today is putting in practice the commitment the European Council made last month. More responsibility and effective application of our common rules to prevent abuses, going hand in hand with more solidarity.
Yes, these are challenging proposals. Yes, they will prompt debate in Member States. But it is not acceptable for people around the EU to say 'yes, stop the drowning' and at the same time to say 'but don't bring the people here'.
We are setting out today a set of targeted and balanced measures, and we will work closely with this Parliament and each of our Member States to match words with action.
SPEECH/15/5009
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