[ad_1]
I understand that some Member States are under enormous pressure due to immigration, said Dimitris Avramopoulos, Commissioner for Home Affairs and Immigration, in an interview granted to Bloomberg. "Some national leaders of the EU want Europe to return to its dark past," he said.
"They forgot that it was there. Europe 60 years ago, "he said The problem goes beyond migration and is linked to the fundamental values of the EU, he said Everyone believed three years ago that the economic crisis was threatening the European adventure.The one that puts it at risk is the immigration crisis.Why? Because it has a direct impact on the values and the fundamental principles on which the European project was built, he noted
"We are no longer facing a migration crisis, but a political crisis. ue. Our key priority is the more effective management of our borders. That's what the European Commission has done in the last three years, and we are not what we were then. We are now managing our borders more efficiently and have created the European Border Guard and the Coast Guard. However, migration continues to affect us. The spirit of last week's European Council summit was to steer towards a comprehensive immigration policy, said Mr Avramopoulos and said that when he talks about the situation, he said: A political crisis means that in recent years, populist forces are gaining ground in Europe.
"They created their own political rhetoric and their influence is greatly enhanced. For our part, we will continue to work on the basis of the political agenda we adopted three years ago while Europe was under heavy pressure. At that time, Europe was surprised, and especially the Member States that are in the fore, such as Italy and Greece. Remember that more than 1.2 million refugees and immigrants managed to cross European borders without any surveillance. Today, we are managing the situation much more effectively. I realize that there is a lot of pressure on some Member States. We try to convince them. But we are not here to tell them what to do. We continue to have an open dialogue with them, we all share the same goals. Our priorities are more effective border management and migration, as well as the adoption of new systems. I would like to remind you that an important debate is currently going on in Strasbourg on the European Information and Travel Authorization System (ETIAS), a system similar to the US ESTA. "
" I can not have permanent border controls. I understand some of the reasons that motivate the Member States, particularly in terms of security.
With regard to landing platform plans, we should consider the matter further. Until now, I do not know of any country ready to host such centers on its territory, inside or outside of Europe. So we must look into the matter and come back if we have something specific, "said Commissioner
Mr. Avramopoulos said that" Germany has taken a clear position from the outset and I would like to congratulate Ms. Merkel for what she did three years ago. Because of her actions, she sent a strong message of solidarity to the rest of the Europeans. For the moment, Mrs Merkel is under pressure, but I believe that in the end there will be a logic and a common national and European approach to dealing with this critical situation. We are ready to support Germany because we are ready to help all Member States, including Italy. "
Speaking of the establishment of centers on European soil and the creation of landing platforms outside the EU Avramopoulos said that" what prevails today in the world ". EU has nothing to do with old colonial attitudes. We are not here to dictate. We continue to work with these countries. I have traveled to Tunisia, Mali and Niger to find a solution. Until now, no country is willing to host such centers. On the other hand, we need to support these countries in terms of development. As you know, the EU is the main donor of development aid to these countries. We know that the underlying causes are not just what's happening in the Middle East or North Africa, but also in terms of poverty and climate change. We must therefore tackle all these issues by supporting these governments and their citizens. "
" Everyone thought that it would be the economic crisis that would put the future of Europe in jeopardy. Ultimately, however, it is the management of the migration crisis, and that is because it has a direct impact on the basic principles and values upon which the European construction is built especially those of solidarity and responsibility. This is supported by the European Union and the European Commission from the very first moment we have faced this unprecedented situation. I was fortunate to be the first commissioner at the same time on immigration and home affairs, and believe me, we started from scratch. Today, we face a major political crisis related to political approaches. Unfortunately, some leaders want to bring Europe back to its dark past. They forgot how it was Europe 60 years ago when some wise and responsible leaders made the historic decision to create a new Europe, a free space of movement, democracy and stability. Over the last 60 years, we have benefited from this initiative. However, it seems that some Europeans consider that this important achievement is acquired. But this is not the case. We must defend these values. That is why I have already said that the problem was not limited to immigration, but that it was linked to the fundamental values of the EU and that we were all determined to fight for the European dream to remain alive, "said Abramopoulos.
[ad_2]
Source link
