“Europe, after decades of repeated failures, is now turning the page on immigration,” said European Commission Vice-President Margaritis Schinas, speaking to the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) of the European Parliament, adding that “we are close to a global system based on rules”.

Mr Schinas said that “there is still work ahead”, however “we have a road map that we have all agreed on that is now being implemented and we are ready to support the co-legislators to get the job done”. In relation to the shipwreck in international waters off Pylos, he pointed out that “it is another call to action, underscoring the urgent need to intensify our work with partner countries, to redouble our efforts against migrant smuggling”.

He also emphasized that the shipwreck “was a shock, for Greece, for Europe” and that “all the questions raised must be answered in the context of where this happened. We are a union of democracies. We do not improvise legal procedures. We have to work with the existing system. We note that the prime minister himself ordered an immediate criminal investigation. We welcome that Greek prosecutors have already started working on this.”

Finally, the vice-president of the Commission stated that the goal remains the pursuit of comprehensive win-win partnerships with third countries, based on mutually beneficial cooperation, as well as that work in relation to legal channels is a “key piece in the whole puzzle”. .