Filenews 21 July 2023
Interior Minister Constantinos Ioannou stressed the need for more active action towards third countries, which are the main countries of origin and transit of irregular migrants, speaking in his intervention yesterday at the Informal Council of Ministers of Internal Affairs of the European Union in Logroño, Spain.
The Informal Council takes place between 20-21 July, under the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the EU.
Yesterday, member states' home affairs ministers had the opportunity to discuss the next steps towards completing the package of the Pact on Migration and Asylum, in particular the proposal for a regulation on crisis management and the instrumentalisation of migration.
According to an announcement by the Ministry of Interior, which is transmitted by the PIO, they exchanged views on the external dimension of migration, with emphasis on strengthening cooperation with countries of origin and transit, as a mechanism to ensure the Union's resilience and protection from migratory flows.
The Minister of the Interior, during his intervention yesterday at the Council, spoke of a common understanding and approach of the Member States towards a more integrated and holistic management of migration.
Cyprus has repeatedly stressed that the solution of the migration problem cannot and should not be limited to the repressive measures taken in the member states, Ioannou noted.
Faced with an international phenomenon, the Minister added, targeted measures should be adopted by the Union, within the framework of the external dimension, whose main objective will be to reduce and prevent migratory inflows, so that they can be managed by the first reception member states.
After explaining that an effective response to irregular migration is imperative through a comprehensive and unified approach, he underlined that the effort should be coordinated and include cooperation between member states, regional organisations and international organisations to ensure the effectiveness of the measures taken.
Referring to the recent upward trend in Cyprus, Ioannou noted the need for more active action towards third countries, which are the main countries of origin and transit of irregular migrants.
The aim, he added, is to build relationships and motivate these third countries to act as Europe's partners in this effort.
In this context, he underlined the importance of the action plans and by extension the need for a swift conclusion of the special Action Plan for the Eastern Mediterranean, indicating that the power of member states under the umbrella of the Union is multiplying and therefore our aim should be for the EU to take initiatives institutionally.
In the framework of the Council's proceedings, the Minister of Interior met with his Greek counterpart, Minister of Migration and Asylum, Dimitris Kairides, with whom they discussed the strengthening of cooperation between Greece and Cyprus on migration issues, as well as the promotion of positions within the framework of MED5 cooperation, as frontline Mediterranean member states, which face increased migratory flows.
The two Ministers pledged to meet in a wider format with caretakers next September, laying the foundations for starting a series of contacts between the two Ministries, which will aim at closer cooperation in the areas of asylum and migration.
CNA
