The importance of the implementation of the EU-Turkey declaration on immigration was underlined by the President of the Commission Ursula von der Leyen in her letter to the leaders of the EU member states, ahead of the summit that will be held in Brussels on October 16 and 17. As he pointed out, Ursula von der Leyen is expected to plan a support package of 1 billion euros by the end of 2024 to help Syrian refugees and vulnerable communities, as well as support Turkey in border and migration management.

“We are following all the strands of this important relationship, in line with last year’s joint communication and April’s extraordinary European Council, and one of the next steps should be the resumption of the High Level Dialogue on Migration and Security. By the end of this year, we will also plan a €1 billion support package to help Syrian refugees and vulnerable communities and to support Turkey in border and migration management,” the president of the European Commission said.

He noted that in 2024 so far, irregular arrivals have fallen by about two-thirds on the Central Mediterranean route. To a large extent, this can be attributed to the intensive migration management and anti-trafficking operations carried out by the Libyan and Tunisian authorities following the EU’s political engagement. Continued cooperation with Tunisia and Libya, as well as the ongoing engagement with key partners such as Egypt, Morocco and Algeria remain a high priority, always in full compliance with EU principles and values, Ursula von der Leyen added.

At the same time, he underlined that returns from North Africa to countries of origin have increased through EU-funded actions, reaching 17,700 in 2024.

At the same time, at the end of September, there was a 56% increase in arrivals this year compared to the same period in 2023 on sea routes to Spain, along the Western Mediterranean and Atlantic routes combined. “We need to deepen the ongoing partnership with Mauritania and we also need to look at how to incentivize other partners, such as Senegal and Mali, to work with us on migration, despite the broader complexity of the relationship,” he reported.

In the Eastern Mediterranean, after the peak of maritime arrivals from Lebanon in the first weeks of April, almost six months were recorded without maritime arrivals in Cyprus, showing the very serious commitment of the Lebanese authorities despite enormous pressures, as noted by the President of the Commission, citing however, that the increase by the end of September of more than a quarter of irregular arrivals in Greece by land and sea highlights the need to further improve cooperation with neighboring countries and ensure effective control of the EU’s external borders.

The EU migration policy can only be sustainable if those who do not have the right to remain in the EU are effectively returned, he pointed out and clarified that only around 20% of third country nationals for whom there is a decision to leave have actually returned.

“Member States’ return procedures and practices vary significantly: we need to build a level of harmonization and trust that will ensure that migrants who have a return decision against them in one country cannot exploit cracks in the system to avoid return elsewhere Ursula von der Leyen emphasized.

With the 2018 proposal left without an agreement and taking into account the previous discussions, the Commission will present a new legislative proposal that will set out clear cooperation obligations for the returnee and effectively streamline the return process, by digitizing case management and mutual recognition of decisions of the other.

The President of the Commission noted that human trafficking must be recognized as an important area of ​​organized crime and criminals must be deterred. It is therefore important to complete the legislative proposals quickly to ensure that there is no impunity, but also to ensure that Europol is well equipped to support Member States in detecting, investigating, tackling organized crime and of ill-gotten gains, including through enhanced cooperation on asset confiscation.

One of the Home Affairs and Migration Commissioner’s first tasks will be to work with Member States and stakeholders to prepare for and respond to hybrid attacks and the tooling of migrants. This should be complemented by a strong diplomatic approach to countries of origin to raise awareness and prevent the situation from worsening, as well as a strong legal framework to hold carriers accountable, for which the Commission’s proposal is still on the table pending agreement.

“We have already committed to review by next year the concept of designated safe third countries. UNHCR and IOM are ready to work with the EU on a comprehensive approach, helping asylum seekers without having to embark on dangerous journeys across the Mediterranean. We should also continue to explore possible solutions regarding the idea of ​​developing return centers outside the EU, especially in view of a new legislative proposal on returns. With the launch of the Italy-Albania protocol, we will also be able to draw lessons from this experience in practice,” noted Ursula von der Leyen.

As for the Schengen Zone, the President of the Commission stated that the reintroduction of border controls should be a measure of last resort, exceptional and proportionate to the threat identified.

“The new Schengen Borders Code which entered into force in July sets out the obligations of Member States to respect these principles. The Commission is willing to facilitate consultations between the Member States concerned and together we must defend the social and economic benefits that the Schengen area without border controls has brought. This is also crucial for our goal to improve competitiveness” he concluded.