An “extremely constructive” vision of the future of migration policies

The European Union Ministers for Foreign Affairs and for Home Affairs had an “extremely constructive” joint meeting today, allowing them to trust in advances in the new Pact on Migration and Asylum.

After the meeting, the Portuguese Minister for Home Affairs, Eduardo Cabrita, who co-chaired this video conference from Brussels, pointed out that six years ago there were no meetings in this format, assembling 54 ministers and the European Commission. This “jumbo” meeting - the name given to EU councils that bring together Ministers with different portfolios - should be held regularly, “preferably on an annual basis”, according to Eduardo Cabrita.

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At a press conference, the minister revealed that “there is an extremely constructive vision among the 27 that there is a need for a proactive relationship with the countries of origin, transit and sometimes destination of migrants, a relationship that embraces all the dimensions of the management of migratory flows and one that can combat human trafficking and clamp down on illegal migration”.

The EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, who co-chaired the session, said that the Member States should use all the tools available to the European Union so that there can be effective cooperation in the migration area.

The Portuguese head of diplomacy, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Augusto Santos Silva, also took part in the meeting, from Lisbon.